Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries - from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident in the Kruger National Park. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park's natural assets.

Kruger has a large spread of camps of varying in size, facility and cost. There are 12 main rest camps. Orpen and Crocodile Bridge are gate camps and are the only ones that do not have restaurant facilities. All the main restcamps have shops. They are:

• Berg-en-Dal
• Crocodile Bridge
• Letaba
• Lower Sabie
• Mopani
• Olifants
• Orpen
• Pretoriuskop
• Punda Maria
• Satara
• Shingwedzi
• Skukuza

There are several satellite camps. They have no reception, shop or restaurant facilities and residents must check in at the appropriate parent camp. They are (parent camp in brackets):

• Balule (Satara)
• Malelane (Malelane Gate)
• Maroela (Orpen)
• Tamboti (Orpen)

There are 5 bushveld camps. Smaller and filling visitors with a feeling of remoteness and escape into the bush, these camps have no restaurant or shop facilities and are accessible to residents only. They are:

• Bateleur
• Biyamiti
• Shimuwini
• Sirheni
• Talamati

There are 2 bush lodges. These venues are exclusive and remote and have to be booked in full by one group.

• Boulders
• Roodewal

Main Restcamps

All the major restcamps have electricity, a first-aid centre, a shop, barbecue and communal kitchen facilities, a laundromat/laundry tubs, a restaurant and/or self-service cafeteria, public telephones and a petrol station. Information centres manned by information staff are at Letaba, Skukuza and Berg-en-dal. Holiday programmes and evening film shows of wildlife and conservation are arranged in many of the restcamps. Please enquire at reception. Nature trails have been laid out in Punda Maria, Berg-en-dal (also accessible to blind/visually impaired tourists) and Pretoriuskop.

Bushveld Camps

Bushveld camps provide luxurious accommodation in smaller, more remote restcamps. One or more accommodation units may be reserved. Bushveld camps do not have shops or restaurants. Access to all bushveld camps is restricted to overnight visitors with reserved accommodation. Electrical equipment, such as hair dryers, cannot be used except at Biyamiti and Bateleur. Open verandas often serve as kitchen/dining room. All units have a refrigerator, cooking utensils, crockery, cutlery and a stove, either a two-plate stove without an oven or a four-plate stove with an oven in the larger units. All units have private ablution facilities. Communal freezing facilities are offered at Biyamiti, Shimuwini, Talamati and Sirheni. Night drives and/or day excursions are organised in most of the bushveld camps.

• Bateleur consists of seven guest cottages, each housing either six or four persons. The camp has electricity and plugs are available in the units. The main bedroom in each unit has air-conditioning.
• Biyamiti has ten guest cottages (5 beds) and five cottages (4 beds). The camp has electricity and plugs are available in the units. All units have ceiling fans.
• Shimuwini has ten guest cottages (one with 6 beds, nine with 5 beds) and five cottages (4 beds). Solar panels provide power for lights and fans only.
• Sirheni has ten guest cottages (6 beds) and five cottages (4 beds). Solar panels provide power for lights and fans only.
• Talamati has ten guest cottages (one with 6 beds, nine with five beds) and five cottages (4 beds). Solar panels provide power for lights and fans only.

ACCOMMODATION

The Kruger National Park offers a wide variety of accommodation, not only in size, facilities and visual appearance, but also in price range. In addition to the ten main restcamps with accommodation ranging from huts and safari tents to 2/3 bed bungalows, family cottages and luxury guest houses, there are also smaller bush lodges and bushveld camps. Camping sites for caravans and tents are provided in nine of the large and three of the smaller restcamps.
All accommodation units are serviced daily and bedding, towels and soap are provided. Most of the units have either air-conditioning or fans. Visitors who are accommodated in units without cooking facilities have to provide their own cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery. Basic cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery are hired out to visitors who have reserved accommodation in huts without these items, except in bushveld camps and Berg-en-Dal and Mopani camps. Barbecue and communal cooking facilities are available in all the camps.

Adapted accommodation equipped for paraplegics and other mobility impaired persons is available at Berg-en-Dal, Crocodile Bridge, Lower Sabie, Skukuza, Satara, Olifants, Letaba, Mopani, Shingwedzi, Pretoriuskop and Tamboti.

The different accommodation types and the camps they occur in include:

• Bungalow
Bungalows have one room and a bathroom. Some of the units have their own kitchenettes, while others share communal kitchen facilities. Units with cooking facilities have basic kitchen equipment. Bungalows are found Berg-en-dal, Crocodile Bridge, Letaba, Lower Sabie, Mopani, Olifants, Pretoriuskop, Punda Maria, Satara, Shingwedzi, Malelane and Skukuza.

 

• Bush camps/lodges
A bush lodge is an exclusive, private lodge with a unique style and atmosphere providing the opportunity for tourists to enjoy complete privacy, as only residents are allowed entrance to the camp. For Kruger, check in and any outstanding payment can be made at any gate or restcamp as the bush lodges do not have reception offices. There are no shops or restaurant facilities, but the kitchen has a gas stove with oven, refrigerator, freezer, cutlery and crockery. Gas braais and barbecue facilities are provided and wood may be purchased. A bush lodge must be reserved en bloc. Boulders and Roodewal are the 2 Kruger bush lodges.

• Camping
A maximum of six persons, one caravan with a side tent and one vehicle, or one tent and one vehicle, or one autovilla, or one motorised caravan will be permitted per site. In the case of camping with a small tent, more than one tent will be permitted on a site, provided the maximum number of 6 persons is not exceeded. Some camps will charge extra fees for additional vehicles, as space can be limited in peak season. Most campsites are have sites equipped with power points. Visitors may use generators from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset only. Communal kitchen and ablution facilities are available in all the camps. A communal freezer is available for campers at Malelane, Balule and Maroela. Cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery are not provided. In Kruger the following restcamps have camping: Balule, Berg-en-Dal, Crocodile Bridge, Letaba, Lower Sabie, Malelane, Maroela, Pretoriuskop, Punda Maria, Satara, Shingwedzi and Skukuza.

• Cottage
Cottages comprise one bedroom and a living room, a bathroom and a partially equipped kitchen or kitchenette. Cottages are found in Punda Maria, Mopani, Biyamiti, Shimuwini, Sirheni and Talamati.

• Family Cottage
Family cottages are units with one, two or three bedrooms with one bathroom and a partially equipped kitchen. Family cottages are found in Skukuza, Berg-en-dal, Pretoriuskop and Olifants.

• Guest Cottage
Guest cottages are units with two or three bedrooms and at least two bathrooms, of which one is en suite. Kitchens are fully equipped. The camps in Kruger with guest cottages are Skukuza, Mopani, Olifants, Lower Sabie, Satara, Orpen, Pretoriuskop, Letaba and Shingwedzi and in all the Bushveld camps.

• Guest House
Guest houses are secluded units within a restcamp. Units have three or four bedrooms, most of which have en suite bathrooms. Each guest house has a fully equipped kitchen and a communal lounge/living room or an open veranda. Those in Kruger are at Berg-en-Dal, Letaba, Lower Sabie, Mopani, Olifants, Pretoriuskop, Satara, Shingwedzi and Skukuza.

• Hut
Huts consist of one room and communal ablution and kitchen facilities. Cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery are not provided at Lower Sabie, Pretoriuskop, Balule, Letaba or Shingwedzi, but in Orpen each hut has basic cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery.

• Safari Tent

Safari tents are equipped with beds, a cupboard, table and chairs, fridge and electric fan. Those in Marakele (Matlabas) are equipped with a kitchenette. Those in Kruger have communal ablution and kitchen facilities provided. Safari tents in Kruger are available in Crocodile Bridge, Skukuza, Letaba and Tamboti. Semi luxury safari tents are available at Lower Sabie. 7 Fully equipped luxury safari tents are available at Punda Maria while 10 of these are available at Tamboti.

• Youth Hostel
A Youth Hostel catering for large groups, particularly educational groups is available at Skukuza.

Extra mattresses in all camps
Only a certain number of mattresses are available in each rest camp. Some camps do not allow this facility at all (e.g. Pretoriuskop). Those that do are dealt out on a first come first serve basis. For example Shingwedzi has only 15 mattresses. Clients should rather take their own, in case there are none available.

ACTIVITIES
The following are some of the more notable activities available in the park.

Adventures
• Night drives: take part in the nocturnal activities of Kruger's secretive creatures. Experienced guides drive the groups. Inquire at the reservations offices or at the camp you are staying at and going on the drive.
• Morning drives leave at around 04.30 in summer and 05.30 in winter. Clients are to confirm with reception the previous night when they book in to their accommodation. As per day walks, accommodation must be booked for the previous night at the camp, as walks/drives leave before the gates open officially. The drive's duration is 3-4 hours.
• New Additional Drive Options: A new range of 10-seater vehicles is now available. Because of the greater comfort and exclusivity of these vehicles, they will be offered at a higher price than the more economical 20-seater trucks. The availability of the 2 types of vehicles will vary from camp to camp and guests will be informed of the available type on making their reservation.

Additionally there are changes to the names, departure times and duration of the drives. The traditional 3-hour morning and night drives departing half an hour before gate opening and 2 hours before gate closing times respectively, will now be known as early morning and sunset drives. Shorter 2-hour mid-morning and night drives will also be offered departing at 09:00 and 2 hours after closing time respectively.

All the above drives for the camps are available for reservation in advance, as well as drives from the main gates. However an additional offering is an all-day-drive where, on request and availability at camp level, guests may hire the use of a vehicle and driver for the entire day. Skukuza, Berg-en-Dal and Letaba offer this option, while the service can be arranged from other camps too subject to availability. Trained officials take visitors to sections of the park which are usually inaccessible to tourists. This service can also be arranged from other camps at an additional fee. Reservations should be made well in advance (2 months).

Furthermore, differentiated prices for adults and children are given on the guided drive options.

Please note all times listed are given only as a guide. Times vary throughout the year as the gate times changes, depending on daylight. Please consult at your camp Reception on arrival and also make sure you get to the collection point in good time for your departure.

• Guided bush walks: trained field guides and backup rifles take groups of up to 8 people out into the bush for a few hours. Track rhino, elephant and lion on foot and learn and observe fascinating facts about the African bush.
• Wilderness Trails - the ultimate African experience. Groups of up to 8, traverse the wilderness under the guidance of experienced, armed rangers, who protect, but more importantly unwrap the wonders of the Kruger Park to the uninitiated. Accommodation is provided in exclusive trail base camps with rustic 2-bed huts.
• Lebombo Motorised Eco-Trail - The first motorised eco-trail, a wilderness experience on wheels along the eastern boundary of the Kruger National Park. Five four-wheel drive vehicles will be allowed to participate at a time with up to four participants per vehicle.
• Golf Course
The golf course was built in 1972 as a recreational facility for the Skukuza personnel, and is now available to visitors to the Kruger National Park for the first time. Here is a first for South Africa and the world - a unique opportunity for golfing enthusiasts within one of the world's greatest conservation establishments. The Skukuza Golf Course is designed for all levels of golfers. Please bring along your golf clubs next time you visit the Kruger National Park and enjoy one of the most unique 9-hole golf courses in the world.
• Four new 4x4 adventure trails, which all take between four and five hours to complete, are:
• Northern Plains Adventure Trail (north of Shingwedzi) - reserved from Shingwedzi Camp ,
• Nonokani Adventure Trail (between Phalaborwa and Letaba) - reserved from Phalaborwa Gate,
• Mananga Adventure Trail (east of Satara) - reserved from Satara Camp and
• Madlabantu Adventure Trail (near Pretoriuskop) - reserved from Pretoriuskop Camp.

FACILITIES

Conference Facilities
Conference facilities of varying capacity are available from the following camps: Berg-en-Dal, Shingwedzi and Skukuza (2 venues - one next to Stevenson Hamilton Memorial Library and one next to the Doctors quarters). Mopani's conference facilities are suspended until further notice. Bateleur and Letaba have smaller facilities suitable for small groups.

Picnic Sites
Toilets and barbecue facilities (Cadac gas braai) are provided at all sites, while some have a tuck shop where snacks, soft drinks and wood may be purchased. Enquire at your restcamp for further details about picnic sites in the vicinity.

Restaurants
All of the park's main rest camps have restaurant facilities except Orpen and Crocodile Bridge (the Bushveld and Satellite Camps have no restaurant or shop facilities). SANParks embarked on a Commercialization as a Conservation strategy in 2001. This included the outsourcing of existing restaurants in order to improve efficiencies, and attract capital investments and expertise from the private sector. After a thorough tendering process, all restaurants in Kruger National Park are run by Natures. Nature's Group now also caters for weddings, conferences and functions in the park.

Shops
All of the park's main rest camps have retail facilities for both curios and basic provisions (the Bushveld and Satellite Camps have no restaurant or shop facilities). The larger camps have a better selection of stock. These shops used to be run internally by SANParks, but in 2001 it was decided to outsource the function to an organisation specializing in the retail industry. After a thorough tendering process, the contract was awarded to Tiger's Eye for all main camps except Punda Maria and Shingwedzi which like the restaurants were awarded to Nature's Group.

Swimming Pools
There are swimming pools at the following camps: Berg-en-Dal, Lower Sabie, Pretoriuskop, Mopani, Shingwedzi and Skukuza (2 pools). These pools are for camp residents only. There is an additional pool for day visitors at the Skukuza Day Visitor Area.

OTHER INFORMATION

SLEEPOVER HIDES: Mattresses, bed linen and basic cutlery and crockery are available for the sleeping hides and are available for Shipandani at Mopani Camp and for the Sable Dam Hide at Phalaborwa Gate.
The Shipandani Hide can be reserved through the normal reservation system or directly from the Mopani Camp. A maximum of 6 people can sleep over. Only one party may occupy the hide on a given night. Parties may not sleep at the hide for more than one night at a time. People who have an additional booking at Mopani will receive a discounted rate on the accommodation.
The Sable Dam Hide can only be reserved through the Phalaborwa Gate. A maximum of 9 people can sleep over. Only one party may occupy the hide on a given night. Parties may not sleep at the hide for more than one night at a time.

ARRIVAL BY AIR: There are daily flights from Johannesburg to Phalaborwa Airport, Hoedspruit Airport and the new Kruger/Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) located between Nelspruit and White River. KMIA also receives daily flights from Durban and Cape Town, while there is also a flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit. The Skukuza Airfield, formerly used for daily commercial flights from Johannesburg is no longer open for commercial flights. No aircraft may land at Skukuza or any other landing strip within the park without prior permission from the Park Director.

ENTRANCE GATES: There are nine entrance gates to Kruger, namely (anti-clockwise from the north): Pafuri, Punda Maria, Phalaborwa, Orpen, Paul Kruger, Phabeni, Numbi, Malelane and Crocodile Bridge. National access roads to all nine entrance gates are tarred. Since entrance gates and restcamp gates are closed at night, allow sufficient travelling time to ensure timeous arrival at your restcamp. Latecomers at entrance gates will be refused entry, whilst offenders at rest camps will be warned and fined if they are repeat offenders.

LATE ENTRY: Late entry escorts (at a fee) are available at the following gates for the camp in brackets only. This is only available until 21:00. Escorts depart every half hour until this time:
• Paul Kruger (Skukuza)
• Numbi (Pretoriuskop)
• Malelane (Berg-en-Dal and Malelane)
• Crocodile Bridge gate (Crocodile Bridge Camp)
• Punda Maria gate (Punda Maria Camp)
• Orpen gate (Orpen Camp)
• No late admission at Phabeni, Phalaborwa and Pafuri
Gate Security will phone camp duty phone when there are guests and transport is arranged. If guests advise in advance, then trips can be better planned.

INTERNAL ROAD NETWORK: Tourist roads in the park are either tarred, or good gravel roads; speed limit: 50 km/h on tarred roads, 40 km/h on gravel roads and 20 km/h in restcamps. An average speed of 30 km/h on tourist roads is recommended for maximum safety and game-viewing enjoyment.

VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS: Motorcycles and vehicles with an axle load exceeding 8000 kg are not permitted. Caravan and trailers as well as coaches and buses are restricted to the tar roads. Open vehicles are permitted only if the driver is in possession of a valid permit and such vehicles have a covered canopy so that human shapes do not break the shape of the vehicle. Such permits are available at Skukuza on 013 735 4000 - inquire after open vehicle permits.

Rates
All rates are self-catering unless specified otherwise.

IMPORTANT: Deposits & payments
For bookings made more than 6 months before arrival a 50% deposit is required within 4 months of making a booking. For bookings made less than 6 months before arrival a 50% deposit is required within 10 days of making a booking. For bookings made within 40 days of arrival, immediate and full payment is required within 24 hours upon confirmation of the booking. Final and full payment for all reservations is due 40 days prior to arrival. Rates are to be used as a guide only - full quotes will be provided upon receipt of an enquiry.

When making an enquiry, please supply full detail regarding the number of adults, number of children together with their ages, arrival and departure dates, accommodation type(s) required and number of nights in each rest camp. Also supply alternative dates and rest camps where possible. Children under 2 are free of charge. Bookings open 1 year in advance - it is essential to book as early as possible for busy/peak periods and school holidays.

Rates for the NORTHERN SECTION of the park is available under the LIMPOPO section of our website.