Harriets Venture

If you're only going to make one outing, it should of course be to the Marakele National Park – the entrance gate is less than 10 minutes' drive away, and it’s well populated with birds and game animals. Once you’re in, you can take a lovely scenic drive on a fully tarred road to the Lenong viewpoint – a fabulous spot for a scenic picnic. You’ll probably spot plenty of wildlife as you tour the park, but if you want to get a bit closer the place to go is Marakele Animal Sanctuary (five minutes' drive). Here you can see leopards, cheetahs, tigers and hyena up close, and finish off with a trip into the lion enclosure (with the excellent LionMobile experience). Away from the animals, you may like to take the kids for a dip and a play on the waterslides at Kameeldoring Oasis (10 minutes); there's also a pool and playground at the Khaya Kwa Restaurant and Bar, opposite the national park entrance.