May 2015: As part of a larger two-week trip to Namibia-Etosha National Park, the Desolation of the Skeleton Coast & Camping with the Himba Tribe in the Deserts of Northern Kaokoland, Namibia | Venture The Planet and Swaziland-Visiting Africa’s Last Monarchy and Getting Stuck in the Smallest Cave Tunnels I Have Ever Visited in My Travels, Swaziland | Venture The Planet, Paula and I spent three days exploring Kruger National Park. This was my second trip to South Africa-Cage Diving with Great White Sharks in Guadalupe Island, Mexico & South Africa | Venture The Planet, but no visit to the country feels complete without experiencing Kruger. Yes, it’s popular—often compared to Yellowstone National Park in the U.S.—but for good reason. The park is vast, covering multiple ecosystems, and it’s easy to find solitude once you venture off the main roads where most tourists remain.
Kruger is one of the best places in Africa to see wildlife, including the white rhino—the largest of all rhino species—which was the main reason I wanted to visit. Sadly, rhinos remain under siege across their natural habitat, targeted by poachers who sell their horns for supposed medicinal uses in Vietnam. The southern section of the park is home to a significant rhino population, making sightings relatively easy.
Map of Kruger
One of the great things about Kruger National Park is that you can self-drive—a rarity in many African parks, where joining an expensive guided safari with a ranger is often the only option. Kruger offers a more adventurous experience, allowing you to explore at your own pace and feel the thrill of encountering lions, elephants, rhinos, and countless other animals right outside your vehicle, with no one else around.
The park also provides excellent camping opportunities and ranger-led activities, such as walking safaris, which offer a unique and immersive way to observe wildlife up close.
Lonely road in Kruger
Pretoriuskop Camp
Paula and I flew into Nelspruit, just outside of Kruger, picked up a rental car, and rushed to Numbi Gate before it closed at 5:30 PM. Unfortunately, South African Airlines misplaced our checked bags, leaving us without our camping gear. Since we had a campsite reserved but no tent, we opted for a small sleeping hut at Pretoriuskop Camp instead. These are more expensive and usually booked well in advance, but we were lucky and one was available. The alternative was sleeping in our rental car.
That evening, we joined a ranger-led night safari in search of nocturnal wildlife. We spotted hyenas and jackals, but my favorite sighting was an owl, its piercing eyes glowing in the darkness.
Hyena
Owl night safari
Walking Safari
Kruger is unique not only because you can self-drive among wild animals but also because it offers ranger-led walking safaris, a rare opportunity in African savanna national parks. These walks range from just a few hours to multi-day treks. I was particularly interested in the longer expedition, but when I tried to reserve it, I discovered it was booked almost a year in advance. Instead, we opted for a shorter half-day walk.
The next morning, we joined a ranger-led walking safari to search for rhinos and any other wildlife we might encounter. We were guided by two armed rangers—an essential precaution, as Kruger is a dangerous place to work. Rangers must defend highly prized elephants and rhinos from heavily armed poachers, making their job both risky and critical for conservation.
The experience was incredible. At one point, we came within 100 feet of a black rhino mother and her calf. They were visibly skittish, barking out warning calls to signal us to keep our distance—or risk being charged.
Ranger led safari
Walking safari-mother and baby black rhino
White Rhinos
The main reason I wanted to visit Kruger National Park was because it is the best place in the world to see the largest rhino species—the white rhino. This massive, prehistoric-looking animal has always fascinated me, and I wanted Paula and me to witness one in the wild before they disappear.
Sadly, rhino populations have plummeted across Africa, including in Kruger, despite its status as one of the most well-guarded parks. As of 2022, Kruger’s white rhino population was estimated at approximately 2,225 individuals, a staggering decline from 10,621 in 2011, primarily due to relentless poaching. The even rarer and smaller black rhino has fared worse, with only 268 individuals remaining in the park.
The illegal rhino horn trade, driven by demand in Southeast Asia, fuels this crisis. Rhino horns are worth a fortune on the black market, and many poachers come from local villages, often heavily armed. Gun battles between rangers and poachers are common, especially at night when poachers are most active.
Despite this grim reality, for now, white rhinos are still relatively easy to spot in the southern part of Kruger, particularly near Pretoriuskop Camp. We were fortunate to see several, and at one point, we pulled over at a safe distance to watch one graze—completely alone, with no other cars in sight. It was a rare and unforgettable moment, experiencing such a majestic beast in its natural habitat, undisturbed and free.
White rhino and yes those are thousands of flies on the poor rhino
We also spotted leopards and lions during our time in Kruger. The massive male lion in the photo was possibly one of the largest I have ever seen—an absolute beast.
Kruger is also one of the best places to spot the rare African wild dog, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any on this trip.
Big male lion
Balule Satellite Camp
From Pretoriuskop Camp, we drove to the far north of Kruger spotting all kinds of wildlife along the way. We camped at Balule Satellite Camp, a remote and wild campground. Since we still didn’t have our tent, we slept in our car, which was technically forbidden—so we had to be discreet to avoid detection by the rangers.
Despite the rough sleeping arrangements, we had a great time chatting with our South African campsite neighbors, who generously shared their beers and taught us more about Kruger’s wildlife. As we sat around our campsite, we watched hyenas pacing back and forth along the metal fence, just a few feet away, reminding us that we were deep in the wild.
Elephants
Kudu
Baboon
Wildebeest
Wild African Sunset
We spent our time exploring the side roads of northern Kruger, hoping to see as much wildlife as possible. The north had far fewer tourists, so most of the time we had the wildlife to ourselves.
The scariest part was getting so close to massive elephants and rhinos in our car, always prepared for the possibility of them charging—something that has happened to careless tourists before, leaving their vehicles badly damaged.
We also had to pull over occasionally to use the bush toilet on the side of the road. Usually, we would set up by the open car door, but we always made sure to clear the area for any lions or other predators lurking in the nearby brush, ready to ambush.
Concealed crocodile
On our last day in Kruger, I received word that our luggage had been found. I requested that it be delivered to the Southern Crocodile Gate of the park, and if all went according to plan, it would be waiting for us when we arrived. We casually drove to the south of the park stopping to see wildlife and hopefully, our luggage would be waiting there for us.
River valley in the north of Kruger
hippo
Our favorite animals in Kruger were the grey rhino and the klipspringer
There are warning signs to avoid harassing the wildlife but the wildlife are free to harass the humans. At our picnic site vervet monekys were constantly trying to steal our food
Warthog
When we arrived at Crocodile Gate, our luggage was there waiting for us, but unfortunately, the locks had been broken, and a few items—like Paula’s Keens, flashlights, and some other random belongings—had been stolen.
Determined to get compensation, I made sure to hold the airline accountable for their mistake by inflating the value of our losses. After months of persistence and a lot of effort, we were eventually reimbursed for the stolen items.
From Crocodile Gate, we drove all the way to Swaziland, ready to continue our adventure-Visiting Africa’s Last Monarchy and Getting Stuck in the Smallest Cave Tunnels I Have Ever Visited in My Travels, Swaziland | Venture The Planet.