Within the lowerveld landscape lies the jewel in the crown of South Africa - the Kruger National Park.

Protected by the entwining arms of the highveld escarpment, the Drakensburg & the Lebombo Mountains, it stretches for some 400 kms north from these towering sentinels & across the rolling plains to the lush valley of the Limpopo River. To the west of Kruger lies Mozambique & it’s northern boundary touches the border of Zimbabwe.

Kruger Park has been described as an ‘Eden of wildlife’ as there are in excess of 150 mammal species amongst which are six predator cat species & in addition over 500 bird & 300 tree species. The Big 5 – Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo & Rhino ( both black & white rhino ) are plentiful & if you are fortunate you may also see a pack of the increasingly rare & endangered Wild Dog who roam over vast territories in a nomadic like pattern. There is also an abundance of all manner of antelope species, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest & both hippo & crocodile inhabit the rivers.

With a sub-tropical climate, large habitat environment & a total area of 19633 sq km or nearly 2 million hectares, the park is home to a spectacular array of flora & fauna & is at the cutting edge of world environmental management techniques based on a hundred & five years of accumulated experience. In addition, man’s interaction with nature in the lowveld environment over many centuries has meant there are exquisite examples of bushmen’s rock art & wonderful archeological sites, such as Masorini & Thlamela, to be explored.

The one time fences that surrounded the park have all but been removed – now the fence between Mozambique & Kruger is down, allowing animals to free range & migrate along natural centuries old game trails. This has meant species often not seen in the past have been more frequently seen in new areas both inside and outside of the Kruger, drifting into the Private Game concessions that border Kruger to the west across in the Sabi Sand & the Timbavati game reserves.

Getting around within the Park is easy. There are clearly marked roads, some are sealed, some are dirt, but all are maintained in excellent condition year round. At each of the Park entrance gates where guests pay their Park fees an array of quality colour literature offering information, directions, photographs and artist impression drawing of animals, birds, reptiles and insects, are readily available for purchase at nominal prices. So too reference books, film, souvenirs etc.

For the self drive traveller, it is necessary to be well versed in the speed restriction as these are strictly enforced by radar monitoring and additionally, the mandatory safety requirements as laid down by the Park Service. At NO TIME may motorists venture out of their vehicles unless within Rest Camp or secured shop concession areas. Equally, it is illegal to feed the animals or birds and keeping vehicle windows closed is both common sense and regulated policy.

As you are driving in South Africa’s most popular National Park there undoubtedly will be times when traffic jams occur, more usually around game sightings close to the road and especially during school and public holidays when the Park is heavily populated by day trippers and overnight guests alike. You are required to exercise patience.

As a basic rule of thumb, self drive guests should check that ….

• You have everything you will need while driving INSIDE the car, not in the trunk
• You have sufficient fuel for the trip you are doing that day
• Everybody has been to the toilet as toilet stops are widely scattered
• You have sufficient food and particularly drinks inside the car
• You have camera, binoculars and reference books in the car
• You have a proper litter bag for refuse, because tins, bottles and plastic can be harmful to animals if they are not placed in secure waste bags which in turn are placed into the metal refuse containers throughout the Park.