Tour Guide, Kruger National Park, South Africa
| 3 mins read
Pssst!! Secrets about Kruger...
Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa is an amazing place...
That is if you know the secrets:
1: Time
2: Place
3: A bit of luck
4: Rainfall
5: Were to go
1: Timing
Your timing to see some of Africa's top wildlife animals is best early morning when the gates open and about an hour before the gates closes.
WHY? It's not that hot and being animals in the wild the only thing they are concerned about is survival, this means conserving energy during the hot parts of the day and making the best of the weather and day or night light they can.
2: Place do some research when you are going to the Kruger and look on the internet at the latest sightings people have seen, this will give you a 50% change of going to the right part of Kruger.
Let's put it like this if you want to go and see the big five in one day - all the luck to you. It's very possible, but with help from a tour guide, radio's, facebook and many more factors. But if you want to have a holiday in nature just to be in a place were nature continues around you with or without you then Kruger is the Place for you. Try 2 to 5 days remember you came all this way from your home country and spend some time to make it worth it.
3: A bit of luck normally comes to those who wait don't just drive pass a waterhole. STOP, LOOK, INSPECT...
Look in the shade of the bushes as a lioness or cheetah can be waiting for prey to come and drink and remember when you arrive you make noise with your vehicle all living things can hear you from a mile away so let them calm down and show themselves.
Have a look in the trees on the branches if you can spot a leopard in the shade and listen to the birds if they make a lot of noise or suddenly fly up then something has disturbed the, might be a leopard or caracal if you lucky.
4: Look the park is beautiful in the rainy season, its lush, green and full of baby impalas but that about what you will see if you don't know were to go and make use of a guide. In the winter months just before summer rainfalls comes down again your changes is the best to view herds of animals at waterholes and rivers during the hot part of the day.
5: Please get a map and talk to other visitors in the camps and stop people on the road and ask them what they have seen and were did they come from so that you at least have a change of seeing something that they have seen. Remember not all visitors are interested in the same thing but lions are very high on the list so the bush telegraph as we call it will suite you well if you use it both ways.
That's my story for now enjoy your game drives and good luck!
Bernhard W Bekker
Safari tour guide in Kruger Park