Go WILD in South Africa

With England's third World Cup match due to take place tomorrow, it's not just the fans who will go wild if we get through to the last sixteen teams.

You too can enjoy a taste of the wild with a holiday to the Kruger Park area of South Africa - and the Holiday Letting Shop has three great resorts for those who are a more than a little "wild at heart". 

The Kruger National Park is the primary destination in South Africa for many tourists with over half a million visitors each year. Opened in 1898 after hunters had decimated the game stock, all the land between the Sabie and the Crocodile Rivers was put under the protection of Nature Conservation to ensure the survival of the remaining animals. Today the Park is 350 km long, 65 km wide and comprises an area of about 20,000sq km.

Everyone who visits the Park dreams of seeing the "big five" but Kruger is also home to over 147 mammal, 114 reptile and 507 bird species. I have been fortunate enough to see lion, elephant, rhino and buffalo from my car window - just the leopard escaped me!

The best time for observing the animals is the dry winter season when the grass is low and there are few leaves on the bushes and trees. If you think an elephant or a giraffe can't hide - believe me you can be a few metres away from a herd and never know it! At this time of year, the animals come to the waterholes to drink in the mornings and evenings and can easily be watched from the car.

So where can you stay during your trip?

Waterberry Hill Resort adjoins the Illanga Game Reserve and is just twenty minutes from the Numbi gate of Kruger Park. The resort offers luxurious colonial style self catering chalets surrounded by birdlife, small game and nature walks. Guests can enjoy tennis, mini golf, table tennis and the large outdoor swimming pool. Nearby attractions include God's Window, Bourkes Luck Potholes and the Blyde River Canyon. Hazyview with its shops and crafts is just 4km away.

Lowveld Lodge is another ideal base from which to enjoy not only Kruger Park but also the wonderful sites of the Mpumalanga region. The resort offers fully equipped chalets, pool, sauna and outdoor spa. There is also a braai area, games room and playground. The resort is centrally located and has a cooler climate than the Lowveld itself.

For those who want wild life on their doorstep then Gethlane Lodge is the answer. The comfortable chalets are set amongst 179 hectares of indigenous forest with birdlife and game such as giraffe, leopard, baboon and kudu. Kruger Park and other game farms are just 20 kms away. On site, guests can enjoy the five pools, Jacuzzi, sauna, tennis, crazy golf and children's playground.

For further information about holiday in South Africa with Holiday Letting Shop, click here.