Table of contents for go! Kruger Guide 2025 in go!

I visited the Kruger three times while researching this guide. I finally walked in the fever tree forest in Makuleke, between the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers in the far north of the park – something that has been on my wish list forever. At the same time, I saw dozens of amazing new birds. I also revisited many of my old Kruger favourites, like the Nkumbe viewpoint where you have a raptor’s-eye view of the park; and Letaba, where I went looking for an African barred owlet with my kids while we waited for the braai fire to burn down to coals. The aim of this guide is to help you have a fantastic holiday in the Kruger Park. This issue is more map-based than previous guides – we’ve included…

DOWNLOAD AN APP These apps will enrich your experience of the park – a good way to keep the kids (and adults) busy in the car. • Kruger Birding by Firefinch (pictured) firefinchapp.com • Latest Sightings latestsightings.com • KrugerExplorer krugerexplorer.com • KrugerGuide kruger.guide Join the group “Kruger National Park - The Best Of Kruger” on Facebook, where visitors upload their photos. TAKE NOTE All rates are per unit/stand and we list only the lowest tariff– usually for two people. Most rates are half-price for children under 12. The more people, the higher the rate. Rates are valid until 31 October 2025. The new rates for 2025/2026 are available at sanparks.org ENTRANCE FEES. Day visitors and overnight visitors have to pay a daily conservation fee: R128 per adult; R61 per child…

1 Sandveld. This sandy soil, known for its floral diversity and dramatic sandstone ridges, is found only in the north of the park. 2 Woodland savannah on shale. Bushwillow woodland with thorn thickets. Look for Sharpe’s grysbok, nyala and leopard. 3 Bush savannah. Depending on the soil type, mopanes occur in both stunted and tree form. Elephant and buffalo are common. 4 Open shrub savannah. Mopane-dominated landscape with shrub-sized trees. Game is generally scarce but congregates at water. 5 Mopane woodland on granite. This area has low game density because of the unpalatable sourveld grass. 6 Woodland mixed with sweet grazing. These pockets of knobthorn and marula woodland attract a variety of grazers. 7 Lebombo Mountains. Diverse habitat including hills, woodlands and pockets of riverine vegetation. 8 Olifants rugged veld.…

On Christmas Day last year, Cathy Dreyer wasn’t at home eating gammon and pulling crackers. She and her team were rescuing orphaned rhinos. On New Year’s Day, they transported another one to safety. In December 2024, 21 rhinos were poached in the Kruger Park. Another 17 were killed in January 2025. “It’s hard to keep people motivated,” she says. We’re in her modest office in the MAJOC building (Mission Area Joint Operations Centre) next to Skukuza Airport. “Everyone is criticising us – asking why poaching hasn’t stopped, why we’re not doing enough. The rangers are exhausted. When someone goes on leave, there’s no one to fill the gap. The team just gets smaller.” December marked a brutal reversal for the park. After years of reducing poaching, the numbers surged again.…

An information board on the banks of the Luvuvhu River commemorates the burial site of Hosi Khamba (1777–1832), ruler of the Makuleke area. According to this board, Khamba was a part of the greater Vanwanati clan, which controlled the area between the Soutpansberg and the Limpopo River in the 18th century. He moved north in 1820, to the area between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers, to establish his own clan. But first he had to conquer the Vanyayi people, who already lived there… He attacked and defeated the Vanyayi in the night like a hyena, which earned him the name Hosi Phele. (“Hosi”means chief, and“Phele”means hyena in Venda.) Back then, several trade routes between the coast and the interior cut through this region. Traders acquired goods like animal skins and…

“Mom, we each have our own charger and aircon!” was the first thing my daughter, Emilie, said when we got into the Ford Everest Sport – a vehicle loaned to us for a tour of the Kruger Park. Climbing into the Sport doesn’t feel like climbing into a car. The interior is black, grey and silver; streamlined and slick. It’s spacious, the seats are comfortable and the aircon is cold as soon as you turn it on – a necessity in the Kruger, where summer days can reach 40°C. No, it feels more like you’re climbing into a five-star cabin on a cruise ship. Switch on the engine with the push of a button and next thing you’re sailing along the park’s tar and dirt roads as smoothly as an…

 Orpen is great if you want to see the Big Five but you also want to avoid the crowds of the south. You’ll have to get up a bit earlier, or drive around a little longer, but when you do find something interesting, you’ll probably only have to share the sighting with two or three other vehicles. In terms of geology, Orpen is blessed with a diverse landscape. The H-7 tar road cuts through riverine forest, plains of sweet grazing and mixed woodland interspersed with granite koppies. The sweet grazing attracts all kinds of plains game, klipspringers hang out on the koppies, and kudu and giraffe like to feast on the leaves of the abundant red bush willow trees. In the woodland valleys, you’ll also find sweet grazing. And where…

The Kruger is mostly flat and there are only a handful of hilltop viewpoints where you can grasp the massive scale of the 20 000 km2 park: Nkumbe near Lower Sabie, Mathekenyane Hill south of Skukuza and the Tshanga viewpoint in the north. That’s what makes Olifants so special – the rest camp is high on a koppie next to a bend in the Olifants River. There are views galore in and around camp, and great routes to drive. Or spend all day on your stoep with your binos watching the action in the riverbed below. HIKE ALONG THE RIVER Besides guided morning hikes, Olifants also offers shorter guided walks along the banks of the Olifants River. You don’t have to get up at dawn because the walk only starts…

Shingwedzi is the perfect camp if you want to hide from the crowds, look for birds in peace, and see big cats in winter. Since the camp is right next to the Shingwedzi River, you can expect an abundance of animals in the vicinity. Even the short 2,5 km tar road between the camp and the Shingwedzi Bridge offers sightings of baboon, zebra, southern ground hornbill, marabou stork and big cats. The trees on the riverbanks are impressive: tall mopane, jackal-berry, cluster fig, leadwood and nyala. You don’t even have to leave camp – the restaurant and day visitors’ area also have views of the Shingwedzi River. IN OTHER WORDS ON LIONS: In winter, when water is scarce, you’ll find plenty of animals at the waterholes – we see predators hunting…

The codes for the various accommodation options can be confusing (e.g. BD4V bungalow). There aren’t enough pages in this guide to explain all the codes in full, but here are two useful ones to know: V indicates that a unit has a view, or it’s at the edge of the camp; Z means it’s wheelchair-friendly. The number following the letter indicates how many people the unit can sleep. If you’re a family of four and there are only BD3 bungalows available, book one – you can pay for an extra mattress at the reception office of most rest camps. (The system works on a first-come, first-served basis so bring your own sleeping bag and mattress just in case. It’s also not available at all the rest camps, so make sure…

OUCH! Annemarie du Plessis Early one morning at theTshokwane picnic site, tourists told us about a porcupine carcass in a russet bushwillow tree about 4km to the south.We drove there immediately and found a leopard with the porcupine – or what was left of it.The leopard jumped out of the tree and walked down the road.That’s when I noticed the porcupine quills in its cheek – a small sacrifice for a delicious snack. GEAR: Canon EOS 6D, Canon 70–200mm lens SETTINGS: Shutter speed 1/1600 second, aperture f4.5, ISO 1000 @annemarie_du_plessis NOM NOM NOM Annemarie du Plessis We were driving along the S126 near Satara when we came across a herd of buffalo. While grazing, this one started making its way towards the road up a slight slope, which would give…

Born in Mtititi-Altein, a village near the Shingwedzi River, just a kilometre from the Kruger fence, Tinyiko Golele’s connection to the landscape runs deep. “Our life was always in the bush,” she says. “We walked 4km to school through the veld, gathered firewood and collected clay for my grandmother, who was a potter. We knew all the fruiting trees. Sometimes cattle were killed by predators and the whole village would go and see.” During holiday season, she saw park employees being transported home in trucks. “We’d help them carry their bags,” she says. “That’s when I told myself: One day, I’ll work for that organisation.” Tinyiko began her odyssey in 2002. Today, 23 years later, she stands tall as the first black woman in the park’s history to be appointed…

The name Berg-en-Dal is very apt. This mountainous landscape in the south-western parts of the park is full of granite koppies that influence the vegetation found here. Russet bushwillow, silver cluster-leaf, red bushwillow, and marula trees dot the veld, with bigger trees like leadwoods along the rivers. Have you ever seen an elephant climb a mountain? Well, here you can! Berg-en-Dal, completed in 1984, is one of the“newer”rest camps and looks different to the rest. It’s as 1980s as shoulder pads, tracksuits and legwarmers, and everything is face brick.The units are generally more private than the rows of rondavels in some of the other camps. The kids can spend all afternoon in the big swimming pool.There’s also a shallower pool for the little ones. During school holidays, they can watch…

Skukuza is the busy heart of the Kruger Park. There are two hotels, several restaurants, conference facilities, an airport and a golf course. Does it bother the animals? Not at all. African green-pigeons whistle in the fig trees and baboons drink from the swimming pool at sunset. The rest camp is in an excellent game-viewing area. In winter, you often see lion, leopard, wild dog, hyena – and smiling tourists – on the roads around camp. PLAY GOLF WITH THE BIG FIVE Skukuza has a nine-hole golf course near the camp. It’snot fenced, so you might share the greens with a crocodile… The course and facilities have undergone a serious revamp. There’s a Pro Shop on site, and Henry’s Restaurant and Bar, which serves pub food and cold beer. The…

 You don’t come to Pretoriuskop to see the Big Five in one afternoon. Grazers don’t like the sourveld around the rest camp, and the vegetation is dense with big trees and tall grass. But Pretoriuskop is the oldest camp in the park. It has a vibe. The first day visitors were allowed here in 1927, and three overnight huts were built in 1928. The rest camp was named after a nearby hill, which was in turn named after Willem Pretorius, a member of Carel Trichardt’s expedition in 1848 to find a trade route from the Eastern Transvaal to Delagoa Bay. Pretorius died of malaria during the journey and the Portuguese trader João Albasini buried him under a marula tree near the rest camp. Transport riders used the route to move…

TIP If there’s one rest camp where you should consider a guided game drive, it’s Satara. The guides know their stuff and where to find the lions. It’s also interesting to learn about the different prides. Sunrise and sunset drive: R424 per adult; R212 per child. Satara doesn’t have a low season – it’s always bustling thanks to the high concentration of big cats in the area. The reception and restaurant area is always abuzz, but the rest of the spacious rest camp – the second biggest in the park – is quieter. Why are there so many lions here? It’s simple. Satara is located in an eco zone called “savannah grassland on basalt”. The sweet grazing attracts lots of plains game – it’s not unusual to find herds of wildebeest,…

Huge umbrella thorns spread their canopies over this rest camp and there’s a beautiful path along the fence next to the river, where you can look for animals on foot. There’s plenty of bird- and animal life on the camp side of the fence, too. Bushbuck graze while woodland kingfishers call to their mates. At night, scan the trees for owls, bushbabies and scorpions. If all that isn’t enough to entertain your kids, they can participate in holiday activities like arts and crafts, night drives and outdoor films while the adults enjoy a well-earned G&T. VISIT THE ELEPHANT HALL This brilliant museum is a highlight of any visit to Letaba. Kids (and adults) will love the replica tusks and elephant heart on display (it can weigh up to 6 kg!),…

“I was first through the Phalaborwa gate when the Kruger reopened after the Covid-19 lockdown,”says Rian. “And when the rest camps reopened, I immediately pitched my tent at Tsendze!” Rian tries to visit the park as much as he can, in between his work commitments. “I’ve always loved the bush and I’ve even done a field guide course,”he says. “Our family camps at Shingwedzi for three weeks during the December holidays. Shingwedzi is the only camp where it doesn’t matter whether you see animals or not. It’s so beautiful, with the big trees along the riverbanks. “From Shingwedzi, you can plan your game-viewing routes so that you always have the sun at your back – a must for photographers. I drive east to west in the mornings and west to…

The roads and waterholes here are much quieter than those in the south. If you come across a traffic jam, it’s most likely caused by a rare bird – not a lion or leopard. Lifers include Arnot’s chat, black-throated wattle-eye, racket-tailed roller, Pel’s fishing-owl, Böhm’s spinetail and three-banded courser. The area around Punda Maria and Pafuri is the northernmost range of many South African bird species, and the southernmost range of species common in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. This makes it one of the best birding spots in Africa! The north of the Kruger has plenty of that deep-in-the-bushveld atmosphere. When you drive along a quiet dirt road, you’ll feel at peace because you know these rivers have flowed for eons and these trees have seen everything. And they’ll still…

Karien Desmet wanted to be a ranger for as long as she can remember. “It was an impossible dream that came true,” she says. “My dad Gert was a conservationist for what was then the Transvaal Provincial Administration. He transformed many old farms into reserves, including the Witvinger and Manombe nature reserves. I grew up in places like Giyani and Potgietersrus – now Mokopane – but my dad was always away somewhere on a reserve. We’d go camp there during the school holidays. We drove around in the veld with him. I shot my first impala in one of the reserves when I was in Grade 7.” Karien studied nature conservation at Pretoria Technikon. After two years of full-time classes, she did a practical year at Skukuza in the Kruger…

The bookings open 11 months in advance. Work out your ideal itinerary and set a reminder on your phone for the year before, to the day. Make sure you’re ready to call at 7.30am. Karin calls from her own phone as well as her husband’s, and their work phone. The agent will inform you which accommodation options are available on which days. You might have to make alternative plans, so have those Plan Bs and Cs ready, too. At the same time, Karin e-mails her dream itinerary to a booking agent at krugerlowveld.com. The agency attempts to get all the accommodation requested. In the end, Karin has two sets of bookings, which she loads into an Excel spreadsheet to show her family. The family then decides on the best itinerary…

Crocodile Bridge is busy. It’s close to an entrance gate so there’s lots of traffic, also from the lodges outside the park. There are plenty of vehicles, but also plenty of animals. The camp is on a basalt plain with lowerlying, sodium-rich areas that retain water. What does this mean? Vast plains with short, sweet grass and mud holes after the rainy season. This combination attracts elephants, warthogs, wildebeest, zebra and impala. Browsers like giraffe and kudu enjoy the acacia trees. You don’t have to drive far to see action. Lions, leopards and cheetahs compete for their meals along the S28, S130, H4-2 and S25. With hyenas hot on their heels. BRAAI IN THE BUSH A braai in the rest camp is bliss, but a braai deep in the bush…

E veryone loves Lower Sabie, including the multitude of herbivores that graze the surrounding savannah. The herbivores attract predators, especially big cats, and the cats draw tourists from around the world. The Sabie River is also a big drawcard for man and animal alike. Lions come to quench their thirst, elephants bathe, hippos nurk, and the people sit on the restaurant deck to watch it all. “I’ve seen a lion bring down a buffalo from the deck,” says camp manager Bongile Louw. “There were so many people gathered on the deck I thought it might collapse!” Sunset Dam is only 400m from the camp gate. Sit for a while and watch red-billed buffalo-weavers chasing off a gabar goshawk, or a crocodile cracking the shell of a terrapin. Lower Sabie is…

The dominant mopane woodland in this part of the park might obscure your views a little, but there are several open grasslands in-between where you can see big herds of plains game. Mopani is one of the newer rest camps in the park – it was completed in 1991. It has more of a lodge feel; introverts will love the private units surrounded by vegetation. The rest camp is on a koppie and some of the units have views of Pioneer Dam. From the restaurant deck, you can watch fisheagles, every kind of egret, hippos, crocs and elephants coming down to drink. Mopani residents A western barn owl lives under the roof at the entrance to the reception office, and a European nightjar lives near the restaurant. When you walk…