Living in South Africa, we would never spend that money for a place outside the park and/or not in a private game reserve. You don’t need a “shared safari vehicle” in Kruger, just get a car at HDS airport. Same experience as you and they are bound to the roads. You drive into the park early in the morning and stay the entire day. Drive out again at sunset. Not in and out twice a day, which is a waste of time. There are wonderful properties in the so called Hoedspruit Private Game reserve (don’t expect any big animals) for small money. And I am talking about 2000 to 3000 ZAR a night. What we do is to spend a few nights there and drive 25 minutes down the road into Kruger and spend a few nights in a real private reserve, eg a real “Sands”. Hoedspruit as a town is safe, restaurants are good and cheap and no need for a fake “Sands” Resort.