Paul Kruger Entrance Gate is a starting point for wildlife-spotting adventures in one of the world’s most-famous national parks. It is the closest of Kruger National Park’s nine entrance gates to the popular Skukuza Rest Camp. Stop at this spot to scrutinize the gate’s granite stone sculpture and pay the entrance fee to the park. Continue via rented car and organized tour for your chance to get close to Africa’s Big Five animals.
Set in a field just before the ticket office is a stone statue topped by the bust of Paul Kruger. This one-time Afrikaans nationalist was an anti-colonialist politician, military leader and conservationist pioneer. The statue overlooks the Sabie River, which is one of the park’s main watercourses and a breeding ground for crocodiles and hippos. Look for a Pel’s fishing owl from the bridge that spans the river.
Drive east for 20 minutes past sprawling, untamed prairie to the Skukuza Rest Camp. Watch for predatory creatures lurking in the thorn thickets along the riverbanks. Find accommodations options such as campgrounds, cottages, guesthouses and riverside bungalows. There are also amenities, including a car rental agency, an internet café, restaurants and shops.
Self-guided bush walks, game drives and safari tours leave from the camp. This is your chance to spot the Big Five: Africa’s buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhinoceros. See giraffes, hyenas, springboks, wildebeests and zebras as well. Observe African harrier hawks, great reed warblers, cuckoos, hornbills and woodpeckers, among other birdlife.
About 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Skukuza is Lower Sabie Rest Camp. This relaxed camp has riverside walkways, barbecue areas and picnic sites. Go to Sunset Dam, a great location for watching crocodiles, hippos and water birds.
Paul Kruger Entrance Gate is a 5-hour drive east of Johannesburg. Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport is a 90-minute drive to the south. The gate is open year-round from early in the morning. Upon arrival at the gate pay a fee for each day of entry into the park.
