Southern Kruger National Park is the most visited part of the game reserve. Most people enter the park in this region, simply because, for many, it’s the closest part of the park from wherever they’re travelling from.
It’s also possible to see all of the big 5 animals (you could see them all in other areas too, but it seems more common to see them all in south Kruger Park) and plenty of others when you’re in this area, such as the very rare and endangered wild dog.
You can enter the southern part of the park through the following gates:
- Paul Kruger Gate
- Phabeni Gate
- Numbi Gate
- Malelane Gate (this is the closest gate to Johannesburg)
- Crocodile Bridge Gate
Southern Kruger is typically defined by its geography. If you look at a Kruger National Park map, you’ll see that the southernmost section is wider than the rest of the park. Going north, the park gets narrower. Once you reach this slimmer section, you’ll have left southern Kruger behind and be moving into the central part of the park.
Southern Kruger Park Accommodation
If you’re looking for accommodation in the region, there are no hotels inside southern Kruger (or what you would typically know a hotel to be).
There are however, rest camps which cater for a variety of budgets and styles, such as rondavels (which are round thatched huts), but all are self-catering.
Main rest camps have cafes and/or restaurants, so if you’re not prepared to make your own meals, you can eat there. You won’t go hungry!
Southern rest camps are:
The most upmarket accommodation, hidden in the savannah, is luxury private lodges in southern Kruger Park. All these 5 star lodges are run independently of Kruger National Park, but still in accordance with its conservation ideals:
- Camp Shawu
- Camp Shonga
- Jock Safari Lodge
- Little Jock
- Lukimbi Safari Lodge
- Plains Camp
- Rhino Post Safari Lodge
- Shishangeni Private Lodge
- Tinga Legends Lodge
- Tinga Narina Lodge
Some people want to know which of the Kruger National Park regions is the best! North, south or central Kruger?
It comes down to a matter of opinion and what you want to see and do in the park.
The landscape changes throughout the park which affects the type of ecosystem. Different ecosystems support a different array of flora and animals. What you see on your safari will vary accordingly.
If you’re in the south of the park a three or four day safari is a good amount of time to have a comprehensive visit in this region.