Submitted by Elizabeth Villec on the 2024 Winter SPAN program in Granada, Spain…
We departed on our six and a half hour drive to the province of Limpopo in order to reach Kruger National Park, a wildlife sanctuary revered for its stunning natural beauty and common sightings of exotic beasts. The ride itself was tiresome, but manageable due to the excitement we all had to arrive at the location. Nothing of note happened on the ride, although there were many scenic landscapes surrounding us that captivated our attention. On arrival at our lodge we were informed that we were the only ones booked for the week so essentially we had a private lodge which included a pool, private chef, and a location right next to a watering hole at our disposal. As we settled in we simultaneously got ready for our first drive on the land. We set off once more on a two hour drive around Kruger Park which was incredible. That afternoon we saw Elephants, Giraffes, and warthogs to name a few of the animals. We stopped for what the locals call a sundowner; a drink you have in a picturesque location while watching the sunset. After our sundowners we departed back to the lodge to finally get some rest. The next day came and started at 5:30 am. Our days were scheduled to go on an early morning drive, rest in the afternoon, and another drive at around 6. Unfortunately the rest of the days were cloudy and rainy, but regardless that didn’t stop the animals from coming out. We saw many exotic animals once again which made bearing the rain worth it. The food we were provided was excellent, with an assortment of fresh fruit, vegetables, and unique dishes every night. I’m going to skip forward a little bit at this point, to a very unique experience we all shared. On the third day on our afternoon drive we were attempting to find any animals but were having no luck. We stopped for our sundowners and shortly after our guide received a message from one of the other rangers. We reached the location that the ranger was told and there we all saw a pack
of lions. Two adolescent males, one female, and about 8-10 cubs. It was surreal to say the least. Seeing so many lions up close in the wild was an experience I will never forget. That was our last evening drive of the trip, and the next day the rainy weather finally subsided and we departed back to Pretoria, where we were staying. Never would I have thought that I would be in the wild like that, but Kruger Park helped me live out an experience of a lifetime. (Submitted on January 22, 2024)