The first thing that hits you here are the incredible baobab trees looming everywhere like ghost trees with arms leaping out of the trunk waiting to grab you. Even though this is winter and their branches are bare, their stark beauty leaves you forgetting to look for animals and instead snapping pictures of these gigantic 'upside down' trees.
Over the last few years I've been sad and even worried to read some negative feedback from visitors to the Park and went with a certain amount of trepidation. After all, my husband does like to tell everyone that my idea of slumming it is going four star - he exaggerates of course...
I have to say though as a former travel writer I've been privileged to visit some of the world's greatest tourist attractions and hotels and I don't think there's anything wrong with a little luxury. But I knew I was coming to the Kruger Park and not the Hilton so was prepared for a little 'roughing it'.
Having said that from the moment we entered reception at Punda Maria we were blown away with the staff, service, and the standard of the bushveld and rest camps. Our two bedroom unit, with very comfortable beds and good linen (something I'm a little neurotic about) even had a proper kitchen with a gas hob and a full fridge freezer.
On our earlier trips to the Kruger you only had a small fridge so anything frozen on arrival didn't stay that way for long. All the camps now have freezers or freezer facilities.
That night after returning from a 'dusk' drive where we'd seen warring zebras giving a display National Geographic would die for, we returned and much to my green and gold blooded husband's delight there was an old television set on a rickety looking table under a thatched roof with a dozen people sitting around, beers in hand watching South Africa play Italy. Bok heaven with lions roaring in the background...
From there we moved on to Mopani rest camp, arriving at lunchtime for an excellent lunch at a privately owned restaurant within the camp, overlooking the dam where entertainment was provided by resident hippos, crocs and fish eagles... Total heaven and excellent food. The restaurant was quite full so we ended up sharing a table with another Gauteng couple, whilst all around us we heard foreign accents. Our very amiable lunch ended in the late afternoon with Kahlua Don Pedro's and full stomachs.
After another successful stay we spent the next three days going from Olifants to Satara and ending in Lower Sabie rest camp. All as good as each other in different ways.
I've been fortunate enough to regularly visit luxury privately owned game lodges and I have to say there's just something about the Kruger Park that's different. Whether it's the excitement of standing around the braai each night greeting your neighbours and finding out what they saw that day (I hate the people who keep seeing cheetahs and leopards) or just the complete chill the Park provides, but I can tell you I've already put in my booking for next year.
We are so privileged to have this wonderful Park at our disposal - but so few of us really use it.
