Three Days In Kruger National Park Safari

POSTED ON JULY 24, 2017

A visit to South Africa is incomplete without a safari to the majestic Kruger National Park. Safaris will change your view of wildlife. It is a great experience where you learn about the importance of protecting the amazing creatures that we share this planet with.

 

We paid $420 USD per person for our three-day safari which included a one night accommodation in a large beautiful lodge in Johannesburg, transportation from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park, the safari, tents, and all meals and drinks. Our campground was conveniently located close to the main store and restaurants. We had a tent with two individual beds and a fan for the hot afternoons. Yes! Even in the winter, Kruger gets hot!

Early morning drives were a little challenging as the winter mornings were freezing and our wake up time was 5am. However, our guides made it more bearable by providing hot tea and coffee before our drive. We were also provided with a poncho and a warm water bottle to hold during the drive. TIP: Bring a warm jacket, a scarf, gloves, and beanie to keep yourself warm.

After returning from our early morning drive, our continental breakfast would already be waiting for us. We loved interacting with other guests during our meals as we shared fun stories from our sightings. Our group was very interesting and we got to meet people from all over the world.

 

After our delicious and filling breakfast, we were then able to nap and rest in our tents.

 

Our dinners were delicious and included free wine for all. We got to try regional wines and their unique Pinotage blends. It was fun to have our tour guides join our conversations after dinner. We learnt so much from them and gave us a different perspective about life in Kruger.

We were impressed by the professional and knowledgeable tour guides. They answered all of our questions and were happy to explain, or repeat things we didn’t understand. Our guides were so skilled at finding and spotting animals even during our early morning or dark drives. Our guides were so caring and made sure we were safe at all times.

We got to see the “Big Five” which include the lion, the rhino, the buffalo, the elephant, and the leopard. During our morning drive, a herd of lionesses were strolling through the park and luckily crossed our path. It was quite a sight to witness how the impalas froze in fear when the lionesses made their trek. Luckily for the impalas, the lionesses were not hunting. We were also fortunate to see leopards two different times during our drives. We spotted a solitary leopard resting by a tree after having hunted an impala that was safely stored on the tree branches.

We absolutely loved every animal sighting. It was amazing to be guests in their land and observe them in their natural habitat. However, it was depressing to see the rhinos missing their ivory horns as poaching continues to be an issue in South Africa.

 

Evening safaris were beautiful. We were driven to an open area in a mountain where we got to see amazing sunsets.

The dining place was in an open area and we were warned by our guides about possible visits from monkeys and baboons. We were instructed to give up our food if one of these insisted on taking our meals and to avoid fighting over it. To our amusement, a monkey came over once when we were eating bananas and demanded his share by a loud scream and a tap on Rosy’s leg. And of course, we immediately shared!

We also had constant visits from warthogs at the campground. They were friendly and didn’t mind us walking around their territory. It was cute to see them kneel down on their front feet to dig the dirt in search of yummy worms.

 

Our first night was interesting to say the least! There were loud, screaming bushbaby lemurs that hung out on the trees and were extremely verbal throughout the whole night. You get used to it after a couple of hours! At first we thought they were birds but our guide corrected us the next morning.

Kruger Park is so amazing and you never know what you’ll run into. Our departure from the park was exciting as we witnessed a large herd of elephants crossing the main road. It was a herd of about 20 elephants ranging from all ages and sizes. The elephants made it well known that this was their home. All the cars froze to let them pass and we could not have been happier to have experienced this epic moment.

An alternative to an afternoon game drive was to visit the surrounding highlands which included Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. We heard great things about it from other travelers so we decided to go. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the canyon which is located in eastern Mpumalanga.

 

The views were spectacular! We got to see The Three Rondavels which are the iconic three rock mountain formations that resemble traditional African rondavels. These are a geological wonder that consequently enough were naturally shaped like huts. It is said that the three huts show the different types of villages that changed from basic to modern throughout generations.

 

There are several beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails. You can hike up to the famous God’s Windows viewpoint where you will get a breathtaking view of the canyon and Kruger Park. As you stand there, you will find out why this viewpoint is called God’s Window.

 

You’ll also find arts and crafts bazaars with very cheap prices so make sure to bring money.