Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world. The park was established in 1926 and covers an area of nearly 2 million hectares. It lies 400 km northeast of Johannesburg and can be driven from within eight main entrances.

The park consists of several different ecosystems and landscapes. Due to the fact that each animal species are attracted to a particular ecosystem, each animal species also live in specific parts of the park. So, the rhinos and buffaloes live mainly in the southwest of the forested park, while zebras, giraffes and various antelope species, in particular, cease to grasslands in the southeast of the park. 

The park has more than 7,000 elephants, 2,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 1,500 white rhinos and 16,000 buffaloes. You have a greater chance to find these animals in the winter, because the vegetation is less dense and the animals come together on (scarce) waterholes. In the summer the 'bush' comes more alive, it looks greener, there are young animals around and there are many birds flying in the sky.

There is an extensive road network situated through the park, both paved and unpaved. The unpaved roads are also not good to drive a 4x4 vehicle.
Self-drives in the Kruger Park requires discipline: max. 50 km/h on asphalt, 40 km/h on unpaved roads (gravel). Get out only in designated areas. In the dark, driving is absolutely forbidden. You drive within the Kruger Park through one of the gates, where you pay entrance fees per person per day. Do not be surprised:  for these "gates" are open from 6 am to 5:30 pm. Before or after hours, you will not be able to get in or out. Also, do not underestimate the distances within the Kruger Park:  count on a 20 to 25 km average that you can travel calmly per hour.