We have visited Kruger National Park before, of course, nine days of camping back in 2004. It’s such a special place that we wanted to see it again. After all, it is the size of Wales (or of New Jersey if that’s more meaningful) and has a menagerie of animals, including the “Big Five” – elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and rhino. We’ve seen all of those and more. Now we are here for the birds.
Our last visit was in the fall, just after the rainy season. Rivers were swollen and the land was green and lush, quite different from the dry brown of winter. The leafless trees make spotting wildlife easier but it is too early for the return of many of the migratory birds.
White-fronted bee-eater
Lodging in the park is completely booked and not much is available outside either. We have three nights at the plush Belvedere-on-River Guest House in Makelane, quite the upscale digs with stupendous views across the Crocodile River into the Park. Before the first sunset we watched dozens of elephants cross the river while hundreds of vibrant white-fronted bee-eaters flashed in the last rays of the sun.
