LANGUAGE

English

Local languages: Thonga, Chopi, Tswa, Ndau, Tonga, Ronga and Tsonga

CURRENCY

South African Rand

BEST TIME TO VISIT

May to September

NEAREST RAILWAY STATION

Hoedspruit Railway Station

NEAREST AIRPORT

Nelspruit Airport/Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

013-735 4325

INTERNET ACCESS

Free wi-fi is limited to a handful of the restaurants at the rest camps. Limited wi-fi is available only at Skukuza and there’s an internet cafe at Berg-en-Dal. At some other camps, you may be able to purchase air-time, but this remains very much the exception rather than the rule.

VISA

Visas are required by all except nationals of the following for stays of up to 90 days: United Kingdom, other EU, Australia, Canada, USA, Japan, African Union Laissez Passer (except of Morocco), Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Israel, Jamaica, New Zealand, Paraguay, Singapore, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Nationals of the following countries and territories do not require visas for stays of up to 30 days : Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Gabun, Guyana, Hong Kong (SAR), Hungary, Jordan, Korea (Republik), Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Poland, Peru, Seychelles, Slovakia, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkey, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Cyprus, as well as transit passengers provided they are continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft and not leaving the airport.

Confirm with the South African Consulate or Embassy in your home country that you do or do not need a Visa before leaving for South Africa.

HOTEL

Camps Inside the KNP

Several camps inside the KNP provide accommodation and shelter to visitors and are the only places inside the park where you may leave your car safely. The level of service depends on the camp size and can range from a tent site with a picnic area and bathroom facilities to a small town with swimming pool, library, restaurant, cafeteria, filling station, supermarket and golf course. Most accept payment by credit card. Travel from one site to another takes on average 2 hours, whereas distances in the south are shorter and northern camps can be a little bit further apart.

Main Camps

Berg en Dal

Letaba

Outside the KNP

Pestana Kruger Lodge

Protea Kruger Gate

Many people also prefer to sleep at nearby towns, such as Komatipoort, Nelspruit, Malelane, Sabie and Hazyview and Hoedspruit. All of these have a wealth of accommodation of every standard, are easily accessible for the Park for self-drive guests and tours in can be arranged via private tour operators.

Private Game Reserves and Lodges

Mainly located in the north east of the Mpumalanga Province and often share a border with the south-western part of the KNP. In recent years, most fences between the KNP and private game parks have been dismantled and animals can freely choose were to go.

COST OF LIVING

For many people, an African safari is the trip of a lifetime- in part because of the steep price tag. While a luxury lodge or a tented camp can cost upwards of $3,000 per person, per night, there are budget-friendly options out there, and they don’t require that you rough it. The biggest expense after accommodation is the Kruger National Park entrance fee of R304 ($24/£18) each per day for international visitors.