Kruger National Park

The best Self Drive safari !

It was not my first self-drive Kruger National Park visit and it will certainly not be my last! November is usuallly the month of the first rains, new fresh grass and a lof of new-born impalas, that is why we love to go in November. Well not this time however, it had not rained at all , but luckily for the animals and the plants they came later ! However the young impalas were born and we saw many lions, some cheetah, leopards etc etc. Yes we were lucky again as far as the predators are concerned,
But driving around in Kruger NP always makes us happy even when we don't see the big 5 . Because of the different landscapes and the sounds of the bush .
Leave the main roads and sometime you feel that this part of Africa is yours!
Anyway you never have to leave the park to get your necessary supplies. Whatever way you accommodate yourself , camping or self-catering houses or huts you can enjoy the restaurants and have a cold drink while waiting for the sun to set.

An incredible amount of wildlife in a very short amount of time!

We were only in the park for a very short amount of time but ended up seeing so many amazing things! We went on one evening/night safari drive and one all day safari within the park. We entered the park from the Numbi gate and on our all day safari we ended up seeing all of the big 5 along with several other key species of mammals and birds. It was an incredible experience, I just wish we had more time within the park!

Kruger is massive and has everything. Staying inside the park really gives visitors a remarkable experience.

Rewarding

We had a wonderful trip to Kruger and got to see most of the wildlife we were hoping to see and got as close to most as we would have liked. The amenities were good and didn't interfere with the 'vibe' of feeling like you were in the bush. The park was clean and well kempt.

Kruger seems to be bush (where I was at least), which is more enclosed by vegetations, trees and hilly terrain. If you want the expansive type of visits where you see herds of giraffe galloping across the wide open plain, or the "great migration", my sense is that that is more in Kenya. But Kruger is exactly what it should be, and I was thrilled with my overall experience, and the plethora/variety of animals I saw. NEXT trip (Hopefully), I will go to Kenya, and then also see the gorillas in Rwanda. (I stand to be corrected if other areas of Kruger are more wide open. It's huge). I did NOT go to the public part of Kruger close to Johannesburg, for example, because I wanted to stay away from those crowds, so I can't comment on that area but the Youtube videos are not enticing (crowding, paved roads; undisciplined, "self drivers", etc).

Experience the uniqueness of the true African Bush when you visit Kruger National Park

I have been going to the Kruger National Park most of my life as i used to live in SA. Now that i am no longer living in SA, i long for the true African bush of the Kruger park even more. I probably took too many of those unique and thrilling wildlife sightings for granted all those years ago. There is no place on earth like the Kruger National park. A huge amount of land proclaimed for hundreds of years to the sole purpose of preserving the African wildlife. The park offers self drives options for "huts" and "camping" facilities. You can drive yourself around, or one can stay in the more private lodges with game lodges. My favorite is the self drive option, as your time is your own.
From the excitement of entering the park main gates, when you know you have finally arrived! Deep breath of fresh air, no pollution, the smell of the bush. Its hard to describe, grass, dust, wildlife- its unique! Then the slow drives to camps. The excitement of tuning out all the modern day distractions of cell phones and digital connection, and just driving slowly listening for animal sounds, and bird calls. Keeping your eyes peeled for any signs of movement. From spotting the impalas, to buffalo, then the excitement of seeing the cats! Everyday and every might is a unique experience. Plan your route to leave camp early, catch the sunrise of absolute beauty, stop at the picnic spots, cook an African bush breakfast, head back to camp stopping for elephant road blocks and cats starting the evening prowl for prey. Catch the glorious colours of an African sunset, before sitting under the vast sky of stars. It's a very special place on earth

I expected to see a large number of birds in number and species.

Amazing experience, endless vistas, the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets, large viewings of so many different species of animals in different environments, amazing!

What we exprienced in one week is enough to remember for the rest of our lives. At least 30 lions, 3 leopards with cubs, rhino's, hippo's, crocs, hyena's, buffaloes, really hundreds of elephants, antilopes, beautiful birds and many, many more. We saw a croc catching an impala, two lionesses after a kill while the vultures were fighting for the remainders. Unbelievable and awesome.

I had the chance to see Elephants, lions , zebra and many animals on their own habitat, It's an overwhelming experience that I will never forget!