The meeting will take place at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate, just outside the main gate of Kruger National Park in South Africa.

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MEALS

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be buffet-style at the hotel.  On Thursday evening there will be a special conference braai in the River Boma (adjacent to the hotel grounds, inside the Kruger Park boundary).  Drinks are not included.

 

ACCOMMODATION

The Protea Kruger Gate is a world-class hotel situated at the entrance to Kruger Park,  providing 4-star accommodation and dining along with modern conference facilities.  The hotel has a swimming pool, tennis court, putt putt golf, gym, and spa, and there are numerous outdoor adventure activities nearby.   Free in-room wifi is available (500Mb/day), though note that South African internet in general is fairly poor.  Often a more reliable solution is to buy a sim card and use your phone as a hotspot -- Vodacom offers the best cellphone coverage in the area.

See the Registration Page for information on booking your room.

 

CONFERENCE OUTING

On Wednesday we will take the day off from talks and go on an outing that includes a raft trip down the Sabie River and a visit to the Shangana Cultural Village, which will include a traditional lunch and brief tour.  The village also has a craft market featuring local artisans, and we will leave some time for shopping.  Because the raft company can only take up to 25 people at a time, we will split into a morning group and an afternoon group, and meet midday for the lunch and village tour. 

The morning group will leave around 8:30am and return 3:30pm, and the afternoon group will leave around 10:30am and return 5:30pm.  Please email to let us know if you prefer morning, afternoon, either, or neither.  Transport will be provided, but please let us know if you'd prefer to drive yourself (it's all near Hazyview, about 45 minutes from the hotel).  The cost for the outing is included in the conference fee.  Partners (non-attendees) are welcome on a space-available basis, for R800.

 

ACTIVITIES

Game drives into Kruger Park are available at sunrise (5:30AM) and sunset (5PM).  Approximate costs are R400 per person for a ~3hr game drive (this includes the park entrance fee).  Drives in the open-air safari jeeps leave from the hotel.  There will be a sunset game drive on Monday and a sunrise game drive of Thursday.

It is possible to self-drive through Kruger Park, though be aware there is a daily limit on the number of people allowed in the park.  You will have to pay the Kruger Park conservation fee.

Guided walks are available for the more adventurous, which leave from the rest camps within Kruger Park.  The closest rest camp is Skukuza, which has morning and afternoon walks.

The hotel can help you book any additional activities.

FYI, winter is generally the best time to see animals at Kruger, as it is drier and therefore the visibility through the bush is increased, and animals tend to come to the water sources more frequently.  However, it can get chilly at nights, so bring warm clothes, particularly if you want to do a game drive.

 

TRAVEL

There are three options for flying in:

- Easiest:  The most convenient nearby airport is Nelspruit KMIA (MQP), about a 1.5 hour drive from the hotel.  There are many flights daily from Johannesburg and around SA.  The hotel provides transfer service from KMI at R 1100 single, R 650pp for 2+ people each way; please call the hotel to book.  There will be a shuttle from KMI at 12:30pm on Sunday 31 May.

- Nearest:  The closest airport is Skukuza (SZK), which is inside Kruger Park, about 30 minutes away from the hotel.  There are only three flights daily (two to Joburg, one to Cape Town), on South African Airlines.  Note that you will have to pay the Kruger Park conservation fee upon landing or exiting the park (currently R264 for non-residents).

- Cheapest:  Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) is a scenic 5-hour drive  from the hotel.  Road conditions are very good and driving is safe (though less recommended at night).  The roads have tolls, so have some Rands available.  Since most international flights arrive in "Joburg", this avoids the cost & time of a connecting flight, and may be convenient for those who want to explore the area further.  Note that we follow UK convention and drive on the left.

 

Map:  For those driving, the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is well-marked on Google maps.  Follow the brown road signs to Paul Kruger Gate.

 

Visas:  Citizens of the U.S., U.K., and many E.U. countries do not need a visa to enter South Africa for stays of less than 90 days.  For more details click here.

 

Health:  Malaria prophylaxis is recommended by the CDC, although the risk during winter is very low.