Kruger Park Safaris

I didn’t expect to have a staring contest with an elephant on this trip. Our time in South Africa was intended to revolve around the World Cup. But with three full days to travel and settle-in before our first live game Sunday afternoon, our hosts decided to surprise us with a trip north. Cue the elephants.

More accurately: cue the animal kingdom.

During our first Safari Thursday afternoon, we saw four of the ‘big five’ in less than three hours. Elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffaloes were among the incredible animals we saw. At times, we sat and waited as elephants crossed the road in front of us. We watched giraffes eat from treetops, zebras and impalas grazed in the open plains, and hippos splashed around in the water. Baboons and hyenas made their way along the sides of the roads we drove down, taking no interest in our vehicle.

At times it felt like I was dreaming. Songs from the soundtrack of The Lion King made their way through our heads, as we took in the phenomenal scenery and unbelievable wildlife. The soccer games will likely still be the highlight of this trip for us. But my staring contests with the elephants, giraffes, and buffalo of Kruger Park are engraved in my memory forever.

To prove that a) I wasn’t dreaming, and b) I’m not making this up, I’ve posted the best pictures from our time on Safari below. Enjoy!