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 luxury spa, and there are numerous outdoor adventure activities nearby.   Free wifi is available (500Mb/day), though our experience is that it does not work well in the rooms, and anyways is quite slow and intermittent.  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.  Transport will be provided.  The cost for the outing and transport is included in the conference fee.  Partners (non-attendees) & family are welcome on a space-available basis for an additional cost, currently estimated at R800. 

The outing will take us to Perry's Bridge Reptile Park, Elephant Whispers for an elephant interaction experience, and lunch & tour at the Shangana Cultural Village, where you can also buy souvenirs from local artisans.  We will go in two groups, one leaving at 9am and the other at 10:30am, returning to the hotel at 5pm and 6:30pm approximately.

 

ACTIVITIES

Game drives into Kruger Park are available at sunrise (5 AM) and sunset (5 PM).   Cost is R480 per person for a ~3hr game drive (this includes the park entrance fee).  Drives in the open-air safari jeeps leave from the hotel.  We will organize a sunset game drive on Monday and a sunrise game drive on Thursday.  Partners & family welcome; the minimum age is 8.

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, including more game drives.

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 1200 single, R 750pp for 2+ people each way; please call the hotel to book.  We will arrange a conference shuttle service on Sunday around 1pm from MQP, and depending on demand a return shuttle on Friday after the conference ends.  If you are leaving Saturday you are on your own, but there are might be people driving who have space in their car; you can always ask around during the meeting and arrange something with the hotel if nothing works out.

- 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).  Contact the hotel to arrange a transfer from SZK.

- Cheapest:  Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) is a scenic 5-hour drive  from the hotel.  Road conditions are quite good and driving is safe (though less recommended at night).  There are several gas/food/rest stops along the highway.  The roads have tolls, so have ~300 Rands available (foreign credit cards are not always accepted).  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. 

 

Map:  For those driving, the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is well-marked on Google maps.  Follow the brown road signs towards Paul Kruger Gate, the hotel is on the left just before you cross the river to reach the park entrance.  Note that we follow UK convention and drive on the left.

 

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. 

Note: if you intend to bring along children under 18, SA regulations require that you present an original birth certificate upon entry and exit.

 

Health:  Malaria prophylaxis is officially recommended by the CDC, although the risk during winter is very minimal.  Water is safe to drink here and just about everywhere in South Africa.