go! YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE

Predators

Satara is one of the best camps in the whole Kruger National Park for predators! The S100 gives you a great chance to see not only lion, but leopard and cheetah as well. Lions are also common on all the other roads around Satara, so drive early morning and late afternoon to give yourself a chance of spotting them. Your best bet for cheetah is to drive west on the H7 to where it crosses the S36 and S39 south; they are regularly seen in this open area. Look for a spotted hyaena den on the H6, approximately 9km east of the H1-3.

Elephants and rhinos

White rhinos are common along the whole S41 and are regularly seen on this road, especially in the open area towards the north, where the S41 and S90 come together. The S90 is great for elephants, especially in summer. Elephants may be seen all around Satara, but the H1-4 has been particularly good for them in the past. The S100 and S126 may also produce good elephant sightings.

Giraffes and zebras

Satara is located in a very open part of Kruger and is therefore great for zebra. They are found on virtually every road around the camp, but I have seen extremely large herds just north of the camp on the H1-4, especially in summer. These herds can number up to a 100 individuals. The S100 is always good for zebra, and giraffe are usually found here as well. These tall browsers often feed on the acacia trees of the S100.

Hippos

Nsemani Dam is less than 10km from camp on the H7 and is the best place in the Satara region to look for hippos. Early in the mornings and on overcast days you might even find them out of the water. Also look for hippos on the S41, just south of the junction with the S100. They are sometimes found in the N'wanetsi River.

Scenery

There are some extremely beautiful drives in the vicinity of Satara and the most scenic must be the famous S100 N'wanetsi River road! This 19km-long gravel road hugs the N'wanetsi River in stunning open savannas. As a result, you have dense thickets and a riverbed on the one side, and open acacia plains on the other. Tall trees are found all along the riverbed, making it one of those roads that will take your breath away!

Birds

Satara's open veld attracts species like kori bustard, secretary bird and ostrich, which can be found on the S90 and H1-4. Look for bateleur eagles on the S126, S100 and H1-3 just south of Satara, where I have often seen them. In summer you have a chance to see red-billed queleas in huge numbers! They sometimes breed on the S12, S39 south and the northern tip of the S36.