ZA · Limpopo and Mpumalanga · 24.00°S 31.50°E

kruger national park

Elephants at waterholes, lion country and safari roads you can drive yourself.

Best time
May–September is the dry season: thin bush and animals gathering at water make wildlife easier to see, and mornings are chilly. October gets hot; November–March is green and humid, good for birds and baby animals, with heavy storms.
How long
4–5 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Johannesburg, usually via Singapore, Dubai or Doha, about 14–18 hours all in. From there it's about an hour's flight to Skukuza, inside the park, or to Kruger Mpumalanga airport near the southern gates, or about 5 hours by road.
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ZA · Limpopo and Mpumalangakruger national park24.00°S 31.50°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Elephants at waterholes, lion country and safari roads you can drive yourself.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKruger National ParkZA, Limpopo and Mpumalanga
KLkruger national park
≈ 8,154 km from KL, as the crow flies
Two Chapman's zebra (formerly Burchell's zebra) in the southern Kruger National Park, South Africa

Photo: Nithin bolar k · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Kruger is a national park the size of a small country, where you can drive your own safari on good roads and sleep in fenced rest camps. Slow mornings by a river or waterhole usually beat trying to cover the most kilometres.

Makan

  1. BraaiA barbecue at your cottage, part of rest-camp life.Map ↗
  2. Pap and chakalakaStiff maize porridge with a spicy bean and vegetable relish.Map ↗
  3. BiltongAir-dried spiced meat, the classic road snack; halal-certified versions are sold in the cities.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Southern KrugerThe busiest part of the park around Skukuza and Lower Sabie, with the best odds of seeing the big five.Map ↗
  2. Waterholes and river roadsPark with the engine off and wait while elephants, buffalo and lions come to drink.Map ↗
  3. Guided drivesSunrise and night drives with rangers from the rest camps, the only way to be out after the gates close.Map ↗
  4. Rest campsFenced camps of cottages and campsites, many with decks looking over a river.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Plan short hops between camps. With a 50 km/h limit and constant stops, a short distance on the map takes hours.
  • Bring halal meat and groceries from Johannesburg or Mbombela (Nelspruit); park shops have little choice.
  • Floods in 2026 hit the far north of the park hardest. The south and centre are running normally, and the gates post the latest road closures.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.