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Kruger National Park is one of the most famous wildlife
reserves in the world. Globally, it is the biggest and oldest
and attracts almost a million visitors a year. Originally
called the Sabie Reserve, Kruger was established by
president Paul Kruger of ZAR (the first Republic of South
Africa) in 1898. The park has been expanded from its original
size and is now the size of Wales.
Beasts to Behold
Park Authorities of Kruger claim it has the largest variety
of wildlife of all the parks in Africa. Naturally it boasts
the 'Big Five' (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo)
as well as a plethora of antelope species, zebra, giraffe,
cheetah, hippo, monkeys, crocodiles and lots of small mammal,
bird and reptile species. Although it is not as 'wild' as
many of the East African camps, Kruger is still one of the
most beautiful and fascinating places you will ever visit.
The animals are used to the presence of cars - meaning you
can get extremely close to them.
Visiting Kruger Park
This is not the sort of place you can simply visit quickly
due to the size and variety of the park. It is recommended
to spend at least one night in the park itself, but if you
could stretch to four or five it is a far better way to really
explore the park. The park has recently expanded; the border
of Kruger previously marked the border with Mozambique and
stretched south for 200 miles. However, now the private parkland
has been extended into Mozambique so you can now stay on private
reserves both on the Mozambique side and on the western boundaries.
As the Mozambique side only opened up in 2002, expect to see
a huge expansion in game parks and holiday options in coming
years.
The park has several rivers running through it, such as the
Limpopo, Olifants and Crocodile. It also has several
entrance gates so there is an option to approach from other
areas than simply Johannesburg. Within the park itself the
road network measures in at about 1300 miles. There is a main
road that runs the entire spine of the park. It is recommended
that you explore some of the gravel roads away from the main
roads to avoid crowds.
Things to see and do
Kruger National Park has a number of original features. Unlike
other areas of parkland in Africa, the excess of elephants
in the park is a serious issue, which means that elephants
have to culled every year. This naturally causes environmental
and moral issues.
Another more positive and original area of what the park
has to offer are the 'wilderness trails'. These trails
mean that you can actually walk through Kruger with an expert
guide who is also armed in case of any complications. There
are several trails to choose from and you don't have to be
super fit to enjoy them. These walks usually last 2 nights
and 3 days and cost around $12 per person. However they are
popular so book well in advance with the park's board. On
the Bushman Trail you are taken to see ancient rock
art and on the popular Olifants Trail you are near
the river and get a chance to observe hippos and crocodile.
Practical information
Entrance to the park costs around $4 ($2 for children). On
top of this expect to pay $5 for a car; also note that any
open vehicles such as motorbikes are not permitted within
the park. The number of visitors allowed within the park is
also restricted so if it is the school holidays you may want
to arrive early if you do not have a reservation.
Accommodation for within Kruger can be booked through the
National Parks Board on 012 - 343 1991 or through email at
reservations@parks-sa.co.za.
If you are staying at a private reserve on the edge of Kruger
then contact these separately.
Gates open from 4:30am in the peak season of December/January
and 6:30am in the low season. The gates shut at the same time
as the camps depending on the time of year and it is also
an offence to arrive late at the camps where you will be fined,
as it is a deterrent for safety reasons. |
