Kruger National Park, South Africa’s oldest and most popular national park, is the best place to view African wildlife. This fact is attested to by the one million or so visitors who tour the national park annually.

Kruger National Park has its origin in the Sabi Reserve, which was set up in 1898 to stem the effects of over-hunting, and is named after Paul Kruger- once president of the Transvaal Republic that later became part of the Union of South Africa.

Kruger National Park stretches from the Crocodile River in the south, to the Limpopo River in the north and runs for 350 km along the Mozambique-South Africa border. The park is fed by six rivers and has a wide variety of ecosystems; it carries 16 vegetation zones. Kruger is generally flat with an average height of 269 metres above sea level.

The southern part of the 20,000 sq kilometre park, which is located in the Mpumalanga region, is more lush and wooded. This area is very popular with visitors and is accessed though the five gates at Malelane, Crocodile Bridge, Numbi, Phabeni and Paul Kruger. On the other hand, the northern and central sections are more arid and fall in the Limpopo region. Fewer visitors on South Africa safaris come here; giving rise to an air of mystery that beckons the adventurous. You get there via the Orpen and Phalaborwa gates.

Kruger is the most celebrated national park in South Africa due to its wide variety of game and bird life. Hundreds of different species can be found here: 507 birds, 336 trees, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians. It offers an unforgettable wildlife experience that can rival the best in Africa. In South Africa, this is the best place to see the fabled big five- lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino.

Other animals to see include cheetah, zebra, giraffe, baboon, hippo, impala, and warthog. The prolific mix of animals, including the presence of complete food chains, attracts scientists researching animal interaction.

You can access Kruger through nine gates, which are connected to the national road network by tarred roads. From Pafuri Gate in the north to Malelane Gate in the south is a 414 km drive. Once inside the park, it is obligatory to take a game drive. You may chose either a self-navigated game drive, or take a ranger guide as an escort. Kruger allows night game drives, when you can encounter nocturnal animals- bushbabies, leopards, hyenas, owls and nightjars.

Most visitors take game drives aboard a vehicle on regular trails. But ranger guided walking safaris are available to more adventurous spirits. On any of the seven guided wilderness trails for walkers, you take in nature’s aromas as you view game up close. The trails include three nights stay in a wilderness camp. This option is quite popular and early booking is advised.

There are daily flights from Johannesburg to Phalaborwa Airport, Hoedspruit Airport and the Kruger/Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) as well as daily flights to KMIA from Durban and Cape Town. Charter planes and rental cars are available from Kruger Mpumalanga Airport, Kruger Park Gateway airport, East Gate Airport. Accommodation is also available within the park to suit the tastes and pockets of most- ranging from camping and self-catering to luxury lodges.

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 am and is filed under South Africa Safaris & Tours. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.