The Kruger National Park is renowned not only
for its diversity of wildlife, but also for its conservation record. You can
see the famed Big Five, but you'll also be dazzled by hundreds of birds,
ancient trees, mighty rivers and much, much more.
The Kruger National Park should be on
everybody's bucket list.
Unless you've been up
at dawn, driving out of camp as the morning sun illuminates thousands of
glittering spider webs among the bushes, cruising slowly along the roads hoping
for that overnight lion kill, or a leopard draped casually over the branch of a
big tree, you've missed one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences.
It's not only about the famed Big Five, but
thousands of other animals such as the giraffe – surely the most elegant of all
the bush animals. You'll encounter elephants galore – watch out for that tiny
baby crossing the road – and herds of buffalo. There are so many different
kinds of antelope your head will spin, fat crocodiles sunning themselves on
sandbanks, hyenas mooching along, and, if you're very lucky, a pack of wild
dogs on the prowl.
Sharing the park with
you are over 100 000 impala, 10 000 blue wildebeest, 9 000 kudu, 5 000 warthog
(everybody's favorite ugly duckling), 25 000 zebra, 180 cheetah, over 1 000
leopard and 1 500 lions – and that's just the start. You can now begin to
understand the natural super-abundance of one of the world's best-loved game
parks.
The Kruger National Park enjoys a great year-round sunny climate and offers all kinds of
activities, from guided game drives and bush walks with an armed ranger to
three-night walking trails in deep wilderness areas.
The Kruger National
Park gets over 1.4-million visitors a year, but because it's so big – 352km
from north to south, and covering over 1.9-million hectares – you will be
amazed at how often you are alone watching game on a 2 500km network of tar and
dirt roads.
TRAVEL TIPS &
PLANNING INFO
HOW TO GET HERE
By road from Johannesburg it’s approximately a five-hour drive
(depending where you enter the park). You can also travel by plane to Kruger
Park International Airport in Mbomela (Nelspruit) and drive from there.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Winter is the best time for game-spotting. The grass is
low and animals are dependent on waterholes. Summer is hot, but scenically very
beautiful, and there are lots of baby animals to see.
TOURS TO DO
A guided sunset tour, you get a glorious view of a
spectacular African sunset, see game coming to drink, and then have the
excitement of a spotlight night drive
GET AROUND
It’s best to hire your own vehicle- preferably a mini-van
because you’ll sit high up and have a better chance to spot game.
LENGTH OF STAY
At least three nights, much more if possible as there is
plenty to see and do. Some regular visitors spend up to a month in the park at
a time.
WHERE TO STAY
There’s accommodation to suit all budgets, from basic
campsites and cottages to spacious family lodges. Book well in advance.
WHAT TO EAT
The camp shops supply of foodstuff and drinks. Their
braai meat is particularly good. If you’re not self-catering, all the bigger
camps have restaurants.
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| Rhino |
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| Elephants |
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| Leopard |
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| Lion |
Full article from:South Africa.net
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