Kruger National Park

'Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa. It is roughly the same size and shape as Israel or Wales. It covers over 20,000 square kilometres and extends 350 km from north to south and 60 km from east to west.

Accommodation

The Kruger National Park has 21 rest camps, as well as 7 private lodge concessions, and 11 designated private safari lodges. The concessions are parcels of land operated by private companies in partnership with communities, who outsource the operation of private lodges.

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Rest camps

• Balule: Situated on the southern bank of the Olifants River
• Bateleur
• Berg-en-Dal: This modern camp opened in February 24 1984 is situated on the bank of the Matjulu Spruit in the south of the park. It is the only camp set in a rugged mountain environment and is built on the site of a prehistoric settlement.
• Biyamiti Bushveld camp
• Crocodile Bridge: Built in the 1930s on the bank of the Crocodile River in the south-eastern corner of the park.
• Letaba: Situated on the banks of the Letaba River.
• Lower Sabie: Situated on the bank of a dam in the Sabie River.
• Malelane: One of the smallest rest camps.
• Maroela: A small camp overlooking the Timbavati River.
• Mopani: Built in 1989 on the eastern bank of the Pioneer Dam.
• Olifants: Set on a cliff overlooking the Olifants River.
• Orpen
• Pretoriuskop: Built on the wagon route from Lydenburg goldfields to the coast and named after Willem Pretorius son of Andries Pretorius. It is situated in the western-most, highest, coolest and wettest part of the park.
• Punda Maria: Built in 1919 as a ranger outpost this northern-most camp's name is thought to have originated from a misspelling of the Swahili word punda millia, meaning zebra and the area's first section ranger JJ Coetzer's wife Maria. It was converted into a rest camp in 1933.
• Satara: In the 19th century, before the park was declared, this area of the lowveld was carved up settlement by burghers of the Transvaal Republic. One of the surveyors was an Indian who marked the present-day Satara area on his map with the Hindi word satra, meaning 17.
• Sirheni: A small camp situated in a riverine forest on the edge of Sirheni dam which is fed by the Mphongolo River.
• Shimuwini Bushveld Camp
• Shingwedzi: Alluvial gold was discovered here.
• Skukuza: This is the main camp in the Kruger National Park, it is situated on the southern bank of the Sabie River and can sleep 1,000 visitors in rondavels, bungalows, river-fronting units and group cottages. It even has a 9 hole golf course. When founded in 1902 it was originally named Sabie Bridge, but was changed in 1936 to Stevenson-Hamilton's Shangaan name, Skukuza which can be translated as "he who sweeps clean" or "he who turns everything upside down".
• Talamati
• Tamboti Tented Camp: A small tented camp set in a forest on a loop of the Timbavati river.

Wilderness trails

The seven walking trials offer 3 nights of bush solitude in areas of wilderness virtually untouched by humans. There are no set trails in the wilderness areas; you walk along paths made by animals or seek out new routes through the bush.

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• Bushman: Near Berg-en-Dal.
• Metsi-Metsi: Near Orpen Dam and N'wamuriwa Mountain.
• Napi: Between Skukuza and Pretoriuskop.
• Nyalaland: North of Punda Maria, near Luvuvhu River.
• Olifants: Near Olifants camp, on the Olifants River.
• Sweni: Near N'wanetsi.
• Wolhuter: Between Berg-en-Dal and Pretoriuskop.

Independent lodges

• Boulders Bush Lodge
• Roodewal Bush Lodge
• The Outpost Lodge: Situated at Crook's Corner.

Private lodge concessions

• Imbali: 100 square kilometres of concession with:
• Imbali Safari Lodge: On the banks of the Nwatswitswonto River
• Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga Lodge: Set up as a traditional Tsonga village on the banks of the Mluwati River.
• Hamilton's Tented Camp
• Jock Safari Lodge: Was the first private lodge set in park and the Mantis Shamwari group holds this 60 square kilometres concession between Pretoriuskop and Lower Sabie. It has 12 suites at the lodge.
• Lukimbi: Situated on the Lwakahle River in a 150 square kilometre concession in the southern part of the park near Malelane.
• Mutale
• Ngala Tented Safari Camp: Lies on 147 square kilometre concession.
• Rhino Walking Safaris: It is the only privately run wilderness trail concession in the park with the exclusive rights to 120 square kilometres. It also includes:
• Rhino Post Safari Lodge: A 5 star lodge.
• Singita Lebombo Lodge: This 150 square kilometres concession is looked after by the Singita Group of Lodges. This lodge lies on the southern edge of the Nwanetsi River, east of Satara near the Lebombo Mountains on the park's eastern boundary.
• Tinga: 50 square kilometres of concession with two lodges:
• Narina Lodge
• Legends Lodge