Sue Picken

Kruger Safari never disappoints!I grew up going to the Kruger National Park in South Africa every winter searching for game from the comfort of our personal vehicle in Kruger "proper" as we traversed this public part of the park! This is what the locals did and do! What memories and wildlife viewing experiences I enjoyed during my youth! Safari of any kind never gets old - I have had the pleasure since 3 years old and many years later still get a thrill from this unique experience!As I got older and entered the travel profession, experiencing Kruger in South Africa stepped up a notch to heading to the private reserves (neighboring Kruger National Park) where the animals - but not the people/vehicles - roam freely between the two! This exclusive experience is a fulfilling and rewarding "bucket list" trip that have a finite time to view the "Big Five"!Recently - in January 2023 - I had the pleasure of revisiting Greater Kruger (and 12 lodges for a refresher) ... still the goose bumps (or goose flesh as Americans call it!). Being on safari is my "happy place" ... being surrounded by nature and listening to the sounds of wild ... not much compares to this amazing experience!We tracked a leopard through the bush and saw it attempt to drag a baby zebra up a tree ... we witnessed a fresh lion kill before heading back to the lodge for dinner  (lucky no zebra on the menu!) ... we saw unusual animals on our night drives! What can compare to a buffalo (one of the Big Five), a big pile of muscle, wallowing in the mud and flinging mud into the air! And being in "The Bush" during summer afforded the opportunity to see baby elephants with great curiosity of our "spotter" and figuring out how to use its trunk!I have done safari in many Africa countries, many times, and it truly, does NOT get old .... NEVER disappoints ... and there is honestly NO bad safari! Looking forward to my next one, wherever that may be :)