If a Kruger trip is on your summer list, getting there from Gqeberha is about to get simpler. From Monday 16 November, Airlink will fly directly to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport near Mbombela, taking the Johannesburg connection out of the journey.
SA Airlink / Montague Smith / Wikimedia Commons
It’s the first scheduled direct service between Gqeberha and Mbombela, and bookings are already open. Flights will run in both directions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, just in time for the December holidays.
When the flights run
The flight from Gqeberha leaves at 13:55 and lands at 15:35, putting the Lowveld an hour and 40 minutes away by air. In the other direction, flights leave Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport at 11:30 and arrive in Gqeberha at 13:20. All times are local.
If you’re flying up on a Friday and heading straight to Kruger, it’s worth checking your drive time from the airport and your chosen gate’s closing time before booking. You could also spend your first night near Mbombela and set off for the park the next morning.
From the coast to the Lowveld
The route works just as well in reverse. For Lowveld travellers, a direct flight into Gqeberha makes it easier to spend a few days on the Eastern Cape coast or start a road trip towards the Garden Route. The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency has welcomed the service and encouraged local tour operators to put together itineraries around it.
For travellers who want to fit both regions into one holiday, there’s now a simpler way to do it. You could start with a few days by the sea in Gqeberha, then fly up to Mbombela for early morning game drives or a few days exploring the Lowveld.
Source (Citizen)
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