Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife booking system — step-by-step tips to get the sites you want
Back from 6 nights in the bush — here is the full report from Johannesburg.
The spot: Booked 6 months ago through SANParks — these sites go fast.
Facilities: Full ablutions with hot showers, braai stands, and a basic tuck shop.
Wildlife: Heard lion calling two nights — spine-tingling from inside a rooftop tent.
What worked: The National Luna fridge ran the full trip on 122Ah LiFePO4 topped up by 201W solar. Didn't need the generator once.
What to bring: Your own firewood (collecting prohibited in most reserves), minimum 20L water per person for 3 days, and a headlamp — the bush is seriously dark.
Would I go back: Immediately. This is exactly why we overland.
3 Replies
The LiFePO4 and solar setup you describe is similar to mine. 106Ah battery with 186W solar keeps a National Luna 40L fridge running indefinitely in South African sun. Have not used a generator on any trip in the last 24 months.
Did you see any large wildlife in camp? We had an elephant push over a tree about 18m from our rooftop tent at 02:00. Incredible to experience — absolutely terrifying in the moment.
— tayla_ferreira
Good tip on the firewood — this catches so many people out. I now carry a 60kg bag of hardwood in the back of the bakkie on every trip. Enough for 6 nights of evening fires without relying on anything available on site.
Did you see any large wildlife in camp? We had an elephant push over a tree about 18m from our rooftop tent at 02:00. Incredible to experience — absolutely terrifying in the moment.