A self-drive safari through Kruger Park should be on everybody’s bucket list! Forget paying big money to see the big five, the best way to experience a wildlife safari is to hire a car with your friends and drive through Kruger Park by yourselves.
Kruger National Park is, without doubt, the best place in the world to get up-close with wildlife and experience an adventure like no other. When I talk about Kruger to my friends, I refer to a ‘DIY safari through a 20,000 square-kilometre national park’. We drove to Kruger from Jo’Burg in a hired Chevrolet Sonic, paid about AED 50 (approx $15) each for an entry pass, and then set off on an adventure of a lifetime. No guides, no tour group… just two of my best friends and I, in a car with our cameras and camping equipment.
A safari drive is typically a game of chance, but your chances of spotting wildlife at Kruger are high. The animals own and roam the land freely; you’re in their territory, so expect to stop as rhinos step out to cross the road and elephants walk your way from out of the wilderness! The sprawling landscapes and the close encounters with animals were unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Here are 32 photos that capture just a little glimpse of what we saw at Kruger National Park in South Africa…
Important advice: If you want to sleep at one of the camps inside the park, make sure you book in advance… this was the rookie mistake we made. We had to leave the park at night (FYI: arriving at a camp or exiting the park late will result in a fine!) and pitch our tent at Komatipoort Caravan Park, which was a little grim as our food supply was low and we had been looking forward to some beers with a hot dinner! No such luck.
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