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While much of the historic Kruger seems to have vanished, the north still has a sense of the Kruger of our childhoods, before SUVs surrounded every sighting and cellphones drowned out the birds at picnic spots. Punda Maria, where the original ranger quarters were transformed into a tourist camp in 1933, has preserved the old-style buildings and the old-fashioned, friendly atmosphere. Because it's one of the smaller rest camps, people staying there get to know one another and swap Kruger stories at the central braai and kitchen area. However, mixed in with the old is the new. Punda is the only camp with double-storey, three-bedroom cottages and also offers seven luxury self-catering tents. When it opened in 1933, Punda Maria was one of only two rest camps with baths. A cold bath cost a shilling.

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The Olifants River is generally considered to be the dividing line between southern and northern Kruger. From Olifants Camp, the river takes a wide northerly sweep towards its con¬fluence with the Letaba in the Lebombo foothills. There are three lookout points over this wide, rocky section of river, all set high above the water and offering expansive views across the savanna. The first is a get-out point about seven kilometres east of Olifants on the S44. The second is in Olifants Camp itself, directly in front of the restaurant, while the third, Nwamanzi, is on the H1-4, about 10 kilometres west of Olifants. Apart from the obvious hippos and crocs, abundant game moves to and from the river in an unending stream. Book a perimeter rondavel at Olifants Camp and you'll have one of the park's finest views from your stoep.

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For many Kruger park faithfuls, Letaba ('river of sand' in Sotho) is their favourite camp. It's set on a great bend of the river from which it takes its name. The restaurant and recreation areas have magnificent views of a flood plain that teems with game: elephant and buffalo herds coming to drink, waterbuck relaxing on sandy beaches or baboon troops crossing in a flurry of barking excitement. The riverine bush and tall, shady trees of the camp are a welcome relief after the unending mopane-veld of the north. Letaba is known for its many owls and for the tame bushbuck that wander unconcerned among the rondavels. Bird watching from the benches in front of the camp's restaurant can be surprisingly rewarding.

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If you want the ultimate in pampering and luxury in Kruger, look no further than Singita. It comprises two camps (Lebombo and the smaller, more intimate Sweni), both architecturally bold, with stylish interiors - muted colours, wraparound glass - and superb views over the N'wanetsi and Sweni Rivers. Lebombo's pool deck-cum-dining area is an excellent fusion of wood, rock and glass. There's a spa, art gallery and wine cellar with a sommelier on hand to help with your selection. Singita's 15000-hectare concession includes parts of the Lebombo inaccessible to the self-drive visitor. World-class rangers and trackers ensure that each game drive is memorable. And it's not just about wildlife viewing; this part of the Lebombo has beautiful landscapes and richly varied plant and birdlife.

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The Mluwati concession is a 10 000-hectare private reserve some 40 kilometres southeast of Orpen Gate. It has three luxury camps that overlook the Mluwati and N'waswitsontso Rivers: Imbali, Hoyo-Hoyo and Hamilton's. The latter is a romantic tented camp, impeccably decorated in the style of a 19th-century safari encampment with decor that includes steamer trunks, antique furniture, pith helmets and even an old brass telescope. It's set in among enormous jackal-berry trees with leafy views over a dam. While at Hamilton's, try to visit nearby Hoyo-Hoyo as it has some of the most innovative architecture (in a Tsonga-Shangaan style) in the park.

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Central Kruger, particularly the northern section between Olifants and Letaba camps, is a great area for elephant sightings. A drive along the banks of the Letaba or Olifants Rivers is sure to produce good opportunities to get close to the great grey giants of the park. A visit to the elephant museum at Letaba Camp is a must. It gives insight into pachyderm gestation and life cycles, poaching and culling, as well as featuring a fine display of the Magnificent Seven and the next generation of big tuskers.

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Sitting round a braai fire, visitors gaze up at a night sky devoid of the interference of city lights and try to name the stars. To make your job a little easier, Olifants Camp offers evening astronomy tours. You leave at sunset in a game drive vehicle and your ranger finds an appropriate place to set up a powerful telescope. A short lecture and snacks are followed by the chance to view some of the more prominent celestial bodies. The piece de resistance was a closer look at Saturn, with its rings clearly visible. The squeaks of fruit bats, whoops of hyenas, cries of jackals and owl calls add spice to your viewing pleasure.

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For many visitors who spend their Kruger days cooped up in a vehicle, the opportunity to get out and into the bush has great appeal. To this end, Sanparks provides both bush walks and mountain-biking trails in central Kruger; Olifants Camp has even introduced a backpackers' trail. Two armedguides accompany all groups and steer you away from any potential danger. To alight from a vehicle at sunrise and track the Big Five on foot or bicycle is a thrill not to be missed.

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Because of its many different habitats, the central Lebombo Mountains sustain a wide range of animal life. The region receives far less rainfall than the west and this is apparent in the types of vegetation growing in the stony soil of the area's rhyolitic koppies. Most striking are the Lebombo euphorbias which decorate the skyline, lending a prehistoric air to any game drive. Central Lebombo is home to 'the mountain pride' of lions, an uncharacteristically large group that used to number more than 24 cats and is now in the region of 19. A highlight of current trips to Singita is a chance to see these cats. We were fortunate to watch them hunting.

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My favourite drive in this region is along the Letaba River from Mingerhout Dam to Engelhard Dam on the S47, Hl-6 and the S46.1 have never been disappointed on this route. As the terrain hereabouts is generally stunted mopane, offering relatively few sightings, game tends to congregate along the Letaba's wide flood plain. The drive is particularly rewarding in winter when animals tend to stick closer to water. While general game sightings are excellent all along the banks, the Matambeni Hide and Engelhard Dam wall are excellent for birding.

Look out for all the herons, many plovers, storks, stilts, bee-eaters and rarer species, such as the black heron and collared pratincole.

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The abundance of grass and browsing trees in the central-eastern region sustains the park's biggest herds of impala, buffalo, giraffe, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck and sable ... and consequently nearly half the park's lion population. It is estimated that about 60 lion prides occupy home ranges there, with an average pride size of 12 cats. This high density has major consequences for competing predators.