3 Best Hotels in Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park, South Africa

If you're looking for safari accommodations that are the opposite of typical khaki trappings, the swanky suites at the Kruger Shalati sit aboard an ingeniously upcycled (and permanently stationary) train that's been converted from 1950s coaches painstakingly collected from scrapyards across South Africa and suspended 15 meters (49 feet) above the sightings-rich Sabie River. Each cabin enjoys generous views, and even sitting in the bathtub affords visuals of animals—hippos, elephants, antelopes, hyenas, or even perhaps lions—ambling below. Children are not permitted on the train, but rooms on solid ground at the Bridge House give families an opportunity to experience this unparalleled journey. 

Overlooking the Sabie River with quick access to Kruger National Park, this sprawling hotel is large but has excellent good-value accommodations in a prime location. Tastefully decorated comfortable rooms with tiled floors in a gray, russet, and white palette come with all mod-cons, including a workstation and free Wi-Fi, and have floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto greenery. The panoramic infinity pool (where you'll likely spend most of your time) is set below towering riverine trees, with cocktails and simple toasted sandwiches on the café menu. Eat, drink, and swim with elephants and waterbuck antelope tiptoeing across the view. Don't miss a massage in an open-air spa sala—it's an excellent bang for your buck.

Established in 1873, this hotel dates from the very beginning of the gold rush in Pilgrim's Rest—you'll see its corrugated-iron facade in sepia photos all over town. The hotel is spread out over a number of quaint wood-and-tin buildings, and the 50 rooms have brass four-poster beds, wood ceiling fans, Victorian baths, and marble-and-oak washstands. The Church Bar was formerly a chapel in a Cape Town girls' school, which was dismantled, shipped to Mozambique, and transported to Pilgrim's Rest by ox wagon. The wood-paneled walls, old wooden bar counter, antique cash register, and a fascinating display of photographs depicting early life in the village all add to the convivial gold-rush atmosphere of the bar.