Sefapane Lodge & Safaris

Sefapane Lodge sits in nine hectares of tropical gardens one kilometre from Kruger National Park's Phalaborwa Gate, close enough that you can hear the park at night. The rondavel rooms — circular with grass-thatched roofs — are set among mature indigenous trees and large ponds. Each has space for two to four guests, with family units holding bunk beds.

Guided safaris run daily into Kruger, where you may see elephant, lion or leopard from open vehicles. Bush walks with armed guides take you closer to tracks and smaller wildlife. The lodge also arranges cultural tours to nearby villages and day trips to Blyde River Canyon, an hour's drive away.

The gardens are the work of decades — the lodge has operated here since the 1990s — and the swimming pool has a bar built into its edge. Phalaborwa town, historically a mining centre, supplies the airport and roads into Kruger's northern section.