Londolozi Private Game Reserve by John Borthwick

A cheetah prowls like the prince of the savannah just metres from our open safari car. Londolozi's grand cats remain regally unperturbed by our metal dinosaur - safari vehicles don't shoot at them, and the cats would never lower themselves to chewing a large tincan. The cheetah, now joined by two siblings, pads on for ten minutes more, occasionally stopping to hold an in-your-lens pose for my trembling camera.

Londolozi Private Game Reserve, on the edge of South Africa's giant Kruger National Park, doesn't guarantee on-call appearances of its famous leopards and cheetah - you may have to settle for adrenaline-enhanced encounters with lion, hippo, giraffes, buffalo, warthog, zebra, impala or elephants.

This is no "feely-touchy" place for would-be animal-strokers. As you explore the waterholes and bushvelt crannies of this conservation zone you remain firmly within your 4WD safari car or, if on a foot excursion, accompanied by a trained guide with a .375 mm elephant gun. Nevertheless, Londolozi is a luxury safari camp and, at dinner, after several bottles of good South African merlot, a certain amount of wildlife behaviour may be observed at close quarters around the table.

Londolozi Private Game Reserve is unashamedly exclusive and has been run by same family for three-quarters of a century. There are four exclusive Camps and a Safari Lodge, featuring suites and luxury chalets. Day and night game drives, guided bush walks, moonlit bush dinners and bush breakfasts are are your daily agenda. Londolozi covers 14,000 hectares (34,580 acres) in the heart of the game-rich 56,000 hectare Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Its name, a Zulu word meaning "protector of all living things," sets an ambitious conservation ethic for Londolozi to achieve.