If you are based at Punda Maria, birding is always rewarding. You can spend an entire day at the hide in the campsite, or book an outing from the Pafuri Picnic Site with one of SA’s best bird guides. By Carin Malan

While visiting the Kruger National Park on my yearlong trip to South Africa’s most special nature reserves and national parks, I had the great fortune of seeing a leopard kill for the first time. By Scott Ramsay