Accommodation
The World's Finest Safari Lodges
The Greater Kruger Park is blessed with the world's leading safari lodges, where your every whim is fulfilled. You can enjoy stunning cuisine or cutting-edge spa treatments whilst Big Five sightings are balletically orchestrated on your behalf by trackers out beating the bush from before dawn until after dusk (when you kick back and look at a breathtakingly bejewelled sky).
Ulusaba nestles into a Sabi Sand koppie with stunning views
Exclusivity is guaranteed with lodges consisting of the most stylish and luxurious thatched, individual units built after the traditional style, but offering all modern amenities including outdoor showers with stunning views and, in some cases, plunge pools. Most operations ensure privacy and solitude by limiting their capacity to five or six rooms per camp.
Private Reserves
Some of these luxury destinations are located on concessions within the Kruger Park boundary itself; others form part of the Greater Kruger system which is unfenced with the Park itself and the animals roam freely between both. The distinction is largely academic provided that you are in an area that is unfenced with the Park itself. Certain other developments are self-contained reserves, often on huge tracts of land which may also carry the major "must-see" Kruger species. Enquire when you book.
The major advantage of the luxury lodge experience is that, as the land is privately owned or controlled, there is greater flexibility than a budget, self-drive tour. You will generally benefit from a rich interpretative experience courtesy of keen and knowledgeable guides. The standard of guiding is extremely high in Kruger's luxury venues.
By choosing one of these venues, you enter into a vaguely implied contract that you will see at least some of the vaunted 'Big Five'. It is possible to drive yourself around the Kruger for a day enjoying a stunning wilderness experience without seeing as much as an elephant (if you are very unlucky). Here, these "contracts" tend to stick, with cat sightings a particular speciality. Leopards are an especially frequently seen phenomenon, given that you would need to spend many days on the tourist roads of the Kruger to be rewarded with a statistical chance of seeing one.
Particular benefits of the private lodges include the guides' ability to pursue those elusive sightings by going off-road (a matter of course rather than exception). Night drives are also possible at many of these venues, and entertainment is provided in the form of long tales around the camp fire (indeed, you may be woken to go and witness a kill in the middle of the night, if you so choose). Within the state facilities of the Kruger, you will largely be left to your own devices of an evening (but benefit from a clearer head for those dawn starts as a consequence). Note that the private reserves do NOT permit you to drive yourself.
Open vehicles go off-road to pursue sightings in the private reserves
Most of the top-end properties (for this they are in price) are found on land in water-rich areas contiguous with the Park; these Private Reserves are unfenced with the Kruger and share in its game.
A number also operate concession areas within the boundaries of the State Park. These have exclusive rights to visitor activities over vast swathes of land in their vicinity; guests should expect not to have their tranquility spoilt as a consequence.
An upmarket example is Jock Safari Lodge, named for Jock of the Bushveld, a much-loved story written by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick about his loyal companion dog, Jock, at the time of the first gold rush. Jock Safari Lodge is located in prime big five territory between the Skuzuza and Malelane gates and on 6,000 exclusive hectares for traversing.
Other such lodges, for example Imbali on the banks of the Nwatswitswonto River, are set in pristine bush which has never been used for tourism purposes (concessions are largely a recent initiative). Hamilton's Camp is unusual within the Park in being a tented luxury operation, strongly evocative of colonial exploration but with all modern amenities.
We have created some excellent itineraries combining the best of these Kruger concessions and private reserves- follow the link to our Connoisseur's Collection Safaris.
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
A good place to start any description of South African safaris would be the far south of the Kruger region, to which you could drive from Johannesburg in three hours or fly (into Kruger Mpumalanga Airport by scheduled flight, or directly to any of these lodges by charter) in less than one.
A honeypot destination, particularly for international tourists with dollars to spend, is the Sabi Sand Wildtuin. This is the heart of the South African bush and is the place of fairytale experiences. Click here for a map of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
This well-known reserve derives its name from its two perennial rivers that ensure it offers a particularly game-rich experience. Londolozi, a name forever associated with leopards after haunting National Geographic films were made here, blazed a trail in turning African eco-tourism into a luxury pursuit for the super-rich in the 1970s. It remains an extremely high class establishment and charges accordingly.
Recent Sabi Sand recipients of international acclaim have been Sir Richard Branson's Ulusaba property with its stunning position atop a koppie, and the Sabi Sabi Private Reserve with its Bush Nature Spa offering its 'African Romance' treatment range.
Kruger Elephant at home in Sabi Sabi's Selati Camp
Further north, and slightly more affordable, are the excellent Djuma Bush Lodge and Vuyatela, with its stunning contemporary design.
A well kept secret here worth bearing in mind if you are travelling in a large group, is that you can take over the entirety of the remote and rustic Galago Camp at a price that represents remarkable value. Whilst this destination is usually self-catering, a chef can be arranged, and it does benefit from the same excellent rangers and trackers offering morning and evening game drives and walks. You also get a vehicle to yourselves.
Nkorho is also in the northern part of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin and, like the three Djuma properties, occupies a prime location close to where the fence to the Kruger used to be. It also has a reputation for offering good value for money.
Sabi Sand features in our own Kruger Explorer and "Of Kings and Beasts" safaris.
MANYELETI
Adjacent to the Sabi Sand, and unfenced with it and the Kruger, is the Manyeleti Reserve. There are excellent lodges here too, including two gloriously located luxury tented safari camps at Honeyguide.
A an unusual, more up-market destination here is the manorial style Tintswalo Lodge, which has fared well in the last couple of year's annual Bush Banquet cuisine competition held in Hoedspruit. We use Tintswalo as the climax to our own guided Blue Swallow Birding Safari.
Further North
Further north still, beyond Sabi Sand, and farther away from the boundary of the State Park but sharing in (and unfenced to) the Kruger's Big Five are reserves such as Thornybush and Timbavati. These are a five hour drive from Johannesburg, or conveniently accessed by flying into Hoedspruit Eastgate or Phalaborwa airports on domestic flights.
Thornybush offers the stunning new Shumbalala property with its Presidential Suite, as well several longer-established (and more modestly priced) choices.
Thornybush features in the Kruger2Canyons.com "Royal Indulgence" Safari whilst we use Timbavati in our "Of Kings and Beasts" Safari. We also use private camps in the latter and the adjacent Klaserie in our Wilderness Journey.
All of these and the neighbouring Balule Private Reserves share their territory with the Kruger, but are not open to National Park or day visitors of the human variety.
View of elephants drinking from Shumbalala's underground wine cellar
Other reserves at a further remove from the Kruger (a fence or two typically separates them from the Park itself) also offer safari experiences that follow the same format as the most expensive destinations. Some, such as Makalali Private Game Reserve, operate exclusively within such large regions as to be able to deliver some very high quality game viewing opportunities but at far lower prices.
Garonga is an excellent, slightly cheaper alternative next door neighbour. We choose to use its spectacular luxury tented accommodation in our Highlands & Savannah Botany Safari.
The other major Reserve in the Hoedspruit area is Kapama, This is exceptionally convenient for the jetset with an entrance opposite the gate to Hoedspruit airport, and is differentiated by its own elephant-back safari operation. Also on this block of land is the Endangered Species Breeding Project, which is open to the public.
LODGE LISTINGS
Kruger2Canyons offers a section dedicated to some more affordable, mid-range Lowveld lodges. Look at our special offers for the latest deals.
