The Kruger National Park (KNP) is located in north-east of South Africa and and runs along the border of Mozambique in the east, Zimbabwe in the north, and the southern border is the Crocodile River. The park covers 20,000 square kilometers and is divided in 14 different ecozones, each supporting different wildlife. It is one of the main attractions of South Africa and it

is considered the flagship of South African National Parks (SANPark). The Kruger National Park is an incredible expanse of wilderness, being home to a vast array of wildlife; from the big five (Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino) to the smallest of animals and birds.

A Brief History Of Kruger National Park

The park was established in 1898 by the South African President Paul Kruger as a protected area for wildlife and it opened its gate the general public in 1927 for the first time. Currently, the park is run by the South African National Park Organization (SANP) and is probably the best managed African National Park. Wildlife conservation, education and tourism are the main objectives of the KNP. Effective measures to prevent poaching are in place and as a result of this cars are generally inspected upon entering and leaving the park.

Climate

South Africa is located south of the equator and has therefore a reverse order of summer and winter than Europe and North America. Generally the Kruger National Park is a dry and hot area, regardless of summer or winter.

The South African summer (September -April) - hot and sunny with occasional showers and temperature in the shadow range from 18-30C.

The South African winter (May-August) - warm and dry with temperatures ranging
from 8-22C.

Flora and Fauna

The southern part of the park along the Sabie and Crocodile river is rich in water and has a lot of game viewing opportunities. Here you can see the best of African flora and fauna such as Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Rhinos, Buffalos often referred as the big five, but there are plenty of others to see as well. Driving around the Sabie river will always result in seeing some interesting animals. The vegetation around the Sabie river can be very dense forest and thicket and it gets a little bit more open driving down south to the Crocodile river. The northern part of the park supports less flora and fauna and is often referred as the birding paradise.

About the Kruger National Park & Its Regions

At 380km long and at an average 60km wide, Kruger National Park presents 20,000km² of rich and diverse animal, bird and plant life. From open savannahs, to densely wooded areas and all fed by 6 rivers, Kruger National Park is made up of a huge variety of Ecosystems.

The best time for game viewing in Kruger National Park is the winter months of April – September. Vegitation is less dense allowing good visability and access to water is restricted to waterholes and rivers, where wildlife can be found congregating.

During Summer time, (October to March) the rains ensure that the landscape is lush, green and very beautiful. This is an excellent time for watching birdlife.

Kruger National Park is loosly split into 4 regions; the Southern Region, Central Region, Northern Region and Far Northern Region.

The Southern Region

Krugers Southern region is bordered by the Crocodile River in the south and the Sabie (pronounced Sar-bee) River to its North.

Khandzalive, at 839 metres is the highest point of Kruger National Park and lies in the South-western corner of the Southern Region.

Most of the White Rhino in Kruger are found in the Southern Region, the majority of sightings around Pretoriuskop, Mbyamiti River, and south of Lower Sabie. Thanks to abundant food sources and the protection of the national park, Kruger has the largest population of White Rhino in Africa, with over 2600 in residence.

Rainfail is high in the Southern Region, up to around 718m, therefore the area is largely lush woodland. Although the woodland does not sustain large herds of game, reasonable numbers of impala, kudu, zebra, giraffe, buffalo, white rhino and elephant are present in in the area. Numbers of Wildebeest and Zebra are low in the region, and as they are the preferred prey of Lion, number of Lion are low in the region compared to the Central Region.

The low numbers of Lion in the area means that there are reasonable numbers of wild dog and cheetah; in fact, fugures suggest that half of Kruger’s cheetah occur in this region.

The rare Wild Dogs are most common in the mountainous land near Berg-en-dal, and can often be seen on the road between Berg-en-dal and Skukuza.

Leopards are also found in the dense bushwillow woodland, however these cats are rarely seen thanks to their excellent camoflague. A sighting of one of these wonderful cats should be treasured!

The Sabie river to the north of the region is home to around 600 Hippos and a large population of crocodiles, and is excellent for bird watching.

The Central Region

The Central Region extends from the Sabie River in the South, to the Olifants River in its north.

This region accounts for approximately only 30% of Kruger National Park, but supports the largest populations of impala, buffalo, giraffe, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck and sable and also supports almost half of Kruger’s Lion population. Leopard, Hyaena and Cheetah numbers are also substantial in the region.

More than 60 lion prides, with an average of 12 lions to each pride, ensures that the region is exceptionally popular with tourists. This number of Lions has caused a negative impact on Cheetah and wild dog numbers in the region. Lion attacks account for around a third of wild dog pups deaths.

Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) and Knobthorn (Acacia nigrescens) trees dominate the savannah in the region. The leaves and bark of the Marula are eaten by Elephants who are widely distributed through the area, whilst Giraffe and Kudu are partial to the leaves of the Knobthorn, though by grazing at different heights, they avoid competition for their food.

Black Rhino exist in stable numbers in the region, though they are rarely seen.

The Northern Region

The semi-arid Northern Region extends north from the Olifants River. The region is blanketed in shrub mopane which thrives in arid conditions.

Few browsers feed on the leaves of the mopane, however elephants eat them as an important part of their diet. The caterpillars of the emporer moth, often known as mopane worms, also feed on the leaves of the mopane. These mopane worms are considered a delicacy of the african people.

In the region, the Letaba and Olifants rivers are home to 60% of the hippos found in Kruger. Half of the Elephants in Kruger also reside in the region gathering aside the Letaba, Shingwedzi and Mphongolo rivers.

Waterbuck, bushbuck, impala and kudu are common in the region. Numbers of lion, leopard and hyaena are concentrated in the area, where prey is abundant.

The Far-Northern Region

This region extends to the Limpopo River at its northern-most point.

The region is home to a number of species only found here; including the Kruger knocking sand frog and 13 species of bat.

Five packs of the rare wild dog have been observed in this region.

Bird enthusiasts consider this region to be of great importance, with sightings of 29 species of the birds recorded in the Park only occuring at Pafuri. These rare sightings include the trumpeter hornbill, Cape parrot, tropical boubou, Mashona hyliota, broadbilled roller, olive bush shrike, threebanded courser, cinnamon dove, mottled spinetail and yellow white-eye.

Camps in Kruger National Park

Kruger National park has several camps, of which some of them offer accommodation, (super) market, restaurants, park management office, filling station (pump), designated picnic areas, laundry service, communal kitchen, barbecue(braai) and swimming pool facilities and most places accept payment by credit card.

Camps inside the Kruger National Park provide shelter to visitors and are the only places inside the park where you leave your car safely. The level of service dependents on the camp size and can range from a tent site with a picnic area and bathroom facilities to a small town with swimming pool, library, restaurant, cafeteria, filling station, supermarket and golf course. Travel from one site to another takes on average 2 hours, whereas distances in the south are shorter and northern camps can be a little bit further apart.

Main Camps - Kruger National Park

• Berg en Dal, +27 (0)13 735-6106, - a medium sized camp located on the banks of Matjulu-Dam. Visitors of the camp can rest in the local cafeteria or prepare food in the communal kitchen, buy fuel in the petrol station, have a picnic, use public telephones, enjoy a good dinner in the restaurant and cool down in the swimming pool. The camp offers accommodation ranging from tent sites with power points to caravan sites, three bed bungalows and bigger facilities such as 6 and 8 bed houses. Activities from this camp include the Bushman and Wolhuter Wilderness Trails (see also Do section), morning drive, night drive and the Rhino trail camp walk.

• Crocodile Bridge, +27 (0)13 735-6012 - The third smallest camp of KNP and located close to Crocodile River, Crocodile Bridge is located in the most southern part of KNP and it is a camp and as well a gate site. The proximity to the SA civilisation one stone throw apart from the camp means that there is no wilderness romantic, but it serves you well if you are a late comer and the KNP gates are shut. Facilities include laundry service.

• Letaba, +27 (0)13 735-6636 - One of the more beautiful camps, Letaba is located in the central section of KNP next to the Letaba River in the middle of elephant country. Accommodation ranges from tents to huts catering 2-4 persons per accommodation. The camp is known for its elephant sightings and has an exhibition about the elephant life cycle. Camp facilities include: cafeteria, fence perimeter, laundry and restaurant.

• Lower Sabie, +27 (0)13 735-6056 - The most luxurious camp, recently renovated after it was destroyed by a fire. Lower Sabie is located in the south east of KNP on the banks of the Sabie River, and offers superb game viewing. Therefore it is one of the most wanted camps by the locals. You can often spot white rhino, lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo around the camp, because these animals come down to the river to drink. Accommodation is the bare bone minimum such as simple one, two, three and five bed huts without kitchen and bathroom and cooking utensils are not provided. That ultimately leaves visitors from overseas outside of this camp, nevertheless it is a great opportunity to stop in this camp for a rest.

• Mopani, +27 (0)13 735-6535 - The newest and most comfortable rest camp in the KNP. Mopani has been built near a dam that attracts a lot of wildlife into the monotone northern mopane dominated shrupveld vegetation. Wildlife spotting from the camp is superb and you would have to drive for hours to see more game from your car than in this camp. Enjoy a splash in the swimming pool after a game drive you are prepared for dinner in the local restaurant which is supposed to be far better than in other camps and it offers dinner à la carte. Accommodation in this camp offers fully equipped kitchen and supports up to 6 persons in a house.

• Olifants, +27 (0)13 735-6606 - Probably the best known camp among South African tourists. Olifants is located in the middle of the KNP on top of a hill overlooking the banks of the Olifant River. You can see Africa unfold from your terrace and the Olifant camp has the best settings from all camps. You can see kudu, elephants, lions and giraffes from your room when they come to the Olifant River to bath and to drink.

• Orpen, +27 (0)13 735-6355 - the smallest camp in the park, situated at Orpen Gate. Orpen offers basic accommodation for 2-3 persons in a hut without bathroom. Consider to stay there if it is too late to reach another camp before darkness.

• Pretoriuskop, +27 (0)13 735-5128 - A large and luxurious rest camp close to the Numbi Gate located in the southwest of KNP. The landscape consists of rocky mountain and steep ridges supporting klipspringer, reedbuck, rhinos, giraffes and wild dogs in the surrounding shrubs. Accommodations are traditionally thatched rondawels for up to three visitors without bathroom. Other camp facilities include swimming pool, laundry, restaurant and cafeteria.

• Punda Maria, +27 (0)13 735-6873 - the most northerly camp, also the 2nd smallest of KNP. Punda Maria camp sits on top of a hill and whitewashed thatches are arranged in terraces. The camp offers a rich flora and famous for its huge variety in birds. The camp facilities include a restaurant.

• Satara, +27 (0)13 735-6306 - A bushveld camp that is situated centrally in the park, surrounded by hot plains that offer good grazing opportunities and attracts a lot of game. It is the second biggest camp in the KNP and offers accommodation, restaurant, cafeteria and laundry facilities.

The old railway bridge near Skukuza

• Shingwedzi, +27 (0)13 735-6806 - nice quiet camp in the far north of the park. Shingwedzi lies in the middle of the mopane shrubveld and benefits from the proximity of the Shingwedzi River and the Kaniedood Dam which attract most of the game in this area. The camp facilities include accommodation, restaurant, swimming pool, cafeteria and laundry. Nyala country!

• Skukuza, +27 (0)13 735-4152 - Located in the southwest of the KNP and serves as the Headquarter of KNP, Skukuza is located 20 minutes from the Kuger Gate and is the biggest camp inside the KNP. If offers a gas station (pump), library, post office, car rental, grocery store, youth hostel, 9 hole golf course (the hottest one in the world) and swimming pool. Skukuza is situated directly at the Sabie River and animals often come here to drink.

• Tsendze, The newest camp in the park. Opened for visitors in November 2006.

Main Camp Satellites

• Balule - A satellite camp of Satara, Balule is a rustic bush camp with little luxury, but a lot of bush romantic. It is located in the middle of the KNP near the Olifant camp where you have to check in and then drive 11 km to get to the Balule camp. The camp is located on the banks of the olifant river and it suits you best when you are prepared for self catering and if a you are happy to share a communal kitchen.

• Malelane - A satellite camp of Berg-en-Dal, situated near the Malelane Entrance gate on the very southern border of the park.

• Maroela - A satellite of Orpen the camp is situated on the banks of the Timbavati River. This is apparently the only camp in the park that allows for caravans and camper-vans.

• Tamboti - A satellite of Orpen, Tamboti is a tented camp situated on the banks of the seasonal Timbavati River and you can see the beasts from your tent coming to the river. Facilities include accommodation and communal kitchen without cooking utensils

• Pionier - A tented camp, administered by Letaba.

Bushveld Camps - Kruger National Park

Bush camps provide smaller accommodation varieties than the main camps. They do not have full shops or restaurants in them and only some (Talamati, Biyamiti and Bateleur) will allow you to use electrical equipment like hairdriers.

• Bateleur - A camp in the northern area of the park. It has 4 and 6 bed cottages, a mini shop and cottages have basic television facilities.

• Biyamiti - In the southern area of the part, this camp has a mixture of 1 and 2 bedroom cottages. It has a mini shop and offers game drives and walks.

• Shimuwini - This camp is in the middle of the park. Its name means "Place of the Baobab" and is situated along the banks of the Letaba river which is line with these trees.

• Sirheni - In the northern areas of the park, this camp is situated near the Sirheni dam.

• Talamati - Located in the "lower-middle" area of the park, It offers 2 an 1 bedroom cottages, a mini shop, a bird hide and a game hide.

Bush Lodges in Kruger National Park

There are many luxury lodges in the Kruger National Park

• Boulders - one of the larger private camps

• Roodewal - another small private camp.

Luxury Lodges in Kruger National Park

• Jock of The Bushveld - one of the private camps the park boasts.

• Nwanetsi - possibly the most luxurious of the private camps.

Getting to Kruger

By car

From Nelspruit you will have to choose to which park gate you want to go. Nearest gates are: Malelane (south east), Numbi (south west) and Kruger Gate (south west, slightly north of the Numbi gate). The N4 is a toll road and you have to pay for its use. Depending on which gate you want to reach, add one or two hours from Nelspruit to find out how long your journey will be. Please be aware that the KNP gates are closed after darkness and it is not permitted to drive at night inside the park.


The distance from Johannesburg to the 9 different gates of the KNP are approximately:

• Numbi gate: 411 km
• Madelane gate: 428 km
• Phabeni gate: 430-440 km
• Crocodile Bridge gate: 475 km
• Paul Kruger gate: 460-470 km
• Orpen: 490 km
• Phalaborwa: 490 km
• Punda Maria: 550 km
• Parfuri: 600 km

Driving in darkness is considered to be dangerous outside the park especially if you are not used to driving in Africa. Pedestrians walk along the roads as well as local taxis/minibus services and both of them are difficult to spot at night. The area of the Numbi gate had a number of incidents involving barriers on roads and South Africans blame the proximity to Mozambique for this.

By plane

Airports nearby the KNP are:

• Phalaborwa Airport is located 2 km from the Phalaborwa gate of the KNP and serves as a entry route for the northern camps such as Letaba, Olifants, Punda Maria and Shingwedzi. The airport is well connected to Johannesburg International Airport with two flights per day during the week and a single flight on Saturday and Sunday. The airport has car rental opportunities.

• Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) receives flights from Johannesburg International Airport, Durban, Cape Town and Vilanculos. Car rental is possible via: Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Imperial Car Rental and National.
• Distances to KNP gates from KMIA are
• Kruger Gate 82 km
• Malelane Gate 63 km
• Numbi Gate 40 km
• Phabeni Gate 76 km

• Malelane Regional Airport near the Malelane Gate is mainly used for private flights and business aircraft.

Costs and Opening Times

Visitors to Kruger National Park are required to pay a daily conservation / entrance fee of 120 ZAR (South African Rand). (At the time of writing, this calculates to about £12.) This fee is payable by both day visitors and by those staying in accomodation in the park. All National Parks throughout South Africa charge a conservation fee, with the funds raised contributing to the conservation of the national and cultural heritage of the parks.

The KNP is not open all day and night. Entry gate and camp gate opening and closing times are as follows:

Kruger National Park - Opening Times

If you are later back in the camp or found driving around at night, you will be charged very high rates. So make sure to be out or back in the camp before closing time!

The maximum speed limit is 50 km/h on tarred roads, 40 on gravel roads and 20 km/h in rest camps. However cruising speed of 30 km/h is recommended for maximum safety. Having such speed restrictions in place it would take you roughly 10 hours to cross the KNP in south - north direction. Distances between camps sites are on average 1-2 hours in the south and a little bit more than that in the north. Consider the distances between camps site when planning your trip and remember that you are not allowed to leave your car once you left a camp site.

Getting Around the Park

By car

The infrastructure of the park is outstanding by African standards and roads inside the park are of very good quality and potholes on the main roads are rare. Smaller sidetracks are close to the originals landscape, but manageable with a normal car, although a 4x4 offers probably a better comfort on this type of terrain. KNP roads have speed limits range from 20 to 50 km/h and it is not wise to go much faster, because game tends to cross the roads out of nowhere.

Make sure you have an up-to-date map, enough to eat and drink, cameras and binoculars, reference books and a litter bag with you.

Take care when approaching animals. They are wild and unpredictable. If you have the feeling that animals get angry, leave! Elephants and rhinos can be very dangerous to you and your car!

It is a custom to share information about animal sightings with other park visitors. This happens casually and information is exchanged when two cars from the opposite direction meet and stop for a short chit-chat.

Avis is the only car rental company with an office inside the park at Skukuza camp, but other companies from Nelspruit and at the two above mentioned airports are happy to provide you with a car as well. You may want to consider an air-conditioned car in the hot climate of the KNP.

As in the rest of South Africa, petrol stations within the park do not accept payment by credit card.

By foot

It is possible to go on guided walking tours, but unauthorised walking is both not allowed and extremely foolish.

Things to do

• Bush drives First time visitors may want to consider to book a guided tour through the KNP with local park guides. Bush drives are available from Berg en dal, Letaba, and Skukuza camp and cost around 170 Rand (~$30USD) per person. Experienced rangers will take you in a 4x4 car to the KNP and explain you the finer details of game spotting.

• Night drives Discovering the KNP on your own is a great adventure, but there are a few things that you can not do without a ranger. One of them is to have a night drive through the park to see nocturnal creatures such as lions, leopards and hyenas. Tours take a couple of hours and leave usually shortly before the main gates close in the night.

• Wilderness trail Discover African flora and fauna on foot is an unforgettable lifetime experience and only few places in Africa offer such tours. You join a group of up to 8 mates and a ranger on a hiking tour that lasts for 3 days and you learn a lot of things about South African wildlife and there is no way that you could face the enemy closer than on this tour. Imagine to see a lion, elephant, rhino only a few meters from you. This is a breathtaking experience. Four different trails for the KNP are listed below:
• Bushman trail Berg en dal camp offers the bushman trail around the Berg en dal camp which is surrounded by granite rocks. Expect to see elephants, white rhinos and buffalos.
• Metsimetsi trail Is best enjoyed during the South African winter, check in at Skukuza camp and you will travel north to the N’waswitsontso river nearby the Satara camp.
• Napi trail Check in at Pretoriuskop to enjoy the Napi trail and you may see white rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs and in the past you saw wild dogs which are rare nowadays.
• Nyalaland trail Check in Punda Maria camp in the north of the KNP to spot crocodiles, elephants and hippos as well as bird watching is going to be on your agenda.

• Play golf at the 9 hole golf course in Skukuza, originally designed for the local personal it was recently opened to the public. Please bring your golf clubs with you and enjoy this very special golf course. Considering the average temperature in the KNP this is one of the toughest 9 hole golf courses in the world.

Bookings can be made by email: Traveltrade@sanparks.org , online SANPark link, ph: +27 (0)12 428-9111, fax: +27 (0)12 343-0905, by mail South African National Parks, PO Box 787, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

Things to Buy

Bigger camp sites such as the Lower Sabie and Skukuza have comfortable shopping facilities and you can buy almost everything there - right in the middle of nowhere. This includes groceries and wine and beer and souvenirs. Artistic wood carvings can be found there as well and is usually of reasonable quality and cheaper than in Cape Town. Carving can be found in and around the gates to the Kruger National Park as well.

Things to Eat

The KNP has several eat options ranging from self-catering and provides therefore some shopping facilities in the park, designated picnic areas, cafeterias in most of the camps and restaurants in some of them. Most of the facilities look clean and will generally cater simple snacks and decent food. Lodges inside and outside the park will cater luxurious food often arranged in well-sheltered outdoor restaurants with open fireplace and barbeque South African specialties such as:

• wart hog sausage
• springbok tenderloin
• ostrich steak
• Biltong made of game, like Kudu, Zebra or Elephant

Safety in Kruger National Park

Things you need to know...

• Respecting speed limits inside the KNP is mandatory. Big game is crossing the roads in the park without any warning and an upset elephant is not easy to deal with - the same applies for rhinos and giraffe bulls. Speed limits are 50km/h on tarred roads and 40km/h on gravel roads.
• You must not get out of your car inside the Kruger National Park unless you reach a safe place to do so. These are camps, picnic places and designated view points.
• You are not allowed to drive at dark through the park (the gates normally close and open in daylight). Please be careful when driving outside the park at night, especially in rural areas.
• Firearms must be declared and sealed at the entrance gate.
• No pets are permitted in the Kruger National Park
• Do not feed animals for you own safety as well as for the animal well-being.
• KNP and surrounding areas in the eastern part of the country are in a seasonal malaria zone. Consult a physician regarding appropriate precautions given the time of year you will be travelling. The most important defenses against malaria are: using mosquito repellent with DEET concentration greater than 50%; covering your skin, especially around dusk; and using mosquito nets while sleeping. South African pharmacies also offer a wide range of malaria tablets, which you can take a few days prior to arrival in a malaria zone and that are by far cheaper than in other parts of the world.