Kruger Park & Surrounding Area

Very few places on earth can compare with Kruger National Park's concentration or diversity of flora and fauna. On every game drive you can see something different, and besides the "Big 5" of lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and bufallo, prepare youselves to see zebras, giraffes, impala, kudu, hippo, hyena, cheetah, wildebeest, eagles, owls, eagle, kingfishers, etc etc etc etc etc! The landscapes are as diverse, with mopane bushland to golden savannah to rocky mountains and flowing rivers.

Unlike most game reserves outside of South Africa, Kruger National Park is very conducive to self-driving tourists, and in this way offer some exceptional value experiences. Inside the main park, the SANParks Restcamps provide everything you need, with some simple, comfortable, self-catering accommodation, and you can be free to explore the park on your own. The restcamps also have restauarants, shops, swimming pools and their own safari vehicles which offer day and night game drives if you feel like being guided.

On the western border of the park, the fences have been dropped, and a number of private game reserves have been incorporated into the main park. These private reserves offer an exclusive experience, with luxury lodges, virtually guaranteed Big 5 sightings, open sided game viewing vehicles, and the ability to go off-road, meaning you get a lot closer to the animals you find. The private reserves of the Timbavati, Sabi Sands, Mala Mala and Londolozi have become world famous for their luxurious products and incredible sightings. A number of private reserves offering excellent accommodatiion and game viewing are also located in the vicinity of, but separated from, the National Park.

While not invented in Kruger Park, the idea of luxurious safaris was definitely perfected there, with the private reserves delivering accommodation options that are hard to match. From exhorbitantly stocked wine cellars to private plunge pools and jacuzzi's, no expense has been spared nor detail overlooked wth some of the lodges, and you can feel like you are relaxing more in the lavishness of Dubai than Africa, were it not for the call of the wild, and the buzz of the bush.