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South Africa Travel + Tourism Guide: Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park is South Africa's most famous attraction. Over a million visitors visit annually from South Africa and all over the world to see the amazing wildlife in daily and often deadly action: elephants, lions, hippos, giraffes, rhinos, buffaloes, leopards and a multitude of various birds - over 500 species of birds in all.

It is estimated there are over 11,000 elephants, 27,000 African Buffalo, 350 Black Rhinos (some of the last in the world), 3,000 crocodiles, 1,500 lions and a thousand leopards.

Kruger National Park is located in eastern Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces and stretches over 350km along the border with Mozambique. 18,989 square km in area, the whole park is about the size of Wales.

The national park has its origins way back in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a reserve to control hunting and preserve the existing wildlife.

There is a host of activities to enjoy at Kruger National Park which deserves at least a four or five day stay or longer. Kruger is set up for self-driving and self-catering with accommodation at a number of camps. For a more luxurious and personalized experience the private game reserves on the western edge of the park are recommended.

Kruger's 14 restcamps have electricity, restaurants, gas stations, telephones, laundries, shops and sometimes even a swimming pool. Accommodation is in thatched rondavels, bungalows, cottages, guesthouses, tents and huts with campsites and sites for caravans and camper vans. The fenced camps have strict opening and closing times which are strictly enforced with fines.

Skukuza restcamp (Tel: 013 735 4152) accommodates over 1000 people with the nearest gate being Paul Kruger Gate 12km to the west. Skukuza is more like a small town with Internet connections, an outdoor cinema, 2 pools, restaurants and even a golf course!

Getting out of your vehicle except at designated areas is forbidden (and highly dangerous) so if you want to get closer to the smaller fauna and flora of the park, it is recommended you go on a Wilderness Trail in a small group with an experienced ranger or book one of the much smaller Bushveld camps.

Kruger National Park
Central Reservations (Pretoria): 012 428 9111

Access

Kruger/Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) is located between Nelspruit and White River with daily flights to Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. There is car hire at the airport as well as private bus shuttles. A tour is probably the best way for first-time visitors to enjoy the park.

There are nine access gates to the Kruger National Park: Pafuri (Tel: 013 735 5574), Punda Maria (Tel: 013 735 6870), Phalaborwa (Tel: 013 735 3547), Orpen (Tel: 013 735 0732), Paul Kruger (Tel: 013 735 5107), Phabeni (Tel: 013 735 5890), Numbi (Tel: 013 735 5133), Malelane (Tel: 013 735 6152) and Crocodile Bridge (Tel: 013 735 6012).

There is an entry fee to the park.

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