Pafuri Walking Trails

a focus on serious walking safari

Pafuri Walking Trails is located in the Northern Sector of Kruger National Park in the northeast of South Africa.

The property is owned and operated by Return Africa, a small company which started out by working in partnership with the local Makuleke people in the northern part of Kruger.

The trail is based out of a simple seasonal camp, set in a forested grove and centred on a small mess tent and campfire area.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Pafuri Walking Trails is in just three small tents, each with a modest indoor bathroom with a chemical toilet.

Activities

Pafuri Walking Trails is actually made up of a series of day hikes out of the same fixed base.

The landscapes in this area are extremely diverse, comprising dense yellow barked fever tree woodlands, thick hardwood forests along the rivers, open floodplains and pans where the wildlife tends to congregate, groves of ancient baobab trees, steep-sided ravines and precipitous granite mountains.

A particular highlight is the famous Crook’s Corner, the confluence of the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers.

You might spend one day hiking high mountains, reaching spectacular viewpoints about the Lanner Gorge and searching out various ancient palaeontological sites.

On another day you may wander the plains and forests along the Limpopo River, searching out wildlife and, on occasion, making deliberate approaches onto potentially dangerous animals like lions and elephants.

There is easily enough variety for three nights, you could easily spend a great deal longer. By the fourth and fifth days you are really starting to get out on some lesser used trails.

This camp does not officially offer vehicle safari. If you want to also explore the area in that way, then you should split your visit with some nights in the related Baobab Bush House or Pafuri Tented Camp.

However if all the guests fancy heading out in a vehicle at some point, we expect that the guides could have their arms twisted, presuming there is a vehicle available on the day.

The Kruger North area experiences massively lower visitor numbers than other parts of the national park, making it blissfully quiet as well as scenically varied. We try to include it in trips as often as possible, it is such a natural extension to safari in the south, adding up to a more varied and rewarding overall experience.
The usual stay duration is 3-4 nights.

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.

a fabulous private concession area