Tips for a safari adventure in Kruger Park

Are you a nature lover, do you love animals, or have you always wanted to spot the Big Five? No matter who you are and what you love, a visit to Kruger Park is definitely worth it. Especially when you are in South Africa or the surrounding countries. The Kruger Park is about the same size as the Netherlands. In this large area, there are several ways you can look for the animals and enjoy the beautiful nature. How you can do this and which location I visited, I'm going to tell you more about it here.

The first week of my trip through South Africa along with the travelling companions taking part in it involved five days of camping and safari in the Kruger Park. On arrival at the Kruger Park border, our group were picked up by safari jeeps. Here, the first game drive through the park started right away. With a game drive, you will drive through the Kruger Park with the safari jeep or your own car to spot the different animals.

When you go to Kruger Park, you could stay at one of the many campsites located in the middle of the park. We stayed at Lower Sabie. This campsite is located in the south of the Kruger Park on the Sabie River. The area around the Lower Sabie River is considered one of the best places to spot the most wildlife. Our stay and food was completely arranged by All Out Africa. This is the organization I booked my trip with. The campsite is equipped with all conveniences. Think toilet blocks, a restaurant, supermarket, and a swimming pool. At our camp at the campsite, there were several two-person tents set up and for camp atmosphere, there was a campfire every night.

When you go on safari in the South African summer, it can quickly reach 30 degrees or higher. So that means most animals are the least active. It is therefore wise to start your game drive early in the morning, when the park gates open. The gates open at 4.30 in the morning and then close at 6.30 in the evening. So you can enjoy both sunrise and sunset. The Kruger Park is flat in most places, and you have kilometres of distant views.

Besides game drives, there are other ways to discover nature and animals. You can do morning walks. This is where you go walking through Kruger Park under the guidance of two 'rangers'. The rangers ensure your safety and choose good walking routes. The walk takes about two hours and, like the game drives, starts at 4.30 in the morning. This allows you to enjoy a sunrise during the walk and besides, the walk is not at the hottest time of the day. The other activity is the 'sunset drive', where you drive the safari jeeps through the park after closing time. At this time of day, different animals become active than in the morning or afternoon. I did both activities and I definitely recommend doing both. During these activities, I saw a herd of about 40 elephants crossing the river, a few giraffes a short distance away, a leopard tortoise, lions in the middle of the road and several other animals.

In the five days I spent in Kruger Park, I saw many animals like lions, hyenas, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs and many more. I even managed to see the Big Five in one day. It is not a guarantee that you will see all the animals. I certainly recommend visiting Kruger Park once in a lifetime. Especially the animals that are in danger of extinction, you better not wait long. Before you know it, it will be too late to be able to see them. So I would say don't wait any longer and visit the Kruger Park!