South Africa is proudly the home of the world's most famous game reserve called The Kruger National Park. This is a massive park that covers almost 20 000 square kilometres. The four surrounding regions are Limpopo, Mozambique, Mpumalanga and Zimbabwe. All of these regions are stunning in their own right, and four new reasons to take four more vacations.
The reserve is also part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, which UNESCO recognized and registered in October 2001. It the largest of South Africa's six biosphere regions and ranks third largest on the planet. It consists of land that is a combination of forest, grassland and Savannah.
Conservation groups around the world consider the reserve a leader in creating, developing, and implementing environmental management policies and techniques. It is home to a diverse population of bird, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. More than 300 different tree species grow on its land. The archaeological sites at Thulamela and Masorini as well as the bushman rock paintings scattered throughout the park are evident of man's early and prolonged presence in this environment over a span of many centuries.
Africa's Big Five all live in the Kruger. The Big 5 being of course the African lion, the African leopard, the African rhino the African elephant and the Cape buffalo. Game hunters are responsible for the ranking, depending on the degree of difficulty and danger when hunting them. The most popular tours sold are the Big Five tours, where rangers take the tourists out into the wilderness in open Jeeps in the hopes of catching a glimpse of one of these majestic beasts.
While there are a lot of camps and lodges in the park offering safe, guided tours with armed rangers, it would be a very bad idea to go walking through the bush on foot, alone, even during the day.
The reserve's infrastructure is in excellent condition with good quality roads that can easily accommodate regular passenger vehicles as well as 4X4s. Small side roads are more suitable for a 4x4 vehicle. These offshoots allow closer inspection of the landscape and its inhabitants.
Even though these are only dirt tracks and roads, there are strict speed limits. Animals will walk right in front of your car without warning, so speeding can be dangerous for you and the wildlife. Besides, the sound of a roaring engine is not conducive to spotting any animals.
The reserve has thirteen camps. Visitors can find everything from rustic tent accommodations to luxury facilities with swimming pools, laundry facilities, and cafeterias. The largest camp is Skukuza, which is a 20-minute journey from the Kurger Gate and serves as the KNP headquarters. Among the many amenities are a gas pump, a post office, a grocery store, a library and the world's hottest 9-hole golf course. Its location alongside the Sabie River makes it a prime location for animals to find water.
The restored village of Masorini dates back to the Iron Age. The BaPhalaborwa, a society of forgers and smelters, occupied this region during the 1800s. The reconstructed furnace and huts are as authentic as possible and the site features the remains of an original furnace. Masorini is easily accessible and is approximately 12 km away from the Phalaborwa gate, on the way to Letaba rest camp.
The royal citadel of Thulamela is in the northern region of the reserve and is just a few kilometres west of Pafuri. It is one of the most historical sites in the country and remained undiscovered until 1993. Archaeologists believe that excavating bombs found a couple who might have ruled in the 1500's. Because the bodies were decorated with gold, the archaeologists believed they were royalty.
The climate is hot and humid and the polar opposite to the EU countries. Between April and September it is the rainy season and is described as sub-tropical because of its location just south of the border. Visitors from Europe and America find the end of summer to be the best time to spot animals because of the low bush and grasses, and it's also a great time to sit and watch the animals as they all gather around the watering holes. But generally, the weather is very hot and dry in this area.
The reserve is also part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, which UNESCO recognized and registered in October 2001. It the largest of South Africa's six biosphere regions and ranks third largest on the planet. It consists of land that is a combination of forest, grassland and Savannah.
Conservation groups around the world consider the reserve a leader in creating, developing, and implementing environmental management policies and techniques. It is home to a diverse population of bird, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. More than 300 different tree species grow on its land. The archaeological sites at Thulamela and Masorini as well as the bushman rock paintings scattered throughout the park are evident of man's early and prolonged presence in this environment over a span of many centuries.
Africa's Big Five all live in the Kruger. The Big 5 being of course the African lion, the African leopard, the African rhino the African elephant and the Cape buffalo. Game hunters are responsible for the ranking, depending on the degree of difficulty and danger when hunting them. The most popular tours sold are the Big Five tours, where rangers take the tourists out into the wilderness in open Jeeps in the hopes of catching a glimpse of one of these majestic beasts.
While there are a lot of camps and lodges in the park offering safe, guided tours with armed rangers, it would be a very bad idea to go walking through the bush on foot, alone, even during the day.
The reserve's infrastructure is in excellent condition with good quality roads that can easily accommodate regular passenger vehicles as well as 4X4s. Small side roads are more suitable for a 4x4 vehicle. These offshoots allow closer inspection of the landscape and its inhabitants.
Even though these are only dirt tracks and roads, there are strict speed limits. Animals will walk right in front of your car without warning, so speeding can be dangerous for you and the wildlife. Besides, the sound of a roaring engine is not conducive to spotting any animals.
The reserve has thirteen camps. Visitors can find everything from rustic tent accommodations to luxury facilities with swimming pools, laundry facilities, and cafeterias. The largest camp is Skukuza, which is a 20-minute journey from the Kurger Gate and serves as the KNP headquarters. Among the many amenities are a gas pump, a post office, a grocery store, a library and the world's hottest 9-hole golf course. Its location alongside the Sabie River makes it a prime location for animals to find water.
The restored village of Masorini dates back to the Iron Age. The BaPhalaborwa, a society of forgers and smelters, occupied this region during the 1800s. The reconstructed furnace and huts are as authentic as possible and the site features the remains of an original furnace. Masorini is easily accessible and is approximately 12 km away from the Phalaborwa gate, on the way to Letaba rest camp.
The royal citadel of Thulamela is in the northern region of the reserve and is just a few kilometres west of Pafuri. It is one of the most historical sites in the country and remained undiscovered until 1993. Archaeologists believe that excavating bombs found a couple who might have ruled in the 1500's. Because the bodies were decorated with gold, the archaeologists believed they were royalty.
The climate is hot and humid and the polar opposite to the EU countries. Between April and September it is the rainy season and is described as sub-tropical because of its location just south of the border. Visitors from Europe and America find the end of summer to be the best time to spot animals because of the low bush and grasses, and it's also a great time to sit and watch the animals as they all gather around the watering holes. But generally, the weather is very hot and dry in this area.
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So now that you've discovered more than enough to ignite your attention, why then not consider taking a vacation and travel to this great national park? E-mail us on our webpage www.capetours.co.uk for more advice and even vacation suggestions for an experience off a lifetime!
