Mkuze Game Reserve - Campsite Review and Rating

For our first ever camping trip in the new Commander, we chose somewhere not too far from our home in Ballito: Mkuze Game Reserve, about 3 hours north on the N2.

Upside:

• it's a big 5 reserve
• it has amazing animal hides
• it's quiet, nowhere near as busy as the other big 5 parks
• self drive game driving routes are plentiful
• game drives are reasonably priced at approx R250 per person
• it is the only big 5 reserve in KZN that offers a campsite. Hluhluwe and Umfolozi do not have this option.
• they offer basic necessities at the shop
• the rhino-dino offers delicious burgers, toasted zarms and the like
• the main roads through the reserve are newly tarred 
• there are plenty of trees for shade in the campsite
• campsites are level
• the sound of the baboons and wildlife at night
• the campsite has a play area for kids
• the ironwood you can buy there is amazing firewood
• the campsite is fenced, which is great for kid safety

Downside:

• the park is a bit run down sadly
• the shop is not well stocked
• the pool in the campsite was not a pool when we went, but rather a murky green pond
• the electricity is generator run and therefore only operated between 5pm and 10pm and 5am and 10am
• the bathrooms could be a little cleaner but considering all campsite cleaning is handled by a single person, this is understandable
• every campsite should have a tap and a braai, you have to arrive early to get a campsite with these.
• the campsite is fenced, which takes away from the wild and exciting danger of big 5 camping for me. It would be great if you could choose.

Tips:

• Take a chance and arrive early. We do it every time and they never turn us away. We arrive at about 10am and get to have the whole morning to setup camp and the afternoon to go on game drives
• Its first come, first serve - so get there early to get a site with a braai and a tap on long weekends
• take your own sink plugs for washing up
• I like camping on the fence line in case we spot hyenas on the prowl
• Take an extra long extension cord - this saved us when our plug point didn't work
• Take your own braai grid for their braai places
• Take a small braai to give you more campsite options - if you forget, the kids will love sourcing a few rocks
• Take mozzie spray and burners - the mozzies are hungry there
• Take a mat to wipe shoes as sites are quite sandy
• Lions are often spotted on loop road
• Elephants are often at Masinga Hide around 9am
• Watch out for animals and potholes on the road to Mkuze. You drive through a village and there are ALWAYS goats, cows and children in the roads.
• Follow the reserve signs not Google - Google has taken us a route that didn't feel as safe as the main route.
• Take EVERYTHING with you. Do not rely on the shop!

Ratings:

Kid friendly - 7/10

Safety - 8/10

Overall Camp Cleanliness - 6/10

Bathroom Cleanliness - 4/10
Sites - 6/10
Tranquility - 7/10
Water, electricity, braai place - 5/10
Location: 8/10

Overall - 6/10