Kruger National Park Hotels

Hamiltons Tented Camp: the unique and exclusive tented camp not only provides superb views over the Ngwenyeni dam and raised timber walkways amongst ancient Jackalberry trees, allowing you a bird’s eye view of animals from your camp, but their regular game drives promise regular sightings of Africa’s Big 5, as well as a series of antelope and other game.

Pestana Kruger Lodge: this luxurious lodge is right on the Crocodile River providing some intimate views of hippos, and the game drives provide incredible opportunities to observe the Big 5 up close, not to mention 336 types of tree, 49 species of fish and 507 species of bird.

Jock Safari Lodge: based on the old wagon route that ran from Delgoa Bay into the gold fields of the interior, this is a wilderness experience at its best. The area is noted for its diversity of game, and game drives are the crowning jewel in a series of services that blend the elegance of a colonial era with indigenous Zulu and Swazi cultures.

BUSH WALKS:
Nothing can possibly beat the heart stopping excitement of tracking rhino, elephant and lion on foot through the heat of the bush. But it’s also one of the most incredible ways to learn about the fragility of the ecosystems of the Kruger and to see the smaller, but in no way less exciting, animals and insects of the park like termites, spiders, snakes and plants that tend to be ignored when on the more fast paced game drives.

Walks can last up to four hours and stops are made to allow replenishment and a chance to take in the beauty of an area. In the Kruger it’s advisable to take your own snacks and sunscreen and most of the camps do morning and afternoon walks.

Wilderness trails
There are a few incredible wilderness trails in the Kruger National Park, some in areas virtually untouched by humans, with names like Metsi-Metsi, Napi, Massingir and the Sweni Wilderness. Most of these trails are about 2 days with 3 overnights in rustic huts with basic ablution in reed-walled showers and flush toilets, but on the whole, they’re in such demand that they’re booked out way in advance. These are aimed at smaller groups than bush walks and one needs to have a reasonable level of fitness as one averages 20 kilometres a day, although this is at a leisurely pace.

The Lebombo overland trail
This incredible five-day ‘wilderness experience on wheels’ takes you from Crocodile Bridge to Pafuri, and deserves a mention here. It’s an eco trail that takes you along the eastern boundary of the Kruger National Park along the Lebombo hills (hence the name) from the extreme south to the farthest northern edge. A maximum of five vehicles, with four people in each – so as not to affect the environment adversely, undertakes the trail that covers 500 kilometres. It’s a self-drive eco trail – your man your own vehicle and cater for yourself – that crosses magnificent rivers and encompasses some of the most beautiful scenery in the park – wide, open spaces, bushveld and magnificent trees at their best. The trail overnights at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi restcamps. Experienced and professional guides will lead the trail and interpret the different eco zones and explain the terrain on this trail, rated as the best in southern Africa purely because of the rich diversity of fauna and flora en route.

Private, luxury game lodges (concessions):
Up until fairly recently the only accommodation in the Kruger was the government run rest camps. However, large tracts of untouched land have been leased, in a fairly unusual commercial move by the park, to private operators who have established lodges run in a similar way to the luxurious private reserves on the western boundary of Kruger National Park, like Sabi Sands and Timbavati. These private lodges might still be bound by most of the rules of the park, but they offer incredible luxury, superbly guided game drives, and the freedom to move into the greater park area if desired, although there is more than enough to occupy you when staying here. These private game lodges offer a more intimate and exclusive experience of the vast Kruger.

The private game reserves
Flanking the western boundary of the Kruger National Park are a number of private game reserves. Though none of them fall within the park’s boundaries, together they form the heart of South Africa’s big game country and some of the most famous private lodges and the best wildlife viewing in the world take place here. The main reason for rich game viewing is the free movement of animals between the private reserves and the Kruger National Park - at least 100 kilometres of fencing has been removed, ridding the area of man-made borders. The private game reserves allow for vehicles to leave roads, and animals on the whole are more used to the presence of man so there’s a greater chance of seeing them. Private game reserves include Sabi Sands, which is home to the well-known lodges of Londolozi, Singita and Mala Mala; Timbavati and Claserie.