Booking.com also identified it as a top travel trend for the year, referring to Noctourism as “[to] ditch the daylight crowds for midnight magic”.
And while noctourism is simply a focus on night time travel experiences, it is so much more than simply staying up past your usual bedtime in the hope of spotting the wildest Kruger sightings.
Surprisingly perhaps, Kruger National Park, the jewel in South Africa’s tourism crown, is the ideal place to experience noctourism. While there is an undeniable serenity that comes with a Big Five safari during the day in the Kruger National Park, the golden glow that happens just before sunrise and just after sunset – looking out of and into the dark, respectively – makes it easy to understand why noctourism is all the rage and of course why the park is one of the top safari destinations in the world.
Remember the stars
At night the Kruger National Park is an ideal location for a celestial safari. In fact, astro tourism remains a popular travel trend as people seek connection beyond the ordinary.
If you live in any major city you’ll know that streetlamps, billboards and lights on skyscrapers all contribute to light pollution. This simply means all the bright lights in city spaces prevent people from seeing the stars in the night sky.
Kruger National Park is a star gazer’s paradise because the sky can be studied without city lights getting in the way. Visitors can use binoculars for an unmatched astronomy experience from the Kruger Gate Hotel. The famous Pool Bar and Viewing Deck is the ideal place from which to soak in the magic of the night sky.
Constellations are best experienced in winter, between May and September because there is a lower chance of rain. Binoculars designed for low-light conditions will offer impressive views of constellations and can be very useful for spotting nocturnal animals. If you don’t have night-time binoculars, traditional binoculars will still help you see stars better than you could with your naked eye – even the moon will take on a different demeanor. A good tip is to hold your body as steady as possible while viewing the skies – rest your elbows on the back of a chair, for example, to minimise hands shaking – even the lightest binoculars can start feeling heavy after a few minutes!
Kruger is one of the wildlife parks in South Africa that offers the best wildlife photography opportunities, even at night. Regardless of whether you have a top-of-the-line DSLR or subscribe to the idea that the best camera is the one you have on you, there is plenty of opportunity and good angles for snapping the stars of the animals that come out to play at night.
Sounds of serenity
Being in the wilderness while it is dark heightens our senses and makes every sound and movement more pronounced. The thunderous roar of a lion looking for its pride can send shivers down one’s spine. The grunt of a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, and the rustling of small creatures in the underbrush create a symphonic backdrop that is both exciting and calming.
Unlike the busy sounds of the city, the quiet and sporadic sounds of the bush evoke moments of soothing calm that often stay with safari lovers long after they’ve left the park.
Wake up call
It may seem counterintuitive to wake up really early when you’re on a holiday focussed on experiencing the best things that happen after dark, but there is unique magic to Kruger National Park just as day breaks.
Waking up before sunrise, especially if it’s to go on a guided safari, is well worth it and definitely counts as noctourism. Our morning safaris depart at 5:30am but we serve coffee from 5am and the excitement of being up early and soaking in the magic of the hour is palpable.
An early morning safari takes you, literally, from night into the day. Watching the sun rise from the vantage point of a safari vehicle, with the sights, sounds and scents highlighted is at the very heart of what makes noctourism waking up (or staying up) for.
Night swimming
Animals like buffalo, wildebeest and kudu often feed at night. The darkness is also the perfect cover for social animals like hippos who prefer to gather near rivers while they digest the day’s food.
Kruger Gate Hotel’s exquisite game-viewing deck on the western bank of the Sabie River allows travellers to view wildlife from a private pod overlooking the riverbed. Guests can see some of the Kruger National Park animals from a distance that does not disturb them, but still offers a spectacular view.
Watching animals from this viewpoint at night is unlike any other experience. Guests are treated to unique sounds like the whoop of a hyena and they can take it all in while relaxing after the day’s activities.
Those who say nothing good happens after dark have obviously never stared up at the African sky on a clear night or sat quietly to listen to the sounds of the animals that only come out to play at night. “Noctourism” is one of 2025’s fastest growing tourism trends and it is clear that what happens after dark – especially on a safari holiday – is worth staying up for.