Pafuri

Pafuri is the wedge of Kruger between the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers at the top of the park, and ecologically it is a different country from the south, about 240 square kilometres and a natural crossing point for wildlife: the bird list includes tropical species that reach their southern limit at this river. The name comes from Mphaphuli, the dynastic name of the Venda chiefs who ruled here. The fever tree forest along the Luvuvhu, tall yellow-green trunks in dense stands, is the image people carry away. Lanner Gorge cuts a sandstone canyon a hundred metres deep, and Crooks' Corner, where South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique meet at a river confluence, was a spot where fugitives could step between jurisdictions. Game density is lower than the south - fewer lion, more elephant and nyala - so this is for people who come for landscape and birds rather than a big-five checklist. It is a long way from anywhere.

Highlights

• The fever tree forest - dense stands of yellow-green trunks along the Luvuvhu.
• Lanner Gorge - a sandstone canyon around a hundred metres deep.
• Crooks' Corner - the three-country river junction used by fugitives to dodge jurisdictions.
• The distinct ecology - plants and birds unlike those of the rest of the park.

When to go

November to March for migrant birds; May to September for cooler days. Two to three days.

What to expect

It is a very long drive from the main camps - most of a day from Skukuza. Summer heat here is extreme, often above forty. Game viewing is thinner than the south and disappoints big-five hunters.

Nearby

Punda Maria camp is south; the Limpopo border posts are close.

Key facts