Elephants gathering at a watering hole in the Kruger National Park. Photo: Pixabay
South Africa’s world-renowned and much-loved Kruger National Park (KNP) will open its gates once again on Friday 14 August.
Elephants gathering at a watering hole in the Kruger National Park. Photo: Pixabay
Following the announcement made by Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane that intra-provincial travel will now be open to residents, South African National Parks (SANParks) will allow some of the camps in the Kruger Park to open for overnight stays.
The announcement is nothing less than joyous as the country slowly opens up again after a debilitating lockdown which has seen the economy crumble.
With intra-provincial travel allowed and national parks and nature reserves opening, South Africans will no doubt take advantage of this desperately needed freedom and head into the wilderness.
As stipulated by SANParks, only certain rest camps and accommodation facilities will be open as they plan on opening the national park in phases for safety reasons.
KNP managing executive Gareth Coleman said the park is more than ready to welcome back overnight guests but this will be done in phases.
“As the regulations of COVID-19 continuously change; it is imperative that we as KNP also adjust to make sure that those who will be visiting enjoy their experience regardless of the pandemic.
“The issue of PPE, training, and the recording of personal details of visitors will be strictly adhered to; we are pleading with our clients to work with the gate and camp staff members on the observation of Health Protocols around the virus for safety.”
One of the strict regulations is that travellers may only overnight in their province of residence. So, residents from Mpumalanga and Limpopo may only stay in camps that are located within their provinces, respectively.
Visitors heading to the park and booking accommodation will have to adhere to strict rules and regulations that include maintaining social distancing by at least two metres and wearing wear masks in the public areas.
Vehicles will be checked for capacity and occupancy numbers at the gates, so keep in mind the rule that occupants may not exceed more than 70% of capacity.