Now that the winter months have well and truly settled in, one of the best things that you can do when you are visiting the Kruger National Park, and while you are in the midst of your Kruger Park safari, is to take a break and have a picnic.

With the heat slowly but surely taking a break, finding a sunny spot, perhaps partly shaded by an umbrella tree, to unpack your picnic basket and indulge in a lazy meal, is a great idea. The Kruger has plenty of picnic spots, some within rest camps and others at established picnic spots.

Most of the places where you can have a picnic in the Kruger National Park will have a little shop, communal toilets, and in some cases even a couple of braai spots and a place to wash up crockery and cutlery. When planning to have a picnic in the Kruger, it is best to make sure that you have packed everything you will need for your picnic break, as this will give you more freedom to move around and have your picnic whenever you like, instead of having to shop before you can prepare a meal.

Since most Kruger Park safaris are done in the south of the Kruger, these are the top picnic spots you can find in the area:

  1. Albasini Ruins

About 100 meters from Phabeni Gate, this incredibly simple picnic spot is situated at the historic site of the Albasini trading post. This history of the site dates back to 1846 and when here you will be able to read all about it. The picnic site has a couple of picnic tables, but there is no shop.

  1. Pretoriuskop Picnic Site

Just before you get to the Pretoriuskop Rest Camp you have the option of instead going into the picnic spot where you can have a break under the trees. The picnic site has a place to have a braai and while there is no shop at the picnic site, if you need something, you can go the short distance to the rest camp and get what you need.

  1. Nkuhlu Picnic Site

This spot is about 25km east of Skukuza and it is considered by many to be one of the park’s hidden gems because it is situated in a place where there is an abundance of wildlife. There is a shop at the site and you can hire a gas skottel braai if you want to cook something. The picnic tables have been placed in the shade of the many Natal Mahogany Trees after which the spot gets its name.

  1. Afsaal Trader’s Post

This is one of the Park’s most famous picnic spots and it is just between Skukuza and Malelane Gate. Afsaal is usually quite a busy place and it has a shop as well as bathroom facilities. In the area, you can see plenty of wildlife, and many have even spotted the Big 5. It is important to note that the picnic spot is not fenced in, so you will have to be vigilant while here.