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:: Kruger National Park
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Kruger was originally founded in 1898 by Paul Kruger, the then president of South Africa. It is now one of the largest wildlife parks in the world at just under 350km long and an average of 60km wide. Straddling the border with Mozambique, it covers an area the size of Wales (almost 2 million hectares).
The greatest variety of animals within any park in Africa exist within its boundaries, and visitors may hope to encounter lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino, cheetah, giraffe, many antelope, hippo and much, much more. In total there are thought to be 137 mammal species, around 500 bird species and more than 100 reptile species ranging from the "Big Five" to the lesser known and rarer, small mammals which are no less interesting! |
The area consists of a multitude of ecosystems, and Park authorities keep visitors well informed about the movements of the animals so there is a good chance that guests will see a wide variety of species. Due to the excellent infrastructure, Kruger can certainly not
be described as a wilderness area, but it does have the advantage of offering visitors a safe and comfortable way to see some of Africa's best known wildlife species. In addition to driving around the Park, there are also some guided wilderness trails on offer which are run by professional, armed guides.
Many private reserves border the Kruger Park, the most famous include Mala Mala, Sabi Sabi and Londolozi within the Sabi Sand conservation area. These reserves offer visitors a luxurious alternative to the municipal camps inside the Park borders. The municipal rest camps are comfortable and well equipped with shops, restaurants, phones and fuel stations. Some have swimming pools.
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