By Peter Bills Shamwari and the Kruger National Park: two of South Africa's greatest game reserves. Both are known the world over as two of the pre-eminent places to visit in order to see the great animals of Africa.
On the face of it, both are remarkably similar. They each offer the tourist a taste of Africa from bygone days, when big beasts roamed the land.
For the European visitor in particular, inhabiting a world where the only fearsome things roaming countries are motor cars, the sense of anticipation and ultimate excitement cannot be compared.
To see a leopard up a tree devouring its prey or a lion striding out just a few metres from your vehicle is a unique experience.
But to suggest that the Kruger Park and Shamwari offer virtually the same thing would be grossly misleading.
This is a classic contrast of budget choice against de luxe class. So how do the two compare? Perhaps some would suggest, like Shakespeare, that comparisons are odious. Nevertheless, for the purposes of this exercise I have selected six categories.
They are: accommodation; style; fun factor; advantages (or disadvantages); game viewing; and price.
(1) Accomodation.
Kruger Park:
It is comfortable but basic. The rondavels in the respective camps suit the purpose. Some of the shower facilities at one or two of the original camps are somewhat limited and ageing. But they are cleaned each day and the beds are comfortable enough.
Shamwari:
Standards vary significantly. Camps such as Eagles Crag offer a standard of international excellence some top hotels in cities like Johannesburg struggle to match. My room there was sumptuous, one of the most beautiful I've ever stayed in. But at older camps in the reserve, such as Long Lee Manor, standards are not quite as high, though they are still good. At both, the staff are superbly friendly and helpful. (2) Style Kruger Park:
Inevitably it's not in the same league as Shamwari. Many visitors use their own cars and, if not, the large trucks that transport visitors, guided by rangers, are pretty basic.
Shamwari:
It's hard to believe that it is possible to view game in any greater style. The Land Rovers are smaller, more comfortable and remarkably flexible in any terrain. And, when it comes to the evening, candlelit dinners while seated in a beautifully furnished room add another dimension to this whole wonderful African adventure.
(3) Fun Factor Kruger Park:
This is where the Kruger really scores. I took my 14-year-old son and he simply lapped up the job of getting the braai going each night, outside our hut after dark. While the meat cooked, we had a beer beside the flames and just chewed the cud about life, while listening to the birds and insects. Terrific. Later that night, just after turning in, a hyena that had got under the perimeter fence turned over bins and caused chaos in the camp. Hey, this was great fun.
Shamwari:
Altogether more refined. There is the fun of spying great animals such as lions, but otherwise it is far more planned, less spontaneous. It has to be that way if you go for five-star luxury. The unpredictable, the fun element, is reduced.
(4) Advantages & Disadvantages Kruger Park:
Advantages. The fun element, mentioned above, is a huge plus, especially when visiting with children. In a sense, you feel more attuned to the whole concept of tracking animals in Africa if the facilities are a bit basic. Another plus was the huge number of birds of prey we saw.
Disadvantages? Chiefly the fact that you have to stay on the roads and tracks throughout the park. We saw several lions but all a long way off. Binoculars are essential. The sheer numbers doing the same thing are another minus. Oh, and it's in a malarial zone. Shamwari:
Advantages. It is in the Eastern Cape, a malaria-free zone. Also, access to the animals is far superior. Your guide will take you through scrub, driving over bushes and small trees to get close up.
Sitting in an open Land Rover just a few metres separating you from two huge male lions was a fabulous experience, one of the best of my life.
Another huge plus was the wonderful knowledge imparted by the guides. Ours not only managed to track down animals but explained the night sky and stopped often to show us where wild dogs and jackals had sprayed to mark their territory.
The guides are informative in the Kruger but not to the same extent.
Disadvantages: Inevitably, the size. It covers only 20 000ha, compared with the Kruger's 2 million.
That might seem an advantage to some because you're likelier to see the Big Five (although we saw every one of the coveted group in just three days at Kruger). But the sense of vastness is far greater than at the Kruger: here the two reserves are literally incomparable.
(5) Game Viewing Kruger Park:
Good, but you need to be fortunate to get as close to the animals as you do in Shamwari. Nevertheless, driving down hot, dusty roads and suddenly coming upon animals is a great thrill. Best to check the regularly updated noticeboards at the camp each night to find out in what areas the animals have been sighted. Driving yourself is perfectly safe and acceptable, if somewhat limited.
Shamwari: This is one of the areas where the private game reserve is in a different league. We sat just metres from a tree where a cheetah was resting in the shade, and then a while later sat perfectly still as a leopard walked right around our open vehicle. You have to go to a private reserve to find such access.
(6) Prices Kruger Park Prices (per night) vary widely, the following being just an example.
At Berg-en-Dal camp, which has 63 bungalows, 23 cottages and a swimming pool, a basic bungalow for one or two people is R480 per night, with one extra adult costing R100 and an extra child R60. Maximum number is three people. A family cottage for one to four people costs R900, with an extra adult R190 and extra child costing R190. Maximum: six people.
At Lower Sabie camp, a basic bungalow with communal kitchen is R480 for one or two people (maximum two). A family bungalow there costs R870 for one to four people. An extra adult costs R110, extra child R60. Maximum number: five.
Prices are applicable from November 1 to the end of next year.
Shamwari:
Very expensive, a huge difference from the Kruger. But it's like flying in your own aircraft compared to travelling economy. A night at Eagles Crag, will cost R5 250 for a suite in low or high season. That is per person, sharing, but all-inclusive.
Prices at Long Lee Manor or Bushmans River Lodge are R4 325 for a luxury room in high season (November 1 through to April 30 next year), again per person, sharing, and all-inclusive. In low season (May 1 to September 30 next year) the price falls to R2 560, same terms and conditions.
- This article was originally published on page 16 of The Star on September 17, 2005
