Getting Wild in Kruger National Park
We visited Kruger National Park for 6 days starting October 4, 2013. This natural reserve is an opportunity for visitors to enter into the wild and enjoy the freedom of nature as it evolves. For independent travelers, like us, Kruger is a unique scenario where you could make your way around while driving your own vehicle and explore without the need of a guide or a tour. The setting of the park permits visitors to enjoy it at their own pace, follow their interests, take the roads they like, and make as many stops as desired. This is without a doubt the way we love to travel. We enjoy the feeling of being in an unknown territory and the excitement of discovering it by following a map.
We rented a car for this trip and did some grocery shopping before heading to the park. We booked all our camping accommodations and national park fees online through their user-friendly website. We stayed the first two nights at Lower Sabie Campsite, the following two at Satara, and the last night at Skukuza. The locations of these campsites allowed us to explore the south and central area of the natural reserve. All campsites have electric fences that close from 6:30 pm to 4:30 am to ensure the safety of the visitors. The facilities also offer cabins, restaurants, and stores with plenty of supplies to make your stay comfortable. We drove around the park most of the day, waking up by 4:30 am to take advantage of the morning when the wildlife is most active.
During our first day in the park, we were rewarded by elephants, buffalo, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, lionesses, and many other animals just a few steps away from our car. The happiness of being a spectator of these wild and free creatures in their natural environment is indescribable! We couldn’t believe how easy it was to run into them. We took 399 pictures and 50 videos, and tried our best to make a good selection of them for your enjoyment:
We felt like kids watching hippos in the water holes opening their mouths up to 180 degrees and playing with each other:
The harmony of nature (at least until the crocodile gets hungry) as a stork tries to fish while a crocodile passes:
The heat of the mid-day was refreshed and entertained by a group of elephants that crossed in front of us and proceeded to take a mud bath:
The beautiful giraffes looking at us with curiosity while devouring the tops of the trees:
Giraffes giving each other some type of love tap with their heads while circling together:
An adult and a young rhinoceros touching each other’s horns while they continue trying to survive the risk of being exterminate by hunters:
A pair of young zebras playing as if no one was watching:
Watching a thirsty lion drinking from a water hole:
A pair of lions that trotted right by our car and didn’t even give us enough time to feel scared of them, we felt so lucky!:
Even the smaller animals attracted our attention, like this dung beetle rolling dung!:
The distinctive birds all around the road:
The caring interactions of hyenas with their cubs, which completely erased the negative image of them portrayed in the “Lion King” movie:
The undercover profile of the leopard, which we finally spotted on our last evening:
Be sure to see our gallery for more spectacular pictures!
The entire experience was a dream come true. We admire the landscape changes along the park and the wisdom of nature. Seeing so much life as free as it should always be was the best way to celebrate Sal’s birthday in Africa. Experiences like this confirm our discomfort with zoos, keeping animals as life prisoners for human satisfaction is a selfish practice. Instead, going into their natural habitat to see them live their life is a fair compromise.
While we were in Kruger National Park we received the sad news of Madiba’s – Nelson Mandela – passing on October 5, 2013. We were touched by the death of South Africa’s freedom fighter and privileged to be in his country enjoying the liberty and beauty of a land he sacrificed for.
