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Southern Kruger travel info
The South is part of the original Sabie Game reserve that was
proclaimed in 1898 by then president Paul Kruger. It is home to
some of the most popular camps in the park as the wildlife is
prolific. The geology is staggering with huge granite bolders
strewn across a densely vegetated landscape. A hippo pool with
nearby bushmen paintings is a major draw card. Granite outcrops
among the seringa, marula, tamboti and wild olive trees provide
scrambling platforms for klipspringers (miniature antelope), and
viewing platforms for lions. White rhino, wild dog and leopard are
common to this area. Acacias provide shelter and food to the
larger herbivores such as giraffe and elephant, while the
Crocodile River provides twilight viewing of towering elephants,
gracious waterbuck, dainty impala, the occasional baboon and the
elusive predator quenching their thirst at dusk. Numerous
excellent rest camps surrounded by an area teeming with wildlife
make this region the most popular.
Seasons
The best time to see game is during the winter months (April -
September), as water is restricted to rivers and waterholes, where
the wildlife congregates. Visibility is also good as the
vegetation is less dense. Summer (October to March) is lovely due
to the rains - everything is lush and green, and the birding is
excellent. November and December are the calving months.
Wildife
You should see: elephant, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog, lion,
spotted hyaena, baboon, hippo, Impala, Kudu, Vervet monkey,
waterbuck, tsessebe, wildbeest, bushbaby, bats, mongooses, duiker,
steenbok, klipspringer, genet, vultures, owls, bee-eaters,
rollers, eagles, bustards, hornbills, starlings, shrikes
You may see: Leopard, wild dog, Roan antelope, Sable antelope,
Bat-eared Fox, rhino, honey badger, porcupine, rhebok, aardvark,
aardwolf, civet, caracal, serval, suni, pangolin, Rock Dassie,
Scrub Hare
Precautions
Malaria area - minimize mosquito bites by wearing light, long
sleeved clothing and using effective insect repellents (containing
Diethyltoluamide DEET) on exposed skin. Sleep under treated
mosquito netting or ensure that the doors and windows of your
accommodation are screened against mosquitoes. Having a fan or
air-conditioner on at night will further suppress mosquito
activity. Currently, the three effective anti-malaria tablets are
Mefloquine (Lariam or Mefliam), Doxycycline and Malarone
(Malanil). It is still possible to contract malaria while on
malaria prophylaxis. Note that Lariam may present serious
side-effects - please test before you depart.
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