Our rates are inclusive of Dinner, Bed and Breakfast.

Heritage in the heart of the Kruger National Park

There is no shortage of things to celebrate when it comes to our country’s rich history, heritage, landmarks and culture. One aspect of our country’s culture and heritage that undoubtedly deserves recognition is Mzansi’s world-famous Kruger National Park.

The park is an enchanting destination where international travellers and locals can find serenity and exhilarating experiences. Below are some reasons why this park is an incredible part of our heritage.

It’s an official Wonder Of The World

During the Middle Ages Hellenic travellers documented seven astonishing structures in artwork, literature and guides. Fast forward to the year 2000 when a Swiss foundation, New 7 Wonders Foundation, decided it was time for the world to recognise a new list – particularly because only one of the original wonders, the Pyramids of Giza, was still standing.

However, nearly two decades later UK-based AllClear agency pondered if this list still stands. After analysing the Wikipedia page views data for over 4,300 global landmarks over the last five years the company named our breathtaking Kruger National Park as South Africa’s overall Wonder of the World, cementing the park as the most alluring location in SA.

Our unique flora and fauna during the spring

The park boasts beauty year round, but if you are visiting the Kruger during spring as its one of the best times to visit Kruger National Park. This is because spring marks the dry season, and as there are less water holes around the park animals take advantage of any fresh water sources they can find.

The park is also home to an abundance of stunning flora, with 1,982 species of plants scattered throughout the Kruger, and some of the intriguing wild flowers you can expect to see in spring are magnificent African Flame Lilies, Sabi Stars, and Leopard Orchids.

Growing up to a height of one metre and marked by unmissable scarlet or yellowish-green flame-like petals, the African Flame Lily is a climbing herb native to the northern and eastern regions of South Africa. This plant is able to withstand the park’s dry season as the plant sprouts from an underground tuber. Sabi Stars, or Impala Lilies, emerge in the park towards the end of the dry season, adorning the bush with showy splashes of deep pink, hinting at the rains to follow. An interesting fact about the plant is that it carries a highly toxic watery latex that has traditionally been used as a poison on the tips of hunter’s arrows as well as a means to stun hunted fish.

Located right at the Paul Kruger Gate and on the banks of the iconic Sabie River, Kruger Gate Hotel is an ideal base from which to explore the park’s flora and fauna. Alongside the river, in hot and dry patches, you’ll find the Leopard Orchid. The orchid blooms with fragrant yellow flowers marked with brown spots like a leopard and can be seen only from August to September.

While Kruger National Park is renowned for its remarkable rare birds and Big 5 safaris you may also be interested in some of the symbiotic animal relationships found within the park. Oxpeckers are known to have a few astounding symbiotic relationships within the Kruger. These small parasitic birds form remarkable bonds with elephants, impalas, and rhinos. The lively red-billed oxpeckers, named askari wa kifaru (the rhino’s guard) in Swahili, perch themselves on their mammal friends to feast on a buffet of ticks and parasites.

Another interesting relationship in the park is between impalas and baboons. Impalas are unable to reach for and eat the sausage fruit of the Kigelia tree. Just like their name suggests the sausage fruit is an elongated, thick-skinned, sausage-like berry, and whilst you might be put off by your friend’s leftovers, impalas have no problem dining on the sausage fruit scraps of their baboon pals, because they can’t chew through the fruit’s tough skin on their own.

A culturally rich heritage

Located on the southern tip of the Kruger National Park visitors can meet the Shangaan people who have called the Kruger home since the 19th century. This indigenous group came to be when King Shaka of the Zulu, sent Soshangane (Manukosi) to defeat the Tsonga people in the area of southern Mozambique, during the Mfecane upheaval. Instead Soshangane stumbled on a beautiful community of tranquil people, made himself at home and did not fulfill Shaka’s task.

The Shangaan speak a combination of Nguni and Tsonga and have a big culture of storytelling, music and dance. They have developed their own musical instruments too, such as the “fayi”, which is akin to a flute, as well as the “xitende”, a braced-bow instrument made using a leather thong.

Today, Shangaan people live between the park, the Drakensberg Mountains and throughout Mpumalanga. In February 1999 the Shangana Cultural Village was opened with the goal of job creation as well as to boost tourism. Visitors can learn more about their culture, purchase their art and listen to their captivating stories passed down through generations.

Guest Reviews

(Translated by Google) You have to go there. It's great.

(Original)
Il faut y aller. C’est top

Posted on 21/09/2025 by Google

Amazing hotel with wildlife in & around the property. Safari game drive with Joel was excellent and we accomplished the Big 5 views of the animals. Food & accommodations were great. Spa treatment with massage, very relaxed 😎🤘🏼

Posted on 19/09/2025 by TripAdvisor

The staff were amazing. Food was incredible. Rooms were great. The whole environment was a paradise.

Likely the best hotel you’ll ever stay at.

Posted on 20/09/2025 by TripAdvisor

This is a great place to stay. Near the park (less than a mile) but less than the park prices. The Safari\'s were great, the food excellent and the service superb.We enjoyed th offered Safari\'s plus a night Safari done by SanParks.

Posted on 18/09/2025 by TripAdvisor

Très bel établissement, bien situé juste à côté d une entrée du parc. .Grand confort, gentillesse du personnel, au top pour les safaris et les massages

Posted on 19/09/2025 by Booking.com

De tudo! Este hotel é espetacular, simplesmente sensacional em tudo, da arquitetura, a hotelaria, dos atendentes e equipe até os safaris!

Posted on 23/09/2025 by Booking.com

Excellent location, very clean room, well equipped, very hot water in the bathroom, nice stuff. Everything is very well organized. First thing we saw - pumbas on the parking. Lots of them. Then we entered our room and saw an impala on the terrace, just lying there. I was shocked. There is a shop with snacks and souvenirs and a welcome point with some snacks and beverages in reception area.
We had morning safari for 333 $. It\'s a good price for private safari, it starts 5:30 and you are back at 12. Breakfast to go is provided. Cars are very good and comfortable, even in group, i think, you can have nice observation. We were alone in the car, our guide was a wonderful man, he did his best to show us the animals. We saw lions twice, a lot of giraffes, hippos, elephants, zebras and so on. When we were back we saw a lot of elephants from the pool area.
The most impressing thing - dinner. It is the best dinner we had in South Africa, even better than 300$ dinner in a fancy restaurant in Cape Town. And this one was only buffet, included in our stay but such a big choice and what wonderful taste has the chef, my compliments, every dish was beautifully done. On your way to dinner you can see monkeys on the trees. Hotel is beautiful. Perfect choice for first nights in Kruger. Thank you very much for our wonderful memories.

Posted on 20/09/2025 by Booking.com

Hotel ótimo, com uma localização muito próxima à entrada do parque Kruger. Boas opções para alimentação. Vista para o parque sempre com animais passando por perto. Funcionários simpáticos.

Posted on 19/09/2025 by Booking.com

It’s our 4th trip to Kruger Gate Hotel. We love the fact that we can fly directly to Nelspruit and it’s a short drive to the hotel. The newly renovated bedrooms are lovely. Also love the new breakfast area.

Posted on 21/09/2025 by Booking.com

Lage, Personal, Buffets, Ausstattung. Fazit: Eine supergute Lodge!

Posted on 17/09/2025 by Booking.com

Super schönes Hotel mit Blick auf den Kruger Nationalpark .
Personal sehr freundlich und Hilfsbereit.
Man kann auch diverse Safaris über das Hotel buchen.

Posted on 17/09/2025 by Booking.com

Quarto muito confortável e espaçoso.

Posted on 16/09/2025 by Booking.com

De tudo. Localização excelente. Banheiro excelente. Cama excelente. Café da manhã melhor do mundo. Jantar legal. Piscina linda com possibilidade de ver animais (vimos hipopótamo na nossa vez).

Posted on 18/09/2025 by Booking.com