Africa at its natural best. South Africa’s premier game reserve is only a 7 minute drive from the guest house. The world renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. It is home to “The big five” – Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo. You will find an abundance of other fascinating animals too such as hyenas, cheetah, zebra, giraffe, monkeys, antelope, and stunning birdlife from the smallest weaver bird to the majestic African Fish Eagle. A visit to the Kruger will always leave you with colourful stories to tell and is definitely a wildlife experience of a lifetime.
There are also private reserves in the area like: Sabi Sands, Manyeleti, Timbavati, etc. but for now we’ll just concentrate on the Kruger.Guided walking tours, dawn and night drives into the Kruger can be booked from the reception area at Kruger Park Lodge or you may prefer to drive yourself. Whatever you decide, make sure to bring the camera as the Kruger will undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip to South Africa.Below is some useful information regarding the Kruger. Opening times, pricing, animal census, etc. For wildlife and birdlife pictures from the Kruger be sure to visit our photo albums.
Opening times
Gate opening times differ throughout the year. Below is a table of opening and closing times for entry and exit of the Kruger.
March, October | January, February, November, December | May, June, July | April, August, September |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gates Open | 05:30 | 05:30 | 06:00 | 06:00 |
| Gates Close | 18:00 | 18:30 | 17:30 | 18:00 |
Entry fees and tariffs
Park entry fees are listed below current for 2012/2013 prices. Prices and currency conversions for entry fees are based on South African Rands (ZAR). Members of SANParks’ loyalty programme WILD do not pay daily conservation fees provided that proof of identity and their WILD card are shown on arrival.
Price in South African Rands (ZAR). Tariffs from November 2012 to October 2013 |
|
|---|---|
| South African Citizens and Residents (with ID) | ZAR 50.00 per Adult, per day ZAR 25.00 per Child under 12 per day. |
| SADC Nationals (with passport) | ZAR 102.00 per Adult, per day ZAR 51.00 per Child under 12 per day |
| Standard Conservation Fee (Foreign Visitors) | ZAR 204.00 per adult ZAR 102.00 per child under 12 per day |
| Wild Card (Loyalty program) | Free entry for “Wild card” holders. Proof of identity, nationality and residence will be required when entering any park, reserve or resort. |
Latest Kruger National Park animal census information
There are very few other national parks in the world who match the Kruger National Park in sheer concentration of species. The number of different animals varies from year to year depending on climatic conditions. The following is an estimate based on a recent animal census.
 | Cheetah | 200 | Spotted Hyaena | 2,000 |
 | Leopard | 900 | Wild Dog | 300 |
 | Lion | 1,500 | Bushbuck | 1,500 |
 | Black Rhino | 350 | Eland | 750 |
 | White Rhino | 4,500 | Nyala | 800 |
 | Blue Wildebeest | 17,000 | Mountain Reedbuck | 150 |
 | Buffalo | 30,000 | Oribi | 100 |
 | Zebra | 17,000 | Reedbuck | 1,500 |
 | Elephant | 7,500 | Roan Antelope | 300 |
 | Giraffe | 5,000 | Sable Antelope | 2,000 |
 | Hippopotamus | 3,000 | Tsessebe | 720 |
 | Kudu | 8,000 | Warthog | 3,000 |
 | Impala | 160,000 | Waterbuck | 4,000 |
These numbers may sound high but remember that the Kruger National Park is pretty big. Its approximately the size of the country: Wales.
In addition to this there are at least 507 different species of birds, 114 species of reptiles, 49 species of African indigenous fish, 34 types of amphibians, 336 different species of trees and many more. At the Kruger there is a huge variety of wildlife in all shapes and sizes which are sure to pique everybody’s interest.
For more information on the Kruger see www.sanparks.org
In addition to the Big 5, try to spot the following:
The Little Five: Buffalo Weaver, Elephant Shrew, Leopard Tortoise, Ant Lion and Rhino Beetle.
The Birding Big Six:
Ground Hornbill, Kori Bustard, Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Pel’s Fishing Owl & Saddle-billed Stork.
Five Trees:
Baobab, Fever Tree, Knob Thorn, Marula, Mopane.
In our opinion, a perfect day is spent by setting off really early in the morning with a flask of coffee and enjoying an hour or two of bird watching at Lake Panic, spending the rest of the morning driving around the Kruger spotting animals, then enjoying lunch at Skukuza rest camp or an in-car picnic lunch next to a watering hole before returning to Cambalala to have a ‘siesta’ or squeeze in a round of golf.
