South Africa has about 18 000 elephants, mostly in the Kruger National Park, out of southern Africa’s 280 000 elephants. Picture: Supplied
There’s plenty to suggest that the Kruger National Park is a favourite destination for international travellers.
Consider that Lufthansa, for example, recently added a direct route from Frankfurt to the Kruger National Park.
However, South Africa’s biggest game reserve is certainly also a top leisure destination for South African travellers, and more so since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are very grateful to notice an incredible uptick in bookings by locals. This spike started during the pandemic, of course, when South Africans were unable to travel internationally. But now, even with a return to normal in the travel space, we continue to see locals flock to the park – some with laptops as they take full advantage of the ‘work from anywhere’ phenomenon,’’ said Anton Gillis, CEO of Kruger Gate Hotel.
“A trip to the Kruger has long been on many South Africans’ bucket lists and with an increased push from destination marketing organisations to explore closer to home, locals have moved this trip towards the top of their lists, with many not only ticking it off once, but multiple times,” Gillis explained.
According to Thompsons Holidays, in the Kruger node the company has achieved its 2019 room nights in just the first eight months of this year. Thompsons Holidays goes on to say that Mpumalanga has a 5% province market share versus 4% in 2019, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers.
These numbers are further backed up by data from Cheapflights, a global travel search site that compares flights, hotels and rental cars. The Cheapflights data shows that there has been a massive increase in searches from South Africa to all airports near the Kruger National Park when compared with 2019.
The Kruger National Park offers more than just game viewing. It also offers leisure activities such as golf, guided walking safaris, fishing, mountain biking, magical sunrises and so much more.
Popular activities in the surrounding areas include the Sudwala Caves, where thrill-seekers are able to explore the caves on a guided tour that includes wading through water, crawling through small tunnels and scrambling up and down rocks.
Those wanting to do day trips out of the park have a host of activities to choose from, such as excursions into neighbouring Mozambique or Swaziland, or visiting the stunning area called God’s Window. This area received its name due to its natural beauty that can all be taken in from one viewpoint. Visitors to the area who hike along a narrow pathway to the viewpoints will be rewarded with a view of the beautiful Blyde River Canyon.
Anyone wishing to learn more about conservation in the area is advised to pop in to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. This centre provides care and rehabilitation for rare, vulnerable and endangered animals. This is a fun learning activity for families with young children.
“We are thrilled that so many more visitors, South Africans especially, are seeing what we’ve known for some time – there is clearly more to the Kruger National Park than meets the eye,’’ Gillis said.
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