South Africa Safaris - Kruger National Park

What is Kruger National Park?

Spanning over 2 million hectares, Kruger National Park is the biggest game reserve in South Africa and is the safari destination of choice for over a million visitors every year. Located in the north east of the South Africa, it was first established in 1926 to protect the animals in the reserve from poachers, hunters and cattle farmers. Set in untouched natural wilderness and teeming with wildlife, it's no surprise that Kruger National Park is renowned as one of the biggest and best natural game reserves in the world.

Why Go?

Kruger National Park safaris are massively popular; indeed, the park by a long way the favoured destination for safaris in South Africa. It's easy to see why - the park is an animal lover's dream come true. Kruger has large numbers of all of the 'Big 5' game animals (so called because they are the most challenging animals to hunt on foot): elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos. Any Kruger National Park safari is likely to give you an excellent view of some of these rare and remarkable creatures, as well as many of the other animals that live in the park (including thousands of giraffe, hippopotami and zebra) and over 500 species of bird.

These animals live in a great variety of habitats throughout the park; scrubland, savanna, sandveld, bushveld plains, forests and thickets are all present in the game reserve. In addition to being one of the biggest and most diverse parks in the world, it also has a superbly maintained infrastructure for visitors on Kruger National Park safaris. Dozens of companies run tours into the park (including both driving and walking safaris), and a range of lodges and campsites are carefully spread through Kruger, providing plenty of places to stay while maintaining the untamed wilderness feel of the park. If you want to go on a South Africa safari, Kruger National Park offers the perfect blend of accessibility, natural wilderness and diverse wildlife.

Transport and Accommodation in Kruger Park

Kruger National Park safaris are typically conducted in 4x4s, which are up to the challenge of negotiating the tough terrain, and hire cars are available for those who want to travel independently through the park. If you do decide to go independently, make sure you read up on the rules of the park (the most important of these is also the easiest to remember - stay in your vehicle at all times!)

While day trips are available to Kruger, most people choose to stay in the park itself as part of their South Africa safaris. A huge range of accommodation is available, from basic campsites all the way up to exclusive luxury safari lodges. Many of these luxury lodges, including the Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga lodge, are designed in a traditional African style, and all of them offer luxury comfort in gorgeous wilderness surroundings. The lodges in Kruger provide the best accommodation available for safaris in South Africa, and are a highlight of many people's holidays.