In the world-famous Kruger National Park, which is about the size of Belgium, there are elephants, lions, leopards, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest and many other species of animals. You can see the Big Five here with a bit of luck.

The Kruger National Park was founded in 1898 to protect wildlife in the South African Lowveld. Today, the national park with almost 2 million hectares is unique worldwide in its variety of life forms. South Africa’s largest national park is home to an impressive variety of species: 336 trees, 49 species of fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals.

The ideal time to visit Kruger Park is from April to August, when the climate is temperate and dry, and the bush is thinned and the grass is still low.

In the rainy season from November to February it gets hot and humid, and because of the mosquitoes there is an increased risk of malaria.

The Kruger National Park is often referred to as the pearl of South Africa. Adventure to the Horizon: Here, where giraffes, elephants and lions are at home, people should only be in safe surroundings. We chose the Mala Mala Lodge as a location for our wildlife viewing.

Mala Mala is one of the oldest and most famous lodges in the Sabi Sands area. The Riedeckeckten Rondavels are equipped with 2 bathrooms, air conditioning, telephone and terrace. The excellent cuisine and service are world famous. There are also two pools and a bar. For a stay, the best months are from June to September. Then the animal observations are the most beautiful. The African “winter” is very dry, and so you meet many animals at the few waterholes. In addition, the grass of the savannah is lower.

At this time of the year, you can see further and better and observe the wildlife especially well. With almost 20,000 square kilometers, the park is about the size of Hesse. Just under 2,000 kilometers of road are available to guests for game drives. But who wants to discover the rhino in the bush or the cheetah on hunt, should discover the slowness.

We relax in the evening after the hunting stress of the day a little at the famous bar in the Mala Mala Lodge. Ernest Hemingway was already here and of course many other famous “personalities”. Wherever the eye wanders, the countless trophies on the walls keep captivating. The bar is an ideal meeting place for the evening Smaltalk, where you can chat about the experiences of the past safari.

The rooms consist of round bungalows, which are comfortable and generously equipped for the local conditions. But that does not protect you from the dangers of the wilderness. Despite “Autan and Co.” Jürgen is bitten in the evening by a scorpion. The consequences: circulatory collapse, first aid, loss of supper and trouble, dizziness until the next morning. But then everything is over. Jürgen has caught the “beast” under the blanket and killed it so it can be identified. Thankfully, it was one of the non-lethal toxic specimens.