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• Punda Maria

Punda Maria game viewing

Punda Maria is located in the far north of the Kruger National Park in a unique habitat known as sandveld. Most visitors come here for birdwatching, or simply to get away from the hustle and bustle of southern Kruger. The diverse vegetation in the Punda Maria and Pafuri areas attracts huge numbers and species of birds, including many rarities. Rare antelopes like roan, eland, nyala, Sharpe's grysbok and suni may also be found in this northern tip of the Kruger National Park.

Scroll over the map…

Explore the game-viewing area around Punda Maria by scrolling over the dynamic map below. Photographs will appear as you move over points of interest, such as camps, roads and waterholes. For more information on a specific point of interest, just click!

What do you want to see in the vicinity of Punda Maria?

This is just a short overview of roads in the Punda Maria area:

	Predators Punda Maria is more renowned for its bird sightings than it is for predator sightings. Having said this, leopards and lions are seen around camp  from time to time, especially on the S99 Mahonie Loop. You should also be on the lookout for leopards on the S63 Luvuvhu River road. The nearest place to Punda Maria where you have a reasonable chance to see cheetah, is near Babalala picnic site on the H1-7.
	Elephants & buffaloes Elephants are regularly seen on the S99 Mahonie Loop, as well as the H1-8 tar road that leads north to Pafuri. They often drink at Mashikhiri and Nkovakulu Waterholes; also look out for buffaloes in this area.  Elephants have been sighted at Thulamila Waterhole south-west of camp in the past. This very scenic area should not be confused with Thulamela archaeological site near Pafuri.
	Rare antelope Punda Maria is known for sightings of rare antelopes, including nyala, suni, Sharpe's grysbok and roan. Nyalas are common on the S99, S64 and S63,  but you will also find Sharpe's grysbok on all of these roads. The suni is a very small, shy antelope and is sometimes seen on the S63 and S99. Roan are very rare, if you are lucky you might bump into a herd near Klopperfontein on the S61 or H1-8, or on the H1-7 near Babalala picnic site.
	Scenery The S63 Luvuvhu River road is one of the most beautiful in the whole park. The habitat changes with every kilometre that you drive, from lush riverine thickets, to tall forests, to acacia savanna with fever trees, to rugged terrain with tall lala palms... the diversity is astonishing! A few loops give you a better view of the Luvuvhu River and at Crooks Corner you can look out over South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
	Birds Punda Maria is the best area for birding in the whole park! Here you stand a chance to see rarities such as pennant-wing nightjar, racket-tailed and broad-billed rollers, Pel's fishing owl, black-throated wattle-eye, narina trogon and many more. Look for broad-billed rollers in the fever trees of the S63 and S64. Scan the large trees of the S99 for grey-headed parrot and don't forget to stop on the Luvuvhu River bridge just north of the S63 to look for crowned eagles and spinetails.

Remember,  any road has the potential to produce incredible sightings. Luck certainly plays a role, but by driving specific roads at suitable times of the day, you can drastically improve your chances of seeing specific species. Visit our Handy tips page for more game-viewing tips.