The Kruger Lowveld region is easily accessible from both within South Africa and from neighbouring countries, by air and by road.
By air
The three principal aerial gateways to the region are Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (also known as KMIA – airport code: MQP); Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport (HDS) and Skukuza Airport (SZK) in the Kruger National Park. KMIA hosts several regional routes including daily flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban and regular scheduled flights to Mozambique. Skukuza offers daily scheduled flights to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town. From Hoedspruit there are frequent flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
By road
The region offers good road access from all directions. The principal artery is the N4 highway which traverses the region from east to west, linking Nelspruit/Mbombela with Johannesburg and Pretoria/Tshwane and with the Mozambican capital Maputo (via the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia border post).
All the SA Roads Agency (SANRAL) roads in the region are well maintained and driving conditions are generally outstanding, giving easy access from Phalaborwa, Tzaneen, Polokwane and Zimbabwe in the north; Lydenburg/Mashishing, Dullstroom and Machadodorp/eNtokozweni in the west; and Ermelo, Piet Retief/Mkhondo and Swaziland in the south.
Getting around
Many visitors choose the self-drive option when visiting the region to ensure they get to see as much as possible.
All the major national and international car hire companies have representation in the Kruger Lowveld region, with depots in the towns of Nelspruit/Mbombela and Hazyview and at the airports – Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (White River), Skukuza Airport (Kruger National Park) and Eastgate Airport (Hoedspruit).
If you decide on a self-drive tour, please remember that distances between towns are significant. Careful planning is vital.
Public transport, as in all of South Africa, is somewhat limited although the adventurous will find that the minibus taxi network and buses work well. Long-distance coaches and minibus transfers are available from Johannesburg, Pretoria/Tshwane and Maputo.