There’s nowhere i’d rather be than amongst animals. A true African safari is an adventure that’s been on my bucket list for many years and i’ve had the privilege of visiting a beautiful camp on the Botswana border a couple of years ago, spotting all the big 5 in one weekend, spending the days lounging around in our bush lodge when we weren’t out on a trek. So to visit Kruger Park, with its wide open spaces was my ultimate dream.
No longer surrounded by fences or gated in any way, Kruger Park spans the same amount of land as France. Whilst that is incredible for the wild animals who have been left to freely roam around in their natural habitat, it makes it slightly harder to protect them from poachers. It also means that spotting them all in one weekend might be slightly trickier too. We flew from Johannesburg to Nelspruit on Airlink in just under an hour, where we were greeted and driven an hour to the park’s borders. Kruger Park opens at 6am and closes at 6pm too, allowing public cars to register and enter the park at their own will (through a security gate). This means that occasionally when you do spot an animal, there may be a little traffic to deal with too. 
Once we arrived at the gates, it took us another hour to reach our lodge Lukimbi as we drove at no more than 50kms the whole way, allowing for a few zebra crossings… literally. On arrival we had a light lunch and prepared for our first bush drive, revelling in what turned out to be the most glorious sunset. Logging 3 out of the big 5 on our first evening, we saw elephants, rhino and lion’s all within 25 mins of the resort. Our ranger was quick to spot tracks left during the day, as well as identifying the herds and packs who’s territories we’d encroached in. Stopping for a quick sunset drink, toasting the surrounding nature made the moment even more surreal. 
It’s an early wake up for those who are keen to see what other animals are starting to stir. 5.30am call time for a 6am departure from the lodges. You have to be escorted from your rooms during the dark hours too, just in case a passing leopard takes a fancy to the boardwalk – which i’m assured has happened before. The winter is without doubt the most beautiful time of year to take it all in, but it’s certainly not the most comfortable. When the weather’s warmer, the outdoor pool overlooking the local watering hole (theirs not ours) is a fantastic place to hang out in and literally watch the world go by. During the winter though, the temperature can reach as low as a couple of degrees and without the sun up, the wind passing through the open roof cruiser makes it even colder. Waiting for you in the car is a hot water bottle and blanket, but dress warm anyway. 
Passing a rhino mother and her young 1 week old baby has to be one of the most incredible sightings, alongside a mother Hyena and her tiny little black cubs. We also spotted leopards, buffalo, mongoose, warthog, civet, jackal, crocodile, giraffe, zebra, kudu, impala, waterbuck, nyala, some spectacular birds and my very first hippo! So no shortage of animals in our surrounding camps. It’s a trip you will remember forever. The smells, sights and sounds (often a tad unnerving at night) are all just so tangible in the bush. 
