Mabalingwe Nature Reserve

You stay at Mabalingwe for the bushveld: a family-friendly reserve where elephants move past the chalets and lions call at night. The reserve sits in the Waterberg region, about two hours from Johannesburg by road. Chalets are spread across four camps — Ingwe, Kubu, Phiri and Kwalata — each with kitchens, braai areas and views over the valley. Some have loft sleeping areas for children.

Game drives go out morning and afternoon with guides who track the reserve's wildlife, including elephants, rhinos and antelope. The spa offers treatments using local products, and the restaurant serves meals with views over the landscape. Children can join guided activities while parents relax by the pool.

The reserve is malaria-free, with gravel roads connecting the camps to the main reception area. Warthogs often graze near the chalets, and birds fill the trees around the decks. At night you hear the bush come alive with insects and distant animal calls.

Check-in is at four in the afternoon; the speed limit on reserve roads is forty kilometers an hour to protect the wildlife.