There’s no other way to explain it. Kruger National Park is an addiction.
I blame my parents and I will be forever grateful to them. My first night in the paradise that is the Kruger Park was in September 1983, at just four years old, camping at Pretoriuskop.
As with any decent addiction, the more you get the more you want – visit more often, stay for longer. And I’ve been only too happy to oblige. Every time I enter those gates I feel reborn, every time I leave I get depressed. In fact, if I didn’t already have the next visit planned so that I have something to look forward to there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be able to leave at all.
Worst of all is that we’ve gotten our son addicted too. Little Joubert was only eight weeks old when he had his first taste, also at Pretoriuskop, and in the two years since he has been back to Kruger 6 times (not to mention all the other reserves he’s been visiting with us) and been all over the Park from Pafuri Gate in the north to Malelane in the south. Absolute proof to the saying that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, our little two-year old gets excited weeks ahead of our next visit. He recognizes Skukuza, Letaba, Olifants and Satara from pictures and can identify a multitude of animals and birds, even from their calls. He recalls previous sightings at particular locations when we pass there again. Joubert carries his own little digital camera around, clicking away at anything from beautiful landscapes and elephants to insects, leaves and…dung, by which he is absolutely fascinated: every so often we have to stop at some or other poo-pile so that it may be thoroughly appreciated.
Our good friends the du Plessis’ joined us on our most recent visit, at the end of April 2012, to Skukuza and Satara.
We visited as many of our favourite spots as we could fit into the five days – Lake Panic bird hide near Skukuza, N’wanetsi and Timbavati Picnic Sites, Sweni bird hide, the S100 gravel road and the Girivana waterhole near Satara, the viewpoint in Olifants and the Elephant Hall in Letaba. Sadly another favourite, the low level causeway over the Olifants River at Balule was still out of commission following the January floods.
What follows is a selection of our photographs taken between the 26th of April and the 1st of May 2012 celebrating the serenity and beauty that the Kruger Park is so famous for.
Luckily for us our next short visit occurs in June!
DeWetsWild 
I can certainly understand that it’s an addiction, this wonderful place ! I’m eternally grateful to be able to explore it vicariously, de Wets ! 🙂
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And we’re very glad that you do M-R!
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Lucky, Joubert 🙂 do post some of his clicks someday…eager to see what catches his fancy and attention in the wild..Have Fun !!!
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He’s a real joy out in the bush Mamta 😉
Here’s a couple of his photos, taken at Golden Gate Highlands National Park:
https://dewetswild.com/2014/03/23/golden-gate-through-the-lens-of-a-4-year-old/
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Wow !! They are beautiful…loved the last one very much..don’t know much about photography lingo..all, I can think of is he knows what he wants the subject to his photograph to be and clicks accordingly..they are not random ‘ tourist snaps’…great going !!
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He’ll be thrilled to hear that you like his photos Mamta, thank you very much!
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🙂
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wonderful photos: the big cat roaring, your son and the deer (so cute!) the ‘chorus line’ of zebra…each one was my favorite. Until the next picture. Beautiful. No wonder you keep going back.
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Thanks Lois! It’s nice to hear that our pictures portray a bit of the Kruger’s “sense of place”.
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There is nothing quite like Kruger. We have had some wonderful sightings in Hluhluwe etc, but they still aren’t really in the same category.
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We’re spoiled for choice in this beautiful country, but Kruger always comes up tops!
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Thank your for bringing the grand nature to us! It always a pleasure to see these majestic animals via your lens. Enjoy your trip!
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Thanks Amy! It’s so nice sharing this all with you 🙂
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What a great variety of wildlife!
There is no harm with this addiction, we all are getting benefited 🙂
To me, the first shot, is the star in this series, such an adorable image…
Thanks a lot for sharing, De Wets 🙂
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Thank you Sreejith, and nice to hear from you again!
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Reblogged this on de Wets Wild and commented:
We’re busy packing for our next trip to the Kruger National Park. We’ll be staying at Skukuza and Satara, the same two camps we visited in April 2012, and that featured in our very first post on de Wets Wild!
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Baie goed gedoen. Jy mag maar meer artikels skryf.
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Thanks man Hentie!
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Uitstekend! Stunning! Baie geluk dries en Marilize! Uitstekend
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Dankie Wilma!
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Lovely recount of your trip and beautiful photos!
Where will the next trip be?
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Thanks very much for the kind comments Nedret! The next trip we are planning is a day visit via Orpen Gate while we will be staying at Swadini – I can hardly wait!
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