"Kruger National Park" a Kruger National Park Travel Page by Acirfa

It is all of 30 years since taking my first safari at Kruger National Park, I did not know what to expect and had been loath to return for fear of drastic changes that might have erased my wonderful memories, those that are attached to my parents, brother and grandmother with whom I visited all that time ago.

This time, however, I was introducing Michael to the charms of Africa and safari's. I felt that Kruger would be an ideal place to begin his induction.

After a few days touring round the beauty spots outside of Kruger, the day came for us to venture into the reserve, we were both excited and I a little concerned about the advances that had been made, I did not want to enter Kruger and drive on pristine tarred roads, or feel I was at a zoo, I wanted to feel the wilderness around me and I wanted Michael to experience that also.

I was not disappointed, the roads were tarred but the animals were not over nonchalant about us humans like zoo animals can be, not surprisingly and the wilderness was definitely still there, the beauty I recall as a child still existed, what a relief, what a pleasure!

This time, I shared the fascination of the bush with my partner, who was overcome at the sight of nature in it's purest form. We stayed at both Skukuza and Pretoriouskop, we ate braai food with friends we made in the park each evening at Skukuza and enjoyed full days out in the park, either on our own, with a ranger and walking.

It was hard to leave the Park behind, the only thing that helped us to move on was that our holiday was not at an end, we had another destination to head to.

From the findings of artefacts and archaelological sites, it is believed that prehistoric man raomed the Kruger region. There are over 100 rock paintings that are evidence of the San people passing through here and evidence of The Iron Age man too.

1898 - Paul Kruger (President of the Transvaal Republic) established the Sabie Game Reserve, he had a huge interest in conservation and his concerns were about poaching and trading in skins and ivory.

1 July 1902 - Scotsman, James Stevenson-Hamilton became South Africa's first official game warden. He was nicknamed 'Skukuza" ("he who sweeps clean"), this was down to his success of overcoming poaching. He advocated a legal change in status from reserve to National Park.

31 May 1926 - Parliament passed the national Parks Act: The Sabie and Shingwedze Game Reserves were merged to become Kruger park in honour of it founder Paul Kruger.

1927 - The Kruger park opened to the general public.

Kruger today is one of the Worlds greatest game parks. It is a park that has been recognised for its endeavours in nature conservation, looking after African cultural heritages and it's professional management.