Kruger and its Surrounding Spots
South Africa’s Best Wild Life, River Canyon and Pot Holes
Aug 20, 2009
Anyone who visits South Africa surely travels to Kruger National Park to observe its big five animals (Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino and Elephant) in their natural best. Spread out on 2 million hectares of land, the national park offers abundant variety of animal species to tourists visiting it.
KrugerAnimal Land & Rest Camps
It is best to spend at least two nights at Kruger Park to encounter the diverse animal species. Since the national park is one of the best tourist destinations of South Africa, it is advisable to book accommodation and safari rides in advance online. Travel companies in Johannesburg offer packaged tours to Kruger Park and its surrounding spots.
The national park offers various types of accommodation from tents to luxury guest houses in its 10 main rest camps, smaller bush lodges and camps. Communal kitchen, curio shops, supermarkets, restaurants, museum and open air auditorium with live performances are available to tourists during their stay at the camp.
Safari Rides and Live Animal Show
The national park plies buses for Safari rides early in the morning and early evening every day when the animals can be spotted easily. It also allows self-drive vehicles to enter the park to view the animals at their convenience. Known for its diverse wild life forms, its pride of lions, hoards of elephants, wildebeests, Zebras, gazelles and giraffes often make themselves visible in their natural activities to the visitors.
It is not unusual to spot a lion crossing the road and sometimes blocking the way of vehicles. Sometimes the lion feeding on its prey even as the lioness looks on can be witnessed. Or just be lucky to watch the lion cubs playing around their mother. The elephants too give their best to the camera.
Found together they are usually active breaking branches of trees, munching the leaves or marching ahead. The Zebras are often found together with wildebeests, while the giraffes walk around gracefully with their little ones following them. The rhinos are visitors shy, while the hippos can be spotted afar walking to the pool to have a dip.
These are some of the scenes that you can surely watch while at Kruger Park. The rangers will take visitors right inside the wilds to spots where the big five are at their best. On walking tours with professional rangers one can get to see animals at close range. Whatever the tourists choose to do, the Kruger experience is bound to enrich their trip.
Blyde River Canyon and Burke’s Luck Potholes
On the way to or from Kruger or after the morning safari ride, drive down to interesting spots on the panorama route on the west of Kruger National park. This route offers spectacular scenery and rare sights like the Blyde River Canyon and Burke’s Luck Pot Holes.
Blyde River Canyon running for 33 km right from the rock formations known as Pot holes to the flat, round mountain peaks called ‘Three Rondavels’ is an amazing natural phenomena not to be missed. World’s third best Canyon of its kind and Africa’s most spectacular its peaks rise up 600 to 800 m high from the river bed.
Burke’s Luck Potholes, the starting point of the Blyde River Canyon, are cylindrical pot holes formed centuries ago out of the churning confluence of the Treur and Blyde rivers. Named after a gold digger Tom Burke these interesting rock formations are beautiful to look at from the metal bridges and walkways built on top. (Credit link: www.krugerpark.co.za)
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