Long time nature travelers, my wife and I decided to spend 5 nights at Parsons in late September, and we were not disappointed!

The camp is unfenced, which allows true close to nature experiences like the four kudus who spent a time right next to our tent, duikers regularly browsing in the camp in their nimble way, and the sights and sounds of elephants traversing through to the waterhole mere meters away. On the first night we heard a hyena call maybe 30 meters away from our tent, and then as a grand finale on our final morning game drive we found a family of lions lounging by the roadside less than a minute's drive out. If you never stared into the eyes of a massive male lion from 10 meters away, it's a breathtaking experience that stirs something deep in your soul.

The camp itself is laid out imaginatively and very much in harmony with its surrounds. The functional parts are well separated from the accommodation safari tents and don't intrude on the serenely quiet bush experience. Each tent has a unique, rewarding view and layout - a refreshing change from the copy and paste experience of the vast bulk of travel accommodations. The safari tents are spacious and comfortable, and well-appointed. At night, the camp assumes an almost fairy tale like character with the subtle lighting on the walkways and the incomparable smell of the bush fire in the boma... And when all have been safely seen to their quarters for the night - there could be lions just behind the first bush, after all! - the lights are all switched off and a stars shine majestically in skies pure and clear like God intended.

Meals are a treat, taken on the main lodge deck with its sweeping views (including of the Drakensberg escarpment) and oft-visited water hole for live entertainment. The food is plentiful and superb: Thapi the chef is super talented and seems to have made it her personal mission to ensure that every meal will be a unique and very tasty experience. The bar is well-stocked and frequent visits are recommended as a superb accompaniment to the heat and splendid clear skies.

The cherry on the proverbial cake is the passion, enthusiasm and sheer brio of Kobus, the host, camp manager and nature guide. Besides checking that your beer is appropriately cold and ensuring that you have a safe passage back your bed, his knowledge and sixth sense for finding animals make for an unforgettable experience on the game drives and bush walks. We did the sunset drives, sunrise drives and an early morning bush walk, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. After 40 years of regularly visiting the bush, we still learned something new and interesting on every excursion. The sundowners on the banks of the Olifants River, in the middle of a large elephant heard, with baboons shacking up for the night in the massive fig trees above and some very serious warthogs jogging through was a personal highlight that will stick in the memory for a long time.

We would highly recommend an extended visit to Parsons, where one is sure to connect to the veld, slow down and relax in record time. When the three daily meals and game drives are taken into account, the rates offer decent value and are in the same order of magnitude as some of Sanparks' self-catering Kruger accommodation options. It is one of the very few luxury Kruger game lodges that non-millionaire South Africans can still afford.

We just spent 3 nights at Parsons Hilltop and were really impressed with our first tented safari (we usually go for lodges). The tents are all very secure and spacious with ensuite bathrooms and ours also had an outdoor shower which was glorious. Plenty of towels and really lovely bed linen in the super huge bed. You can choose to have tea and coffee in your tent and admire the views from your own deck or socialise with other guests (maximum of 8) in the main lodge where you are supplied with an honesty bar, comfy sofas, tripods set with binos or telescope, excellent wifi, a plunge pool and sunbeds. They even have a small deck with a cross-trainer for fitness fanatics who want to exercise with a view! One tent has a jacuzzi on its deck if that is your thing. Kobus the Camp Manager and Ranger has a wealth of enthusiasm and experience as well as humour that he is keen to share and the remainder of the staff are courteous, smily and discreet. Whenever we returned to our tent, the bed had been made and everything made tidy. It is just the end of winter and not much big game was around but Kobus went the extra mile to find something to look at - even if was the "small stuff" which we found of as much interest as the ellies and giraffe etc. We heard lions nearby on 2 nights though did not see them, but I would also advise booking an additional walking safari as this gives you a completely different perspective. I would most definitely return with a group of friends so that we could have exclusive use of the camp when the weather warms up a little!