Self-Drive Safaris in the Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is the premier self-drive safari destination in South Africa, with an unbeatable variety of wildlife and habitats to explore, an excellent infrastructure of roads and accommodation, and a feeling of huge, wide-open spaces.

Self-drive in Kruger is a wonderful experience - the thrill of driving along a road by yourself and coming across a pride of lions basking under a nearby tree, or waiting at a peaceful waterhole and having a sighting all to yourself is hard to beat.

The Kruger National Park covers very nearly 20,000 km² (8,000 square miles) of undisturbed savanna, woodland, riverine forest and craggy mountain ranges, and has an exceptionally rich mix of wildlife, including some 490 species of bird, 147 mammal species, 94 different reptile species, 33 types of amphibians and a magnificent array of at least 200 different kinds of trees.

Because of the sheer size of the Park, it is only to be expected that the vegetation changes as you travel from north to south, which has implications on the game viewing opportunities too.

Driving in the Park: There is an excellent infrastructure of roads, some of which are tarred, others gravel. Good, clear signposts and maps help to make the driving experience easy and enjoyable.

The speed limit is 50 km/h (30 mph) on the tarred roads, and 40 km/h (25 mph) on the gravel roads - and there are speed traps in operation! Drivers MUST remain on the roads at all times, and are NOT allowed to drive off-road or get out of their vehicles, except at designated viewing points.

There are also several excellent picnic sites, all with toilet and cafeteria facilities, where you can also sit outside at tables and enjoy the sun for a while.

As a general guide, don't expect to travel more than 25 km in an hour, which allows you to stop and enjoy the wildlife on the way. Always make sure you have plenty of water and refreshments in the car with you.

It is an offence to drive in the Park at night, and the gates of all the camps close when it gets dark. It is important that you therefore ensure that you arrive at your destination before the gates shut, as arriving late can result in a heavy fine being imposed.
Staying in the Park in a National Park Rest Camp: Most visitors to the Park stay in one of the many Main Rest Camps, situated throughout the Park. The rest camps offer simple, clean, air-conditioned rondavals (cabins) with limited self catering and a braai / barbecue. There is a restaurant at each camp as well as a store selling basic provisions - however if you are looking at cooking for yourself we would suggest bringing food in from outside the Park where the choice is wider and the prices lower.

Staying at a couple of different camps also gives you the opportunity to see more of this magnificent Park.

Staying in the Park is extremely popular, however, with locals and overseas visitors alike, and booking in advance is essential as the camps do get booked up, especially over the key holiday periods.

You can also arrange to take a guided sunset or night drive (at an additional cost) from some camps, which will give you an excellent chance of seeing hyena, genet and many other nocturnal animals not normally active during the day. Guided walks can also be booked.
The Southern Region of the Park: The Southern Region is the lower fifth of the Kruger Park, from the Sabie River down to the Crocodile River right in the south.

The road from Skukuza Main Camp to Lower Sabie Main Camp runs parallel for most of the way with the Sabie River. The panoramic scenery is complemented by a surprising amount of excellent game viewing, making this route one of the top 5 game drives in the Park.

Further south, the vegetation becomes fairly dense, and is dominated by knobthorn and bushwillow trees. Because of the density of the bush here, it is not a particularly game-rich area, although it is home to more rhino than anywhere else in the Kruger Park.

There are plenty of impala and kudu, and lions are also a common sighting - and nothing is more wonderful than rounding a corner to see a lion walking down the road towards you!

As you get to the very far south, the lights from the distant towns and factories become visible, which unfortunately does remind you that an outside world does exist.
The Central Region of the Park: The Central Region, stretching from the Sabie River north towards the Olifants River, includes some of the best scenery within the Park, and is widely acclaimed to be the most game-rich area.

The vegetation is mainly wide grassy plains, interspersed with river valleys and woodland areas. Herds of giraffe, zebra and wildebeest wander over the plains, and because of their numbers, it is only natural to expect to find their main predator, the lion, not far away, normally resting under trees during the heat of the day.

Elephants, rhinos, buffalo and antelope prefer the denser woodland areas, which offer shade and food.

On the main road to Satara, stop off and look at the amazingly large baobab tree - a short drive off the tarmac road down a gravel loop, but well worth the diversion.
The Northern Region of the Park: The Northern Region extends from the Olifants River to the Tropic of Capricorn, and is mostly dominated by mopane trees. This is a firm favourite with elephants, so elephant sightings are common in this region of the Kruger Park, as well as buffalo and zebra.

One of the scenic highlights is the view from the open terrace at Olifants Main Camp. You find yourself looking down into the Olifants River valley below, with stunning panoramic views across the bush.

A good game drive is between Olifants and Letaba Main Camps, as you can take one road there and another road back, so you are not doubling back on yourself.

Look out for hippos, crocodiles and waterbuck at the water's edge while driving along the Letaba River road, as the road runs parallel to the Letaba River.
The Far Northern Region of the Park: The Far Northern region, which extends from the Tropic of Capricorn right up to the Limpopo River, is probably the least visited area of the Kruger Park.

The vegetation is predominantely mopane trees, and this area is best for viewing nyala, elephant, buffalo, cheetah and leopard.
Park Gates Opening and Closing Times: For self-drive visitors to the Park, there are 8 main gates which are open from sunrise to sunset throughout the year.

The Park is open daily during daylight hours, but the main gates open and close at different times depending on the time of year.

January - Open 5 am; Close 6.30 pm

February - Open 5.30 am; Close 6.30 pm

March - Open 5.30 am; Close 6 pm

April - Open 6 am; Close 5.30 pm

May to August - Open 6.30 am; Close 5.30 pm

September - Open 6 am; Close 6 pm

October - Open 5.30 am; Close 6 pm

November and December - Open 4.30 am; Close 6.30 pm

The busiest gate is the Paul Kruger Gate, about 40 km from Hazyview, and this road leads straight the Park headquarters at Skukuza (about 12 km from the gate) from where there are roads leading to all parts of the Park.

If you are staying in Hazyview, rather than at one of the rest camps in the Park, the Phabeni Gate is less than 15 km from the centre of town, and this allows visitors based here to spend longer in the Park without having to drive all the way to the Paul Kruger Gate.
Self-Drive Entrance Fees: Self-drive visitors to Kruger have to pay an entrance or conservation fee per person per day.

Once you have paid your fee, you will be issued with an entry permit. Keep this with you at all times, as it will be required to exit the Park and you will also need to produce it if you are staying overnight in the Park at one of the rest camps.

Don't be alarmed if the guard on the gate, having checked your paperwork, asks to look in the boot of your car - it is just to ensure that you are not 'smuggling' anyone or anything into or out of the Park!