Kruger National Park is the wildlife highlight of any South African trip, and considered one of Africa’s premier national parks. At roughly the size of Wales, Kruger is long and thin, and borders both Zimbabwe to the north and Mozambique to the east. The big five are all present (in some abundance), along with just about any game you care to mention, and plenty of bird life.
The big draw of the Kruger Park is that it’s self drive, and has a great network of both tarmac and gravel roads crisscrossing the park. Although it’s popular with tourists and locals alike, it’s still possible to drive for hours without seeing another car. The southern end of the park has the highest concentrations of animals, and is busiest, but the north has more spectacular scenery in the form of bushveld, and is highly recommended for atmosphere.
Entrance to the park is $20 per day.
The self-drive element is a big plus for excitement. A plentifully stocked park makes big game spotting easy – even for the amateurs.
Night drives and guides walks are available from most of the camps within the park.
It’s possible to get public transport to within a few kilometres of one of the many entrance gates, but you’ll need your own vehicle to enter the park and get around it. Kruger is around 500km from Johannesberg, and the nearest big town to Kruger is Nelspruit.
Kruger is blessed with 12 high quality main rest camps, many complete with pool, restaurant, shop and internet. Each camp has a range of accommodation options, from camping ($20 per site per night) to huts ($40 for 2 people per night) to private cottages (from $150). There are also a number of high end private concessions bordering Kruger, offering truly luxurious accommodation.