Balule is a large private reserve north of the town of Hoedspruit to the west of Kruger.
The reserve extends for an impressive 225 square kilometres of largely flat lowveld, unfenced to adjacent reserves and the park itself and centred along the beautiful Oliphants river. Safari is reasonably good year round.
The dozen or so lodges are easily accommodated in a reserve so large, although traffic does tend to concentrate along the river and particularly around the lodge cluster to the northwest.
The best accommodation is at the high specification
Pondoro Game Lodge, with several others offering an assortment of good value all-inclusive and self-drive rates.