in the bush

There may be wilder places in South Africa, but Kruger National Park is certainly at the top of the list. It’s untamed. It’s exotic. It’s magical. It is, without a doubt, a place everyone should visit at least once.

The bush is about so much more than seeing lions and elephants roaming freely. It’s about experiencing nature in the raw. It gives you perspective and brings you back to your roots. It also makes you feel vulnerable, you see, because the animals are in control in the bush. 

We stayed at an amazing place called Kapama Southern Camp. Our room was a lapa, which is a structure with a thatched (grassy) roof.  But this was a luxury lapa! Take a look…

We were up each morning at 5am to be ready for coffee at 5:30am. The game drive left at 6am and was led by our Ranger, Bethleu, and a Tracker, Justice. Game drives are all about low expectations and high anticipation, as you cannot guarantee seeing animals. This is not a zoo…this is the bush and the animals are wild.

Afternoons were free, so we took a nap every day. High tea and sweets were served at 4:30pm, followed by our evening game drive. We would stop each night around 7pm for a “sundowner” which is a cocktail in the bush. This was a good time to socialize with the other people in our group. We met some great people from Portugal, Peru, Atlanta, Spain and good ole’ Winter Haven, Florida! Central Florida representing in S. Africa!!! Haha!

After the activities of the day, we returned to the camp for dinner at 8pm. The camp was charming at night, complete with dim lighting and lots of candlelight. We ate inside twice and outside by the boma (campfire) twice.

Over the 4 days, we saw a lot of animals including the “Big 5”: lion, rhino, cape buffalo, leopard and elephant. We saw everything from guinea fowl to baboons to hippos. Since it is Spring, we saw lots of baby animals! I think I said “awwwwwwww” about a thousand times.

Of course, seeing TWO leopards was the victory of the trip. For those of you who don’t know, the leopard is the most difficult animal to spot in the bush. When our Ranger heard that a leopard had been located, he was even more excited than us! He barreled over trees with giant thorns to see it. When we found it, we were no more than 7 feet away from this incredible animal. It was truly an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As you know, I love rhinos so seeing them was another highlight for me. We were also thrilled to see two guys from the anti-poaching unit. 

We also saw 3 animals in the “Ugly 5." The Ugly 5 includes hyena, wildebeest, vulture, warthog and marabou stork.

We saw thousands of impala. Our ranger pointed out that the black on their bums resembles the McDonald’s “M”!! Impalas are a favorite snack of the lion.

We also got to see one of the smallest antelopes, called a duiker. These things are TINY – they are only between 45 and 60 centimeters tall. That’s the size of a house pet! They are super fast and it was extremely difficult to get a photo of one. No joke…I got a photo of a leopard before I got a photo of the duiker. What are the odds of that?

When humans go through puberty, we look awkward and terrible. When lions do, they look badass! Do you see his mane starting to fill in?

This pride of lions was less than 10 feet from our Land Cruiser. We were both excited and terrified because the vehicle is open. The lions could have had us for dinner if they wanted. We learned that the lions see the vehicle as one large animal and will not attack something much larger than itself unless desperate. We were glad they weren't desperate.

Here are more lion photos...

The kudu is Mat’s favorite antelope. They are stunning animals and are nicknamed the “gray ghost” because of their expertly camouflaged coat.

The hippos were really cool. They are pretty lazy and hang out in the water during the day. Their skin has an allergy to the sun, so they typically only graze at night. The babies ride on their Mom’s back when the water is too deep for them to stand themselves.

We also saw a lot of giraffes. They seem to move in slow motion because they are so tall and lanky.

This was the smallest baby giraffe we saw. The awwwwww factor was through the roof!

The elephants were absolutely HUGE and came very close to the Land Cruiser. We were happy they didn't get upset and charge us!

We saw a huge herd of cape buffalo. You may think they look like a harmless cow with huge horns, but they are actually a vicious creature when provoked. These things can kill lions. Seriously, check YouTube! Their “boss” (horns) make me shiver.

Waterbucks are in the photo below. They are fluffy AND their noses are the shape of a heart! They are called waterbucks due to the amount of water they drink.

Look at the mom and baby zebra! The baby was running around and bucking. 

Here are a couple photos of us goofing around in the Tracker's chair.

And there we go, a rundown of our amazing safari. Every moment was wonderful and we will remember this adventure for the rest of our lives.

I almost forgot to include the funniest photos of our trip! We were at the pool one day and a monkey decided to help himself to our chips while we were at the bar. Then, it had to get some water because the chips were salty!!! haha!!!