Numbi gate is the closest gate from Johannesburg with just under 400km in distance and a travel time of 4 and a half hours.
Our favourite route if entering at Numbi gate would be to travel on the H1-1 Napi Road, the H1-1 is a tar road the bush around this road is generally thick which can make game viewing complex. Nevertheless this road has its perks as it is a great opportunity to view some of the rarer antelopes, we have often seen Sable around this road closer to the Numbi gate / Pretoriuskop side.
On early morning drives we have often seen Hyenas in the road or laying outside their den, Hyena usually use drain pipes as their den and they keep their puppies inside.
About 15km from the gate we recommend stopping at Shitlhave waterhole it is a great opportunity to see animals going for an early morning drink. we have often seen large herd of buffalo’s and waterbucks around the waterhole and crocodiles close up. Continuing on the H1-1 from Shitlhave the vegetation becomes less dense making it easier to spot animals we have been lucky to see cheetah and wild dog on this stretch between Shitlhave an Transport dam\Verwoerdam.
Transport Dam is another good place to stop we have seen lots of elephants and even lions around the dam. After you reach Transport Dam you have two options of road that you can choose to travel onto, you can either continue on the H1-1 which is the shortest route to Skukuza or turning left on the S65 which is a 14km sand road. If your are looking to drive further past Skukuza we recommend going on the H1-1 as it is a faster more direct route. If your are looking to stay in the area and look for animals the S65 is a great road that offers exciting opportunities to spot the big 5, the big 5 are often seen on this road.
Once you get to the end of the S65 you will continue right on to the S1, on this short stretch from the S1 to H11 we have seen both leopard and lion, there is a resident leopard around this area known as Vin Diesel, Skukuza is an approximate 10km drive from the S1.
This route is approximately 75 km and 3 hours travel time. If you choose the direct route to Skukuza on the H1-1 it is approximately 60 km and 2 hours travel time.
Resources & Information found on:
- www.krugerpark.com
*All Images belong to Big on Wild unless stated otherwise