THE MAGIC OF KRUGER

Weekend Getaway at the luxurious Lukimbi Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park.

There is something special about waking up to the sound of a fish eagle calling in the distance and the refreshing smell of damp grass from the night’s dew. You find your inner peace, a sense of calmness inside you that can only be found in the African Bushveld.

We all have that special place you go to when you must escape. That where you are at your happiest and where you can relax. We all sometimes feel that our daily routines and everyday live gets a bit hectic and that we just need to get out of the stressful routines and just find ourselves again. To me this place is Kruger. I recently had the privilege to go to experience Lukimbi Safari Lodge, a luxurious safari lodge situated in the Southern part of the Kruger National Park.

Kruger has always been my “happy place,” and our families annual Kruger-trip is something I look forward to every year. Being in the wildlife makes me feel like a kid again, because you know every day a new surprise is waiting for you in the amazing bush veld.

I flew out from Cape Town very early on the Thursday morning. I was still tired and drained from the stress at work and the lack of sleep. When the driver picked me up at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport I was as excited as a kid before Christmas! After what felt like forever, we finally arrived at Malelane Gate, as soon as we drove into the gates it was like all the stress just disappeared... I finally felt a feeling I haven’t fell in a long time, peace and happiness.

Arriving at Lukimbi the staff was already waiting with a hot towel and glass of fresh pressed Orange juice. The elephants were already chilling at the swimming pool drinking and playing in the water.

As I was walking to my suite the giraffes were grazing in the trees and you could hear the birds chirping all around. One of the most amazing features of the lodge is the big bathtub with a huge window looking out on the river. (I seriously couldn’t wait to get into the bathtub and relax!)

Our Guide (Morné) took us on a game drive and not even a km from the lodge we already spotted our first big five animal, the king of the jungle, mister Lion. We drove around for a few hours and spotted some amazing sightings and when we got back to the lodge, we were treated with an amazing 3 course meal. After reading my night story that was rolled up and left on my pillow, I possibly got the best night’s sleep I had in a very long time.

Early morning it was time for a quick game drive and a pit stop in the bush where we had a hot chocolate while the sun was coming up and the rhino's running around in the open field behind us. This was followed by a buffet breakfast of note and a guided walk along the river. We stayed on the riverbank for a while, waiting to see if some game would join us. No fences, nothing just you in the wild as close as you can get to nature, AMAZING!

Before our next game drive, I decided to go check out the gym at the lodge (I mean I had to work of the calories from all the amazing food somehow). I must say I was a bit hesitant, seeing as there is no fences at the lodge as well and you can easily be surprised by a leopard or lion while you are busy with your workout. I must say, I wish I could gym there every day!

After training I went to relax in the pool and yet again the elephants were drinking water and the little ones were playing in the water, trying to cool down from the hot sunny day in Kruger. One of my favorite animals is definitely leopards, and that night on the game drive we saw 5 leopards on different locations. One was busy feasting on an impala, when a hyena came past and decided to chase the leopard into a tree close to us. There we were, sitting under a sky full of bright stars that you will never see in the city, with the full moon a leopard next to us in a tree and all you can hear is the sound of nature. No signal, no worries…just the African bushveld... We headed back to the lodge, where yet another perfect dinner was waiting for us. To my surprise when I walked into my room, I couldn't believe my eyes... on the floor leading to the spectacular bathtub was rose petals and candles on the floor, with a nice hot bubble bath just for me. Feeling like royalty I laid in the bubbles, looking at the stars and wishing that I could just stay here forever.

Lukimbi and its friendly staff will be seeing my again. Everything was just so perfect, the sightings, the experiences, the food and just being so close to nature. It's really amazing what two days in the bush can do for your soul. I felt like a completely different person when I left. My heart will always belong to Kruger.