Kruger National Park, South Africa

Summary

Kruger National Park

The world-renowned Kruger National Park is South Africa‘s best-known National Park. Areas of the park were first protected in 1898 and it became a national park in 1926. In the late 1990s, the fences between the Kruger Park and the Klaserie Game Reserve, Olifants Game Reserve and Balule Game Reserve were dropped and incorporated into the Greater Kruger Park with 400,000 hectares added to the Reserve. In 2002, Kruger National Park, Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique were incorporated into a peace park named the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. The park is approximately 360 kilometres long and has an average width of 65 kilometres, while at its widest point, the park is 90 kilometres wide from east to west.

There are a variety of different ways to access the lodges in the Greater Kruger National Park, including by road for guests that are self-driving or with flights into the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, Hoedspruit Airport or Phalaborwa Airport. Direct flights from Cape Town or Johannesburg into Skukuza Airport operate daily (ideal for lodges such as Lion Sands, Sabi Sabi, &Beyond Tengile, Mala Mala and Londolozi) while Federal Air offers a door to door service from their hangar at OR Tambo International to a variety of the lodges in the Sabi Sands and Timbavati with twice-daily shuttle flights.

The ease of accessing the Greater Kruger area means that a safari stay is easily combinable with other areas in South Africa including Cape Town and the Winelands, Johannesburg and KwaZulu Natal. Airlink also offers scheduled flights from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Livingstone in Zambia and to Vilanculos in Mozambique (please check the flight schedules for days of operation) which makes for a wonderful Bush and Beach combination.

A quick summary of the highlights of the Kruger National Park include:

Almost 2 million hectares of the unspoilt African bushveld
Over 500 species of bird, some of which are not found anywhere else in South Africa – visitors can look out for the Big 6 of the bird world: the Saddle-billed Stork, Kori Bustard, Martial Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture, Pel’s Fishing-Owl and Ground Hornbill
Home to five vegetation zones, each with their own special flair and diverse range of species
All of Africa’s iconic safari species – elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and zebra – thrive here and the Kruger National Park is home to over 12,000 elephants, 27,000 African Buffalo, 2,000 leopards and 2,800 lions. It’s also regarded as the best place in the world to see a leopard

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Kruger National Park Photo Gallery

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From price: NZD0Rooms: 10Rating: (TGCSA)Type: LodgeSpoken Languages: Afrikaans, EnglishSpecial Interests: Big 5, Birding, Cycling, Flora, Hiking, Indigenous Culture Art, Star Gazing, WildlifeLocation: South Africa

Providing self-catering two-room units, the lodge also has a restaurant and pub, as well as conference and event facilities. Owned by the local Mutele community, Awelani is set in a 1700 ha Eco-Park, where visitors can go on nature walks to see small animals and birds; enjoy the magnificent conservancy, with beautiful baobabs, Mopani and Rock-fig trees (to name a few) and view the local Bushmen paintings. Awelani is ideally situated for day visitors to Kruger's northern section - only 12km away from the Pafuri gate, cross-border travellers and those visiting the northern parts of Limpopo.

From price: NZD0Type: Rest CampLocation: South Africa

The popular Letaba Camp is set in the heart of the Kruger on a wide bend of the Letaba River and well-positioned for viewing the elephant and buffalo that come to drink there. Incorporated into the camp is an elephant museum, which provides fascinating insights into the Magnificent Seven and the current status of elephants in the park. Letaba is a green oasis in the surrounding mopane veld.

From price: NZD0Location: South Africa

The Letaba Rest Camp is situated on a sweeping bend of the Letaba River, midway between the southern and northern boundaries of the Kruger National Park. The sandy riverbed is an excellent location for game viewing, particularly elephant, which thrive in the area. Letaba is a green oasis in the surrounding mopane veld. At night the stars overlook a symphony of sounds. Owls, nightjars, frogs, fruit bats, crickets and cicadas all vie to be heard, until the lion roars, then all are silent. Facilities include a refreshing pool, an excellent restaurant, and beautifully located an idyllically located picnic area

From price: NZD0Type: Rest CampLocation: South Africa

Punda Maria Camp is located in the northernmost part of the Kruger National Park, which has been described as the ‘botanical garden’ of the park. The camp is the only accommodation with direct access to this geologically and scenically unique area and only eight kilometres from the Punda Maria Gate.

From price: NZD0Rooms: 8Rating: Type: Mobile CampSpoken Languages: Afrikaans, EnglishSpecial Interests: Adventure, Big 5, Birding, Flora, Hiking, Indigenous Culture Art, Leisure, Star Gazing, WildlifeLocation: South Africa

Pafuri, in the remote and wild northern part of the Kruger National Park, is unrivalled walking country. Experienced field guides open the walking trails from April to October each year, allowing bush lovers to celebrate a rarely explored place that is as vast and varied as it is wild. The trail offers walkers the opportunity to focus on the little things, whilst also experiencing the rush of adrenaline when you happen upon the Big Five. Enjoy an array of changing landscapes, from bushveld to riverine forests, mountains to floodplains, and perennial pans which all attract a spectacular variety of animals and birds. Discover forests of fever trees, groves of baobabs and a diverse collection of wildlife. Highlights of the experience include visits to Crook's Corner, where the Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers meet, Lanner Gorge and the fever tree forest. The trail is tailor-made to suit guests needs and there is a minimum stay requirement of two nights although a three to four-night stay is recommended.