# Using Sudwala as a base for visiting the surrounding area



## X-ring (Mar 2, 2011)

What can one reasonably do using Sudwala as a base?

Wildlife safaris? Other unique S.A. experiences?

If you're aware of any useful websites re the area that could be useful too.

TIA.


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## sylvia (Mar 13, 2011)

*Sudwala*

From the Sudwala Resort website:  http://www.sudwala.com/

_Ideally situated on the famous Panorama Route, below the Sudwala Caves, there are many tourist attractions nearby that will be sure take your breath away.

For the activity-seeker, one can venture out to the nearby God's Window, Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and the Big 5 at the Kruger National Park.

The lodge also boasts many activities such as guided walks, horse-riding and mini-golf, only to name a few, to keep the whole family entertained._


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## Carolinian (Mar 14, 2011)

Kruger Park is fantastic.  I thoroughly enjoyed my drive through it.  It is huge, so one day is unlikely to be enough for it.


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## kiyotaka (Mar 14, 2011)

Carolinian, what's the best way to get there? which a/p, transportation from a/p, tour co? We own a week there & my wife wants to see some wild animals.


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## Carolinian (Mar 14, 2011)

I flew into Jo'burg, spent a few nights in that area (mainly to see Pretoria, Sun City, and a few other nearby places as Jo'burg itself has safety problems), rented a car there and drove to Kruger Park.  The drive was not bad after you get used to the way South Africans pass on 2 lane roads.  Kruger Park is huge and is easy to get around in by rental car.  I would do that over taking a tour.  There are certain areas of the park where you are more likely to see particular animals and that can vary by the time of the year.  You need to get a good feel for that and a map and then set your own priorities.  There are some modern versions of traditional huts that you can stay in inside the park, but driving from a closeby timeshare, you would not need those.  I also took a day and drove through the Kingdom of Swaziland, which is reasonably close, and was interesting for a day trip.  Mozambique is also within driving distance, but the conditions on my rental car did not allow crossing that border.

The two main international airports are Jo'burg and Capetown, with more flights to the former.  Jo'burg is also the closer one to Kruger Park, and is on the Kruger side of the city.  If flight timings make it better to stay overnight in the area, I would either stay very near the airport or in one of the northern suburbs, Sandton or Randburg.  I stayed at a family run motel in the latter which provided airport transportation for a few days after arrival.  The most dangerous areas around Jo'burg are to the south of the city, although the center city also has enormous crime rates, even the business district.  On the other hand, between the airport and Kruger, I do not recall any areas I drove through that caused me concern.

Capetown also was very interesting, and did not have too much in the way of crime problems.  I was felt safe walking around after dark in the tourist areas, something I would not have even thought of in Jo'burg.  I talked with a government agency in SA which gave me a rundown on the problem areas, which were rather limited, and stayed away from them.  However, I talked with a group of young Europeans who had driven through one of those problem areas, the Transkei, and not seen any sign of trouble or ever felt unsafe.

South Africa also has a good system of domestic airlines which are relatively cheap. I used those between Capetown and Durban and then from Durban back to Jo'burg.  I took the train from Jo'burg to Capetown, which also was very safe and well maintained.  There is no train to Kruger, but I understand that you can fly from Jo'burg to an airport near the park.  That would be another option if you do not want to drive.  Then you could rent a car at that airport.  If Kruger was the main thing I wanted to see in the country, that is probably what I would be inclined to do.  However, I had three weeks there and a lot I wanted to see from one end of the country to the other.


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## X-ring (Mar 14, 2011)

Great stuff Carolinian, thanks for sharing!


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