Northern Kruger National Park has its share of everything the game reserve has to offer further south – except for the number of tourists.
Fewer travellers make it the distance up there because most people enter the park in the southern region. The top of the park is 350km (218 miles) as the crow flies from the southern boundary!
When you’re limited to a speed of 50km per hour, and inevitably you travel much slower than this while you’re wildlife spotting, north Kruger Park seems a long way off!
Bird Watching
The northern region is well-known for its variety of bird life. If you’re a keen bird watcher, you ought to come across a good array there!
There’s also a selection of bird hides in the area where you can sit, poised to catch a glimpse of an elusive bird, or to while away some time at, including:
| Bird hide | Location |
| Bateleur* | Bateleur Rest Camp |
| Kanniedood | South-east of Shingwedzi Rest Camp |
| Nyawutsi | Near Grootvlei Dam, halfway between Mopani and Shingwedzi rest camps |
| Sirheni* | Sirheni Rest Camp |
*Camp residents only
Entrance Gates
If you’re planning to enter the park in the north, the gates by which you can do so are Pafuri and Punda Maria. You can also get in through Pafuri Border Gate which is one of the passageways between Kruger National Park and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
Giriyondo Gate, although more in the central region, is similar to Pafuri Border Gate, in that it leads to and from Limpopo National Park.
Phalaborwa Gate is in the central region too, but still has reasonable access to the lower parts of the northern region.
Rest Camps
To stay in northern Kruger, there are a couple of options open to you; the main rest camps of Punda Maria and Shingwedzi. These camps have full facilities, such as:
- General stores
- Petrol stations
- Restaurants
The other two rest camps in the region are bushveld camps, Bateleur and Sirheni, and you’ll need to be prepared to fully self-cater at them by bringing in your own food and cooking it.
Private Lodges
There are two other choices when it comes to accommodation in the north and that is one of the luxury private concessions.
Pafuri Camp is one such concession and is roughly halfway between Pafuri Gate and Pafuri Border Gate.
The other concession is The Outpost, close to Pafuri Gate in the very north-west corner of Kruger National Park.
If you book accommodation at a concession, they may also be able to arrange a fly-in safari for you. Ask them when you enquire about a reservation.
Archaeology
If you’re after a bit of history, there is a 500 year old archaeological site in the northern section called Thulamela. The site was once home to a walled palace!