KNP: Food for the Soul

From a very young age I have been lucky enough to be a frequent visitor of the Kruger National Park aka The Best Place on Earth (no exaggeration).

I can enter the park feeling stressed , anxious and maybe even a little depressed about something and I will always

(without fail) leave feeling completely at peace and rejuvenated.

I can't really explain why it has this effect on me, or why I get emotional when I see a pack of wild dogs. I feel very grateful to experience the worlds beauty and it is amazing to see how all the different eco systems co- exist. It blows me away how intelligent animals are and the different relationships they form in the animal kingdom.

The beauty of the KNP experience is getting up at the crack of dawn in time to see the nocturnal predators and of course a beautiful sunrise, and then getting back to camp from your afternoon drive and smelling the smell of all the braai's ( for non South African's that is the equivalent of a barbecue).

So for those of you who have never been to the Kruger National Park ( it's time to book your trip), it is situated in Mpumalanga in South Africa. Certain parts of the park are good for certain game viewing, it is all dependent on your preferences. Depending where you are traveling, certain entrance gates will be more convenient. If you are a South African and plan on doing traveling to several national parks, I would suggest getting a wildcard. If you have any queries, you will find all the necessary information on: https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/.

One of the very best experiences was going on a bushwalk with my family , a few other visitors of the park and two very knowledgeable guides. We were staying at Biyamiti bushveld camp at the time, we were collected (it was pitch black outside - that's how early it was) by the guide in his 4x4 and the adventure begun. We decided to do the morning walk

1. because you are likely to see more game in the early morning 2. it won't be as hot ( so we thought) and 3. we were leaving that afternoon.

I had been going to Kruger nearly every year for the past 12- 15 years and I truly believed I had really experienced Africa. But, going on this bushwalk just took it to a whole new level... What an experience!!! I recommend it to anyone , and it is well worth the money, it is a once in a lifetime experience that you will never forget.

Here are some tips if you do decide to go on the bushwalk:

1. Book in advance, they are incredibly popular

2. I would advise to do it in the morning

3. Remember sunblock and a hat ( if you will be doing the walk in summer)

4. If you are taking a camera with , remember to put it on silent.

Favourite camp: Crocodile Bridge, but Letaba is also a special camp

Favourite picnic site: Mlondozi, it has a beautiful view point but can also get very busy during holiday seasons.

Staying in the park is a much better experience ( in my opinion), it just feels exciting and you can drive around earlier in the morning compared to day visitors. KNP has also updated their shops and restaurants in recent years. They now have Mugg n Bean ( a popular franchise in South Africa) at some of the more popular camps.

Over the years , I have become less interested in seeing the Big Five and the "cats" , instead I love to watch the animals and see their behaviour !!! It's so interesting, and since doing that , the Wild Dog has become my favourite animal. They are so unique and it is incredible to see how they work as a team.

Haven't been to the KNP? What are waiting for? Your life will be forever changed and you'll never look back...

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!

(Also I will be posting about another adventure later today)