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As winter settles into the northern parts of South Africa, our striking
Highveld turns from summer's gorgeous greens to winter's browns, oranges
& yellows. The vegetation thins and this heralds the start of the Safari
season in Southern Africa. Due to the grass being thinner and water
being scarcer it becomes much easier to see the animals who gather at
watering holes and are more visible in general. South Africa's
northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga host some of the most
famous and wildlife rich reserves in the world where you can see the Big
Five animals of Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino & Buffalo, as well
as countless other noteworthy species. For many a Safari does not only
represent seeing the big five but it is also about experiencing the
breathtakingly beautiful landscape and interacting with the welcoming
local population.
Kruger National Park bordering Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces is a
must-see for international and local visitors. It welcomes over 1,3
million visitors to the park every year and the number is growing every
year. It hosts over 507 species of bird, 336 types of trees, 147 species
of mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish varieties and 34 types of amphibians.
This is not surprising as the park is 18 989 square kilometeres in size.
Kruger forms part of the Peace Parks Foundation's Great
Limpopo Transfrontier Park which currently incorporates parks in South
Africa and Mozambique. Eventually it is envisaged that the park will
include reserves in Zimbabwe which will create a colossal park for
wildlife viewing.
Visitors can access Kruger by road from Johannesburg which will take
approximately four hours; or they can fly into Kruger
Mpumalanga International Airport based in Nelspruit, and drive
approximately 90kms to reach the Southern part of the park.
The north and central parts of Kruger can be accessed via Phalaborwa
and Orphen Gates and from the South via Malelane, Crocodile Bridge,
Numbi, Paul Kruger and Phabeni Gates.
If you are looking for a place to stay in the Kruger area we
recommend
Protea Hotel Kruger Gate
which is located at the Paul Kruger Gate
entrance to the Park, or
Grand Kruger Lodge which is located near the Malelane Gate. For a
luxurious stay we recommend
Jock Safari Lodge which is a five star privately owned reserve in
the South of the reserve; or the five star
Lion Sands Private Game Reserve also in the South of the park. For a
camp on one of Kruger's famous rivers we recommend
Tinga Private Game Lodge - a five star lodge in the centre of the
park on the Sabie River.
May is the start of the Safari Season in South Africa so head north
east to the Kruger National Park and see how many animals, birds and
trees you can find.
Remember that as winter arrives there are many special offers
available for the Johannesburg region so check them out
here.
Plan
your May by using either the shortcut Tabs, the Directory or the
Search Bar
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