Top 10 things you probably didn't know about Kruger National Park

1. It's huge

Kruger is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in the world. The Park covers almost 20,000 km² (or some 7,600 miles²). It spans two provinces: Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and borders two countries: Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

There's something quite humbling about standing at one of the lookouts (the one at Olifants Rest Camp is a personal favourite) when you realise that, in whichever direction you look - from horizon to horizon - is pure, untamed Kruger. Unspoiled natural African bushveld. It certainly adds a new perspective on life.

2. It's part of a bigger picture

On 9 December 2002, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) was proclaimed. The GLTP is a 35,000 km² peace park that links together some of the best and most established wildlife areas in southern Africa: South Africa's Kruger National Park, Mozambique's Limpopo National Park and Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park. This vast conservation area is being managed as an integrated unit across the three international borders.

Plans are all set to gradually incorporate other neighbouring lands, some of them ancient tribal lands, into what is intended to become a bigger transfrontier conservation area measuring almost 100 000 km². The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park and its surrounding transfrontier conservation area will then become the world's greatest animal kingdom.

3. It's old

It was established by its namesake, Paul Kruger, the South African President of the day in 1898 as a protected area for wildlife and to reduce hunting. Proclaimed in 1926, Kruger Park first opened its gates to the public in 1927. The entrance fee of the day? A princely sum of 1 Pound per vehicle.

It's steeped in history, from ancient san rock paintings to vital archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela. These national treasures reflect the cultures, peoples and events that have played a part in creating and conserving the Kruger National Park and all its assets.

4. It's fascinating

Kruger National Park has more large mammals than any other park in Africa. Besides the famous Big 5: elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo - there is a wealth of antelope species, warthogs, ostriches, zebra, wildebeest, hyena, cheetah, wild dogs and many smaller animals like otters, mongeese and shrews. Definitely the crown jewel of South African national parks, Kruger has a huge variety of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals.

5. It's natural

There are no cages, pens or circus performances at Kruger National Park. What you see is what you get: animals behaving as they should in their natural habitat. It's 100% authentic - a vast, untamed natural wilderness where you'll find a variety of eco-systems, plant life, birds, reptiles, insects and mammals that go about their daily lives before your eyes. Some are the hunted. Some are the hunters. And one of the highlights of any trip to Kruger is to witness 'a kill'. Or even something more unusual and dramatic, like the famous "Battle of Kruger" - where three species - lion, buffalo and crocodile - pitted their wits against each other. It's really worth watching if you haven't seen it yet (or even if you have before) :

[Ok, another thing you probably didn't know: we're lucky enough to have the guide from the "Battle of Kruger" video, Frank Watts, on our team. Together with Neil Card and Simon Vegter, our guides win many accolades and we're seriously proud of them.]

But whatever happens at Kruger National Park, you can be assured that it's unrehearsed, as-it-happens and absolutely real.

6. It's sub-tropical

In general, the Kruger National Park is hot and dry, whatever the season. During the summer months (September to April), it's hot and sunny with sporadic thundershowers. Temperatures can often soar to more than 38 °C (100 °F). Winter months extend from May to August, and this is the dry season, with temperatures averaging between 8°- 26°C (46° - 79° F).

Of course, there's always healthy debate about when it's the best time to visit Kruger (a similar question already has 325 replies and 9330 views on the Kruger National Park forum page!) Ultimately, it seems that it's often down to personal preference - or when you can sneak a visit.

Here's a quick, general guide:

Jun-Aug: Mid-winter, dry season. Arguably the best time for game viewing. Animals tend to stay close to dwindling waterholes. The bush is dry and trampled, making it easier to spot wildlife.

Sep-Nov: Springtime, first rains due. An exciting time of renewal - bush bright and green, not too thick yet. Many animals are giving birth and starting to mate. An abundance of young often means plenty of predator action.

Dec-Feb: Summer. Bush is lush, green and thick, making game viewing more tricky. Early morning and late afternoon game viewing is best as animals hide in the shade to escape the midday heat, often boiling hot.

Mar-May: Becoming autumn. Daytime temperatures not as hot. Bush is very thick, hampering good game spotting. Last of the thunderstorms, often quick and dramatic and helping to cool things down.

If you visit our Facebook page where we regularly post our latest safari pics from Kruger, you'll see what we've been able to spot month by month - and we've been lucky to have had awesome sightings all through the year.

7. It's diverse