South Africa

Safari to Kruger Park Central

Set in South Africa, Kruger Park Central is the sector of this vast reserve which has medium wildlife densities and experiences medium visitor traffic. As well as the usual lower cost restcamps in core areas, it also contains a handful of higher quality lodges on large private concession areas.

Home World Africa South Africa Kruger Kruger Park Central

Kruger Park Central

is a sector of the main park

with some private areas

a good range of landscapes and wildlife

Kruger Park Central is a sector of the Kruger National Park area of South Africa.

The general rule here in Kruger is that the further north you go, the lower the density of both wildlife and visitors.

This central section therefore represents something of a compromise, with reasonably reliable wildlife viewing and the possibility to escape the crowds in certain areas.

Public access areas

The vast majority of people visiting Kruger Park Central do so by self-driving the main roads and staying in the simple low cost restcamps.

We occasionally include a one night stop in the area when building longer self-drive trips, notably when heading to the more remote northern part of the reserve. In this case we usually aim for Olifants Restcamp, with Letaba Restcamp as a backup.

Singita Lebombo Concession

This substantial private concession within the national park lies far off to the east, at the foot of the Lebombo Mountains that delineate the border with Mozambique

The area contains two two ultra-exclusive lodges, Singita Sweni Lodge and Singita Lebombo Lodge, which are amongst the most upmarket in South Africa.

They are far removed from the main traffic within the reserve and are almost always accessed by air, usually in combination with sister lodges in the similarly exclusive Sabi Sand Reserve area further to the west.

The Imbali Concession

Over on the west side of Kruger Park Central, this extensive private concession contains three mid-range properties, Hamiltons Tented Camp, Hoyo Hoyo Lodge and Imbali Safari Lodge.

This area is not so far removed from the main areas of the park, with all three lodges operating vehicle safari both on their concession and out on the surrounding public roads. So the experience is not as clean as it might be.

However the prices are much lower than the Singita lodges and the camps are much easier to build into self-drive trips.

The general rule in Kruger is that the further north you go the lower the densities of both wildlife and visitors.

This central section is a compromise, with reasonably reliable wildlife and the possibility to escape the crowds in certain areas.

The two top lodges, Singita Sweni and Singita Lebombo, occupy a substantial private area to the west.

These two lodges are accessed by light aircraft from their sister properties in the Sabi Sand Central area.

Three mid-range lodges, Hamiltons, Hoyo Hoyo and Imbali, are in another private area to the west.

These three lodges are usually accessed either by self-drive or road transfer from the main airport at Hoedspruit.

The remaining properties are all parks authority restcamps which are accessed by self-drive.

However the self-drive experience in Kruger is definitely not for everyone.

The main potential downsides are the lack of a sense of wilderness in the self-drive areas and adverse weather during the Oct-Mar hot rainy season.

Gallery

Map

The Kruger Park Central area tends to feature in two very different types of trip.
In high end flying safaris, the upmarket private concession camps of this area can be reached by air and are often combined with lodges in the premium reserves to the west, including Sabi Sand and Timbavati.
In lower cost self-drive safaris, we sometimes use the restcamps of the public access areas of the national park to break a journey between two higher quality spots.

Seasonality

The best time to visit Kruger is generally considered to be the May-Oct dry season, but (surprisingly) the reserve remains popular year round.

Safari in the Kruger area is much more seasonal than most people would lead you to believe. Trip planning is complicated by the fact that the seasons here are almost diametrically opposite to those down in Cape Town (with which the area is most commonly combined in trips).

Dry winter : Jun/Sep

This period is characterised by a cool dry winter which is generally considered to be the best time for wildlife viewing, although day length is relatively short and nights can get very cold. Unfortunately it does coincide with a more conventional cool wet winter in Cape Town.

Hot transition : Oct/Nov

This is the start of the hot wet summer. Wildlife viewing is usually very strong, but temperatures and humidities can become uncomfortably high in advance of the first rains, which usually arrive mid November to cool things down. This coincides with a usually pleasant spring season in Cape Town. October therefore represents an interesting compromise month.

Wet summer : Dec/Mar

This period is characterised by a hot wet summer, which is generally considered to be the most challenging time for wildlife viewing, although sightings should remain reliable in the premium areas. Day length is nice and long, but temperatures and humidities can become uncomfortably high and rain can be a major issue. However these potentially adverse conditions happen to coincide with a hot dry summer in Cape Town.

Cool transition : Apr/May

This is a period of transition between the hot wet summer and the cool dry winter, with wildlife viewing continuing to improve as the foliage dies back. Day length, temperatures and humidities are all in the middle of their ranges. The period coincides with autumn/fall in Cape Town, making this perhaps the strongest time of year for the combination.