Kruger National Park travel guide

Our Kruger National Park travel guide lifts the lid on almost 20,000km² of protected land that encompasses a vast array of habitats, over 500 species of birds, and more mammals than any other African reserve – including, of course, the Big Five. Options ranging from luxury lodges and top-end safaris to campsites and self-drive tours mean that our Kruger National Park travel guide really deserves to be read by all and right here is where you get your very own South Africa safari started.

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Kruger National Park travel guide

Stretching almost 20,000km² at times Kruger National Park seems like not one park, but many. It would take a full ten hours to drive from north to south – and you’d pass through vast ecosystems of thorny acacia, dense woodland, open grassland and tropical riverine forest. In fact, there's a good chance it would take even longer; in Kruger, animals have right of way. Its 147 mammal species include the Big Five, of course – which can be encountered during game drives as well as on foot and during nighttime safaris. Giraffe, ostrich, crocodile and the rare African wild dog are amongst the many other animals that call the park home, along with over 500 birds.

Everything about Kruger is superlative; it's one of the oldest national parks, one of the largest, and protects more species of large mammal than any other park in Africa

Kruger’s diversity doesn’t stop at its nature; there are accommodations, tours and safaris to suit all tastes and budgets – from self drive campers to indulgent honeymooners, first-time-in-Africa families to wannabe park rangers. In short, deciding to go on holiday to Kruger is just the starting point; this Kruger National Park Travel guide will help you decide when, where and how.

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Things to do in Kruger National Park...

Hire a car and drive your way around – it’s one of the few places in Africa where you can have an easy self drive holiday. This particularly convenient for families, and those who prefer more independence. Explore the human history. The San Bushmen have left their trace at over 170 sites, dating back between 1,500 and 3,000 years. The beautiful paintings are believed to depict scenes of hunting, as well as trances and spirit worlds. A good place to start is the walking trail near Bern-en-Dal. Despite being protected in a huge national park, much of Kruger’s wildlife is still endangered. Support conservation efforts as a research volunteer, learning to track, monitor and identify wildlife, as well as setting up camera traps and recording behaviour, or even microchipping a rhino. Make this the focus of your trip – or just spend a day or two working alongside local teams. Walk a Wilderness Trail with a guide to experience Kruger on foot. Each of the nine trails has a different theme and different attractions, including rhinos, birds or rock art. Trails take three nights and two days, and book up well in advance.

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Things not to do in Kruger National Park...

Cuddle a cub. Many places in South Africa offer the chance for a lion selfie (or, even more inexplicably – a tiger selfie) – or the opportunity to “walk with lions”. But don’t. Habituated lions cannot be released into the wild, and when they get too big and dangerous to cuddle, the chances are they’ll be sold on to canned hunting reserves.

Don’t ignore the people that live alongside the wildlife. Poaching is a very real problem in Kruger; its enormous size makes patrolling tough. When protected areas are created, they often leave local communities out – depriving them of land and resources, without sharing the economic benefits. By visiting communities, and spending money on local guides, souvenirs and food, they can understand that wildlife is worth more alive than dead – and benefit from supporting in the conservation of the land.

Don’t break the park rules – they are there for the safety of both wildlife and visitors. If driving, be aware that offroading is forbidden; and if walking, you may only do so with an authorised guide. Nighttimes drives are a thrilling way to experience the park – but again, you’ll need to go with a ranger.

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Written by Vicki Brown

Kruger National Park travel guide