Safari to Kruger Park South

even the private areas are compromised

Kruger Park South is located in the Kruger National Park area of South Africa.

This southern sector of Kruger has some of the most diverse landscapes and the highest wildlife densities in the region.

Public access areas

Kruger Park South soaks up the vast majority of the considerable vehicle traffic into the reserve, which represents a major negative.

To put it into perspective, Kruger gets almost one million visitors each year, roughly ten times that of second placed Serengeti. So don’t expect this to be some kind of untouched wilderness.

Most of this traffic takes the form of self-drive sedan cars, minibuses and coaches, cruising from one enormous rest-camp to the next along sealed main roads. It may not be a high quality experience, but it can be fun to do and it’s cheap.

Kruger South Concessions

The Kruger Park South area also contains a number of private concessions, large tracts of land, each of which has been partitioned off and allocated to a safari company for its exclusive use.

The best concession is probably that which contains the earthy and rather cool Rhino Post Lodge and Rhino Plains Camp, where walking safari is something of a speciality.

Other concessions are home to properties including Jock Safari Lodge, Lukimbi Safari Lodge, Narina Lodge and Tinga Lodge.

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.

a shortage of genuinely attractive lodge options