Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa and covers nearly 2 million hectares of land or an area greater than the size of Israel. The park stretches some 352 kilometres from north to south along the Mozambique border. The park is among the best in South Africa and is considered to be the flagship of the country’s national parks.

Situated in the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in the north of South Africa the park now forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This park links the Kruger National Park with game parks in Zimbabwe and Mozambique and more and more fences are coming down to allow game to roam freely. When it is complete the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park will extend to over 35,000 square kilometres with some 58% of it in South Africa.

Kruger is home to the Big Five, the Little Five (buffalo weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant lion and rhino beetle), the birding Big Six (ground hornbill, kori bustard, lappet-faced vulture, martial eagle, pel’s fishing owl and saddle-bill stork) and more species of mammals than any other African Game Reserve.

At Kruger Park it is possible to do your own self-drive although there are guided tour operators, with an excellent infrastructure that includes picnic sites, rest camps, waterholes and hides. The Kruger Park is a truly remarkable reserve offering everyone an incredible experience of Africa at its most wild.

The best time to visit Kruger is just after the summer rains and the vegetation is lush providing plentiful grazing opportunities. The animals put on weight at this time and the females give birth to their young. It’s also a good time to spot the migratory birds that are attracted to Kruger and to see their wonderful displays of vivid breeding plumage. Of course the downside to this time of year is the thick foliage and tall grass which makes it more difficult to spot the animals. If you visit in winter then you will typically find the animals by the watering holes forced their by the dry weather. Unfortunately the animals don’t tend to be in peak condition although they are easier to spot of course.

Temperatures in the daytime of summer can reach 40 degrees centigrade with summer afternoon rains quite common. You will find the winter months more comfortable with daytime temperatures in June, July and August typically reaching 30 degrees centigrade. Be aware that at night the temperature in winter drops to 0 degrees. It’s worth noting that Kruger is busiest during the African School holidays in Jun, July, December and January. If you intend to visit at this time you should book your accommodation early.

Southern Kruger
The greatest concentration of wildlife can be found in southern Kruger where the landscape is more varied than other parts and a wider range of animals can be supported. Animals that you will find here include; black and white rhino, wild dogs, lions, giraffe, impala, wildebeest and zebra.

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