| KRUGER NATIONAL PARK |
The Kruger National Park is renowned not only for its diversity of wildlife, but also for its conservation record. You can see the famed Big Five, but you'll also be dazzled by hundreds of birds, ancient trees, mighty rivers and much, much more.
Did you know?
The Kruger National Park was proclaimed in 1894 by President Paul Kruger.
The Kruger National Park should be on everybody's bucket list.
Unless you've been up at dawn, driving out of camp as the morning sun illuminates thousands of glittering spider webs among the bushes, cruising slowly along the roads hoping for that overnight lion kill, or a leopard draped casually over the branch of a big tree, you've missed one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences.
It's not only about the famed Big Five, but thousands of other animals such as the giraffe – surely the most elegant of all the bush animals. You'll encounter elephants galore – watch out for that tiny baby crossing the road – and herds of buffalo. There are so many different kinds of antelope your head will spin, fat crocodiles sunning themselves on sandbanks, hyenas mooching along, and, if you're very lucky, a pack of wild dogs on the prowl.
Sharing the park with you are over 100 000 impala, 10 000 blue wildebeest, 9 000 kudu, 5 000 warthog (everybody's favourite ugly duckling), 25 000 zebra, 180 cheetah, over 1 000 leopard and 1 500 lions – and that's just the start. You can now begin to understand the natural super-abundance of one of the world's best-loved game parks.
The Kruger National Park enjoys a great year-round sunny climate and offers all kinds of activities, from guided game drives and bush walks with an armed ranger to three-night walking trails in deep wilderness areas.
The Kruger National Park gets over 1.4-million visitors a year, but because it's so big – 352km from north to south, and covering over 1.9-million hectares – you will be amazed at how often you are alone watching game on a 2 500km network of tar and dirt roads.
Did you know?
The Kruger National Park was proclaimed in 1894 by President Paul Kruger.
The Kruger National Park should be on everybody's bucket list.
Unless you've been up at dawn, driving out of camp as the morning sun illuminates thousands of glittering spider webs among the bushes, cruising slowly along the roads hoping for that overnight lion kill, or a leopard draped casually over the branch of a big tree, you've missed one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences.
It's not only about the famed Big Five, but thousands of other animals such as the giraffe – surely the most elegant of all the bush animals. You'll encounter elephants galore – watch out for that tiny baby crossing the road – and herds of buffalo. There are so many different kinds of antelope your head will spin, fat crocodiles sunning themselves on sandbanks, hyenas mooching along, and, if you're very lucky, a pack of wild dogs on the prowl.
Sharing the park with you are over 100 000 impala, 10 000 blue wildebeest, 9 000 kudu, 5 000 warthog (everybody's favourite ugly duckling), 25 000 zebra, 180 cheetah, over 1 000 leopard and 1 500 lions – and that's just the start. You can now begin to understand the natural super-abundance of one of the world's best-loved game parks.
The Kruger National Park enjoys a great year-round sunny climate and offers all kinds of activities, from guided game drives and bush walks with an armed ranger to three-night walking trails in deep wilderness areas.
The Kruger National Park gets over 1.4-million visitors a year, but because it's so big – 352km from north to south, and covering over 1.9-million hectares – you will be amazed at how often you are alone watching game on a 2 500km network of tar and dirt roads.
Climate
South Africa is located south of the equator and has therefore a reverse order of summer and winter than Europe and North America. Generally is the KNP a dry and hot area, regardless of summer or winter. The South African summer (September -April) in the KNP is hot and sunny with occasional showers and temperature in the shadow range from 18°-30°C. and the winter (May-August) is warm and dry with temperatures ranging from 8°-22°C. September-April Hot and sunny with sporadic thunder showers. Average temp 18-30°C.
Fees/Permits
The KNP is not open all day and night. Entry gate and camp gate opening and closing times are as follows:
November-January - Open 4h30 (camp gate) and 5h30 (entry gate), close 18h30
February - Open 5h30, close 18h30
March- Open 5h30, close 18h00
April - Open 6h00, close 18h00
May-July - Open 6h00, close 17h30
August/September - Open 6h00, close 18h00
October - Open 5h30, close 18h00
November-January - Open 4h30 (camp) and 5h30 (entry, close 18h30)
If you are later back in the camp or found driving around at night, you will be fined very high rates (up to thousands of Rand, it is serious!). So make sure to be out or back in the camp before closing time!
Fees apply to access the park. If you are not a resident of South Africa, you can choose to either pay daily conservation fees or buy an international visitors wildcard (valid for entry to all SANParks parks - as per 2014 for international passport holders the wildcard is about ZAR 1600.- for one year). The break even point is about 4-days conservation fees equal to a wildcard. You can purchase a wildcard or pay conservation fees when you are booking your accommodation, or you pay on admission (if you are not staying in the park) or at your camp. If you are visiting other parts of South Africa, you may want to consider the discounts available for Table Mountain and other parks before making your calculation.
When you enter the park you will be given an admission permit. It is very important to retain this, as you have to present it on the way out of the park to be permitted to exit.
South Africa is located south of the equator and has therefore a reverse order of summer and winter than Europe and North America. Generally is the KNP a dry and hot area, regardless of summer or winter. The South African summer (September -April) in the KNP is hot and sunny with occasional showers and temperature in the shadow range from 18°-30°C. and the winter (May-August) is warm and dry with temperatures ranging from 8°-22°C. September-April Hot and sunny with sporadic thunder showers. Average temp 18-30°C.
Fees/Permits
The KNP is not open all day and night. Entry gate and camp gate opening and closing times are as follows:
November-January - Open 4h30 (camp gate) and 5h30 (entry gate), close 18h30
February - Open 5h30, close 18h30
March- Open 5h30, close 18h00
April - Open 6h00, close 18h00
May-July - Open 6h00, close 17h30
August/September - Open 6h00, close 18h00
October - Open 5h30, close 18h00
November-January - Open 4h30 (camp) and 5h30 (entry, close 18h30)
If you are later back in the camp or found driving around at night, you will be fined very high rates (up to thousands of Rand, it is serious!). So make sure to be out or back in the camp before closing time!
Fees apply to access the park. If you are not a resident of South Africa, you can choose to either pay daily conservation fees or buy an international visitors wildcard (valid for entry to all SANParks parks - as per 2014 for international passport holders the wildcard is about ZAR 1600.- for one year). The break even point is about 4-days conservation fees equal to a wildcard. You can purchase a wildcard or pay conservation fees when you are booking your accommodation, or you pay on admission (if you are not staying in the park) or at your camp. If you are visiting other parts of South Africa, you may want to consider the discounts available for Table Mountain and other parks before making your calculation.
When you enter the park you will be given an admission permit. It is very important to retain this, as you have to present it on the way out of the park to be permitted to exit.
