Nelspruit (Mbombela) is the primary urban gateway to the world-renowned Kruger National Park. The town itself has moderate levels of opportunistic property crime, so keep vehicles locked and valuables hidden. The true risks for tourists in this region are environmental and biological. Inside Kruger and surrounding private reserves, wildlife safety is an absolute matter of life and death: never exit your vehicle outside of designated, fenced rest camps, and always maintain a respectful distance from elephants and rhinos, which can easily flip cars if provoked. Furthermore, the lowveld region is a high-risk Malaria zone, especially during the wet summer months (September to May). Taking anti-malarial prophylaxis and using heavy DEET insect repellent is strongly advised.