Kruger National Park

Unquestionably, the number one wildlife destination for South Africans, the Kruger National Park is rated as one of the best of its kind on the African continent.

Here, visitors can enjoy affordable access to an expansive wilderness where creatures great and small thrive, while enjoying all the benefits of a well-run tourist attraction.

Kruger National Park animals and scenery

Home to the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo – the park boasts an incredible diversity of life: 147 mammal species, 507 bird species, 114 reptile species, and 336 tree species. 

The park is scenically stunning.  In the far north, fever tree forests give way to the warm shades of mopane thickets.

In the centre, golden grasslands sway beneath flat-topped acacias, while in the south, the rolling hills are punctuated by granite outcrops.

And, meandering between these varied habitats, numerous rivers are flanked by towering riparian woods.

Complementing these visuals is a dawn-to-dusk chorus of birdsong, alarm calls and territorial pronouncements.

One cannot help but be enthralled by the vibrancy of life as it stimulates the senses.

Kruger National Park activities

There are numerous ways to explore this ecological Eden. Most visitors do self-drive safaris, utilising a well-maintained network of signposted tar and gravel roads.

Along the various routes, there are numerous viewpoints and picnic sites where visitors can stretch their legs and savour the soulful silence.

Those wanting a more informative experience can join guided game drives, operated by private safari companies. There are also 4×4 trails exclusively for off-road driving enthusiasts.

We offer all options, no matter if it’s a self-drive or guided experience you are after. Just get in touch with one of our experts and start planning your Kruger safari.

To truly immerse yourself in the environment, it is best to be on foot. For this, there are interpretative trails within the camps and guided walking safaris, organised by the lodges.

For those with specialist interests, the services of expert guides are readily available.

The park has several museums, places of interest and information centres, where visitors can learn more about the park’s conservation victories, history and cultural heritage.

There is even an 18-hole golf course, where the water hazards must be taken seriously.

Accommodation in and around Kruger National Park

As one of the country’s leading attractions, you can expect an excellent selection of accommodation options, both within and near the park.

SANParks operates a variety of basic camps, some of which have restaurants, shops, petrol stations and laundry facilities.

There are several private concessions within greater Kruger, each with a luxury game lodge offering world-class accommodations, cuisine and service.

Outside the park boundaries, a variety of lodgings are available, ranging from family-run guesthouses to internationally recognised hotels.

A brief history of Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s largest national park, spanning an area the size of Wales or the US state of New Jersey.

Established in 1898 and formally recognised in 1926, the park is a bastion for conservation and a leader in African conservation practices.

In the late 1990s, fences between the park and neighbouring private reserves led to the creation of the Greater Kruger Park.

Then, in 2002, the contiguous conservation area was further enlarged with the creation of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, with neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique.