Wildlife, activities and tours in Kruger National Park

Although Kruger appears impressively wild, many aspects of the ecosystem are carefully monitored and controlled by the park authorities. Windpumps, for example, have been built at waterholes in dry areas so that game congregates in large numbers, and a number of species have been reintroduced.

White rhinos were first reintroduced in 1961; the programme has been so successful that there are now over 2000 in the park. Black rhino were reintroduced in 1971, 40 years after they had last been seen here. Other animals which have been re-established include tsessebe and roan.

Kruger is, of course, home to the Big Five: lion, elephant, buffalo, black rhino and leopard. The highest concentrations and variety of game are around Lower Sabie, Satara and Skukuza. The best times for game viewing are after dawn and just before dusk, as animals tend to rest during the heat of the day.

A guided tour with a game ranger can increase your chance of game spotting and provides a deeper understanding of the wilderness. Most camps offer guided day and night drives. Both are very popular and should be booked in advance at camp reception as soon as you arrive.

Night drives are an added attraction as private vehicles are not allowed outside the camps after sundown. These usually depart around 1700. Make sure you have warm clothing as temperatures drop in the evenings. The drives finish in time for guests to have an evening meal at the camp restaurant. Some camps also offer a late drive after dinner, departing at 2030 and lasting for up to three hours.

A number of camps offer two- or three-hour walks in the morning or afternoon accompanied by an armed game ranger. Groups are kept small - up to eight people - and the rangers are trained in field guiding. These provide an excellent way of getting close to smaller animals and are a thrilling way of exploring the bush.

The seven wilderness trails offer three-day guided walking safaris. Seeing the park on foot is the most exciting way to experience the wilderness, and places on hiking trails are booked up months in advance. A maximum of eight people go on each trail and they are accompanied by an armed ranger. Hikers spend every night at the same rustic bush camp and go out on day walks. Food, water bottles, sleeping bags, rucksacks and cutlery are all provided.

This is run from April to October and is different to the wilderness trails in that hikers cover the 42 km over four days and three nights but camp in a different place each night, and the guide picks out a suitable spot. As such, hikers have to carry packs with tents and sleeping gear, and all their own cooking equipment and food, which they cook themselves.

Hikers also take turns carrying a fold up shelter used as cover for when going to the toilet. Orientation (and pack-checking) is at Olifants, before hikers are transferred by vehicle to the western edge of the park where the Olifants River enters Kruger, and then trace the river back to the rest camp again over four days.

This is a tough hike - 10-15 km a day carrying heavy packs - hikers need to be fit and show a medical certificate of good health. Don't be deceived by the short distances, as the Olifant's River Valley features hills, deep gullies and dense thickets.

Organized tours of Kruger are widely available throughout South Africa and can be booked in all major cities. The variety of tours on offer can be baffling, so it is a good idea to shop around. Prices vary according to the quality of accommodation, the length of the tour, additional destinations, and whether you travel by minibus, open-air game vehicle or air-conditioned coach. There are dozens of companies offering tours; the tourist offices at Nelspruit have a list of operators, and there are more Johannesburg operators on page .