Named after Paul Kruger, The Kruger National Park is known as the ‘people’s park’ it first opened its doors to the public in 1926. With tropical forests and safari bush plains, the Kruger National Park was South Africa’s first national park to have the Big Five and has the ideal terrain for a safari trip. It spans across 19,633 square kilometres and is home to over 12,000 elephants, 27,000 african buffalo, 350 black rhino, 200 cheetah, 1,500 lions and 1,000 leopards.
There are 3 airports that serve the Kruger park and you can fly into it from Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, or drive if you prefer. There are 15 private safari lodges within the park and many of these have their own watering holes. The Kruger National Park is not just for safari, there are 254 cultural heritage sites within the park also.
The Kruger National Park is on the north-east of South Africa on the border with Mozambique. Only an hour ahead from the UK it is very easy to settle in to. The Kruger National Park is well located to travel onto Pretoria, Cape town or the Garden Route, or cross the border and enjoy a few days on the beach in Mozambique.
When entering the park, if you are not on a guided safari, try to plan your route as much as possible, ask the guides in your lodge which watering holes are best to visit. Their local knowledge will help you see the best game.
