Kruger Park tour for kids

Kruger National Park is one of the most popular game parks in the world.

It covers a significant chunk of South Africa – from the Crocodile River in Mpumalanga in the south to the Zimbabwe border in the Limpopo Province in the north. On its entire eastern side is the border with Mozambique. Recently there has been progress in extending this wilderness region as part of a trans-frontier park with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Kruger Park is home to 336 different species of trees, 49 fish, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. Visitors can see the ‘Big 5’ – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard – in their natural environment. This environment is made up of 16 different ecozones.

Our urban children need ‘time out’ to experience camping in ‘the bush’ among the spectacular African wildlife, appreciate magnificent vistas, mountains and flowing rivers and grasp the importance of conservation.

The Kruger Park tour for kids aims to:

• Let the children see and experience the diversity of the African ‘bush’.
• Allows the children to experience and evaluate ecotourism as a growing industry.
• Teach the children about our role in conservation and ‘being good stewards’ of our environment.
• Look at anti poaching methods and the plight of the rhino.
• Explore the role of nature reserves in the world today.
• Study the fauna and flora of the African Lowveld.
• Experience the smells, sights and sounds of the animals during the day and at night.
• Introduce the urban child to camping and learning to manage themselves and their possessions.
• Complete worksheets for each day’s itinerary with the purpose of teaching and learning.
• For South Africans, this Outdoor Educational experience is linked to the SA curriculum.

Brief proposed itinerary which can be customised to suit your needs

Day One

Meet at Johannesburg airport, picked up by an accredited overland company with driver and registered guide. Leave Johannesburg behind and head for Mpumalanga Province, to experience Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Camp outside Kruger for the night.

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Day Two

Up at the crack of dawn for an early morning game walk. After breakfast, leave for Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre that provides a home for abandoned, injured and poisoned wildlife. After lunch journey to Kruger Park and game drive to the rest camp. Set up camp and enjoy the dusk exploring the campsite. After supper, experience the smells and sounds of the bush at night, safe inside the camp with electrified fences.

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Day Three

First ones out the gates, to ‘hunt’ for the ‘Big Cats’. Back to camp for breakfast and then a tour around the Education Centre for hands-on-learning. Talk by a game ranger on poaching. Learn how to be a ‘birder’, using binoculars and a field guide bird book. Birding activities inside the rest camp. After lunch, swimming and then late afternoon game drive. Stories around the camp fire at night.

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Day Four

Up early for a day-trip to Skukuza stopping at a picnic spot for breakfast. Game drive to Skukuza. After lunch viewing of the fruit bats nesting at Skukuza. Swimming at the local picnic spot outside Skukuza before heading south searching for game not yet ticked off the animal observation list. Evening free to complete worksheets in the file and perimeter walk around the camp site.

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Day Five

Wake up leisurely, to enjoy a relaxing breakfast together and then pack up camp. Head back to Johannesburg with loads of photographs and memories for a life time.

Gallery

Visit the Gallery for more photographs of the Kruger Park.

Julie Womack is a qualified South African primary school teacher with 29 years teaching experience. She has organised and led more than 10 school tours to Cape Town, the Garden Route and Kruger National Park. She is offering her services to help you with your Outdoor Education Programme by organising a trip for your class. She is also available to go with you on the tour and do the tour guiding and managing.

Tour Journal

As part of the tour, each child will need a 30p flip file to store the ± 22 worksheets that cover places visited + additional work on poaching and nature reserves. This is optional for SA private schools and schools from other countries, but is essential for SA state schools to meet the requirements laid down by the EMDC.

Optional Assessments

English assessments covering LO 3, 4 and 5, with rubrics and marking memos. Also available EMS assessments covering LO 1 and NS ‘Life and Living’.

Costs

The cost will depend on the number of children and adults but will be under R4 000 / pupil. This cost includes all bookings, all meals, tents and mattresses, camping equipment, entrance fees, guiding fees, transport to and from Johannesburg in overland vehicle, petrol, toll costs, pro rata costs of the teachers and master copies of all the worksheets. Recommendation : each child brings an additional R200 for curios and ‘munchies’ along the way. The price does not include flights to Johannesburg. Flights can be arranged on request.

Requirements

1. There must be at least one teacher / 18 pupils.
2. The teachers are responsible for their pupils on the overland truck, at the different places, restaurants and at night until the children are asleep.
3. The children must supply their own 30p flipfile, sleeping bag and small pillow.
4. The worksheets need to be rolled off by the school at least 10 days before the trip as they include the final itinerary and a list informing the children what to bring on the tour. These will be emailed to you a month before the tour begins.
5. Ever child’s parents will be required to fill in an indemnity form and an emergency form with contact details. The children will also be required to fill in an indemnity form for the overland company I have employed. These will be emailed to you a month in advance.
6. The school needs to supply a comprehensive First Aid Kit to accompany the children on tour and to have obtained written permission from the parents for the teachers to administer non- prescriptive medicines. A list of recommended medicines is available.
7. If Julie is required to accompany the trip, the teachers are to take full responsibility for the behaviour of the children especially at night.
8. Malaria prophylaxes are recommended for this tour especially in summer.

Additional feature

We can video and produce a 1 hour DVD for each child at an extra cost of R150 / pupil.
The DVD will be available about a month after the tour. Free delivery for SA schools only.

Booking Information

For more information please feel free to Contact Us or make a Booking Enquiry online.

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