Kruger National Park Vital Information

General Information

SANParks can be found in a variety of the country’s regional habitat and topographic biomes and Kruger National Park is characterised by combinations of savannah, thornveld and woodland eco-zones. Large African mammals are present. Kruger has 12 main rest camps, 5 bushveld camps, 2 bush lodges and 4 satellite camps.

Emergencies and Contact Information

• Kruger National Park Admin Offices: +27 (0)13 735 4000
• See each camp’s General page for Contact Information or Camp Telephone and Fax Numbers
• Clinix Phalaborwa Private Hospital:
  Tel: +27 (0)15 101 3000/3059
  Website: http://www.clinix.co.za/
  Address: 86 Grosvenor Crescent, Phalaborwa, 1390
  GPS Coordinates: 23° 52′ 28.64″ S; 29° 30′ 44.72″ E

Office Hours

See each camp for details.

Ecological Aspects

This enormous and magnificent park is one of the most popular public-entry game parks in the world. Its density of permanent game is unrivalled with hundreds of different species; 507 birds, 336 trees, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians!

Few visitors leave South Africa without visiting the Kruger National Park or one of the private reserves along its borders but it is also frequented by locals in their own vehicles, as you can drive yourself around and stay overnight in one of the many public restcamps. There are also a few exclusive private lodges that have been granted concessions within the Kruger National Park.

The far north of the park is the wildest and most difficult area to access and because of this, it has alluring qualities for the real adventurer.

With greater ecological co-operation across African borders, several countries bordering South Africa have agreed to take down some fences, and those between Kruger and Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park and Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou, have been demolished to create the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This unique political innovation is creating a colossal wilderness area.

Park Regulations

• To ensure a safe and joyful trip through our parks, kindly adhere to the Rules and Regulations as stipulated by South African National Parks.
• The use of drones inside (and over) our national parks is strictly prohibited.

Check-in/out times

On the day of arrival occupation can be expected by 14:00 but not guaranteed, on the day of departure accommodation must be vacated by 10:00.

Late Arrivals

Late arrivals are only allowed in cases of emergency (proof and valid reason required) until 21:00 for guests with pre-booked accommodation at certain camps within 10km distance from the relevant gate. An extra late arrival fee will be charged which is payable at the gate. No late arrivals are allowed at Pafuri, Phalaborwa or Phabeni Gates or any other gates for camps more than 10km away.

• The late arrival fee for Skukuza camp is R500, valid from 1 November 2013.

Hints & Tips

• New Rule on travelling through KNP to and from Mozambique
• All accommodation, ablution and kitchen facilities are serviced by cleaning staff on a daily basis.
• As outdoor lighting in camps is limited, a torch/headlamp is required when walking outside at night.
• Besides a bank (only open Monday to Friday and Saturday morning) at Skukuza and an ATM at Skukuza and Letaba, no cash withdrawal facilities are available in the Park.
• Day visitors will no longer be allowed to bring or consume alcohol in public areas such as parking lots, picnic sites, wildlife viewing areas or roads, gates and all other areas designated as public.
  • The restrictions will not apply to overnight visitors who will be allowed to bring in own alcohol for consumption in the privacy of their booked accommodation and the restaurants. Like day visitors, overnight visitors will be bound by the same rules of not drinking in public.
• Fuel stations within the Kruger National Park accept legitimate petrol/fuel/garage cards, any VISA/MasterCard cards or cash as a form of payment.
• Most rest-camps have retail facilities and restaurants. Tariff prices do not include meals.
• Vehicle fuel is available in the main rest camps in Kruger.
• Currently bedding is supplied in all accommodation.
• Cooking Utensils and Refrigeration are provided in most accommodation units. Exceptions will be indicated while booking.
• Adult is 12 years or above.
• Child (2-11 years), under 2 years – Gratis
• All rates can be discounted at the discretion of the park or rest camp management. (The travel trade will not be subject to these discounts but rather to the negotiated agreement. Pensioners attention is drawn to existing pensioner discounts.)
• Additional Person Supplements are applicable to those units where number of beds exceeds the base occupancy, if these beds are occupied:
• A maximum of only one caravan or mobile home or park home is allowed on each campsite.
• No animals may be brought into a National Park
• Consult our reservation staff or watch press for details for out of season discounts and promotions.
• Plan your trip – do not try and cover too great a distance. The Kruger National Park is a massive tract of land and frequently visitors try to cover too much ground. Slow travel and regular stopping produces much more action than covering a lot of ground.
• Early mornings and evening time are usually the most productive game viewing periods.
• Remember to bring a camera, binoculars, bird and wildlife reference books, a hat and sunscreen lotion. Also remember to take along medicines such as anti-histamine and lotion for insect stings and bites.
• Do not leave any food unattended, as thieving monkeys and baboons are a constant threat.

Seasons

Rainy Season:

The subtropical climate has hot rainy summers starting in October and ending around March. The summer rains transform the arid park into a lush flowering paradise, but the increased foliage does make animals harder to see.

Dry Season:

The winter months from April to September are extremely pleasant with warm dry days and cold nights. Traditionally, the best game viewing is in the winter as the vegetation becomes sparse and water is restricted to rivers and water holes.

Fire Information

Kruger National Park

Bushfires are very common in African Savannas, especially during the dry season between May and October. Fires in Kruger are managed using the patch mosaic fire philosophy whereby fires are ignited at selected localities and left to burn creating a natural patch mosaic of burnt and unburned patches. The extent of all fires in the Kruger National Park is mapped on a monthly basis using satellite imagery and information gathered by Rangers.

These patch fires, although randomly ignited, are closely monitored by the Section Rangers and only ignited under favourable conditions when the Fire Danger Indices (FDI’s) are low to moderate. Patch fires are selectively used to reduce the amount of fuel and to create patches of burnt and unburnt areas. This generally prevent the hot, high intensity uncontrolled fires from becoming unmanageable later in the season. Rangers will generally stop setting fires when the FDI’s become too high and conditions too dangerous. This usually happens during August and September when hot berg wind conditions can easily cause fires to runaway and turn into disaster fires. Once the rainy season starts lightning fires may occur and such fires are allowed to burn freely to allow lightning a chance to contribute as one of the natural sources of fire.

During a fire, the grass layer is often burnt completely. However, only the dead leaves are burnt, whilst the roots are still healthy. The early burns may sometimes resprout and this green flush during the dry season will benefit certain antelope species. Research also indicates that bush encroachment tree species, such as sicklebush, may be knocked back by these burns, giving improved game viewing pleasure as positive spin-off.

Animals can hear, feel and smell a fire when it is still very far away and most mammals normally have enough time to escape. Snakes and many kinds of insects, escape into holes in the ground, where they are safe, because the heat from the fire front seldom penetrates the soil below 5 cm depth.

To see the latest reports and to track the temporal changes of fire scars as the fire season progresses please visit our website. For those interested in more scientific detail about fires, please feel free to contact Navashni Govender at Scientific Services, Skukuza.