The sheer wealth of wildlife protected within the park's boundaries is unmatched – herbivores by the hundred thousand roam the grasslands and savannahs, stalked by a healthy population of watchful predators. The park's western boundary is dotted with eco-chic lodges that have defined the essence of luxury safari camps, both in Africa and beyond. But it's the context, the sheer sense of scale, that kicks Kruger a notch above the average South African safari. In a park the size of a small country (Kruger covers 20,000 sq km, an area the size of Wales), even the best Kruger safari guides won't guarantee you'll tick off the Big Five. And unlike many of South Africa's smaller game reserves, where sightings come to you on a silver platter, there's a genuine sense of adventure and excitement to every encounter with Kruger's wildlife. It's not uncommon while driving Kruger's roads to find yourself roadblocked by hundreds of zebra, or to find yourself involuntarily holding your breath as you pick your way through a huge herd of watching buffalo. And where else can you idle by the roadside, alone and miles from help, while a herd of elephants wander through the middle of a pride of lions, all within a cat's pounce of your jeep? For accommodation in Kruger The Blue Yonder partners with Umlani Bushcamp, a Fair Trade-certified safari camp set in a private 10,000 hectare bush reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park. Umlani is renowned for its keen-eyed Shaangan guides, who lead morning and afternoon safaris through the surrounding bush. After the sun goes down, retire to the privacy of your candle-lit traditional thatched hut and fall asleep to the wild sounds of the African night.
