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Kruger National Park, South Africa
The world renowned Kruger Park offers one of the best wildlife experience in South Africa. Established in 1898 to
protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of nearly 2 million
hectares is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and is a world leader in
advanced environmental management techniques. The southern portion of Kruger Park (in Mpumalanga) is more
lush and wooded that the drier central and northern regions, and is where most of the
camps are situated, as the largest concentrations of game occur here. This Section of the
park is accessed by the southern gates, namely: Malelane,
Crocodile Bridge, Numbi, Phabeni, and Paul Kruger (see the Kruger National
Park map). |
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The South is part of the original Sabie Game
reserve that was proclaimed in 1898 by then president Paul Kruger. It is home to some of
the most popular camps in the park as the wildlife is prolific. The hippo pool with nearby
bushmen paintings is a major draw card. Granite outcrops among the seringa, Marula,
tamboti and wild olive trees provide scrambling platforms for klipspringer (small
antelope) and viewing platforms for lions. White rhino, wild dog and leopard are common to
this area. The Acacia trees provide shelter and food to the larger herbivores such as
giraffe and elephant, while the Crocodile River provides twilight viewing of elephants,
waterbuck, impala and the elusive predators quenching their thirst.
Summer temperatures sometimes exceed 40º C but winters are generally mild and frost-free.
The Malelane, Crocodile Bridge, Numbi and Paul Kruger gates to the park are easily reached
from Nelspruit. There are daily flights from Johannesburg to the main camp, Skukuza, where
cars can be hired. Your travel agent or tour operator
can advise you about fly-drive packages, luxury coach tours and minibus safaris.
Best time to visit the Kruger Park: Each season has advantages. Between October
and March, when summer rains have transformed the dry landscape into a flowering paradise,
the park is alive with baby buck and migratory birds, but at the same time temperatures
can soar above 40º C dropping to 20º C in the evenings. The dense foliage hides game,
and the malaria risk is at its highest.
In the winter, when water is scarce and the plant life dies back, animals are easier to
spot, especially at water holes and riverbeds. Because this is the most popular season, be
prepared to share your sightings with other motorists. The days are warm, but temperatures
can drop to almost freezing point at night. Try to avoid going during the school holidays
particularly in winter, when the park is packed to capacity.
North and Central Kruger, Limpopo: The
flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of
species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals
(including the "Big Five", Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhinoceros).
Mopane trees dominate the northern part of the park, which is famous for its elephants and
large herds of buffalo. Predators and antelope abound, and the bird life is prolific.
Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries - from bushman rock
paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident
in the Kruger National Park. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events
that played a role in the history of the Kruger
National Park and are conserved along with the park's natural assets.
In the far north, the Pafuri area is one of the most scenic in the park. Most people
choose to explore in the comfort of their own cars, to stop and stare, to take the perfect
photograph and to follow at whim when the unexpected beckons.
The Kruger
National Park offers a range of accommodation options to suit all preferences. The
main camps have an excellent range of facilities, including shops, swimming pools,
conference venues and licensed restaurants. Inside the park, the roads are tarred or have
good gravel surfaces. Your travel agent can advise you about fly-drive packages, luxury
coach tours and minibus safaris. (The nearest airport to Kruger Park in LIMPOPO is at Phalaborwa
and in MPUMALANGA at
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA). |
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· Badplaas · Barberton · Belfast · Bethal · Carolina · Dullstroom · Ermelo · Graskop · Groblersdal
· Hazyview · Kiepersol Bordering Kruger · Kruger Park · Within Kruger Park · Komatipoort · Lüneburg
· Lydenburg · Machadodorp · Malelane · Marble Hall · Marloth Park · Middelburg · Nelspruit · Ohrigstad
· Piet Retief · Pilgrims Rest · Sabie · Sabi Sand Game Reserve · Schoemanskloof · Skukuza · Standerton
· Thornybush · Wakkerstroom · Waterval Boven · White River · Witbank |
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