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Kruger National Park

Kruger is one of the world's greatest wildlife-watching destinations. All of Africa's iconic safari species – elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and zebra – share the bushveld with a supporting cast of 137 other mammals and over 500 varieties of bird.

Beautiful granite kopjes (hills) pepper the south, the Lebombo Mountains rise from the savannah in the east, and tropical forests cover the north of the 12,107 sq-mile (19,485 sq-km) park.

Yes, Kruger can sometimes become crowded. And yes, you may have to wait in line to see those lions. But that's because the vast network of roads makes Kruger one of Africa's most accessible parks (explore on your own or take one of the ample guided wildlife activities) and accommodation is both plentiful and great value.

If you think the crowds may overwhelm, consider the private reserves that surround the national park. Among these is Sabi Sand, one of Africa's finest.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Kruger National Park.

  • See

    Sabi Sand Game Reserve

    Within the borders of the large Sabi Sand Game Reserve are some of Southern Africa’s most luxurious safari lodges and the best wildlife watching on the continent. The area is routinely selected by safari connoisseurs as their destination of choice. As there’s no fencing between the various private lodges within the greater Sabi Sand area, all share the same wealth of birds and animals, but they're all far enough apart that no-one gets in each other's way.

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    Kapama Private Game Reserve

    With four luxury lodges and the Big Five in residence (as well as occasional passing wild dogs and great birding), 13,000-hectare Kapama gets all of the important things right. Unlike most other private reserves, which constitute a patchwork of privately owned landholdings, Kapama is unusual in that it's the preserve of just one family, who have added to the reserve over the years since its establishment in 1986. The family also runs the Centre for Endangered Species on the reserve's southern boundary.

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    Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

    Timbavati abuts Kruger National Park's western boundary and has an excellent mix of wildlife, conservation and good accommodation. Its accommodation settings are less sumptuous than those at Sabi Sand, so it tends to be more reasonably priced, without forgoing too many amenities. The reserve was once known for its population of white lions. Far more reliably, we saw the Big Five on a single game drive.

  • See

    Crooks Corner

    On the outskirts of a beautiful fever-tree forest, Crooks Corner marks not only the confluence of the Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers but also the historic meeting place of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and smugglers (it's all in the name). It's more for the scenery and geopolitical interest than for wildlife.

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    Elephant Hall Museum

    Even if you're not staying at Letaba Rest Camp, it's worth swinging by to check out this excellent museum. It has life-size skeletons and dozens of fascinating displays and information panels on everything from Kruger's big tuskers to the place of elephants in world and Kruger history.

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    Bobbejaankrans

    This overlooks a section of the Timbavati River that animals often visit to slake their thirst. It's especially good early morning or late afternoon.

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    Renosterpan

    This waterhole north of Berg-en-dal usually lives up to its name ( renoster is rhino in Afrikaans). Late afternoon is best.

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    Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

    A 600-sq-km (or 60,000 hectare) private wildlife reserve in the greater Kruger area, Klaserie has strong conservation credentials.

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    Transport Dam

    This large water hole is where the famous YouTube video 'Battle at Kruger' (lions versus buffaloes versus croc) was filmed.