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The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s premier wildlife destination and is one of the biggest attractions in this diverse country. Those wanting a luxury safari experience away from the crowds tend to favour the private concessions and here we give our guide to these.
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Established in 1898 and named after its founding father – Paul Kruger was South Africa’s president at the time – the Kruger officially opened to the masses in 1926. Covering an area the size of Wales, today it conserves in excess of 21,000 square kilometres.
The main choice to make when it comes to a safari in Kruger is whether to aim for the Kruger National Park or opt for one of the private game reserves which have developed over the past century. It really comes down to the experience that you are after. The Kruger is home to an impressive array of species – over 500 bird species and nearly 150 mammals alone – but some areas are much busier than others, and it is worth taking this in mind when you decide where to base yourself.
The main Kruger National Park is popular with self-drivers; it provides an affordable and accessible safari experience, but the price you pay is that it can be very busy. It is worth bearing in mind too that anyone has access to the main national park, meaning that there aren’t controls over vehicles at sightings and no off-road driving outside of private concessions is allowed. On the whole we would recommend the main park for those wishing to self-drive and/or those on a tighter budget – there is a comfortable range of government rest camps within the main park.
Private concessions either within the national park (such as Singita Lebombo, Lion Sands Tinga and Rhino Post) or the private game reserves (including Sabi Sands, Timbavati, Thornybush, Kapama and Makalali, amongst others) offer a superior experience, as you will be expertly guided by qualified rangers who will share their intimate knowledge of the bush with you. There are much stricter controls on visitor numbers and vehicles at animal sightings – not only does this give you a more private safari experience, but it is also more ecologically sound. Off-road driving is allowed in the private reserves but this will be at the discretion of the ranger to avoid excessive impact on the bush.