Sanctuary of large mammals, biosphere of tiny wonders, Noah's ark under the rainbow, open-air feast for predators released behind 170,000 antelopes, the "Kruger" remains a South African privilege. Less than 20% foreigners out of its million annual visitors, a territory of wildness intelligently preserved by a quasi-military organization, 20,000 km² – more than twice the size of Corsica – to be crisscrossed patiently at 25 km/h, from bungalows to beds well done, the old-fashioned atmosphere around the evening barbecues, when the kudu fillets are grilled, we are at home with the people here. Rather easy survival for a safari: know how to drive, light a fire. Everything else can be paid contactless at the store.
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Discover the Kruger National Park
Bordering Mozambique, served by three airports, offering around twenty night camps, restaurants and shops, the Kruger National Park is proudly heading towards its centenary in 2026. You can freely travel through a motorable network, half tarmac, half track, 3500 km long, giving access to only 1.5% of its landscapes. Essential: have a map of the reserve and, a bit like a naval battle, be able to orient yourself by following the road nomenclature H1, H2…, S1, S2. GPS in a straight line is of no benefit to crossing the 2000 lions, the 10,000 giraffes, the 15,000 elephants. Access via Malelane Gate, exit via Crocodile Bridge.
OUR ROAD TRIP TO DISCOVER THE SOUTH OF KRUGER PARK IN 4 DAYS/3 NIGHTS
The unexpected Kruger Park: 4 “Big5” days on the wild trail. Illustration Le Figaro
Stage 1: Berg-en-Dal to Skukuza (1 day).
Step 2: Skukuza (2 days).
Step 3: Towards Crocodile Bridge (1 day).
Our road trip begins early in the morning at the
Berg-en-Dal camp
. We will have reserved the night before on site and the following ones via the site sanparks.org, tasted the emblematic
bobotie
and
melktert
at the restaurant and slept well. Without forgetting a full tank of gasoline from the French tanker who has exclusive rights to the park, a charged phone and bottles of water.
Stage 1: Berg-en-Dal to Skukuza
1 DAY – THE PIONEERS AXIS / 110 KM – 5 H.
Cross the track of the Selati railway. Mint Images/Getty Images
First coffee and drive at 6:15 a.m., heading due north. From the banks of the Crocodile to those of the Sabie, an immersion in the bush along the tracks of the first explorers of the end of the 19th century. Your co-pilot holds the map in hand:
S110, S114, S25, S119, S118, H3 north, S113, S23 south, S114 north, S112, S22, S114 north, H1-1
.
Watch for thirsty mornings at the observation point near
Matjulu
(674 m), and think of the young ranger who was eaten by a leopard before the eyes of his hosts in 1998.
Observe birds, perhaps rhinoceroses, from the Gardenia lookout, a clay basin and go up the
Mlambane river
lined with majestic trees to the
Ampie watering hole
.
Take a break at the
Afsaal site
2 hours after departure: time for a breakfast of
boerwors
sausage in the cafeteria, keeping an eye out for the thieving monkeys. Surrounding area, open savannah full of game thanks to nutritious plants on gabbro outcrops.
Follow the
course of the Biyamiti
along the wild track which winds between granite blocks and termite mounds. Take out the binoculars to see the animals in the thickets. Moments of raw beauty.
Cross the trail of the Selati railway which, at the beginning of the 20th century, took over from the ox carts. Towards
Renosterkoppies
, salute the memory of the French gold prospector Auguste Robert and the trafficker Eugène Oppenheim, born in Pigalle. Adventurer-brigands, these shameless pioneers founded the legend of the bush, before the arrival of the “father” of the reserve, James Stevenson-Hamilton, known as “Skukuza”, who rests there, on the
dome of Shirimantanga
.
Sacrifice to the ritual of a beautiful
local-style
braai
in front of the bungalow. At sunset, we crack the foamy cans while stoking the red-veined wood fire. Soon the time to brown these Karoo lamb chops with bitter herbs, and to lift the ripe fruit of a pinotage (the endemic grape variety) towards the Southern Cross, total magic.
Step 2: Skukuza
DAY 1 – THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE / 116 KM – 4H45.
Admire the diversity of eco zones over the first 43 km, on the banks of the Sand, the Sabie then on the Salitjie. Mint Images/Getty Images
In the morning, enjoy the very diverse offerings of
Skukuza
, the “capital” of Kruger. Swimming pool, spa, 9-hole golf course, cinema, charming museum, bistros on the quay of the Selati, former station of the Franco-Belgian railway. Provision of various
biltongs
, beef, ostrich, springbok for the trail later. Leave the camp around 12:30 p.m. for this renowned loop:
H1-2, H12, S30, S29, H10 north, H1-2
.
Admire the diversity of eco zones over the first 43 km, on the banks of the
Sand
, the
Sabie
then on the
Salitjie
, a beautiful track which heads towards the lion's land, from granite to basalt.
Observe the
Lebombo mountains
on the right horizon, all in the dizziness of this savannah from the beginnings of the world with its high animal density. Emotional stop at the
Nkumbe panoramic point
.
Leave time on the way back for the
Leepan-Olifantdrinkgat-Mantimahle sites
, a botanical feast carried by Gondwana marine rocks, well spotted by the animals.
Refresh yourself at the restaurant by dining on a fillet of wildebeest sauced with Cedarberg shiraz followed by the addictive
Malva Pudding
, which was already appreciated at the end of the 18th century by François Levaillant, the great French ornithologist from the Cape.
DAY 2 – EDEN DE LA SABIE / 46 KM – 3 H.
Observe the Kruger “label” when bottling. Mint Images/Getty Images
At the pizzeria, we order a warthog-avocado and a kudu-bolognese for brunch in the
Nkuhlu area
and we grab a local souvenir from the shop, for example a Honey Badger knife, Tzaneen nougat with macadamia nuts and dried mangoes from Limpopo. On the way to the Champs-Élysées of Kruger on a victory evening, the very busy
H4-1
. All the animals in the park seem to have the address.
Leave around 10 a.m. and make a stop under the mahogany foliage of the Mahogany at the
popular Nkuhlu picnic
, face to face with the river. A little human warmth on the wild track.
Observe the Kruger “label” when bottling. You don't overtake, you don't stick your head out the window to take a selfie with a nervous lioness, you don't tease the elephant because he knows how to lift your car.
Set up at the
historic Lower Sabie camp
(1930), if you have booked months in advance, and take a guided walk with Kruger rangers mid-afternoon. Goodbye gin and tonic on the panoramic terrace, grilled steaks, Marula liqueur on ice.
Step 3: Towards Crocodile Bridge
1 DAY – SAVANA DE LAPORTE / 35 KM – 1H30.
We break camp depending on the continuation of the journey, by road to Johannesburg. Mint Images/Getty Images
We break camp depending on the continuation of the trip, by
road to Johannesburg
or by plane. The adventurous will have done an ultra-morning
bush walk
with the rangers' office. Towards the south and the Mozambique border post, we descend the
H4-2
created more than a century ago by the bushman Cecil de Laporte in the heart of the reserved domain of the munchers, leopards and other felines.
Think of those who, in 1725 like the Dutchman François de Cuiper, in 1846 like the Portuguese Joao Albasini, in 1880 like the British Percy FitzPatrick flanked by his Staffordshire Bull Terrier “Jock”, dared to survey the area on foot in search of quick riches . Rude is the memory, but plaques remain around
Gomondwane
, devoured by time.
Print, before returning to the world of Men, this geography of origins where fig trees and acacias, keeping the grassy plains at bay, hem the
deadly waters of the Crocodile
, stuffed with hippos.
Read the fileSafari: travel guide, information and advice from Le Figaro