The Kruger Park area encompasses part of two South African provinces, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. To the south is the tiny independent kingdom of Swaziland. It’s an area of mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests. This is Big Game country, the setting for dozens of sanctuaries teeming with wildlife and birds. Kruger National Park is world-renowned, as are several of the private reserves on its western boundary. There are also wildlife reserves in Swaziland, a country of spectacular mountain scenery.
The Lowveld
The Lowveld escarpment, to the west of Kruger Park, offers the dramatic scenery of the Blyde River Canyon, historic villages like Pilgrims Rest – and lots to do: hot-air ballooning, horse-riding, river-rafting, quad-biking and, of course, game-viewing in the Kruger Park. A two or three night stay at one of our hand-picked country hotels will make a relaxing start to your holiday.
Sabi Sand
The Sabi Sand Wildlife Reserve is an area of private reserves on the western border of Kruger Park. There is no fence between this reserve and the Kruger Park so the animals move freely across them. In the private area, you can go off-road, deep into the bush, if it is necessary for a good animal sighting. This is the place to see lion and leopard at close range, and follow these magnificent cats as they hunt in the evenings. You can also go on a bush walk – always accompanied by an armed ranger – and you can experience the luxury and hospitality of a four- or five-star game lodge.
Timbavati
Timbavati Game Reserve is located adjacent to the central area of Kruger, north of Sabi Sands, and is part of the Greater Kruger Park Conservancy, three million hectares of unfenced protected land, where wildlife wanders freely. Game is plentiful but the bush is thick here. Birding is excellent with approximately 400 recorded species.
Fly-in or self-drive
Many of our clients fly in and out of the Sabi Sand. You can fly direct from Johannesburg; or from Cape Town to Nelspruit airport, at the southern end of Kruger Park, where you connect with a light aircraft flight. Two, or preferably three, nights is a good length of time to stay at a private lodge.
This is also a super area for a self-drive holiday. You can tour the Blyde River Canyon area and drive to any of the private lodges (though you won’t use the car again until you leave); and Kruger Park is intended for the self-drive game viewer, with miles of road and very little traffic, fine landscapes and game spotting along the way. You can spend a satisfying couple of days driving through Kruger, staying at the park rest camps, or in one of the new private lodges