In our time at Skukuza Rest Camp in Kruger National Park we have had two game drives and a bush walk. We have seen the spectacular Big Five multiple times over – elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions, and water buffalo.
Leopard crossing a bridgeCape buffalo spotted on a bush walkOne of many elephants eating reeds along a stream bed A male lion capitalizing on the heat from the road on a cool nightWe saw the Big 5 (rhinos, elephants, lions, buffalos, and leopards) on several occasions while in Kruger National Park.
However, the real magic is not only the Big 5 – it is in the balance of all the species in a community. Today we also sat behind a bird blind at Lake Panic where we saw acacia trees, kingfishers, blue waxbills, an African fish eagle, Retz’s helmetshrikes, an Egyptian goose, water monitors, nyala, impalas, a warthog, and too many hippos to count.
Enjoying the diversity of the ecosystem at the Lake Panic bird blind.
“In nature nothing exists alone.” – Rachel Carson
With at least 40 species in just an hour, our checklists were on fire!
At Lake Panic, we watched as hippos moved in and out of the water and displayed territorial behaviors.
After the bird blind we went back to camp and were asked to write about anything for 45-minutes. One of our African-American colleagues wrote, “I know as an American I have more, but here in South Africa …. I have never felt so free.”
Starting the day with a bush walk.
Hearing her share this took us by surprise. It made us reflect not only on what she is experiencing personally, but how our students may feel at home. What if every teacher and every child felt they belong? Imagine how they would flourish and contribute to a better North Carolina.
Sharing American and South African dances with each other during midday breaks.
In Kruger National Park the African fish eagleneeds the lake and the hippo shapes the land. Nothing is superfluous, everyone is needed for the system to thrive.
Beginning with the first footstep taken upon arriving at a destination, a traveler is writing a narrative starting with “hello” and ending with “goodbye.” “Hello” serves as the traveler’s introduction to the area, a way for them to say “Here I am, let me explore and learn your ways.” The traveler uses this time to take first glances and make alterations to plans and expectations. The land and the animals respond by observing the traveler and taking note of how they may be treated during the traveler’s stay.
Likewise, each time a traveler leaves a destination they are therefore saying goodbye. Goodbye to all that has been seen, heard, smelled, and even tasted.
The entrance to Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp. Lovingly described by our group as the “Jurassic Park” entrance.
Today began with our first of many goodbyes, by saying farewell to Berg-en-Dal. We packed our bags slowly, almost like reluctant children not wanting to complete their homework. We made our beds with jealousy for the new occupants. We closed windows and shut doors while taking in deep breaths of the sweet air we had been breathing. Many of us walked paths one last time, hoping to see an animal friend that had been made. Many of us visited benches that had brought comfort and healing. Many of us simply took time to stop and steal one more minute of the beauty we had enjoyed.
The insects whizzing through the air, sounding like the engines of race cars. The birds calling to each other to follow in flight. The monkeys plotting for their next meal. Every sound, every sight, and every smell was being sucked up by each of us as we tried to get it one. last. time.
But no, this will not be a goodbye. Goodbyes are forever, final. Instead, let this be a “see you later,” which encourages a return. A see you later means we’ll do it all again. To the herd of elephants that crossed the rocky cliff behind our lodge each afternoon, the bushbuck that explored our back patio, and even the mischievous monkeys that used the tents as trampolines, we say see you later. We WILL meet again.
Sunset over the bush.
As we packed up and left Berg-en-Dal, we asked our group how they were saying “see you later” – here are those responses:
“I’m ready to leave Berg-en-Dal, my phone don’t work here! I did truly enjoy my breakfast with Noma and Flavia. I gave Berg-en-Dal three kisses goodbye.” -Khadijah
“I walked the Rhino Trail with coffee and reflected on humans being fenced in. When we collectively have restraint or boundaries, we are happier, like children.” -Shannon
“C’est la vie to Berg-en-Dal, South Africa. The time has come to say goodbye and see you next time. I told God, ‘Thank you for the majestic beauty he created and allowing me to see his wondrous work.’ Until we meet again.” -Pam
“It’s goodbye now and hello to our next new destination.” -Zinhle
“I woke up early to watch the sunrise over the watering hole and listen to the birds and vervet monkeys all around me. I listened and watched, and was joyful and thankful for our time at Berg-en-Dal.” -Christine
Sunrise at Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp.
“I said see you later along the Rhino Trail on the outskirts of camp. I accidentally startled a vervet monkey, and stood quietly to apologize. A few steps later, I locked eyes with a giraffe just beyond the fence. As one of my favorite animals, I silently thanked him for greeting me and sharing his space with us. Our Berg-en-Dal bush gave us so many memories.” -Stephanie
“Goodbye to the lilac-breasted roller, my “spark” bird, brilliant and bright. Goodbye to the friendly spider next to my bed who abided by the agreement to keep your pinchers to yourself. Goodbye to the leopard that alluded us all day, only showing his face to make things right.” -Emily
“I didn’t know how to say goodbye to a place that gave me the most incredible day of my life. But I remembered my students don’t let us say goodbye, just see you later, because it isn’t final.” -Ashley
Ashley presenting on her expert topic.
“I don’t believe in goodbyes!” -Shelley
“Thank you for providing me with one of the most incredible days of my life. The location, people, and experiences were incredible.” -Michael
“Thank you Berg-en-Dal for starting this journey with joy, amazement, and awe!” -Flavia
“ I would not like to move there, but I would come again with a bigger family. I think it was nice.” -Noma
Noma and Flavia as they packed up and said goodbye to their Berg-en-Dal home.
“Berg-en-Dal, you did not disappoint. Thank you for rejuvenating my soul and bringing me some amazing memories. The heartbeat of the bush is within me now and will keep calling me back to you.” -Amy
“Goodbye to the red-eyed dove that wished me a good morning and the fiery-necked nightjar that bade me good night. Goodbye to the sounds of Berg-en-Dal, until we meet again.” -Andrew
“Waking with the sun and walking with curiosity – watching for birds, investigating seeds and tracks, and navigating past docile bushbuck – deepened my connection and appreciation to this space, even as we said our goodbyes.” -Emma
The whole group on our journey from Berg-en-Dal to Skukuza Rest Camp, our next stop in Kruger National Park.
“Do you have time to….just be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world?” Mary Oliver
For the lioness and her cub
For the giraffe and her baby
For the elephant chasing his mama’s tail
To watch the sunrise over Southern Africa?
This morning, our driver Peter warned us that we may not see what we wanted. We would only see what the bush would give us. And this morning, the bush was incredibly generous.
There were so many moments on our first game drive that stole our breaths from our lungs. We held on to each other, eyes big, looking at each other. Asking “is this real?” It was real. This morning we entered their territory. We breathed their air. You could feel the rumble of the mama lion in your chest as she chided her too playful cub.
Many of us were shocked to find that we weren’t incredibly disgusted to watch a pack of wild dogs consume an impala in under 5 minutes.
African Wild Dogs (or Painted Wolves as they’re becoming known) eating an impala carcass.
We squealed as an elephant family walked toward us, the tiniest baby chasing mama’s tail, and catching it. Some of us even got chastised for leaning too far outside the vehicle (even teachers forget the rules, sometimes).
A group of female elephants and their young paraded by our vehicle.
Several giraffes surprised us, seemingly out of nowhere, their majesty overtaking us. We celebrated small rhino families, that are slowly taking what has been stolen from them.
We were so alive this morning. Together, in one place, in a broken world. Taking time to just be…16 strangers holding hands and sharing a once in a lifetime experience. Falling in love with South Africa and Kruger.
Ready for our game drives!
Jane Goodall said “there is a timeless quality to the African wilderness, a sense of peace and belonging that I haven’t found anywhere else in the world.”
It was peaceful to let the world steal our breath in a good way, for a moment. When was the last time you stopped and watched and waited and let life tell you what you needed? When you took only what was given and didn’t ask for more or what was next?
Take a chance and be open. You may find exactly you need, even if you thought it wasn’t what you wanted.
Sunset over the southern part of Kruger National Park.
“You don’t just visit South Africa. You fall into it heart first—so deep and forever I changed.” -unknown
And the adventure begins. After a 15 hour flight and a few hours of sleep we headed off for Kruger National Park. The drive started with a very flat, dry landscape and turned into mountains and a fascinating drive through the park. We left the city for the country.
An important thing to practice before heading into Kruger National Park? Using binoculars!
–
It happened before I even made it through the gates.
We stopped on the bridge just outside Kruger National Park, expecting a quick glance, maybe a photo. What I didn’t expect was to feel something crack wide open in me.
The view on one side of the bridge outside Kruger National Park.
Below the bridge, the river wound its way through the dry landscape—wide, slow, and shimmering under the African sun. It was peaceful, but alive. And there, along the shoreline, they appeared—hippos, lounging together in the shallow water and stretched out across the muddy riverbank.
Their huge, rounded forms looked like ancient sculptures, but it was their pink bellies that stopped me. Soft, exposed, glowing faintly in the light—they added this surprising sweetness. They looked oddly content, piled close together in the warm sun completely unbothered by the world. There was something strangely intimate about it.
And then I said it, almost laughing: “Hippopotamus.”
Not like I’d said it before. This time it came out in awe. Like the word itself was part of the magic.
Just beyond them, impala moved gently through the grass—delicate and alert, catching the sun on their sleek coats. Nearby, crocodiles lay motionless, also sunning themselves, their armored backs blending into the riverbank. At first I didn’t even notice them—until I did, and then I couldn’t not see them. They were eerie and fascinating, ancient-looking and incredibly still. The kind of stillness that makes you feel the power just beneath the surface.
Then, as if to balance all that grounded stillness, a fish eagle soared overhead—its wings wide and commanding. In the shallows below, a grey heron waded slowly and purposefully through the water, all grace and patience, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
And all of this—all of it—was just from the bridge.
We hadn’t even entered Kruger, and yet I already felt undone. Not in a dramatic, life-flashing-before-my-eyes kind of way. It was gentler than that. More like something inside me recognized this place. Like my heart had been waiting for it.
I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to speak. I just stood there, overwhelmed with gratitude—not just for what I was seeing, but for the fact that I got to be there at all. That, for one fleeting moment, I was a witness to this wild, untouched beauty.
That bridge wasn’t just a crossing point. It was a beginning.
Because you don’t just visit South Africa.
You fall into it—heart first. So deep and so suddenly, you don’t even realize it’s happening until you’ve already changed. Forever, and beautifully, unknown.
An unexpectedly close encounter with an African Elephant in Kruger National Park.
