Flying South Barometer - Kruger Park
Big 5 9
General Game 9
Smaller things 7
Beauty 10
Family Friendly 3
Birding experience 8
Exclusivity 9
Romantic 9
One of the oldest parks in South Africa established in 1898 and also the biggest park in the country at almost 2 million acres. The experience must rank as one of the best game viewing experiences on offer and is sure to please the most discerning of traveller. The Park itself has affordable self catering options for the self drive traveller, but one of the privately owned lodges is a better way to travel for the first time traveller. These lodges all offer guided safari's in open 4x4 vehicles and are mostly situated in private concession areas within the park. This allows more exclusivity and certainly enhances the experience - well worth the extra money.
The Sabi Sands Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park, has had the fences removed between themselves and the Park. The Sabi Sands reserve offers some of the best predator viewing and chances of seeing leopard and lion are very good.
The Southern section of the actual park is normally busier than the north, but the northern sector offers some of the best birding in the park. The park is home to more than 500 species of birds and if you enjoy birding, a visit up north should form part of your planning. Big Fever Tree forests are also found here and the normally shy Nyala is plentiful.
The central section of the Park stretches through a seemingly endless Mopani forest. The park is also home to a variety of more than 330 different tree species. South of this Mopani forest, big open plains are found and the concentration of lion in this area makes for very good lion sightings. This unfortunately is also one of the busiest sections of the park and one should rater stay in one the private lodges and enjoy the luxury of going on a guided safari in a private section of the park.
With more than 140 mammals, The Kruger National Park will remain one of our favourite destinations in Africa. Perhaps because we have so many fond childhood memories, but to many, this is the true bush. I get withdrawal symptoms if we do not visit at least once a year - be careful, it might also crawl into your blood!