At Skukuza, for example, the day visitor area overlooks the Sabi River, downstream from the camp, and offers a huge swimming pool with islands and weirs between deep, shallow and paddling sections. The pool is bordered by grass banks dotted with benches and shaded thatched lapas. There is plenty of space to run around and a shop for light meals and snacks as well as hot and cold drinks.

Satara’s facility is just inside the camp’s perimeter fence to the right of the gate and has numerous tables, shaded by attractive lath-roofed structures.

For the time being, these spots are relatively unknown and empty providing a welcome refuge from the busy camp shops and restaurants during busy periods. They could also prove useful for anybody caught out by the new check-in and check-out times which are now in place. The latest check-out time is now 10.00 – an hour later than previously – and the earliest check-in 14.00, the idea being that overnight visitors don’t have to rush back to their accommodation from their morning drives in order to be out in time.

A number of recent visits to the Kruger in April have yielded excellent game-viewing, especially along the Doispane Road from Phabeni Gate where, thanks to a burn in September which has kept the grass down, lion and leopard are found almost daily and wild dog are also frequently seen.

The unusually engaging baboons in the photograph were in a large troop seen at the aptly-named Bobbejaankrans viewpoint overlooking the Timbavati River half-way between Orpen and Satara. We watched them for ages. You can’t beat a day in the bush, can you?