15 things to do in northern Kruger National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Kruger is the flagship of the South African national parks, one of Africa’s best places to see a diversity of wildlife, including the much sought-after Big Five. It also boasts more than 200 cultural heritage sites, and there’s a treasure house of things to do. Here’s my pick of 15 things to do in northern Kruger National Park.

1. Spend a night at one of Kruger’s sleepover hides, equipped with mattresses, bed linen and basic cutlery and crockery. Choose between Shipandani near Mopani camp and the Sable Dam Hide at Phalaborwa Gate. Great for seeing hippo and crocs, water birds and maybe even a leopard. Book ahead with SANParks Central Reservations, tel +27 (0)12 428-9111.

2. Go on a sunset/night drive (offered by many camps) and take a peek into the life of fascinating creatures like the porcupine, honey badger, black rhino or leopard. 

3. See how many of the following you can spot during your visit: the Big Five (buffalo, rhino, elephant, leopard, lion); the Little Five (buffalo weaver, rhino beetle, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant-lion); the birding Big Six (martial eagle, Pel’s fishing owl, lappet-faced vulture, ground hornbill, kori bustard, saddle-billed stork). 

4. Spend a night or two at one of the bushveld camps like Sirheni, Shimuwini or Talamati. You won’t find shops or restaurants, but you will find a tranquil experience in these smaller, less touristy camps. These three have excellent views out over a waterhole or river. In the space of four days once at Talamati we saw the Big Five plus sable antelope from the comfort of the camp.

5. Visit the Thulamela archaeological ruins near Pafuri in the far north of the park. This late Iron Age site dates back hundreds of years and forms part of what is called the Zimbabwe culture, which includes Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe. Gold, copper and bronze artefacts, jewellery and beads dating back to 1300 AD have been discovered here. You can only do this trip with a guide and it takes about five hours. Book at Punda Maria’s reception office.

6. Take a pretty drive through a fever tree forest to Crooks Corner in the north-eastern corner of the park, where South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe meet. A hundred years ago this was a No Man’s Land, a haven for ivory poachers, gun runners and other outlaws who chose a free life where they made their own rules and thumbed their noses at the law. 

7. Drive the scenic route along the Shingwedzi River southeast towards the Kanniedood Dam and the Nyawutsi hide – one of the most rewarding drives in the park. You should find lots of birds, elephant, waterbuck, nyala, kudu, hippo and crocs.

8. Do the four-day Olifants River Backpack Trail if you’re not afraid to carry your own pack for about 40km. The trail starts from Olifants camp. Your reward will be wonderful views of the Olifants River and sightings of large predators, buffalo, elephant, hippo and crocodile. You’re bound to hear the call of the African fish eagle and may even spot a rare Pel’s fishing owl. Book ahead with SANParks Central Reservations, tel +27 (0)12 428-9111.
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9. Hire a skottel at one of Kruger’s many excellent picnic spots and cook up a brunch of bacon or wors and eggs. Share your space with lots of birds and perhaps some small bushbuck. There are often monkeys too, so keep an eye on your grub. For a small fee, the camp attendant will even wash up those greasy dishes. Bring your own dishwashing liquid and dish towels. 

10. Hire a mountain bike and pedal into the bush in the company of two armed field guides from Olifants camp, who will make things come alive by telling you about the bush you travel through and the wildlife you spot. Choose a half- or full-day option according to how energetic you are. Book your spot with Sanparks Central Reservations, tel +27 (0)12 428-9111, or with Olifants reception, tel +27 (0)13 735-6606/7.

​11. If you’re in the Letaba area, don’t miss a visit to the Matambeni hide for excellent views up and down the river, lots of crocs and hippo and a flurry of interesting birds from fish eagles and herons to sunbirds and bee-eaters, even a red-winged pratincole if you’re lucky. Another good hide is the Sweni hide south of the N’wantesi picnic spot.

12. Wait near the bat-roosting boxes at Letaba camp at dusk. Listen to them chittering excitedly for a while and then watch as wave after wave takes to the skies in a flurry. You’ll be amazed at how many of them fit into those narrow boxes. 

13. Visit the Elephant Hall at Letaba camp and discover all you ever wanted to know about these giants, their social structure, ecology and physiology. There’s an impressive collection of tusks from Kruger’s ‘magnificent seven’, whose stories are also told. 

14. If you want a piece of conservation paradise to yourself and the animals, do the Mananga 4x4 Trail, which starts and finishes just north of the Big-Five kingdom of Satara in the central section of the park. Don’t think of it as a technical challenge or even a game-viewing drive in the bush; it’s an opportunity to get away from the formal tourist roads and the crowds (a maximum of six vehicles are allowed on the trail at any given time), and to enjoy the wilderness. Viewed in that light, it’s a fabulous chance to do something different in Kruger. If it has been raining you won’t be allowed on the trail. Book at Satara reception.

15. Get down and dirty on the five-day Lebombo Eco Trail, a 4x4 experience that follows the eastern boundary of Kruger for 500km from Crocodile Bridge in the south to Pafuri in the north. From April to October, a professional guide in his own vehicle will lead your expedition and tell you about the ecology, fauna and flora. Maximum of five vehicles. Book through SANParks Central Reservations, tel (012) 428-9111.

This is an excerpt from the ebook A Walk in the Park: travels in and around South Africa’s national parks, which is available worldwide from Amazon.

In the Foreword, author and TV presenter Denis Beckett wrote: 'This is a delicious book. It evokes things we love about the country around us. It conjures up places that soothe the soul. Its huge fault is that ... well, people are going to read it. And then where will all our best-kept secrets be?'
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Sawubona magazine said: ‘Part nature guide, part travelogue, it can be read like a story book because Reid writes in a chatty and accessible way. Her candour and self-deprecating humour is disarming. A well-priced, helpful, fun guide for adventurous spirits.’