The World Famous Wildlife Jewel Of Africa ... The Kruger National Park
Photo taken February 2005 close to low level bridge across Sabie River,
Skukuza Kruger National Park ... marabou storks about to settle down for
the night
Where nearly 2 million hectares of unrivalled diversity of life forms fuses with historical and archaeological sights this is real Africa.
The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of nearly 2 million hectares, SANParks - Kruger National Park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.
Drive all the Kruger Park Roads ... armed with GPS and camera I drove every road in the Kruger.
Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles the most well known of which is the black mamba, 507 birds check lists here and 147 mammals... see 2003 mammal census. Talking of reptiles In 1998 Danie Pienaar was bitten by a black mamba and lived to tell the tale. Kruger Park drives made in 2006http://www.thekruger.com
Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries - from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident in the Kruger National Park. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park's natural assets. Check list Kruger National Park mammals
Kruger National Park News and Stories ... click to read more about the Kruger National Park
Kruger national park accommodation and map
click link below to see fullscale map of camp locations
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/tourism/map.php to see another map of Kruger National Park
Major Camps Of The Kruger National park
Punda Maria ... Punda Maria lies in the northernmost part of the Kruger National Park, 8 km from the Punda Maria Gate. The camp is situated in the Sandveld region that is often described as the botanical garden of the Kruger National Park. There are numerous plant species which occur that are unique to the area. Game species most likely to be sighted include impala, zebra, buffalo, elephant, eland and sable. Plus the area is a bird paradise.
Shingwedzi ... Shingwedzi lies in the northern part of the Kruger National Park in the heart of mopane country. A scenic game drive along the Shingwedzi River in a southeasterly direction towards the Kanniedood Dam is one of the most rewarding drives in the Kruger National Park. Waterbuck, nyala, kudu and elephant are often seen here and the bird life is prolific. Staying overnight at Shingwedzi is an experience that will last a lifetime. A rustic camp that still carries the essence of the bush, untouched by modern technology, experience magical evenings where the accommodation is arranged in two separate circles and the glow emanating from braai (barbecue) stands cast a tranquil spell.
Mopani ... On the banks of the Pioneer Dam in the world renowned Kruger National Park, lies its best kept secret; a unique rest camp nestled amongst the koppies with Mopani trees and a huge gnarled old baobab tree in the heart of the camp. This is Mopani main rest camp.
Letaba ... A resident family of bushbuck roams this camp. The idyllic
Letaba main rest camp is situated on a sweeping bend of the Letaba
River, midway between the southern and northern boundaries of the
world-renowned Kruger National Park, South Africa. The name means river
of sand, and the sandy riverbed is an excellent location for game
viewing, particularly elephant, which thrive in the area. Letaba is a
green oasis in the surrounding mopane veld, and remains a firm favorite
with visitors. At night the stars overlook a symphony of sounds. Owls,
nightjars, frogs, fruit bats, crickets and cicadas all vie to be heard,
until the lion roars, then all are silent
Olifants ... Guests that visit Olifants will be exposed to an unforgettable window of Africa. The camp is situated a top a hill which towers several hundred feet over the Olifants river. Views from the lookout platforms allow one to see the river below, just as a soaring eagle would survey it, as it hunts from the skies.
Satara ... Just spent 2 nights there with a friend Nigel Caddock from the UK.
There was the most prolonged and intense thunder and lghtning experience I have ever seen and in South Africa we get many violent storms. Nigel spent some time on the verandah taking photo of the light effects ... awesome.
Satara is a busy camp, and not without reason. It is situated in an excellent game viewing area, with the bush relatively open and the animals plentiful and diverse. The camp itself has a rustic charm, with the bulk of the accommodation set out in a series of circles. The camp is well wooded and the bird-life is prolific. At night the clink of fruit bats is fused with the chirping of cicadas and crickets. The calls of owls and nightjars add to the symphony that is punctuated intermittently by the whoop of hyena, the screech of jackal and the pout of lion.
Lower Sabie ... Lower Sabie graces the banks of the Sabie River, one of the few perennial rivers to flow through the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Visitors cannot but feel soothed by the view towards the river and the Lebombo mountains beyond, across expansive green lawns, shaded from the relentless African sun by majestic sycamore fig, marula and Natal mahogany trees. Watching the endless procession of animals coming to drink at the Sabie River establishes a sense of one's own place in the eternal cycle.
In this rest camp, the bounty and plenitude of nature are very evident, eloquently symbolised by the most conspicuous of its numerous trees, the mighty sycamore fig, which provides generously for the livelihood of many birds and insects. Not only do these giants produce fruit at least twice a year, but different trees produce fruit at different times, extending the gifts of life over many months
Crocodile Bridge ... Crocodile Bridge is in great game viewing country and is an ideal venue to pursue the big 5. Both rhino species are regularly seen. Giraffe, zebra and several antelope species are usually seen within a few hundred meters of the camp gate. Lion, leopard and cheetah are all regularly recorded, while hyenas patrol the camp fence every night.
Pretoriuskop ... When the world was still young, some 3500 million years ago, molten rock forced its way through the earth's crust and solidified to form the spectacular granite outcrops where Pretoriuskop Rest Camp is now nestled. The impressive granite dome known as Shabeni hill is not far from the Pretoriuskop Rest Camp which is found in the southwestern corner of the world-renowned Kruger National Park. It is immediately apparent to any visitor that Pretoriuskop is unlike any other rest camp in the Kruger National Park.
Brilliant red trees adorn the park like surroundings, pre-dating the decision to make exclusive use of indigenous plants in laying out rest camp gardens. Nostalgia prompted an exception to the rule for Pretoriuskop, the Kruger National Park's oldest rest camp, and exotic flowering plants were allowed to stay, enhancing the strong sense of the past that is so pervasive.
Skukuza ... (the main camp and park headquarters ... medical centre also here).
All of the Big 5 can readily be seen in the vicinity of Skukuza. Wild Dog are another thing to look for. In the camp itself there is a population of warthog. Vervet Monkey also inhabit the camp and can wreck havoc if visitors leave unguarded possessions. At night genet, thick-tailed bush baby and fruit bat are resident in camp. The latter hang under the eaves of the shop. The river front of the camp is a great place to look for hippopotamus and buffalo, especially in early morning. See Kruger/Fauna/Mammals for full park mammal checklists.
Checklist Part 1 of the Birds of the Kruger National Park
Checklist Part 2 of the Birds of the Kruger National Park
Checklist part 3 of the Birds of the Kruger National Park
Checklist Part 4 of the Birds of the Kruger National Park
Checklist Part 1 of the Mammals of the Kruger National Park
Checklist Part 2 of the Mammals of the Kruger National Park
Checklist Part 3 of the Mammals of the Kruger National Park
Checklist Part 4 of the Mammals of the Kruger National Park
Checklist Part 5 of the Mammals of the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park News Stories
SANParks and Wetlands Preservation and Conservation In South
SANParks and Working for Wetlands In South Africa
Satara Camp means Giraffe in Shangaan language
