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 ( CNN ) -- 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 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 . 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 came into view as though the roads and cars were just a natural part of their habitat , a mild annoyance at worst . iReport.com : Share your South Africa experiences and suggestions . Kruger National Park is roughly the same size as Israel , and here , many animals roamed right along the roadside , gnawing on whatever vegetation remained until the rainy season would flourish the plants anew . Seemingly endless miles of terrain , and there they were just feet away from us . If you did n't know you were in a national park , you might think you were in a zoo . That 's how close the animals came to our jeep . Only , here , they were n't in separate enclosures , wandering aimlessly within an artificial terrain . This was truly their home , and we were only passing guests . Giraffes tore away at high branches . Elephants walked fearlessly , one-by-one across the road . Rhinos ... well , the rhinos pretty much just sat there looking stupid . But the zebras frolicked . The hippos splashed in the water . And the baboons stopped at nothing to make me laugh . Of course , the rare lions and leopards pretty much just shaded themselves under distant trees , and the crocs swam silently through the bog . But they were there . And we were there . And it was beautiful . And just as soon as it began , our time in the South African bush was over . A couple of giraffes and elephants met us by the roadside to bid our group farewell as we drove out of the park . The preserve faded silently behind us , and the road ahead paved my way to Swaziland for a short stopover before continuing to the second part of this South African journey .
CNN.com 's Jarrett Bellini is traveling in South Africa . He says the country has been hit by a series of natural disasters and political instability that have left many people feeling hopeless. Bellini will provide updates from South Africa on CNN.com and CNN.com Live .