The Kruger National Park in South Africa is one of the world’s most famous nature reserves and it is justifiably one of the main attractions on South Africa’s tourist map. But what exactly is the Kruger National Park and where is it and why is it so important?
The Kruger can be found in north-eastern South Africa, relatively close to Johannesburg and its international airport making it an easy transfer time. It was established in 1898 to protect and conserve the important African wildlife and the natural habitat of the African lowveld that is home to that wildlife at a time when South Africa was being colonised and development was rife. It covers almost 2 million hectares and it offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa, so much so that its name is now synonymous with a great safari holiday. There are many other national parks in South Africa but the Kruger is the second largest and offers an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. It is also one of the best places in the world to go on safari and spot the Big Five i.e. elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion. You are also likely to see hippos, cheetahs, baboons, giraffes, springbok, hyenas, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra and if you are extremely lucky the very rare African wild hunting dog. The Kruger’s huge size means it encompasses a wide range of different landscapes and habitats including expanses of grassy planes, thorny woodland thickets that encircle rugged koppies, and to the east the imposing Lebombo Mountains, all of which is wild and untamed.
The Kruger is also a site of major historical and archaeological importance. There are significant numbers of excellent examples of San art in the famous bushman rock paintings and also some truly majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela. There is also evidence of Iron Age man and artefacts dating back 1500 years have been found. These important treasures represent the ancient people that played a role in the early history of this part of the lowveld and in the Kruger National Park itself and they are now conserved along with the park’s natural assets.
The national park is operated by SANparks but many tour operators both local and international offer holidays in the park. They run the twelve main rest camps set up in the Kruger Park such as the Berg-en-Dal rest camp which form the main basis of accommodation in the park for those on self-drive holidays. In each main camp there are usually different options ranging from basic camping through to self catering bungalows. There are also various satellite camps and bush camps which are operated temporarily when the seasons are dry enough to be able to access them along dirt tracks. Around the periphery of the Kruger are many privately owned conservancies which also offer excellent and more upmarket accommodation from rustic eco safari camps to total luxury and style in beautiful safari camps cons such as Garonga.
