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The Kruger National Park bush camps offer a rustic, off-the-grid safari experience in South Africa's supreme wilderness area. Primarily focused on residents, international visitors with a taste for adventure could also find staying in one of these camps a unique way of enjoying a safari in South Africa.
Need Advice?Not for everyone, but die-hard wildlife enthusiasts enjoy these remote outposts from where they can explore Kruger. Traditionally these camps have only been booked by South Africans, with foreign visitors opting for a more luxurious private lodge stay.
Balule Satellite Camp in the northern Kruger Park offers 15 campsites and six rondavels 11km (6.8 miles) from Olifants Camp. Balule has no electricity, shops, or restaurants. The camp focuses on those who want to experience Africa on a fundamental level during their safari in Kruger Park. The six rondavels each have three beds, with linen and towels supplied. The rondavels share a communal bathroom and kitchen.
Guests must check in at Satara or Olifants Camp, and no day visitors are allowed. Activities visitors can pre-book at Satara or Olifants camps include open 4x4 game drives and guided walks. The camp is where the mopane shrubland and Olifant's rugged veld meet, ceding spectacular sightings and beautiful natural scenery.
The perennial Olifants River snakes its way through the valley toward the Lebombo Mountains. The prolific water source draws a wealth of wildlife to its banks.
Bateleur Bushveld Camp is in northern Kruger Park. The closest entrance is the Punda Maria gate. While staying at Bateleur Bushveld Camp, guests will enjoy the privacy offered by this bush camp nestled in a remote area of Kruger Park, some 40km (24.6 miles) away from Shingwedzi Camp.
Bateleur consists of seven self-catering cottages with en suite bathrooms and air-conditioning or ceiling fans in each of the bedrooms. The cottages are serviced daily. During a stay at this camp, visitors can still watch television or enjoy evenings in the enclosed boma with its fire pit and bread oven.
Activities that will enrich your safari experience include game drives and guided walks. Eight guests will be in the company of one of the park's rangers for a few hours while walking through and experiencing the true wilderness of Africa. The Rooibosrand and Silwervis dams are both near the camp. Here one can watch the magic of nature unfold at the water's edge, where animals converge and interact.
Biyamiti Bushveld Camp, 25km from Skukuza Airport, offers guests a stay in a secluded area away from the bustle of day visitors. The camp allows guests to experience Kruger Park in a relaxing environment that provides privacy and self-catering accommodation on the banks of the Biyamiti River.
The camp has 15 cottages, with either one or two bedrooms - they are serviced daily. Cottages have linen, towels, and self-catering necessities. There is no shop, restaurant or petrol station.
Activities that will enrich your safari experience include game drives and bush walks. During a bush walk, eight guests are accompanied by one of Kruger Park's rangers for a few hours while walking through and experiencing the wilderness of Africa.
Boulders Bush Lodge is built on a rocky outcrop in northern Kruger. The units raised above the ground have unrestricted views of the African bushveld 25km (15.6 miles) from Mopani Camp.
The lodge offers self-catering accommodation for a single party and can accommodate 12 guests. Four separate rooms (full bathrooms each) are connected with boardwalks, making it the perfect place for friends or family to enjoy a private bush holiday. The main building houses a fully-equipped kitchen with a dining room and bar. The lodge is serviced daily and has limited electricity provided by solar panels.
Additional amenities include unrestricted views of the nearby water hole from the raised accommodations and nighttime game drives.
Crocodile Bridge Camp lies in the southern part of the Kruger National Park, on the banks of the Crocodile River. Thick Marula trees surround this serene private camp. Twenty bungalows provide comfortable accommodations, including two that cater to physically disabled guests. Each has two or three bedrooms and either a shower or bath in each room. All bungalows are air-conditioned.
Eight safari tents on wooden stilts with two beds each are situated under shaded trees. Communal ablutions, cooking, and washing facilities are available a few meters away. The camp also offers 18 camp/caravan sites equipped with power points, braai facilities, cooking and washing facilities, including communal ablution. Crocodile Bridge has a first aid center, a petrol station a small convenience store.
Maroela Private Camp overlooks the Timbavati River. The 24 campsites offer accommodation for a maximum of 6 persons per campsite. Tucked away 4km (2.4 miles) from Orpen Camp, Maroela is one of only two camps in the whole Kruger National Park that caters exclusively to campers and caravans.
Guests share ablution facilities and a communal kitchen, although cooking utensils, crockery, and cutlery are not provided. 20 of the 24 campsites have electrical power points, and generators are allowed, but only an hour after sunrise until an hour before sunset.
Maroela Private Camp offers night drives and guided bush walks in the company of trained field guides.
Malelane Satellite Camp is in the far south of the park. One of the smallest in Kruger Malelane offers seclusion and privacy on your safari. The camp has five bungalows (also known as rondavels), air-conditioned with a shower, toilet, and washbasin.
Fifteen campsites that can accommodate a maximum of six persons each are available. Ablution facilities have a bath, toilet, and wash basin, while the communal kitchen and dining area have the necessary utensils, a refrigerator, freezer, gas stove, crockery, and cutlery. The nearest shop is at Berg en Dal Camp, some 9km away.
Visitors can book a nocturnal or daytime game drive or walks in the bush under the guidance of armed rangers.
Roodewal Bush Lodge is 44km (27.5 miles) north of Satara. It offers privacy on the banks of the Timbavati River. One party of friends, a large family, or corporate think tanks can stay in idyllic seclusion while savoring nature.
The lodge accommodates 18 guests in the family cottage and three bungalows. A spacious dining room with a fully equipped kitchen rounds the facilities at Roodewal Bush Lodge. There are no shops, restaurants, or filling stations.
Activities at Roodewal include game drives during the day or night and game walks. A highlight at Roodewal is the viewing platform that extends over the Timbavati River, suspended in the branches of an old tree.
Shimuwini Bushveld Camp is in the northern part of the Kruger National Park on the banks of the Letaba River. Its cottages are dotted along the Shimuwini Dam, a permanent water source.
The camp has 15 family cottages, each sleeping between 4 and 6. The cottages have one, two, or three bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens, except for fridges. No electricity exists, but solar panels power the lights and ceiling fans. The closest shops are at Letaba and Mopani rest camps.
It has a bird hide overlooking the Shimuwini Dam, offering splendid bird and game spotting opportunities. You can book game drives, and bush walks accompanied by well-trained armed guides.
Sirheni Bushveld Camp is one of a few small luxury camps. The private camp offers 15 cottages on the banks of the Mphongolo River and a view of the Sirheni Dam. It is equipped with modern facilities; the cottages are serviced daily and supplied with bedding, towels, and soap. There is only solar power, thus no electrical points.
Sirheni has two raised hides, some 100 meters (328 feet) apart, ideal spots for stationary game viewing and spotting rich bird life. Game viewing here is exceptional during the dry season when the dam is one of Kruger's only permanent water sources.
As at other bushveld camps, you can book guided game drives, and bush walks accompanied by resident Kruger Park rangers.
Talamati Bushveld Camp is 30km (18.6 miles) from Orpen Gate. The camp lies on the banks of the N'waswitsontso River in a large open valley. It is a private camp that offers luxury (By Kruger's standards) accommodation. The camp offers 15 family cottages that can accommodate 80 visitors.
Cottages are air-conditioned, with private bathrooms and well-equipped kitchens. A daily cleaning service ensures the camp is always neat and well-maintained. Bedding towels and soap are provided. Lights and other essentials are powered by solar.
The open veranda of each cottage allows for game viewing from your doorstep, while game drives and bush walks in the company of well-trained and armed guides can be arranged. You are welcome to explore the area in a self-drive vehicle.
Tamboti Tented Camp is 4km (2.5 miles) from Orpen Gate on the road to Satara. Basic tents have two or four beds and are mounted on stilts overlooking the Timbavati River. Guests share ablution and kitchen facilities. Semi-luxury safari tents are fully equipped with one double bed, sleeper couch, en suite bathroom, kitchenette and veranda with braai facilities.
Kudu and black rhinos are often spotted feeding among the Tamboti trees near the camp. Many other species are seen here, including the common impala and the rare cheetah. The area is home to various bird species that can be spotted from camp, on game drives, or on guided bush walks.
This tented camp is one of the unique safari retreats available in Kruger. It is rustic but creates the feeling of being on safari in the time of Livingstone and Selous.
