The Southern Region of Kruger is an area that occupies roughly 25% of the Parks surface area and covers about 650,000 hectares which is bordered in the south by the Crocodile River and boundaries the central region with the Sabie River. This is an area that receives the highest rainfall an as a result has some of the greatest biodiversity on the Park. With year round perennial rivers, 5 main dams and several artificial water points, it also has the highest concentration on mammal species in the Park. This means game viewing is good but with 5 of the Parks 8 entrance gates its also very busy. The Southern Region is made up of 8 different Eco-Zones which are identified by the different soil conditions and dominant flora found in the area. Understanding these conditions we are able to establish routes and itineraries to maximize on game sightings but to also share these contrasting backdrops with our clients.

These Eco-Zones include:

  • Mixed Bushwillow Woodland on Granite
  • Pretoriuskop Sourveld on Granite
  • Malelane Mountain veld on Granite
  • Sabie / Crocodile River Thickets on Granite
  • Thornveld on Gabbro
  • Knob-thorn / Marula Savanna on Bassalt
  • Delagoa Thorn on Ecca Shale
  • Lebombo Mountain Bushveld on Rhyolite

The Southern Region offers good sightings of all the Big 5 species including Wilddog, Cheetah and some of the very rare antelope species such as Sable Antelope, Lichtenstein Hartebeest and Common Reedbuck. Of the 520 estimated Birds of Kruger, the summer months from November to March offer us roughly 300 species to twitch and is an extremely productive birding area.

Highlights of the Southern Region include:

  • 4 Main Camps ( Skukuza, Crocodile Bridge, Lower Sabie, Pretoriuskop and Berg-en-Dal) with 2 Bushveld Camps (Biyamiti and Malalane)
  • 2 hotels with the Skukuza Lodge Hotel and the new Shalati Train Hotel soon to be launched in early 2021.
  • 3 Walking Trails (Naphi, Bushman and Wolhuter)
  • 3 well placed Picnic sites being Nkhulu, Afsaal and Mlondozi.
  • Over 25 important historical sites to enrich the routes.
  • Easy access with 5 gates and a wide variety of accommodation both inside and outside the park.
  • Skukuza airport inside the Park and KMIA which is roughly 35km from Numbi Gate on the South West corner.
  • Access to the Panorama route with incredible views of the escarpment.

The Southern Region is well suited for both single day or multi-day safari tours. With some much accommodation to choose from guests can stay outside the Park with typical hotel accommodation services or can also opt for the self-catering cottages in the Parks Camps.

A down side to the Southern Region is the traffic! With such great access, so many hotels and of course all the game viewing, the Southern Region gets congested and one needs to keep in mind that there may be several vehicles surrounding a game sighting and this requires patience and etiquette.

 

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