Of all the experiences awaiting visitors to South Africa, Kruger National Park is one like no other.

For one thing, the park itself is the size of Israel and is virtually a country in itself. Covered in huge tracts of bushwillow and acacia amidst rushing rivers and moss, Kruger National Park has its own native flora and fauna and a sense of isolation from the urban world outside.

Animals, of course, are the main attraction of Kruger, and the open savannah is filled with lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos. Cheetahs, giraffes, hippoes and many other smaller animals call Kruger home as do the rarest of birds and most exotic of beasts.

The park boasts a convenient and safe network of sealed roads and tourist-friendly camps, but there is also the option to keep it rough. If 4WD tracks, hiking trails and mountain bike paths are your thing, you can expect to enjoy closer calls with nature than any other African safari will offer. Even when you stick to the tarmac the sounds and smells of the rainforest are but an arms length away.