Winter in Kruger
Frequent visitors to the Kruger National Park often boast that Winter is the ideal time to visit making it somewhat hard to find an available accommodation offering in the park during the season. While we only partially agree (EVERY season is the best in our opinion!) here are some highlights for this time of the year that we couldn’t help but want to share:
- The Winter sunrise in the African bush is the ultimate wake-up – golden rinds glisten from the leaves of the vast vegetation in all directions around you, while the shades of red, pink, orange and yellow warms the dust from the earth in spectacular form as though the sky has been set on fire all. All the while, the morning fog leaves a crip yet enchanting aura of mystique hovering on the cold ground. Can there be a better start to the day?
- The weather. Yes, we are going to claim it South Africa – you simply cannot beat the Kruger weather in winter – the mornings are fresh, mid-day is warm enough to walk around in t-shirts and shorts and the evenings are cool enough to dust off those stored jackets and snuggle up under a blankie while your Amarula coffee is brewing. Utter bliss.
- Whether your first coffee of the day is our fair-trade, artisanal craft coffee from the station or a cup of boere-troos from your granny’s trusted old floral print flask, that first sip of the steaming liquid – preferably while enjoying it at a waterhole where Lions are quenching their thirst after a long night of hunting – holds a unique taste that only the ambience around you can provide. Best served with your bush-buddy or loved one and a rusk to dunk. note to self though – avoid the floaty crumbs at the bottom of the cup if dunking occurred!
- Extra zzzzzz’s! With shorter daylight hours and the cry of hyena’s lulling you to sleep, your rest in nature is ever sounder and more peaceful than in the areas where the only proof of life in the unknown is the constant sound of vehicles zooming to their next destination. The nocturnal life forms an orchestra in the bush, filling your dreams with sightings for the next day. The sound travels further at night – with the density of the vegetation being thinner as the drier season – and the calls surround your place of comfort before the dance of the first rays wake you in time for your early (yet much later than in the summer months!) rise for game drive.
- Unlike summer, where a braai in the camp site is necessary for cooking purposes for the Kruger-lovers at dinner time, Winter’s requirement is not only for the same reason but also for warming the fresh, cold air hitting your cheeks during game drive time. As a result, the air in the rest camps is filled with the smell of wood fires, the conversation around the fire is instrumental to the unique Kruger visitor-community. Your next-door holiday neighbour instantly receives the title of friend – often friendships to last a lifetime – as you share tales of sightings of the day over a glass over ‘Brannas-en-coke’.
What is your favourite reason for visiting Kruger in Winter? Do let us know!
Celebrate with us at Kruger Station this June
June is filled with reasons to celebrate, not only for the allure the bush holds in the cooler months, but also because the Kruger Station has a few additional incentives to get you out from under the blankets and fuelling your desire for an adventure.
YOUTH DAY (16 JUNE)
The public holiday where we remember the students, who in 1976, were in uprising against the regimes of apartheid constricting their right to learn in their native languages. As a result, our youth bled, and some died for their right to be treated equally in the school spaces where fairness should be celebrated. In remembrance of this brave act by innocent youngsters, all children under 13 ordering from the ‘kiddies menu’ on Youth day will only pay half price.
FATHER’S DAY (19 June)
Bring dad for a feast at the station and we will take 20% off his order. You have to be four or more at your table and only dad’s order will be discounted – the rest of the party will have to wait until they have that title to qualify for the discount. Only valid on Father’s day.
We recommend these menu items for the ‘old man’ this year:
Start off with our venison starter:
Safari Tasters
Warthog cheese griller and impala samosa with a smoky fire roast corn-tomato relish.
For mains, we recommend our delicious fall-off-the-bone ribs:
Pork Spare Ribs 500G
Marinated in our sticky tangy-spicy monkey gland sauce and chargrilled to perfection with a side of choice.
Don’t forget the brandy and coke special – two doubles for R99
Make it a long weekend!
This year both of these occasions fall over a potential long weekend (easy-peasy – just take the Friday in between off and voila – long weekend!) we decided to make it an extra-special occasion with the following offers:
Can you smell it? Bring on the pop-up offer: BOERIE ROLLS! – from the 16thuntil the 19th of June (opening until closing times daily) we will have our trolley at the station with freshly made gourmet boerewors rolls with your choice of toppings:
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- Choice boerewors chargrilled on the open flames topped with smoky bacon cheese sauce, sliced jalapeno’s, crispy crunched nacho’s and tomato relish
- Station Gourmet Boerewors Roll R 69 to R95
DOUBLE UP! During the long weekend (valid from opening time 16 June to closing time 19 June) buy a soft serve ice-cream and get the second one free! Double the trouble? More like Double the yum! If ice cream is not your flavour, brandy might be (not the previously-known-but-now-less-known pop singer): two double brandy’s and coke for only R99 available every day from 10am – because they say only pirates drink before 10 am, and we are allegedly too far from the ocean to have many pirates at the Station…
Save the Date!
Our second Wine in the Wild parks off at the station in July!
If you were lucky enough to experience last year’s inaugural ‘Wine in the Wild’ Festival, you will understand why we are as excited as we are about our second one – if you didn’t -where were you?!
Tickets are on sale now on our website (go to book now, select the date you would like to come and book to secure) limited tickets available so don’t miss out!
The details – diarise now so you have no excuse not to attend if you are in the area on the dates:
Date: 8th and 9th July
Times: Friday: 15H00 to 19H00
Saturday: 14H00 to 19H00
Ticket cost: R150pp which includes:
- a branded Kruger Station wine glass to keep,
- unlimited tasting from our participating wine-houses:
- Knorhoek & Quoin Rock
- Dalla Cia
- Benguela Cove
- Rickety Bridge
- Survivor or Avondale
- Beyerskloof
- AA Badenhorst