Kruger National Park
South Africa is home to one of, if not the, finest game parks in all of Africa. The Kruger National Park is an astounding 18,989 square km, running 350km from top to bottom and 60 km wide. This is roughly the size of Holland!
To the west of the Kruger National Park are the provinces of Mpumulanga and Limpopo. Bordering in the north is Zimbabwe and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
The Kruger Park is a favourite amongst tourists and locals alike. Boasting some of the finest game viewing in Africa, it's not hard to see why. The Kruger is home to a huge number of species: 336 tree species, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals.
There are over 13 different camp sites and rest camps to cater for all tastes and budgets. From top end luxurious bungalows to rustic African tented camps and camping spots, you definitely will find something to suit your needs. There are restaurants and shops all over the park. Most South Africans tend to stay away from the restaurants for dinner and have a braai (a barbeque). Sitting around at night enjoying the sounds of the bush and watching the hyena's coming up to the fence (don't worry they cant get in), is a true African experience.
The best time to go game viewing in the park is in the early morning or late evening. In the summer time it gets really hot and the animals will generally hide in the shade of trees. In the winter time it hardly rains at all and quite a few of the waterholes dry up, upping your chances of spotting the more elusive animals when they come to drink.
The only real danger in the Kruger National Park is that at times of year there is malaria in the park. It's easily prevented if the correct precautions are taken.
Peter van Zijl frequent the Kruger National Park on a regular basis.To find out more on South African game parks click here.We also have a lighthearted look at African animals
