My wife and I have been going to the Kruger area off and on since 2016. We've found the best game viewing are with lodges/maps the have the following characteristics:

• Have an adequately sized private traversing area. We spent our first safari on a well regarded property in the Klaserie. Every decent sighting was immediately mobbed by vehicles form most of the Klaserie lodges and we spent time in lengthy queues and getting our 15 minutes (or whatever the viewing limit was) of time at the sighting itself.
  
• Are allowed to drive off road (within reason) within their traversing area.
  
• Are in a private reserve that has an extensive un-fenced border with the Kruger itself. Specifically the lodges/maps with decent traversing areas directly adjacent to the Kruger in the Timbavati, Manyeleti and Sabi Sands reserves (link). Annd the camp/lodge works at keeping the number of vehicles near the sightings to an absolute minimum.
  
• Have fewer guests per vehicle (we prefer 4 per vehicle but most of the higher end camps limit at 6). We work with the lodge/camp so we get in with other guests who share what we want to see. It is no fun with a vehicle loaded with 9 or 10 guests where you are evenly split between cat people and bird people.

Unfortunately, this comes at a cost. Lodges/camps the meet the above criteria are typically in the upper 20 percentile of cost.