Prime Game Viewing Region

I define the Southern Kruger Park as the area ranging from the Crocodile River in the far South to Skukuza, the largest camp and administrative headquarters of the Kruger Park. It's an area that can be covered in a days driving, albeit a long days driving. Not that I'm suggesting you spend the day in your car. It is far more rewarding to break it down into smaller day outings spread over 3 or 4 days.

This is our favorite region of the Kruger Park because it is so rich in both animal and plant life. That's not so say that one shouldn't visit the other areas of the Kruger Park. They too have their special attractions, but if it is your first visit to the Kruger Park and you want to increase your chances of seeing a variety of animals, and especially the Big-5, this is the region of the Kruger Park to concentrate on.

The Southern Region of the Kruger Park includes the following ecozones:

• Low Rolling Hills - The large Sabie and Crocodile Rivers run West to East through the Southern Region, supported by numerous drainage lines that look like dry riverbeds, even in the rainy summer season. All this water supports fairly dense woody vegetation, which is ideal for browsers like the elegant and elusive Kudu, and of course the big predators follow.
• South-Western Mountains - This beautiful area has the highest rainfall in the Kruger Park, which supports many unique plant species. It is also a good area in which to find White Rhino.
• Southern Plains - These open grasslands are dominated by scattered Knob-thorn Acacia and Marula trees. Because of its vast flatness, there are no slopes for water to run downhill to create rivers. Therefore the rain pools into numerous pans, attracting large herds of Zebra and Wildebeest, often found together, with their main predators (lion and cheetah) not far behind.
• Eastern Mountains - The rugged Lebombo Mountains that form the Eastern border of the Kruger Park offer scenic views across the plains below. Klipspringer, able to survive the relatively dry conditions, are frequently seen perched on the rocky ridges.

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