Kruger Morning & Afternoon walks

 Bushmans Trail

Situated in the south western corner of KNP this wilderness area is characterized by deep quiet valleys and high rocky outcrops with spectacular views. These secluded valleys exclude trailists from the outside world. These high lying outcrops are accessed early in the morning to enjoy the vastness of the landscape as well as to search for game, with surprisingly good results. The broken terrain is ideal for unusual but safe close encounters with big game. The heavy presence of elephant and rhino has resulted in a well marked network of natural game paths and allows for structured and comfortable walks.

Night sounds are unique. Guests can hear a great variety - specifically freckled night jars as well as spotted eagle owls.
White rhino are plentiful as well as other game species. Typical to the terrain are antelope species like kudu, klipspringer and mountain reedbuck.

Plantlife is very diverse especially in the higher lying areas – this area is also classified as a botanical reserve within KNP and unique trees only to this area occur. The high altitude of the area accounts for unusual bird sightings from time to time including redthroughted wryneck and jackal buzzard.

Bushman paintings are a big attraction as well as other cultural and historical sites. Trips to these sites are a regular feature of the trail routine, the aim of which to educate trailists on San (Bushman) culture and their art. The camp is uniquely hidden between a series of massive granite kopjes providing a very pleasant atmosphere.

Metsi-Metsi Trail

This wilderness trail is situated in the eastern side of KNP along the Nwaswitsontso river near Tshokwane picnic site. The departure point is Skukuza Rest Camp.

The Lindanda plains with masses of game at certain times of the year offer hikers a chance to walk amongst high densities of plains game. Black rhino are well represented in this area as well as the more common white rhino. Predators such as cheetah and lion are also fairly common.

Away from the plains the Nwaswitsontso river can be accessed which provides for spectacular scenery. This river is very important in dry times and attracts game and birds in large concentrations. Birds unique to plains habitats such as ostrich, kori bustard, lappet faced vultures, secretary birds and black coucal can be seen.

Vegetation is homogeneous and knobthorn and marula trees dominate. The large open camp is situated on an atributary of the Metsi Metsi river at the foothill of the imposing Nwamuriwa mountain.

Napi Trail

This wilderness area is situated on the undulating granitic landscape between Pretoriuskop and Skukuza restcamps. Both the Mbyamithi and Napi rivers flow through the area and offers scenic walks along the riverbanks with stunning large trees.
Vegetation consists mainly of broad leave woodland and tamboti thickets. Large open sodic patches are pleasant to the eye and host unique plants such as the summer impala lily.

Seasonal pans in these areas allows for lots of big game sightings. Both white and black rhino are regularly seen wallowing in these pans.

The camp is fantastic for night sounds and amongst others giant eagle and barred owl give the night character. The Mbiyamithi river is one of the best habitats to view thick billed cuckoo because of the prevalence of it’s parasitic host the redbilled helmet shrike.

The camp consists out of four safari tents with on suite ablutions and a large veranda from which to view the surrounding bush and the Mbiyamithi river below the tents.

Nyalaland Trail

The most remote and out of the way Wilderness Trail’s Camp is situated between Punda Maria camp and Pafuri with the spectacular Lanner and Levhuvhu gorges along the Levhuvhu River a big attraction. The camp is hidden in a secluded spot on the Madzaringwe River with towering cliffs of the Soutpansberg Mountains in the background. Punda Maria Rest Camp is the departure point for this trail and is only 540km or a 5 hour drive from Johannesburg.

The area is one of the best in the country for bird watching and various localised species such as Verreauxs’ eagle, Pel’s fishing owl, grey-headed parrot, mottled spinetail and a lot more can be seen. The spine tails roost inside a giant baobab tree in the trails camp and can be watched at leisure. If you are trying to add new birds to your bird list, Nyalaland is a good place to be.

• Nyalaland trail is set in an area which is botanically very rich with scarce sandveld and dry land vegetation communities. The real draw card to this spectacular wilderness area is the large concentration of giant baobabs. This is one of the most spectacular trails within the KNP.
• There is a large concentration of big animals such as elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino which can be seen mostly in wet seasons. As well as these large animals, you may also come across unique species such as nyala, Sharps grysbok, eland, roan antelope, yellow spotted rock hyrax, elephant shrews and red rock rabbits. The name Nyalaland was given to the trail and camp as there are many nyala antelope and nyala trees in the area.

Important cultural sites in the Kruger National Park occur only on the Nyalaland trail, representing Zimbabwe stone culture and San rock art. One of these sites is situated on a hill, high above the Levhuvhu River, seven kilometres from the camp. This is easily accessible and worth the walk to see the spectacular view of the Levhuvhu gorge. Fossilized remains of two types of dinosaur can be seen, making this area unique. Only guests who visit the Nyalaland trail will have the privilege of seeing these fossils.

The Levhuvhu River, one of the big rivers in the Kruger National Park, is used to cool our guests down when it is hot. There is a beautiful walk to the baobab forests, hyena caves where you eat your breakfast on top of the rocks, surrounded by the baobabs and overlooking Lanner gorge. A walk to Lanner and Levhuvhu gorges is also part of the itinerary, which is a place that looks like God had enough time to make it.

We have a magic wheelbarrow which has served guests their food for a long time. If any of the above appeals to you, then book a place on the next Nyalaland Trail.

Olifants Trail

The departure point is from Letaba Rest Camp.

• Situated on the banks of the Olifants river this wilderness area is very popular as it offers remote valleys and gorges where the river flows through the Lebombo mountains as well as flat open plains with good game viewing potential.
• The river is a big attraction especially as both the Olifants and Letaba rivers join before flowing into Mozambique. These rivers are the focal point of the trail experience as it has a lot to offer. Large concentrations of hippo and crocodiles are dominant features.
• The day is incomplete without the call of fish eagles, ever present on the rivers. Birding as well as a divers plantlife are a big plus for this popular wilderness trail.

Sweni Trail

• Satara Rest Camp is the departure point for this trail.
• The biggest attraction on this wilderness trail is the Sweni river surrounded by open flat thorntree savannah where large herds of game concentrates at certain times of the year. This in turn attracts large concentrations of predators and the biggest drawcard of the trail experience is to be part of this predator/prey relationship. Hearing lions roar at night occurs frequently as sound travels far in this open landscape.
• Birds typical of plains landscapes occur. The Sweni river accounts for frequent sightings of the shy nocturnal white backed night heron. Mozambique night jar and scops owl are dominant night calls from camp.
• The flatness and remoteness of the area offers excellent star gazing opportunities.
• The camp is situated on the Sweni river and is surrounded by open plains. A covered lapa allows one to view the surrounding plains and associated game through out the day.

Wolhuter Trail

The first of all the wilderness trails is situated roughly between Berg-en-dal, Ship mountain and Afsaal picnic site. It was named after one of the first rangers that were appointed in the establishment of the Sabie Game Reserve in those days - 1902. Harry Wolhuter later in his career killed a lion single handedly with his hunting knife while out on patrol on horseback.
It is a spectacularly scenic wilderness area characterized by high granite outcrops with deep valleys as well as a flatter undulating landscape. Wilderness qualities are high as the trail area is far removed from the boundaries of the Kruger National Park.

Culturally, Wolhuter Trail was a very active area in days gone by and a lot of relics of the past can be seen everywhere. Evidence of Bushmen and stone and iron age people can be found on the higher lying areas and rocky outcrops.
The famous Jock of the Bushveld and his master Sir Percy Fitzpatrick were also criss-crossing this area on their adventurous hunting trips and transport driving routes.

Plantlife is very diverse especially in the higher lying areas – this area is also classified as a botanical reserve within the KNP.
Birdlife is good with a lot more species to be seen in summertime when all the summer migrants return.

White and black rhino can be found in the Wolhuter Wilderness area with the former very concentrated. Elephant and buffalo are also regularly seen as well as sable, mountain- and common reedbuck can be seen. Other more common species include zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, blue wildebeest and warthog.

Wolhuter Wilderness Trail’s biggest plus point however is to sit on a granite outcrop and to stare into the distance and experience a wild feeling in a wild land amongst wild creatures.