Frequently Asked Questions

Hoedspruit is where your holiday starts. It is a small tourist town situated perfectly between the Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon. Ecotourism is the atmosphere of the town as it is also surrounded by enormous private game reserves and a wide array of tourist attractions (see on our Private Tours page).Hoedspruit town has a wide selection of excellent restaurants and offers all the conveniences and services that you might require.

Osprey’s Panorama Route tour takes you through the spectacular Blyde River Canyon conservation area. Our tour includes stops at Lisbon Falls, the Pinnacle, God’s Window, Berlin Falls, Bourke’s Luck potholes, the Three Rondawels and Blyde River Canyon viewpoints. Bring good walking shoes so that we can take you to the very best viewing points, and bathing suits if you would like to cool off in the rivers during the summer months.

Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest reserves in Africa. It covers an area of approximately 20,000km2. To visit the Kruger National Park you will either need to book a day trip with a private company or rent a vehicle and do a self-drive safari. If you would like to stay the night, book your accommodation on the SANParks website (https://www.sanparks.org/).

‍The Greater Kruger is to the west of the Kruger National Park where over 20 privately owned game reserves are unfenced onto the park. This allows the wildlife to roam freely throughout the area. These private reserves offer luxury lodge accommodations and guided game viewing.

Osprey Tours offers guided game drives within the Kruger National Park itself. Our guides are qualified licensed nature guides, and we use an airconditioned closed vehicle. Hoedspruit to Kruger’s Orpen Gate is a mere 60km and leads us straight into the central part of the park, arguably the best area for game viewing

Daily direct flights into Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport from Johannesburg and Cape Town on Airlink.

Osprey Tours and Shuttles offers private transfers from Hoedspruit airport to your accommodation within the Greater Kruger area. Contact us for a quote.

‍Osprey’s scheduled shuttle service operates between Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport and Hoedspruit. A stop is made in Pretoria. Book online for the scheduled service

If you prefer the freedom of having your own vehicle then renting is a great option. When choosing a rental vehicle keep in mind that the roads in Limpopo and Mpumalanga are poorly maintained so for peace of mind, we always recommend an SUV or high-clearance vehicle.

We also strongly advise against driving at night. Wild, as well as domestic, animals are often the cause of road accidents after dark.

Contact us for more information about renting a vehicle.

There are many private game lodges ranging from 4 to 5+ stars. For the more budget-conscious traveller, there are numerous guest houses, lodges and house rentals available in Hoedspruit.

For those who want to stay in the Kruger National Park, SANParks offers various options ranging from basic campsites to luxury lodges.

Choosing the right accommodation can be daunting and the options are endless so don’t hesitate to contact us to find out what’s right for you!

Hot & Wet Season: October–March
‍October to March is the hottest time of year with high humidity and brief heavy thundershowers being the norm in the afternoons. Temperatures range from a low of 19 deg Celsius to average highs of 32 deg Celsius, regularly going well above that. The vegetation is thick and lush making it beautiful, but more difficult for game viewing.
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‍Dry & Cool Season: April–September
‍April to September is the driest and coolest time of year. For early morning game viewing bring a warm jacket and beanie as temperatures can be as low as 9 deg. But by afternoon temperatures normally rise to about 26 deg Celsius with clear blue skies. This is the most popular time of year as game viewing is much easier in dry conditions and animals are drawn to watering holes. There is also little risk of malaria.

Hoedspruit is a low to medium risk area for malaria. Malaria is considered to be a problem during the rainy season which is from October to April. It is your own decision on whether or not to take anti-malarial medication, but we advise that you use mosquito repellant from late afternoon and at night when mosquitoes are most active. For more information, we highly recommend visiting your local travel clinic.

Binoculars, camera, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, sunhat, walking shoes, bathing suit, cool casual clothing with a warm jacket for early morning game viewing.