2. CROCODILE BRIDGE REST CAMP

CLOSEST GATE Crocodile Bridge SITES 20 BEST FEATURES One of the closest camps to Gauteng, and great for wildlife SPECIAL SIGHTINGS The Big Five

On the southern border of the park, Malelane satellite camp is also lovely but overlooks sugar-cane fields, which is why I prefer Crocodile Bridge. It’s in one of the busiest areas of the park, where plains game gather and water is better retained, but there are just 20 shaded sites in this small camp. It’s perfect for a weekend away (being right at the park gate) and in a productive game-watching area – we saw lions mating just three kilometres from the camp, and I loved watching the redbilled queleas flocking home in huge waves at sunset from the surrounding farms. Bushbabies nest in the hollows of fence poles, so watch for their big eyes and ears peeking out. All sites have power and we camped on the fence, next to tented unit number 8. (There are eight of these, and it’s a great budget option if you don’t want to pitch camp on the first or last night of your trip. From R640 for two). DO THIS Drive the tarred H4-2 to Lower Sabie and take time to look along the river for leopards. Lower Sabie has a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Sabie River – perfect for coffee or lunch. And on your way back, be sure to sit for a while at Sunset Dam just outside the camp gate to see buffalo, hippos, crocs and waterbirds. Book ahead for a guided sunset drive (R325 pp); it can be difficult to get a spot as they also take bookings from lodges outside the park. PLUS What I like about Malelane satellite camp is that it can only be accessed by residents and has no traffic racing by, so it has a peaceful feel. The spacious sites (most of them positioned on the fence) are beneath marula trees.