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A Hawaii Lifestyle Blog + Travel Blog By Kait Hanson

South Africa Travel: Greater Kruger National Park Photo Diary

Africa, Around the World, South Africa, Travel · · Leave a Comment

When we were planning our South Africa travel itinerary, we both knew we wanted a portion of our time to be spent on safari. We ended up choosing the Greater Kruger area (more on why – scroll down!) and today I’m sharing all the incredible animals we saw while we were there.

I have said it before and I’ll say it again — there is nothing quite as special as being on safari. It is hands down my favorite type of travel. Okay – now that I got that off my chest 😉 But seriously – if you are considering a safari, DO IT! I cannot say enough good things. 

In South Africa, we had so many different concessions and game reserves to choose from, it became a little bit overwhelming if I’m being honest. There is Sabi Sands, Kruger, Lion Sands, Grootbos, Limpopo….and the list goes on and on. The amount of research you could do just on parks and game reserves in South Africa is very close to never-ending. It’s all fascinating, but while planning a trip it can become extremely overwhelming.

We ended up choosing to head to Greater Kruger (Klaserie Private Nature Reserve to be specific!) for a couple reasons. 1. Travel time. Getting to Klaserie was very easy from Hoedspriut Airport. 2. Price. The pricing of lodges in South Africa can creep up on you pretty dang quick. Greater Kruger was an area where our budget aligned with timing.

Today I’m sharing the animal photography from our time spent in Klaserie at Greater Kruger and what you might see if you head that way, too 🙂

SOUTH AFRICA SAFARI PHOTOGRAPHY

Greater Kruger Elephants

There is something so magical about the first time you see an elephant on a game drive. They are enormous animals and yet so – graceful? I love watching them and if someone asks me my favorite animal, I might be inclined to say elephants! We saw beautiful elephants in Klaserie and if you look closely, some of them are collared.

The collars do not hurt the animals a bit and provide valuable information to researchers who track these animals. 

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Giraffes In South Africa

We experienced quite a bit of rain during our time in Klaserie, so if you notice the photos below looking a bit “speckled” — that’s why! Look even more closely at the photo of the giraffe with her baby and you will notice that the umbilical cord is still attached! 

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De-horned Rhino

One thing that is very important for me to point out is that the rhino in Greater Kruger are all de-horned. When poachers act on cutting rhino horn, the rhino often dies from the grisly process used. Klaserie and the surround concessions de-horned all of their rhinos in an effort to stave off poachers and better protect the species. Poaching is still a huge problem in South Africa, but the abundant measures being taken by the concessions and reserves is remarkable. 

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Greater Kruger Wild Dogs

One of the most critically endangered species in the world, wild dogs are SUCH a treat to see in the wild. They are FAST so spotting them and getting a good photo is pretty much the unicorn of safari, but we were lucky enough to see two different packs on this trip. You might notice that on a few of the photos, their faces are red. A fresh meal was just enjoyed 🙂 

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Zebras In South Africa

What’s not to love about zebras? I think some people might get bored with them, but I think they are so cute to watch. And I’ll be the first to admit, that seeing them in the wild is COOL. We don’t have wild zebras here in the States, so it’s definitely a novelty. 

Zebra In South Africa Zebras In South Africa Zebras In South Africa Zebra In South Africa Zebra In South Africa

Other Wildlife In Greater Kruger

The reality is – there is so much to see in Greater Kruger. If I spent an entire blog post breaking down the animals by category we would be here all day! I took the animals I had the most photos of and separated them out, but I have a few more I wanted to share that are all equally beautiful. There are some absolutely stunning birds in South Africa, so if you are a birder, this is a hotspot. 

Kudu South Africa Birds South Africa Birds South Africa Birds South Africa Birds

Whew! I feel like if you stuck around for this one, you deserve a medal of some sort 😉 In any case, I hope you loved this visual representation of our time spent in Greater Kruger and if you have any questions, definitely let me know! 

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy The Best Things To See + Do In Cape Town or you can enjoy all of my Africa content in one place!

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