Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park (KNP) lies in the north-east of South Africa 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 km² 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 (SANParks).

The park was established in 1898 with the help and blessing of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republic's president Paul Kruger as a protected area for wildlife and it first opened its gates to the general public in 1927.

The park is run by SANParks 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.

The Kruger National Park has now been combined with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and the Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area in Zimbabwe were merged into a new transfrontier park, called the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, although border restrictions at crossings still apply, and border posts are not open all day.

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 lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, often referred to 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 to as the birding paradise.

If you choose to self-drive, and aren't experienced in African animal tracking, you will still inevitably see elephant and buffalo, and a big variety of antelope. Impala are ubiquitous. Rhino are less common, but big enough to be seen by the untrained eye. Leopard are commonly seen by the experts, but are camouflaged and in trees, so to present a challenge to the untrained. Everything else is down to your luck of the day.

If you have limited time, and want to do Kruger, go in the dry season, stay at a camp like Olifants, and confine yourself to the south of the park along the southern rivers.

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 KNP boasts a dry and hot area, regardless of summer or winter. The South African summer (September -April) in the KNP is hot and sunny with occasional showers and temperature in the shadows range from 18-30°C. The winter (May–August) is warm and dry with temperatures ranging from 8-22°C. September–April: Hot and sunny with sporadic thunder showers. Average temperature 18-30°C.

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

• November–January - open 04:30 (camp gate) and 05:30 (entry gate), close 18:30
• February - open 05:30, close 18:30
• March- open 05:30, close 18:00
• April - open 06:00, close 18:00
• May–July - open 06:00, close 17:30
• August/September - open 06:00, close 18:00
• October - open 05:30, close 18:00
• November–January - open 04:30 (camp) and 05:30 (entry, close 18:30)

If you are late on returning to the camp or found driving around at night, you will be fined very heavily. So make sure to be out or back in the camp before closing time!

Fees apply to access the park. If you are not a resident of South Africa, you can choose to either pay daily conservation fees or buy an international visitors wildcard (valid for entry to all SANParks parks). The break even point is about 4-days conservation fees equal to a wildcard. You can purchase a wildcard or pay conservation fees when you are booking your accommodation, or you pay on admission (if you are not staying in the park) or at your camp. If you are visiting other parts of South Africa, you may want to consider the discounts available for Table Mountain and other parks before making your calculation.

When you enter the park you will be given an admission permit. It is very important to retain this, as you have to present it on the way out of the park to be permitted to exit.

Conservation fees valid to 31 October 2019:

• South African citizens and residents (with ID): R93 per adult, R47 per child, per day
• SADC nationals (with passport): R186 per adult, R93 per child, per day
• Foreign visitors: R372 per adult, R186 per child, per day

• Crocodile River view point is nearby the Crocodile Camp travelling north on the main road direction Lower Sabie and then following the sign to the Crocodile River view point on a dirt track for a couple of kilometers. As a reward you can get out of your car and go with a park guide down to the river to watch hippos and crocodiles from a few meters distance.
• Masorini is a restored Iron Age village about 10 km from the Phalaborwa gate. It is probably the most accessible of the remnants of stone and Iron Age life within the park. There is a picnic area and toilets near the bottom of the hill. You need to be accompanied by the guide to tour the village itself. The huts are reconstructed and show the process the civilisation went through to forge iron. These people were not just forging iron for spears and hunting, they had an entire economy based on selling and trading the iron they forged. Brochures say the guided tours are free, and leave at scheduled time. The reality seems to be that tips are required to the attendant who runs the tours, and if you are interested in taking the tour then the attendant will guide you.

Crocodile River view point is nearby the Crocodile Camp travelling north on the main road direction Lower Sabie and then following the sign to the Crocodile River view point on a dirt track for a couple of kilometers. As a reward you can get out of your car and go with a park guide down to the river to watch hippos and crocodiles from a few meters distance.

Masorini is a restored Iron Age village about 10 km from the Phalaborwa gate. It is probably the most accessible of the remnants of stone and Iron Age life within the park. There is a picnic area and toilets near the bottom of the hill. You need to be accompanied by the guide to tour the village itself. The huts are reconstructed and show the process the civilisation went through to forge iron. These people were not just forging iron for spears and hunting, they had an entire economy based on selling and trading the iron they forged. Brochures say the guided tours are free, and leave at scheduled time. The reality seems to be that tips are required to the attendant who runs the tours, and if you are interested in taking the tour then the attendant will guide you.

The basic way to see the wildlife is to tour the park by car during the daylight hours when the park is open. This is a very effective way of seeing wildlife, even for first timers. There are many other wildlife experiences on offer.

• 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 camps and some other camps, and cost R280-390 per adult (50% less for children) (Aug 2017). Experienced rangers will take you in a 4x4 car to the KNP and explain to you and your party 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 at night.
• Wilderness trail Discovering African flora and fauna on foot is an unforgettable lifetime experience and only few places in Africa offer such tours. You can join a group of up to 8 mates and 2 rangers on a hiking tour that lasts for 3 days and you learn a lot of things about South African wildlife. There is no way that you could see animals closer than on this tour. Imagine seeing lion, elephant or rhino only a few meters from you. This is a breathtaking experience. Trails follow circular routes and you return each evening to the safety of your camp where dinner awaits. The duration of the trails is three nights and two days, either from Sunday to Wednesday, or from Wednesday to Saturday. Hikers meet at the designated rest camp at 15:30 on Sundays or Wednesdays from where they leave by vehicle for their trail camp after a short briefing.
• 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 elephant, white rhino and buffalo.
• 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 rhino, elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and in the past you saw wild dog which are rare nowadays.
• Nyalaland trail Check in Punda Maria camp in the north of the KNP to spot crocodile, elephant and hippo as well as bird watching is going to be on your agenda. Buffalo also frequent the area. Birdlife is prolific.
• Olifants Trail Check in at Letaba Camp. The trail crosses the Olifants River as well as the Letaba River which supports a variety of wildlife, including large predators, elephant and buffalo. Also listen out for the call of the African fish eagle.
• Sweni Trail Check in at Satara Camp. The Sweni area is popular, in that, there is a high density of both predator and prey, and a trail experience here give hikers the opportunity to observe lion and even cheetah.
• Wolhuter Trail In the southern part of the park (white rhino country), between the Berg-en-Dal and Pretoriuskop.
• Olifants River Back Pack Trail. 42 km, 4 days, from Olifants to Letaba, no frills, no trace camping, no camps provided, sleep in your own tent out in the park with the wildlife. R2700/person.
• Landrover Lebombo Eco-Trail
• The 3 brand new 'Transfrontier Trails do Limpopo'
  • The Shingwedzi 4x4 Eco-Trail
  • The Machampane Wilderness Trail
  • The Massingir Hiking Trail

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 camps and some other camps, and cost R280-390 per adult (50% less for children) (Aug 2017). Experienced rangers will take you in a 4x4 car to the KNP and explain to you and your party 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 at night.

Wilderness trail Discovering [[African flora and fauna]] on foot is an unforgettable lifetime experience and only few places in [[Africa]] offer such tours. You can join a group of up to 8 mates and 2 rangers on a hiking tour that lasts for 3 days and you learn a lot of things about South African wildlife. There is no way that you could see animals closer than on this tour. Imagine seeing lion, elephant or rhino only a few meters from you. This is a breathtaking experience. Trails follow circular routes and you return each evening to the safety of your camp where dinner awaits. The duration of the trails is three nights and two days, either from Sunday to Wednesday, or from Wednesday to Saturday. Hikers meet at the designated rest camp at 15:30 on Sundays or Wednesdays from where they leave by vehicle for their trail camp after a short briefing.

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 elephant, white rhino and buffalo.

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 rhino, elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and in the past you saw wild dog which are rare nowadays.

Nyalaland trail Check in Punda Maria camp in the north of the KNP to spot crocodile, elephant and hippo as well as bird watching is going to be on your agenda. Buffalo also frequent the area. Birdlife is prolific.

Olifants Trail Check in at Letaba Camp. The trail crosses the Olifants River as well as the Letaba River which supports a variety of wildlife, including large predators, elephant and buffalo. Also listen out for the call of the African fish eagle.

Sweni Trail Check in at Satara Camp. The Sweni area is popular, in that, there is a high density of both predator and prey, and a trail experience here give hikers the opportunity to observe lion and even cheetah.

Wolhuter Trail In the southern part of the park (white rhino country), between the Berg-en-Dal and Pretoriuskop.

Olifants River Back Pack Trail. 42 km, 4 days, from [[Kruger National Park/Olifants|Olifants]] to [[Kruger National Park/Letaba|Letaba]], no frills, no trace camping, no camps provided, sleep in your own tent out in the park with the wildlife. R2700/person.

Landrover Lebombo Eco-Trail

The 3 brand new 'Transfrontier Trails do Limpopo'

• The Shingwedzi 4x4 Eco-Trail
• The Machampane Wilderness Trail
• The Massingir Hiking Trail

• Play golf at the 9-hole golf course in Skukuza, designed for the local personnel it has been opened to the public. Please bring your own 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.

Play golf at the 9-hole golf course in Skukuza, designed for the local personnel it has been opened to the public. Please bring your own 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.

Bigger camp sites such as Lower Sabie and Skukuza have comfortable shopping facilities and you can buy drinks, foodstuffs, souvenirs, as well as some other travel items you may have forgotten. The range is more limited at the smaller or more remote camps. It is easy for them to run out of particular items, so you have to make do with what is available. Fresh milk particularly can be in short supply.

Artistic wood carvings can be bought as well and is usually of reasonable quality and cheaper than in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Carvings can be found in and around the gates to the Kruger National Park as well.

Animal skins and rugs are available as well.

For self-catering, there are designated picnic areas in the camps, as well as some picnic areas away from the camps (with an armed attendant). The picnic areas have barbecue (braai) facilities, tables and hot water.

The camp shops sell food to barbecue and drinks at quite reasonable prices, as well as firewood. They only sell take-away alcohol to those who have proof they are staying over in the park.

Many of the camps have cafeterias and restaurants, but don't plan on any variety between the camps. The menu is the same at each camp, with a range of only 10 or so dishes. Most visitors familiar with the park are self-catering in their lodges or at the picnic areas.

Lodges in the private areas of the park and outside the park will cater food, often arranged in well-sheltered outdoor restaurants with open fireplace, and barbecue South African specialties such as:

• wart hog sausage
• springbok tenderloin
• ostrich steak
• biltong (dried meat) made of game, like kudu, impala or zebra.

Alcohol may not be brought into the park. Take away alcohol cannot be bought from the park shops, unless you are staying over in the park. The camp restaurants and bars sell beer, wine and spirits.

The bars in camp are visited in the evening by guests recalling tales of wildlife seen during the day. Generally people aren't visiting Kruger for the nightlife, but are more likely to spend the early evening with a braai, and retiring to bed for an early start the following day.

• Respecting speed limits inside the KNP is mandatory. Big game crosses 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 designated place like viewpoints or between the yellow lines on high water bridges. These are camps, picnic spots 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 of any kind are permitted in the KNP
• 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 DEET-based mosquito repellent; covering your skin, especially around dusk; and using mosquito nets while sleeping. South African pharmacies also offer a 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.

• Pilgrim's Rest and the Blyde River Canyon are often visited in the same trip as Kruger.
• Johannesburg (the biggest city south of the Sahara) and Pretoria in the Gauteng Province are busy cities of banks and government institutions and are 4 hours drive from the park.
• Cape Town is one of the largest cities in South Africa and is in the south-west corner of the country near the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Town is a stone's throw from South Africa's world-famous Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch and Paarl.
• Durban is primarily a holiday/resort city at the Indian Ocean but also boasts South Africa's busiest container port.
• Drakensberg -- Massive and spectacular mountain range. Peaks exceed 3000 meters above sea level. Climbing, hiking, wilderness trails, mountain biking, fly fishing, and more.
• Lesotho -- real Africa right on South Africa's doorstep.

The border crossing into Mozambique within the greater park isn't really practical for overseas visitors. Rental cars are not permitted across the border and there is no transport to or from the border post to speak of. There are no facilities, apart from customs and immigration, at the border post. The customs, immigration and (Mozambique) tourism officials at the crossing are busy doing a range of activities, none of which actually involve processing people across the border.