Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks along with the best in Africa.

Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld Kruger National Park is nearly 2 million hectares in size (21 000 sq km), which is roughly the size of Wales ! Kruger claims a diversity of animal, plant & bird species greater than any other park in Africa - 336 types of trees, 49 fish species, 34 amphibian species, 114 reptile species, 507 bird species and 147 mammal species.

Also a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies, and with over 1 million visitors annually, it is easy to see why Kruger National Park is the flagship National Park in South Africa.

The lodges

Experience some of Africa's most exclusive and luxurious safari lodges. From intimate tented safari camps and small game lodges to award-winning designs in style and luxury, the private safari lodges and game reserves listed by Portfolio in and around the Kruger National Park will satisfy the needs of the safari connoisseur. There is also a great range of Bed & Breakfast establishments, Country Retreats and Country House hotels in Limpopo Province and Mpumalanga that are well placed to enable guests to experience Kruger National Park and all of it’s attractions.

The park

Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries - from bushman rock paintings to marvellous archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident in the Kruger National Park. These treasures represent the cultures, people and events that played a role in the story of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park's natural assets.

The park stretches three hundred and fifty kilometres, along the Mozambican border on the east and along Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces on the west and is sixty kilometres wide, on average. In general most of the park consists of grass and bush covered plains, better known in South Africa as savanna or bushveld (hence, ‘the bush’). The border with Moçambique is clear because of the always present Lebombo mountain range that forms a natural barrier. There are a number of rivers flowing from east to west within the park, being the Limpopo, Luvuvhu, Shingwedzi, Letaba, Olifants, Timbavati, Sabie and the Crocodile river from north to south. There are seven entrances or gates to the Kruger National Park, Malelane and Crocodile Bridge in the south; the most accessible from Johannesburg are the Numbi Gate and Paul Kruger Gate; the Orpen Gate close to Blyde River, Phalaborwa, Punda Maria and Pafuri further north.

Access

Access to the park and private game reserves is easy and there are plenty of options. Driving time from Johannesburg is 5-6 hours and we can suggest well placed stopovers if you want to continue your journey to KwaZulu Natal or take a more leisurely journey from Johannesburg. There are regular scheduled flights from Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town to Kruger Mpumalanga International airport and from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit (Eastgate) airport in Limpopo Province. You can then collect a car or be transferred by road or light aircraft ‘lodge hop’ to your chosen lodge. Many of the private lodges and reserves also have arrangements for a direct air shuttle service from Johannesburg straight into the reserve – arrive in style !