A Big Five safari in Kruger

A safari day starts before sunrise with coffee, then you head out in an open vehicle with a ranger and a tracker who read the animals' tracks. In the early hours lions and leopards are active, and elephants and buffalo move to water.

After breakfast and a midday rest at the lodge, the afternoon drive runs until sunset and returns after dark with spotlights to find the night animals. Your ranger keeps a safe distance, and you leave the vehicle only where permitted.

We choose private lodges inside the park or in neighbouring reserves, with only a few suites, request halal meals in advance, and arrange suitable suites for families, as some lodges set a minimum age for children.

You reach the lodge by small aircraft from Johannesburg in about an hour and a half, or fly to Nelspruit and continue by road.