The Kruger National Park is the ideal self-drive destination. You get to experience the thrill of seeing the Big 5 from the comfort of your own car. With picnic sites to stretch your legs, viewing points and watering holes to spot game, and scenically positioned rest camps – you can’t beat the feeling of driving yourself around the bush.

From the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in your hired car it is a mere 40kms to Numbi Gate, where you can head on to Pretoriuskop Restcamp, or 75km to Malelane Gate and on to Malelane Private Camp or Berg-en-Dal Restcamp. Buy a map at any of the entry gates and with all the camp, gate and picnic site distances marked, you can conveniently plan your route. There is a web of 2 000km of tarred and untarred roads but as they are all in good condition, you don’t need a 4x4.

The park can broadly be divided into the Far North, Northern, Central and Southern Regions. The Far North is least visited, so you’re more likely to be the only car on the road. It’s good for cheetah and leopard spotting. Some of the biggest trees in the park are found in the North – it’s wilder and more isolated, and buffalo and elephant are plentiful. The Centre has lots of rivers and with plenty of game about, this is lion territory. Because of its easy access and high concentration of animals, the South is the most popular, but wherever you are in the Kruger - it is impossible to get bored. In summer the temperature soars, so the best time to see the park is in winter when the weather is mild, the days are sunny and clear, and the grass is short. If you want to avoid the crowds don’t visit during school holidays or on weekends.

The best way to drive around the Kruger is slowly. The recommended speed limit is 30km/h; driving any faster and you’ll miss the wildlife. There is a bit of luck in spotting animals so be patient, when you least expect it, you’ll turn a corner and come face-to-face with a lion.