As you already know the Kruger is gigantic, so you have to accept that you will never see it all in one visit. So, when planning your trip, you might wonder, which part of Kruger National Park is the best. Find out what section of the park might suit your trip.
If you don’t have too much time, I would recommend focusing on one area. The park can be roughly divided into southern, central, and northern sections.
Southern Kruger
If you don’t know which part of Kruger National Park is the best for first-time visitors, you might want to go to the south. The southern part is most popular for first-time visitors or people who don’t have time to visit the park. The game density is higher in this area because the landscape is quite diverse and your chances of spotting the big 5 are high. It’s also easily accessible because more than half of the entrance gates to the park are located in the south and the distances between rest camps, picnic sites, and viewpoints.
But due to that, this section can be quite crowded. When you spot an animal, the chances are high that you won’t see it for long, because many cars will gather around and might block the view. On the other hand, it can be quite convenient if you are not as experienced in game spotting yet, so you can just stop where other cars stop without the pressure to find some game by yourself.
Central Kruger
The central Kruger has open grassland that attracts herding animals like wildebeest, zebra, or buffalo. Therefore, you will find a lot of predators in this area as well, like lions, cheetahs, or leopards. This section is also referred to as “Cat Country”. Because many people visit the park, just to see the big cats, the central Kruger can be quite crowded from time to time. There is also a chance to see the famous big tuskers – enormous elephant bulls with huge tusks, nearly reaching the ground.
Northern Kruger
The northern section offers very few rest camps to stay at and there are not many tourists in general. This area is very off the beaten path, which makes it very pleasant to visit but the game density is lower as well. Your sightings can be very large herds of elephants and buffaloes though. And the chances are high that you will be the only car which will make it a very special and intimate sighting. This section is also famous for birding, especially during the rainy season.