Seniors Enjoy Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,633 square kilometers in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa. Senior folks go there planning on seeing the BIG FIVE wild animals and are not disappointed.

There are a host of Kruger Park Tours available and a wide range of costs. There are Budget, Five Star, Four Star and even a Three Star Safari, depending on how much you want to pay. The Kruger is the ideal Big Five safari destination, especially for a first safari.

Established in 1898 and now home to 140 different animal species, the Kruger attracts nearly a million visitors per year. The majority visit the south and central areas of the park, staying in a large number of National Park-run rest camps.

South African National Park Attracts Senior Visitors

Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. I wonder who counted all of them.

Officials make no bones about the fact that their main concern is wildlife; Homo sapiens are a necessary nuisance. Although an effort is made to service visitors’ needs, such as providing escorted game drives, the facilities and park infrastructure are undergoing a massive upgrade.

So when do you go? The summer months (October to April) are hot and often balmy. Winters are warm and mild, although senior visitors going on night-drives will require warm clothing. A major rule in Kruger is that all visitors must remain in their vehicles unless in a designated area.

No part of the body may protrude from a window or sunroof or any other part of the vehicle. An arm hanging out a window might result in a stub, therefore vehicle doors must be closed at all times.

 Historical Game Reserve

The park is full of history and was first proclaimed back in 1898 as the Sabie Game Reserve by the then president of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. Today it is said that Kruger Park is South Africa’s most exciting African safari destination, steeped in legend and history with amazingly vast landscapes and spectacular African wildlife.

Fodors notes that “There’s no getting away from it, and it’s worth repeating: visiting Kruger is likely to be one of the great experiences of your life.” Frommers adds that “Kruger also has a number of archaeological sites, the most interesting being the Thulamela Heritage Site, a 16th-century stone-walled village overlooking the Luvuvhu River in the north.

Historical sites relating to early European explorers and Kruger’s beginnings are also dotted throughout the park.” So if you have Africa on your mind, consider a safari to South Africa and Kruger National Park. jeb