nThambo Tree Camp

Built on wooden stilts and accessed by stairs, the main lodge has that childhood treehouse feel – all thatch and timber with views across the plains to the waterhole and mountains beyond. There's a small splash pool on the deck (a favourite with visiting elephants), a bar, and a boma for evening meals around the fire. It's relaxed and sociable rather than exclusive, with communal dining bringing guests together to swap stories from the day's drives. Don't expect designer touches or spa treatments – this is bush camp territory, simple and unpretentious.

The five chalets are spread along the tree line, each raised on stilts with canvas sides that roll up to reveal near-panoramic views from the bed. They're compact – just a bedroom with en-suite toilet and shower – and simply furnished with solar-powered lighting and mosquito nets. What they lack in space they make up for in atmosphere: lying in bed listening to hyenas whooping in the darkness or watching the sunrise paint the plains gold is pretty special. Housekeeping is attentive, beds are comfortable, and there's something rather wonderful about that gap between canvas and thatch that keeps you connected to the sounds of the bush.

Game drives head out twice daily in open Land Rovers, exploring the Klaserie's varied terrain in search of the Big Five. The reserve shares unfenced borders with Kruger, so wildlife moves freely and sightings can be excellent – though as with any safari, it varies day to day. Afternoon drives typically wrap up with sundowners in the bush before a leisurely return to camp as darkness falls. Between drives, the camp itself often provides entertainment – elephants at the pool, impala grazing the lawn, the odd curious giraffe peering over the trees.