Note: This is part 2 of our 3 part trip to Africa (Cape Town, Kruger National Park, and Victoria Falls).  See other posts for detail of the Cape Town and Victoria Falls segments.

After some research, we chose Kruger National Park in South Africa for our family safari trip.  We worked with a travel agent in South Africa to select the Lion Sands Narina Lodge which is along the Sabie River.  It was WONDERFUL.  We stayed for three nights but would have happily stayed longer.

We flew into the small Skukuza Airport, which is definitely the coolest airport I have ever been to.

Our guide for our stay met us at the airport and drove us the short distance to the lodge.   He would be our driver for all of our game drives.

When we got to the lodge we were welcomed with food and drinks, which we would soon find out would be plentiful during our stay.  We ate so much.  And we got to try some unusual game, like warthog and kudu (both of which we also saw on game drives).

Our trip was in Africa’s winter (summer in the U.S.), which is dry season in Kruger.  This means the river is low, and the animals spend a lot of time close to the river because water is scarce (and we had no problems with mosquitos).  The lack of foliage at this time of year can make it easier to spot the animals.  The Narina Lodge is right on the Sabie River, so we saw animals at the river, both from the main lodge and also from our rooms (and bathrooms).  Our friend saw a leopard from her outdoor shower on two different days!

There were a lot of monkeys around and you had to remember to make sure all doors and windows were locked so they wouldn’t go into your room.  Apparently they can open doors!

There were two game drives every day, one in the morning and the second in the late afternoon/early evening.  This is when the wildlife is most active.  Ismael, our guide, drove the vehicle and Collin, our tracker, sat in the jump seat to track the animals.

We always made a stop during the drive for some snacks and refreshments.

Many people hope to see the “Big Five” while on safari; lion, elephant, leopard, rhinoceros, and Cape buffalo.  We saw all of the Big Five and so many other animals too.

 

The Big 5:

The lions had just had a kill so we kept our distance (if you look closely you can see the blood on the face and sides of the lioness).  But with most of the other animals we were shocked with how close we got to them.  It was so exhilarating to see them up close in their natural habitat.

Here are some photos that I think give you a feel for how close we were to the animals:

The lions weren’t the only animals we saw who had just had a kill.  We also came across a pack of hyenas with blood on their faces and necks.

Giraffes are a favorite of mine, so while they may not be in the Big 5, I loved seeing them.

I had never seen a hippo out of the water before.  Apparently hippos are very aggressive and one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.

On one of our evening drives our guide had us stay in the jeep while he went to check out a spot he knows.  After deciding it was safe, he had us follow him down to the river where a large group of hippos were submerged.

Zebra were also on my list of “hope to see” so I was happy when we found a herd of them on one of our drives.

One morning after our game drive Ismael took us on a bush walk.  He showed us scat and tracks along the way, and explained what he looks for and what clues animals leave behind.

This safari was a such an amazing experience for all of us.  We weren’t ready to leave when it was over, and would have loved to stay longer (or to have followed it with a lodge in another area).  It is a bucket list trip that I highly recommend to anyone, especially animal lovers.

Planning note: We did take anti-malarial pills for visiting Kruger Park, but none of us got bitten at all (and mosquitos love me).  I’m assuming visiting during dry season helps with the mosquitos.  The doctor also had us take prescription and OTC medications for stomach issues but none of us needed it.