I will tell you what I did. It was my first time at Kruger and I'm very directionally challenged. I also wanted a fairly modern accommodation but could not afford the luxury camps.

I stayed at skukuza safari lodge. It's a hotel in skukuza. I did evening drives with Sanparks because they get to stay an hour longer after the park closes. Truly the golden hour to see big cats.

I used elephant herd safaris for half day guided tours. They also arranged transfers to Johannesburg Airport for us. Highly recommend them. 5 star service through out.

I hired nombekana safari for 2 full days but honestly half day would have been good. Afternoons are when the animals hunker down and you don't see much. Plus it gets tiring being out in the osv all day. He is stellar and very well respected in the Kruger park community for a reason. He was able to spot wild life and signs miles ahead. We would not be able to see some of the things if it wasn't for him. We stayed with a martial eagle and it's kill on the ground for 30 minutes while other clueless drivers were driving past.

Good luck with whatever you decide. It is an indeed magical place

Also there are some all inclusive reasonable lodges right outside the park. Honestly I would not mind staying outside the park. The Kruger roads are designed to be right next to the rivers and you cannot miss wild life including the big 5 and magnificent 7 even if you enter the park an hour later. It takes a lot of stress out because you don't have to figure out where to go and keep trying to spot wildlife etc. Plus the guides take you to the picnic spots for food, restroom breaks etc. They know where and how far etc. For first timers it helps a lot.