People are aware that in certain areas of Africa Malaria is a threat….
At this stage I think it prudent to mention the threat of Malaria. No matter how small the risk it is still a risk and precautions should be taken.
Especially in Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park, and the lowveld.
I have taken the following extract from the official site of the South African National Parks Board…
Malaria is a word many people associate with game parks in Africa. However only one of the South African National Parks is in a malaria risk area and that is the Kruger National Park…..
although even here the risk is usually low. Historically there have been incidences of malaria in other parks,
but then there are recorded incidences of malaria from urban Europe and other non-risk areas.
Kruger is the only malaria risk park in the SANParks set-up. Anti-malaria prophylactics are thus recommended for visitors to Kruger.
The highest risk period is between December and April (end of the rainy season).
A 24-hour malaria hotline is available on….international… +27 82 234 1800 to give detailed explanation on risk and advice on precautionary measures.
Visitors wishing to take prophylactics should consult a knowledgeable medical practitioner or recognized travel clinic about recommended medication, as certain products cause nausea, hallucinations or other negative side effects with certain people. Very often (particularly after periods of low rainfall) the malaria risk in Kruger is very low.
Many people decide not to take prophylactics and rather try to avoid getting bitten.
The most vulnerable times are between dusk and dawn.
People are advised to stay indoors during these periods, or cover exposed skin with light clothing or insect repellants.
The ankles are the most critical area. Burning anti-mosquito coils and ensuring netted screens are kept closed
are other preventative measures. While malaria prophylactics are recommended, no prophylactic is foolproof and any person developing flu-like symptoms 7 to 20 days (or even longer)….
after being in malaria areas should be tested immediately for malaria, until the symptoms clear or an alternative diagnosis is made. It is important to advise medical practitioners that you have been in a malaria area to avoid incorrect diagnosis. On the question of prophylactics, no drug is guaranteed 100% effective, but a combination of choroquin (taken weekly first one week before)…. and paludrin (daily – first 2 days before) appears to be the most recommended prophylactic. Mefloquin is a single alternative.
These would be available from pharmacies in Johannesburg and en route to the park…(and perhaps for sale at some of the larger rest camps in the park).
However as they should be taken a week in advance, if one chooses to use them…. Buying them in SA would be leaving it late, unless you will be spending time elsewhere in the country (most of which is malaria free). The threat of malaria should not affect your decision to enjoy and experience the Kruger Park, but is just something one should be aware of and take precautions to be exposed to. Most types of mosquito do not carry the malaria plasmodium and if one is bitten it does not mean one will contract malaria.
Only mosquitoes of the anopheles genus carry the plasmodium, and then only if they have previously fed on an infected host.
As the presence of people with the plasmodium in their bloodstream in the park is greatly reduced compared to past times, risk is once more reduced. One reason for these reductions is that the accommodation units in the parks are sprayed periodically throughout the year. Now that international campaigns see treatment taking place in adjacent countries such as Mozambique and Swaziland, malaria occurrence has been further reduced.
When touring through the Park….I am assuming that a Guide is not accompanying you. Please do not get out of your car to photograph the animals. Be ever on the alert! An Elephant, for example, is huge and seems ponderous but believe me he can move fast…..when he feels there is a need to do so. The Kruger National Park is an enormous nature reserve…stretching three hundred and fifty kilometres along the Mozambican border. It is sixty kilometres wide on average. Noteworthy also is the fact that there is an airport at Skukuza camp which connects to many of the larger airports within South Africa. History of the Kruger National Park The first evidence of human occupation in and around the Kruger Park stems from the one hundred rock paintings and 300 archaeological sites left by early humans thousands of years ago. François de Cuiper, who led a Dutch East India Company expedition to the Kruger, was the first recorded European in the region. His expedition however was thwarted by an attack by local tribesmen.
Europeans and local farmers were attracted to the region by rumours of gold, and by the trade in precious goods such as ivory and skins. The rapid obliteration of the wildlife was noted by then president Paul Kruger, and he urged the Transvaal government to establish a wildlife reserve for the protection of the species. The Sabie Game Reserve, bordered by the Crocodile River in the south, the Sabie River in the north, the Lebombo Mountains in the east and the Drakensberg Mountains in the west, was established in 1898. Scottish-born James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed Sabie’s head ranger in 1902. He proved to be a man with vision and fortitude, and eliminated poaching on the reserve. Not long after his arrival he was called Skukuza – he who sweeps clean – by the nearby Moçambique tribes. By 1905, the Park had expanded to seventeen thousand kilometres.
In the 1920′s it became clear that game reserves had tourist potential. Stevenson-Hamilton set out to exploit this new source of income. When he learned that the South African Railways had a nine day tour of the lowveld he immediately arranged an overnight stop at Sabie Bridge to be part of the itinerary. As public knowledge grew so did funds. The Park was opened to the general public in 1927. Over the years, the Kruger Park changed from an inaccessible expanse of wilderness with few camping areas and fewer roads to what it is today – a well-run National Park that is a national flagship for conservation. One of the men who was in large part responsible for this remarkable transformation was James Stevenson-Hamilton, undeniable father of the Kruger National Park – “I had at least brought up Cinderella and launched her on her career. I loved her best when she was a pathetic and dust-covered little wench, derided and abused. Always I felt that, given her chance, and her attractions recognised, unlimited possibilities lay before her. Now that she had become a Great Lady it was fitting she should be provided with custodians better suited to provide her new requirements (Upon retiring, 1946).”
In 1950 a research station was opened in Skukuza, which heralded a new era – research continues to this day, and Skukuza is still where the main research centre is housed. Nine years later an eighteen hundred kilometres fence protected the animals of the Kruger National Park from the outside world. Since traditional migrating routes of the herds were now cut off this caused many problems, which needed careful management. On the 31st of May 1972 the Sabie and Shingwedzi reserves together with 70 privately owned farms were consolidated into the Kruger National Park, one of the great game parks of Africa. Important also was the Act of Parliament by which the park was established. The last few years have seen the removal of fences separating the Kruger Park from the neighbouring reserves – Sabi Sand, Timbavati and Thornybush, allowing animals access to increased requisite resources and allowing tourists increased access to the game. In addition, the Kruger Park, which currently covers 2 million hectares, is to be extended into a Peace Park – the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This massive reserve will incorporate the Kruger National Park, the Limpopo National Park of Mozambique and the Gonarezhou National Park of Zimbabwe into a 36000 square kilometre park larger than Switzerland.
The Kruger Park has been lauded for the professional management of its wildlife and people. It is a living monument to President Paul Kruger, James Stevenson-Hamilton and those that fought for the establishment of a large wilderness reserve, where dwindling African wildlife may still find refuge. The Kruger Park offers, without a doubt, one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in the world. It has subsequently won world wide acclaim for having the greatest number of animal species in an area on the African continent. There are also some exclusive smaller game ranges near the Kruger National Park but usually they do not offer the scenery and wildlife the Kruger National Park has to offer. I will add a link to the official South African National Parks Board site.
Accommodation
Bushveld Camp accommodation Bushveld camps provide luxurious accommodation in smaller, more remote restcamps. One or more accommodation units may be reserved. Bushveld camps do not have shops or restaurants. Access to all bushveld camps is restricted to overnight visitors with reserved accommodation. Electrical equipment, such as hair dryers, cannot be used except at Biyamiti and Bateleur. Open verandas often serve as kitchen/dining room. All units have a refrigerator, cooking utensils, crockery, cutlery and a stove, either a two-plate stove without an oven or a four-plate stove with an oven in the larger units. All units have private ablution facilities. Communal freezing facilities are offered at Biyamiti, Shimuwini, Talamati and Sirheni. Night drives and/or day excursions are organised in most of the bushveld camps. Please enquire at reception. Bateleur consists of seven guest cottages, each housing either six or four persons. The camp has electricity and plugs are available in the units. The main bedroom in each unit has air-conditioning. Biyamiti has ten guest cottages (5 beds) and five cottages (4 beds). The camp has electricity and plugs are available in the units. All units have ceiling fans. Shimuwini has ten guest cottages (one with 6 beds, nine with 5 beds) and five cottages (4 beds). Solar panels provide power for lights and fans only. Sirheni has ten guest cottages (6 beds) and five cottages (4 beds). Solar panels provide power for lights and fans only. Talamati has ten guest cottages (one with 6 beds, nine with 5 beds) and five cottages (4 beds). Solar panels provide power for lights and fans only.
Bush Lodge accommodation
A bush lodge is an exclusive, private lodge with a unique style and atmosphere, providing the opportunity for tourists to enjoy complete privacy, as only residents are allowed entrance to the camp. Payment can be made at any gate or restcamp, as the bush lodges do not have reception offices. There are no shops or restaurant facilities, but the kitchen has a gas stove with oven, refrigerator, freezer, cutlery and crockery. Gas braais and barbecue facilities are provided and wood may be purchased. A bush lodge must be reserved en bloc. Roodewal 12 pax and Boulders 19 pax are exclusive private Lodges. Boulders – Solar panels provide power for lights and fans only. In addition to the main sleeping unit which has two bedrooms and en suite bathrooms (one with a bath, the other with a shower), there are also four separate bedrooms with bathrooms (bath and shower). Roodewal – There is one family cottage with two bedrooms and two bathrooms (one with a bath, the other with a shower). Three bungalows have three beds each and a loft with two mattresses, a bathroom (shower) and a small refrigerator. Solar panels provide power for lights and fans.
