Waterholes & Dams
In dry season, water is everything. Park at these dams and waterholes, switch off the engine, and wait — the best Kruger sightings often come to you.
Dry season waterhole guideSunset Dam
Legendary dam just outside Lower Sabie. Massive crocodile and hippo populations with reliable elephant and buffalo visits at dusk.
Transport Dam
Site of the famous "Battle at Kruger" video. Open savanna attracts huge buffalo herds and attendant lion prides.
Nsemani Dam
Prime watering point on the open plains near Satara. Excellent for lions, bathing elephants, and hippos.
Leeupan
Lion Pan near Tshokwane holds water late into the dry season. Lions often rest in nearby shade.
Orpen Dam
Visible from the camp fence and the H7. Steady stream of thirsty animals throughout the day.
Rabelais Dam
Popular stop on the Orpen–Satara road. Good for general game and raptors overhead.
Pioneer Dam
Massive dam below Mopani camp. Elephant and buffalo herds congregate here daily in winter.
Lake Panic Hide
One of the best bird hides in the park. Hippos, crocs, and kingfishers at eye level.
Sweni Waterhole
On the famous S100 lion road. High predator activity especially in early morning.
Gezantfombi Dam
Key water source in the southern circle. Strong cat and rhino territory.
Mingerhout Dam
Large dam in mopane woodland north of Letaba. Excellent elephant viewing.
Kanniedood Dam
Historic dam on the Shingwedzi River. Famous for large tusker elephants in the dry season.
Sirheni Dam
Viewable from Sirheni Bushveld Camp. Leopards and general game visit regularly.
Sable Dam
Near the bookable Sable Sleepover Hide. Excellent for rare sable antelope and twilight leopards.
Matjulu Waterhole
Key water source in the Berg-en-Dal area along the Matjulu Spruit. Strong rhino and general game viewing.
Mlondozi Dam
Scenic dam with panoramic views. Buffalo, elephant, and waterbuck are common.
Duke Waterhole
Named after a famous elephant bull. Reliable stop on the Duke Road loop.
Shitlhive Waterhole
Natural pan in the Pretoriuskop area. Good general game viewing in the granite foothills.
Nyamundawa Waterhole
Reliable water point in the southwest. Often attracts zebra, wildebeest, and predators in dry season.
Mestel Dam
Dam near Pretoriuskop rest camp. Convenient stop when exploring the southwestern loops.
Voortrekker Waterhole
On the famous Voortrekker Road (H2-2). Named for the historic route through the southwestern bushveld.
Mpondo Dam
Reliable dam in the southeastern bushveld. Good general game and birding in the dry season.
Makholhlolo
Natural pan on the eastern circle routes. Often attracts grazers and predators in winter.
Gayisenga
Quiet water point between the Sabie and Crocodile river zones. Worth a stop on eastern loops.
Nhlanganzwana Dam
Dam in the far southeast near the Lebombo foothills. Holds water well into the dry season.
N'watimhiri
Pan on the Sabie River road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie. Reliable dry-season wildlife stop.
Olifants Waterhole
Waterhole on the Olifants River loop with strong elephant and hippo activity.
Manzimahle Dam
Dam on the Olifants River circuit. Excellent for elephants bathing and general game.
N'watindlopfu
Named waterhole on the Olifants loop. Popular with elephants and buffalo in winter.
Jones Dam
Scenic dam north of Olifants camp. Good elephant and general game viewing.
Xilolweni Dam
Dam on the eastern plains north of Satara. Strong dry-season concentrations of game.
Mazithi Dam
Open-plains dam between Satara and Tshokwane. Lions and general game are common.
Kumanadam
Dam on the central tar road between Orpen and Satara. Reliable year-round wildlife stop.
Lugmag Dam
Dam in the Timbavati bushveld west of Satara. Quiet alternative to the main H7 stops.
Ngwenyeni Dam
Water point on the Orpen–Satara corridor. Good for grazers and predators in winter.
Modzweni
Natural pan near the central plains. Often productive in the late dry season.
Talamati Pan
Pan in the Talamati bushveld zone on resident-only roads. Quiet leopard and general game territory.
Ximangwaneni Reservoir
Reservoir in the western bushveld near Orpen. Holds water late and draws steady game traffic.
Ngwamutsatsa
Pan in the Timbavati bushveld near Orpen. Quiet stop on western loop roads.
Welverdiend
Reliable pan in the western bushveld. Good for general game away from the main tar roads.
Gudzanidam
Dam on the eastern plains near the Lebombo. Strong dry-season game concentrations.
Girivana
Open-plains waterhole near Satara. Lions and cheetah territory in winter.
Piet Grobler Reservoir
Large reservoir on the Letaba River system. Excellent elephant and hippo viewing.
Ngotso
Waterhole north of Letaba on the main northern route. Reliable winter wildlife stop.
Engelhard Dam
Famous dam at Letaba with a viewing hide. One of the best elephant spots in the north.
Malopenyana
Natural pan in mopane woodland between Letaba and Makhadzi. Quiet dry-season stop on northern loop roads.
Klein Shawu
Small pan in the Shawu valley system near Engelhard and Mingerhout. Holds water late and draws steady game traffic.
Shawu No. 1
Named pan in the Shawu valley near Mingerhout Dam. Part of a productive chain of northern water points.
Tsale
Pan west of Mopani in mopane bushveld. Worth a stop when exploring the Pioneer Dam loops.
Nshawu Dam
Dam in the Nshawu area near Pioneer Dam. Reliable winter concentrations of elephant and general game.
Tihongonyeni
Natural water point in the Mopani bushveld. Quiet alternative to the busier tar-road dams.
Hlamvu Dam
Dam on the Shingwedzi River system. Strong elephant and buffalo activity in the dry season.
Dzombo West
Pan in the Dzombo area west of Shingwedzi. Productive mopane-country stop on northern gravel loops.
Olifantsbad
Named pan in the Olifantsbad area. Attracts grazers and predators when seasonal pans dry up.
Nkokodzi
Natural pan north of Shingwedzi. Holds water into winter and draws thirsty herds from the mopane belt.
Krapkuil
Small pan near the Shingwedzi–Sirheni bushveld zone. Often overlooked but productive in late dry season.
Rooibosrand Reservoir
Reservoir in the Rooibosrand area. Excellent elephant viewing and a strong birding location.
Nkulumbeni
Pan on the northern Shingwedzi loops. Good for general game away from the main river frontage.
Shisha
Pan in the far north between Shingwedzi and Punda Maria. Quiet mopane-country water point.
Magamba
Natural pan in the Punda Maria bushveld. Reliable stop when exploring the northern H1-7 corridor.
Dzudzwini Spring
Spring-fed water point in the far north. Attracts game when surrounding pans have dried.
Mandadzidzi
Pan near the Punda Maria access roads. Worth checking on northern self-drive loops.
Klopperfontein
Historic water point near Punda Maria. Famous northern landmark with strong dry-season game traffic.
Mashikhiri
Pan in the Mashikhiri area north of Punda Maria. Quiet stop on far-northern exploration routes.
Mazanje
Natural pan in the far northern mopane belt. Holds water late and draws grazers in winter.
Nkovakulu
Northern pan near the Pafuri approach zone. Productive in the late dry season when water is scarce.