Olifants Rest Camp

High atop a bluff, this camp offers fantastic views down to the Olifants River, where elephants, hippos and numerous other animals roam. Bungalows 10 to 14 have the best views, as do the eight-person Nshawu and Lebombo self-catering guesthouses (from R4050). There’s also a camp pool. Rustic Kitchen (mains R42 to R155) has a small variety of meals and extraordinary sunset views – bring binoculars. At sunset look for the bat colony departing.

Satara Rest Camp

Satara – the second-largest option after Skukuza – may lack the riverside views of other camps, but it’s optimally situated in the heart of ‘big cat’ territory, with open plains making viewing easier. When it’s busy, it feels like the antithesis of wilderness, but it’s still a good base. Both baboons and honey badgers are considered problem animals in the camp

Elephant Hall Museum

Even if you’re not staying at Letaba Rest Camp, it’s worth swinging by to check out this excellent museum. It has life-size skeletons and dozens of fascinating displays and information panels on everything from Kruger’s big tuskers to the place of elephants in world and Kruger history.

Sabi Sand Game Reserve

Within the borders of the large Sabi Sand Game Reserve are some of Southern Africa’s most luxurious safari lodges and the best wildlife watching on the continent. The area is routinely selected by safari connoisseurs as their destination of choice. As there’s no fencing between the various private lodges within the greater Sabi Sand area, all share the same wealth of birds and animals, but they’re all far enough apart that no-one gets in each other’s way.

Kapama Private Game Reserve

With four luxury lodges and the Big Five in residence (as well as occasional passing wild dogs and great birding), 13,000-hectare Kapama gets all of the important things right. Unlike most other private reserves, which constitute a patchwork of privately owned landholdings, Kapama is unusual in that it’s the preserve of just one family, who have added to the reserve over the years since its establishment in 1986. The family also runs the Centre for Endangered Species on the reserve’s southern boundary.

Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Timbavati abuts Kruger National Park’s western boundary and has an excellent mix of wildlife, conservation and good accommodation. Its accommodation settings are less sumptuous than those at Sabi Sand, so it tends to be more reasonably priced, without forgoing too many amenities. The reserve was once known for its population of white lions. Far more reliably, we saw the Big Five on a single game drive.

Sweni Hide

One of the most stunning hide locations, this L-shaped hide overlooks a bend in the Sweni River. The blue-cheeked bee-eater, cinnamon-breasted bunting and black-chested snake eagle are species of note.

Crooks Corner

On the outskirts of a beautiful fever-tree forest, Crooks Corner marks not only the confluence of the Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers but also the historic meeting place of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and smugglers (it’s all in the name). It’s more for the scenery and geopolitical interest than for wildlife.

Bobbejaankrans

This overlooks a section of the Timbavati River that animals often visit to quench their thirst. It’s especially good early morning or late afternoon.