EXPEDITION WILD
Pafuri, Kruger National Park, South Africa
5 days under the stars in the Makuleke Concession
Expedition Basics:
Dates: late June over full moon
Total length of trip: 5 nights 6 days.
Estimated distance: 15 - 20km/ day
Getting there: by road
Getting Back: by road
Equipment needed: Unsupported – you need to carry everything you need for the trip! No tents - sleeping is out in the open under the stars
​
Overview:
Few wildlife areas in South Africa can compare to the Northern Kruger National Park. Its an area time thankfully seems to have forgotten. Our 5 nights were spent under the stars, no tents, just sleeping out in the open around the campfire with each team member taking turns to stand watch giving you time to take in the wilderness. Each day we would move to a new location following the worn animal paths into this remote region. On one of the nights we camped in the hills, near a natural spring, up high with a great vantage point to observe the flow of animals coming to drink under the watchful eye of the full moon.
​
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |
The land of many voices:
The Pafuri region is the Northernmost section of the Kruger National Park, where the Luvuvhu River meets the “grey-green, greasy Limpopo River”, popularized by British Author Rudyard Kipling, and infamously known as Crooks Corner. This region forms the border between three countries, namely South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Rich in history this region gave rise to an ancient African civilization (1200 - 1550 AD) that formed one of the earliest trade routes into Southern Africa from the East Coast of Africa, trading in gold and ivory that is said to have reached as far afield as China. Today remnants of these early walled cities can be seen on the many hill tops across the region, Thulamela being one of the most well known.
Seemingly lost in time the area today boasts a diverse landscape rich in fauna and flora largely because of its diverse geological landscape. Long-term conservation efforts have seen the formation of one of the most significant trans-border conservation areas in Africa, the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park. The Park combines a number of established conservation areas in the three countries bringing a total of over 37 000km² (the size of the Netherlands) of conservation area together with an ambitious plan to expanding this to form a mega park of over 100 000km².
Pafuri region is considered to be one of the most scenic landscapes in the Kruger National Park, and with its ancient origins forms a unique wilderness experience that literally takes you back in time one step at a time.
​
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |