Carl Bierman & Michelle du Toit, Durbanville

Total number of visits: 10 Favourite camps: Punda Maria & Shingwedzi

CARL WRITES: I photographed this goliath heron from the bridge over the Letaba River. The fact that you can get out of your car on some of the Kruger’s bigger bridges is one of my favourite things about the park. So many times I’ve stood on a bridge, scanning the area for 10 minutes before realising there’s something like a giant kingfisher sitting on a perch right below me!

Although I was introduced to the park as a child thanks to my parents, it’s the last eight years of visits that really stand out. This period overlaps with my newfound hobby of birdwatching, which has been a game changer. My best Kruger memories are now birding memories. There are so many great moments I can recall in detail – like when

I spent hours with a guide called Houston near Punda Maria, waiting for a pennantwinged nightjar to make its appearance. It eventually did!

I like to observe how the distribution of certain animals and birds change as the soil types change, which in turn affects the vegetation types. I prefer the quieter northern part of Kruger – it somehow also feels as if you’re deeper in Africa.

The best things in the Kruger are often the simplest. Once my mother and I sat at a bird hide and spent half an hour watching a pair of sandpipers preening. The serenity of moments like that will always lure me back.

Follow Carl on Instagram: @biermancr