The Phalaborwa Gate is as close as a town border and a national park boundary can get — cross the main road and you are effectively inside Kruger National Park. This is the entry point for the park's northern reaches, which support a different ecology to the famous south: drier mopane woodland, enormous elephant concentrations, and far less tourist traffic.
Self-drive safaris from this gate are excellent. The Olifants River camp is within easy reach and sits on a dramatic escarpment above the river where hippo, crocodile, elephant, and buffalo gather at the water's edge. The Letaba camp further south has one of Kruger's best elephant museums, displaying the tusks of the famous Magnificent Seven bulls. Night drives and guided walks can be arranged through the SANParks office at the gate.