cartoonishly obstructed by rich , middle-aged tourists covered head to toe in unnecessary beige safari gear . However , Kruger National Park seemed to fit , quite perfectly , my idea of the African savannah . Arid and brown from the winter dry season , it was a forever-long expanse of low trees and dusty earth , the kind that somehow allows the early sun to reflect that perfect glow of stunning reds and oranges . See the animals '' Our guide was a self-proclaimed African bushman named Elson , who seemed to have an amazing one-ness with both the land and the animals . We 'd be driving down one of the many nondescript dirt roads at a fairly fast pace , only to have him hit the brakes of our jeep , slam into reverse and point out a leopard 200 yards away . It would take the rest of us a fair bit of time to finally see what he noticed at a mere passing glance . He knew the land , and he knew the animals -- a talent that proved helpful for finding the less common residents in the savannah . The other creatures carelessly
Editor 's note : We asked readers to weigh in on CNN.com Live producer Jarrett Bellini 's vacation destination , and you chose South Africa . Check back for updates on his trip . Giraffes are a common sight in Kruger National Park . KRUGER NATIONAL PARK , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I spent two nights sleeping under a full-moon sky , nestled in my trusty hammock at Kruger National Park . Our guides provided us with tents , but I figured I would n't have too many opportunities in my life to slumber in the open bush on the African continent . Thus , I rested more or less exposed throughout the night , hoping that a lion would n't figure that he would n't have too many opportunities in his life to maul a sleeping American tourist in the open bush on the African continent . Needless to say , I survived , and it was magnificent . Visually speaking , I was n't sure what , exactly , to expect from a South African safari , for my complete mental database of safari images spanned a wide variety of distinct landscapes , and most were