Reasons To Discover The Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park National Park in South Africa

What’s Not To Love About The Kruger National Park? 

With almost 20 000 km2 of pristine wilderness within its boundaries, the Kruger National Park offers a spectacular showcase of nine different biomes, spanning two provinces. It’s also a part of a proposed 100 000 km2 Peace Park that flows from South Africa into Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Kruger National Park is the perfect place to explore most of the country’s natural diversity and offers everything you can hope to expect from a national park. Discover why you simply must visit the Kruger National Park on your next getaway.

Amazing Animal Experiences

Wildlife sightings are the main event during a trip to the Kruger National Park and you’re unlikely to experience disappointment during your visit.

This National Park is home to a cornucopia of animals including:

  • 147 mammal species
  • 114 species of reptiles
  • 51 different types of snakes
  • 49 species of fish
  • 508 bird species

It also features one of Africa’s largest lion populations, numbering over 1 700 at the last count and almost 20 000 elephants. It’s one of the first places other parks turn to when they want to boost their animal populations.

Some highlights of the natural world you can hope to see during your trip include Cape hunting dogs, honey badgers, sable antelope, Cape pangolins, ancient baobab trees, white-headed vultures, and saddle-billed storks.

That’s in addition to the full range of Big Five specimens as well as fascinating small creatures, like dung beetles and orb spiders.

Varied Activities

You can enjoy this abundance of animals on both self-drive and guided safaris, as well as bush walks in the capable hands of an armed field guide. Even spending time in camp can yield plenty of bird and animal sightings, especially if you spend time at the perimeter fences.

In addition, you can alight from your vehicle to enjoy picnics at designated prime spots overlooking waterholes and open savannah and explore some of the archaeological findings of the area or spend time in bird hides.

Evenings bring a chance to light up your own braai or catch an outdoor nature movie at one of the camp amphitheaters. While the Kruger Park isn’t a dark sky destination, stargazers will find nothing to complain about when the campfires die down.

Most of the larger camps in the Kruger Park have restaurants, viewing decks, and swimming pools for your enjoyment and Letaba camp boasts an excellent elephant museum, showcasing all of Kruger’s Big Tuskers.

A Fantastic Family-Friendly Experience

Apart from a safe and comfortable environment, the Kruger National Park offers outstanding opportunities for bonding with children of all ages. Not even moody teenagers can ignore the allure of the bush, and intermittent cell phone reception ensures more family time and less screen time.

Very few of the accommodation options have television to disturb the evening ambiance or steal family member’s attention. Thanks to an abundance of fresh air, good food, and early mornings, you’ll find everyone’s tucked in bed much earlier than usual, anyway.

Kruger Park Accommodation for All Kinds of Travelers

Kruger National Park offers a huge variety of accommodation options. You can book electrified and non-electrified campsites with shared ablutions if you want to enjoy the true bush experience or rent a private home within the camp’s boundaries for a more luxurious stay.

You’ll find a host of in-between options to choose from too, these include:

  • Two and four sleeper self-catering safari tents
  • Two and three-sleeper bedroom bungalows with shared ablutions and kitchens
  • Two to five sleeper chalets with en-suite bathrooms and basic kitchen facilities

Once you’ve decided on the type of accommodation you’d like to book, you also get to choose whether you want to overlook the bush from a perimeter site or opt for something closer to the restaurant and other communal areas.

Each camp offers its own unique set of accommodation options that have evolved uniquely since The Park first opened its doors in 1925.

Apart from the main camps, you’ll find a host of smaller ones with fewer amenities and accommodation units as well as bush lodges available for exclusive-use bookings only.

There are also two camps dedicated to camping and caravanning enthusiasts only, as well as two overnight hides, where you can spend the night outside the main camps.

Apart from all these options which are managed and run by the South African National Parks board, there are also 24 privately-owned concession lodges within the boundaries of The Park.

Day trippers will find a host of resorts, caravan parks, and private lodges on the outskirts of the Kruger National Park, allowing easy access to one of the 10 entrance gates located within a four-hour drive of major centers like Johannesburg, Pietersburg, and Nelspruit.

There are well over 5 000 beds available in the Kruger National Park, and yet it’s wise to book at least a year in advance if you want to assure yourself of a booking at this highly sought-after destination.

The Atmosphere

The Kruger National Park has an abundance of loyal fans who travel there at least once a year.

It’s such a popular destination that their booking system completely stalled under the influx of bookings after South Africa lifted travel restrictions in 2020.

While the park’s popularity certainly stems from the abundance of wildlife sightings recorded daily in this part of the world, it’s also attributed to many other aspects.

There’s something magical about immersing yourself in this incredible wilderness along with other nature lovers. Evenings bring a sense of tranquility heightened by the smell of campfires, the muffled sounds of conversations, and the inevitable ‘whoo-oop’ of the hyena.

Friendly staff, great facilities, and affordable prices certainly help, but it’s an intangible sense of ‘home’ permeating this destination that draws travelers back time and time again.

Discover The Best That Africa Has To Offer

The Kruger National Park is a must-visit destination for every visitor to Africa, but it’s just one of the fascinations on offer among southern Africa’s vast reaches.

Browse our blog for more travel inspiration on all of Africa’s top destinations and attractions. If you’re looking for accommodation soon, book a few nights at Arebbusch Travel Lodge before heading out to explore this amazing continent.

Disclaimer
Please Note: The details shared herein were correct at the time of publishing. However, with time some of this information may change. We recommend confirming information with suppliers prior to making final travel arrangements. If you do happen to find an issue with any information we’ve shared here, please feel free to contact us so that we can make the relevant changes.

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