Kruger National Park Area Camps & Lodges
The greater Kruger area is made up of the national park and the adjacent private game reserves on the western side. The rolling plains are referred to as the lowveld and are well suited for elephant, giraffe, lion, antelope and hippo. Kruger National Park is more than 200 miles long and about 37 miles wide. Much of the tourist activity is in the southern part of the park and the camps here must adhere to strict guidelines.
Beginning in the early 1990s, many of the fences between the park and the private reserves began to be removed. This opened up ancient migration routes for elephants and allowed all animals to roam a larger area. More recently fences between Mozambique and Zimbabwe and South Africa are being removed. 
The adjacent private game reserves, where you will find many outstanding luxury safari lodges, offers the best safari experience in this area. Not hampered by the park rules, guests are guided by professional guides and trackers in open vehicles for day and night game drives. Off-road driving gets you closer to the animals. And because many of the lodges are situated overlooking a waterhole or river, much of the game comes to you.
The reserves are privately owned and most properties are managed with award-winning eco-tourism and hospitality standards.
Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
This area is ecologically and geographically integrated with the adjacent Kruger National Park. There are no fences on the western border of the park so the animals have an enormous range between parkland and the various private game reserves. Seeing the Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) is what brings visitors to the game lodges in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Lodges are accessible by vehicle or a short flight from Johannesburg to several nearby airports or to the airstrips within each private concession.
Singita Private Game Reserve
Sabi Sand Reserve
Singita has safari lodges in two different areas around the Kruger Park. Singita Boulders, and Ebony are situated in Singita Private Game Reserve, in the Sabi Sand, adjacent to the Kruger Park. Singita Lebombo and Sweni are in a private concession within the Kruger Park itself.
All of the Singita properties are some of the most elegant destinations in South Africa with exceptional game viewing, high staff to guest ratio, innovative architecture, luxurious accommodations, elegant cuisine and fine vintage wines.
All Singita lodges are accessible both by road and air from Johannesburg. Daily flights between the properties are available to guests who desire a premiere safari circuit. Singita Lebombo, Boulders and Ebony lodges are all members of Relais & Châteaux.
2012 - Boulders, Ebony and Castelton ranked #1 in South Africa on Travel + Leisure's "500 World's Best Hotels" & Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List,
2011- Ranked #2 in Travel + Leisure’s list of the “World’s 100 Best Hotels” (second only to the Singita location in Tanzania), included in Travel + Leisure's "500 World's Best Hotels" & Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List
2010 – Ranked in the “Best by Location for Africa” category for Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Gold List.
2009 – Ranked #4 on Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers' Choice Awards for the "Best in the World"
2008 - #1 on Travel+Leisure's list of "100 Best Hotels in the World"
Singita Boulders Lodge
Sabi Sand Reserve
Boulders Lodge was inspired by the rocks where it sits towering over the banks of the Sand River. The contemporary style pulls in the light and the suites are spacious with gorgeous stone baths. There is a pathway winding through the bush that connects the nine suites. A modern African classic, this award-winning lodge is intimate, quiet and private.
April, 2008 Update: There are now family suites at the Boulders and Ebony Lodges. Each suite is connected by a common dining/lounge area and offers exclusivity to groups of four to six persons.
Singita Ebony Lodge
Sabi Sand Reserve
The beginning of luxury game lodges began here in 1994. Aged leather, antiques and ethnic crafts combine to create an atmosphere of colonial elegance. Built in the shade of ebony trees, each private suite here has a double-sided fireplace, indoor and outdoor showers, private plunge pool and deck which is perfect for massages and game viewing.
Singita Lebombo
Lebombo Private Reserve
Set discretely into the cliffs like giant eagle nests, the 15 suites here have floor to ceiling windows affording dramatic views of the Lebombo Mountains, Sweni River and the vast wilderness. Steel, glass and wood are the elements of the avant-garde design giving guests the feeling of being a part of the environment. The suites are air conditioned, and there is a fully equipped gym and health spa. This is a rather remote section of Kruger which boasts a high concentration of wildlife. Opened in 2003, this is one of the newest Singita properties.
Singita Sweni Lodge
Lebombo Private Reserve
This is a classic African take on a contemporary design, combining glass with woven branches and ethnic artworks. There are just six suites discretely set among the trees along the bank of the Sweni River. Each offers a private game viewing deck and outside shower. Guests enjoy their own dining room, wine cellar, swimming pool and boma.
Exeter Private Reserve
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
In a quiet corner of the Sabi Sand Reserve’s western sector, Exeter Private Game Reserve features the elegant Leadwood Lodge, unique River Lodge and Dulini Safari Lodge, each offering elegant accommodation and style in the African bush.
River Lodge
Exeter Private Reserve
The Lodge sits in the shade of ebony trees on the edge of the Sand River. Eight luxury suites are spread out along the bank providing dramatic river views of elephant herds drinking or hippos surfacing. The suites are air-conditioned and have elegant bathrooms, private plunge pools and outdoor showers. The dining and sitting areas also overlook the river and a giant sausage tree provides shade for long, lazy afternoon lunches. Every few nights the staff prepares a special dinner which is served in the open air boma around a blazing fire and star strewn sky. Activities include game drives and guided bush walks. Internet facilities are available.
Dulini Safari Lodge
Exeter Private Reserve
Six spacious stone cottages grace the banks of the Mabrak River. This quiet retreat has beautifully appointed, classic interiors. Large welcoming sofas and African sculptures in the main guest area provide the perfect spot to read more about what you’ve seen on the morning’s game drive. Suites are air-conditioned and have outdoor showers and private plunge pools. A romantic, candlelit dinner for two can be arranged in the well-stocked wine cellar. Activities include game drives and guided bush walks.
Leadwood Lodge
Exeter Private Reserve 
This exclusive lodge is nestled against a wooded bank of the Sand River, where jackalberry and leadwood trees lend their shade. With only four suites, this is the perfect place for a family or small group of friends. The clean, modern lines of the design feature natural materials – stone, wood, granite and glass – and provide a counter point to the soft furnishings. The spacious suites are air-conditioned with large bathtubs, fireplaces, sitting room, outdoor showers and plunge pools. The suites are distanced from one another to offer solitude and serenity. Activities include game drives and guided bush walks.
Kirkman’s Kamp
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Kirkman's Kamp is located on one of the most elevated sites overlooking the Sand River. Named after Harry Kirkman, who was one of South Africa’s first conservationists, the camp is set around a Victorian era homestead giving you the feeling of days long gone. Each of the 18 colonial styled cottages has a private front veranda, air conditioning and en-suite facilities. Dinner is traditionally served African style in the boma. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted at Kirkman’s Kamp. The area is known for a great diversity of animal species and the ever-changing bird life provides even the most experienced ornithologist with rare finds.
2009 - Profiled as one of Country Life magazine's six Romantic Hideaways
Mala Mala Private Game Reserve
Sabi Sand Reserve
Mala Mala takes up one-quarter of the Sabi Sand Reserve. Only guests of their lodges have the privilege of exploring this immense tract of privately owned land where game viewing statistics are exceptional. This was one of the first properties to transition from hunting to photographic safaris in 1962. Purchased by the Rattray family in 1964, Mala Mala has a long-standing conservation record and today is one of the top, award-winning safari lodges. Rangers here are university graduates who guide guests along with trackers, who are masters of bush lore.
2012 - Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List & Travel + Leisure's "500 World's Best Hotels"
2011 - Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List & Travel + Leisure's "500 World's Best Hotels"
Mala Mala Main Camp
Mala Mala Private Reserve
This well-known camp is a good choice for families traveling with children offering a variety of African-styled bungalows under thatched roofs. There are family rooms, and suites including one disabled suite. All are air-conditioned with his and her bathrooms. There is a swimming pool and gym along with the traditional boma where dinner is served under the stars. Children under 12 years are eligible for a discounted rate.
Sable Camp
Mala Mala Private Reserve
Located at the edge of the Main Camp, this affords private facilities for smaller groups who may be traveling together. Sable Camp has an air-conditioned lounge with satellite television and internet access, dining room, bar, pool and enclosed, open to the sky boma for more intimate dinners. There are accommodations for 14 guests in five luxury suites and the Lion’s Den which has two bedrooms, sitting room and private veranda.
Sabi Sabi Private Reserve
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
The Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve on the banks of the Sabie River is within one of the oldest and largest proclaimed private reserves – the renowned Sabi Sand Wildtuin. Sabi Sabi’s family of 5-star lodges includes Selati Camp, Bush Lodge, Earth Lodge and Little Bush Camp. Adventurous wildlife safaris both day and night tracking the Big 5 off-road and viewing up to 200 species of animals and 300 bird species, from open Land Rovers in the company of a qualified game ranger and tracker, make for a truly memorable safari experience.
2012 & 2011 - Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List
Selati Camp
Sabi Sabi Private Reserve
In the 1870s gold was discovered in the Drakensberg escarpment and a railway was built to transport the gold to Mozambique. The Selati Line crossed the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and thus came the name of Selati Camp. This small eight suite camp is furnished with a historic railway theme from the original steam engine name plates, signals and other memorabilia in the lounge to 19th century collectibles in each room. The premiere Ivory Presidential Suite offers a colonial grandeur of yesteryear with personalized safari luxury.
Bush Lodge
Sabi Sabi Private Reserve 
Bush Lodge was rebuilt in 2005 with expanded outdoor viewing areas. The result is a 5-star luxury lodge that provides guests with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Set overlooking a waterhole where animals come to drink, this lodge features exquisite, ethnic décor in each of its 25 air-conditioned thatched suites. There is a handicapped accessible suite designed to meet all specifications without compromising the luxury or exclusivity features. For honeymooners, the Mandleve Suite has a private pool, in-room dining, personal attendant and provides for a private safari vehicle.
2012 - Listed in Travel + Leisure's "500 World's Best Hotels"
Earth Lodge
Sabi Sabi Private Reserve
Earth Lodge is sculpted deep into the earth with simple yet breathtaking architecture inspired by the natural world. Cocooned in one of the 13 exclusive luxury suites you become one with nature. Each is attended by a private butler and is appointed with specially commissioned furnishings, a secluded plunge pool and open air shower. The Amber Suite is generous beyond belief in its dimensions and boasts its own exercise room, steam room, study and kitchen. You can renew yourself at the Earth Nature Spa and exercise centre with massages and natural therapies. There is also a library, art gallery and meditation garden. Dining in a subterranean cellar probably qualifies as uniquely unforgettable. Condé Nast Traveler USA listed Earth Lodge as one the world’s top 52 hot spots.
Little Bush Camp
Sabi Sabi Private Reserve
Set on the banks of the Msuthu River in the shade of indigenous trees, this camp has a rustic feel and is perfect for a group of friends or a family retreat. Secluded in the bush are six air-conditioned double suites with indoor and outdoor showers and private viewing decks. The contemporary African design feature wood and stone finishes, draped mosquito netting and thatch roofs.
Londolozi Private Reserve
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Londolozi is a Zulu word meaning “protector of all living things” and this private 34,580-acre reserve has an international reputation for its progressive eco-tourism management. Established as a family bush camp in 1926, Londolozi was the first game reserve in the world to achieve Relâis & Chateaux status. Socially, economically and environmentally responsible; Londolozi is a privately owned game reserve built on solid foundations and almost a century of family history. The ambience of simplicity and refined elegance is combined with the natural elements at each of the camps. Londolozi is a uniquely diverse reserve supporting a dazzling array of animals. The Varty family has discovered that if you work with nature, her bounty is never ending. Guests are in for some of the best leopard viewing in South Africa. Activities include game drives, interpretive bush walks, Shangaan cultural walks and visits to the ongoing community projects in the neighboring villages of Justicia, Lillydale and Huntington.
Londolozi Pioneer Camp
Londolozi Private Reserve 
This elegant bushveld safari camp features just three private cottages set in a 500-year-old Riverine forest. Unique, peaceful and remote, this wild untrammeled wilderness is the defining experience at Pioneer Camp. Interiors conjure old English indulgence with an African twist. The colonial influences are evident in the elegant cream interiors, silver teapots at high tea and Portmeirion crockery. The spacious cottages are air-conditioned with luxurious bathrooms featuring tubs, indoor and outdoor showers. There is a lap pool and boma where evening meals are enjoyed under the stars. No children under 16 years are allowed at Pioneer Camp unless the entire lodge is booked
Londolozi Founders Camp
Londolozi Private Reserve 
The seven chalets are enchanting and intimate and ideally situated to provide an insider's view on the secrets of river life. Set on the bank of the Sand River, each is shaded by ancient Ebony and Maumi trees. This is safari in the classic style, replete with classic black and cream ticking fabric and original mahogany beds. Deep leather couches, military chests, compass safari lamps and a riverside lounge sala, create a mood of easy luxury and laid back welcome for discerning families and travelers.
Londolozi Varty Camp
Londolozi Private Reserve
Varty Camp the symbolic heart and soul of Londolozi. The camp has a pleasantly down-to-earth quality and the emphasis on family heritage means that children always have a place at Varty Camp. The camp was re-built in 2008 and great care was taken to ensure a light touch, reflecting the family’s passion for sustainability. There are two superior chalets and eight deluxe chalets with décor that echoes the tones of the Varty's own home and their continuing love affair with the earth. Each chalet has a private swimming pool framed by timber deck, overlooking the riverbank. The living space is raised off the ground and shaded under a cathedral of trees. This is also the location of the Life Wellness Centre (yoga, fitness center, and massage), Living boutique and Jon Varty Cinematography Centre where films related to the environment and emerging global trends are screened on a daily basis.
March, 2011 Update: Varty Camp’s recent refurbishment includes the addition of private sala to each room as well as an extension to all the room viewing decks. All chalets have had both bedrooms and bathrooms refurbished, while an interleading door between the rooms, which allows greater booking flexibility for families, has been created.
Londolozi Tree Camp
Londolozi Private Reserve
True to its name, Tree Camp’s six intimate suites are set high on stilts in the canopy of trees overlooking the Sand River. From your private deck you can view elephant and buffalo moving through and spot monkeys jumping through the branches. The camp was redone in 2008 in a contemporary version of Out of Africa, combining the old glamour with the natural elements of the spectacular setting. Each suite has a private sala and plunge pool. This is a place of romance and connoisseurship making it perfect for honeymooners.
The Granite Suites
Londolozi Private Reserve
This is the newest development at Londolozi, scheduled to be fully operational in July 2008. The Granite Suites can be booked individually or as a private camp for six guests, making it ideal for honeymooning couples and intimate family celebrations. Bold, inspiring materials mirror the extrusion of granite rocks that flank the camp while conveying the raw essence of Africa. A palette of silver, charcoal and elephant grey, in a range of sumptuous materials, creates an elegant and contemporary setting in each expansive suite. The emphasis is on volume, light and privacy while blurring the barriers between inside and out. A seamless integration with nature is achieved with large doors and windows all opening directly onto the river. No children under 16 years are allowed at the Granite Suites unless the entire lodge is booked.
Leopard Hills Private Reserve
Sabi Sand Reserve
Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve opened its doors in March 1998. The lodge is owned by the Kruger family and is built on a hill overlooking a natural waterhole. They offer a wedding package here that includes everything except for the bride and groom! Each of the eight luxurious glass-fronted suites, complete with their own sun deck and heated rock plunge pool offer superb views of the African bushveld beyond. Staff leave notes for guests about the weather or their favorite African poems. There is a philosophy of natural health here and a menu of massage treatments and pampering combined with Mother Earth’s inspiration that will invigorate and restore. Beyond the game drives, photographic safaris and walking safaris, guests can use the gym, relax in the library or cool off in the swimming pool at this five star lodge.
Kings Camp
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is part of the greater Kruger National Park. Big game viewing is exceptional with frequent sightings of lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant cheetah and wild dog. There are more than 250 species of birds in this area and Kings Camp offers private outings with skilled rangers for those bird enthusiasts. Kings Camp has 11 elegant suites with high thatched ceilings and expansive glass windows. The Victorian bathtubs, wooden sleigh beds, sisal carpeting, hand-dyed fabrics and local basketry complete the grand colonial style. South African cuisine is complimented by wine from the exceptional cellar. The staff here are always open to requests and take pride in their ability to provide outstanding personal service.
September, 2011 Update: Waterbuck is a new exclusive use camp featuring a 4-bedroom, air-conditioned villa which can accommodate up to eight guests. Waterbuck comes with its own Land Rover, private guide and tracker, personal butler and chef.
Royal Malewane
Thornybush Private Game Reserve
This exclusive lodge opened in 2000 and accommodates only 20 guests in the utmost colonial splendor. The suites feature palatial air-conditioned bedrooms with a canopied king-sized bed and a sitting room with fireplace. Bathrooms have Victorian tubs with window view and both indoor and outdoor showers. Elevated walkways link the suites to the main camp area where you will find the library, shop, dining and reception areas which are all furnished with rich antiques, Persian carpets and over-stuffed couches. Executive Chef, John Jackson delivers a first rate culinary
experience. He has been awarded the Blazon by the Chaine des Rotisseurs. The gym and spa facilities are not to be missed. This area has abundant wildlife and game viewing can be done in open Land Rovers or on foot with your experienced guide and tracker. Because of its unique size and exclusive nature, Royal Malewane is suited to being reserved in its entirety for family gatherings or close friends wishing to have the camp exclusively.
2012 & 2011 - Listed in Travel + Leisure's "500 World's Best Hotels"
2010 – Listed in the Top 10 Hotels in Africa by Travel + Leisure
2006 – Best Safari Lodge – Tatler (UK)
2001, 2002, 2003, 2006 – Top 101 Hotels – Tatler (UK)
Pafuri Camp
Northern Kruger National Park, Makuleke Concession
This is the wildest and most remote part of the Park and in addition to the great game, has the best birding in all of Kruger. This area is the ancestral home of the Makuleke people and is considered a biodiversity hot spot with some of the largest herds of elephant and buffalo, along with leopard and lion. There are 20 tented rooms, including six family rooms which accommodate up to 4 persons. Guests can sit on their decks overlooking the Luvuvhu river to watch the animals come to drink. Activities include
game drives, guided walks, mountain bike safaris, night drives, hikes which can be used for sleep-outs and specialist safaris for birding and archaeology. This area is known for its palaeo-anthropological history with its plethora of evidence of early human ancestors stretching back some two million years ago.
Pafuri Walking Trail is a three-night, four-day walking trail led by an experienced, armed guide. Using the campsite as a base, each day is spent in different parts of the surrounding area, walking along the pathways made over the years by its animal inhabitants and following their tracks. Habitats include the life-giving arteries of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers, both with well-developed floodplains and a series of vitally important seasonal pans. Between the two rivers lies a ridge of hills with a network of drainage and secret perennial springs to which the area's game is drawn. There is no better way to explore this magnificent area than on foot.
The most recent human inhabitants of the area were the Makuleke people who were forcibly removed from the region by the former Nationalist Party government in 1969. In a landmark restitution in 1998 the Pafuri area was returned to the Makuleke who, in a farsighted decision, decided to not move back but to keep the land within the national park and to manage it accordingly. In a 45-year mutually beneficial lease Wilderness Safaris has partnered with the Makuleke community, bringing its own brand of sensitive and authentic eco-tourism to the region. The Makuleke benefit from skills transfer, job creation, training, and community development projects. In return Wilderness Safaris is able to operate in perhaps the most remote, pristine and diverse area in Kruger and to share this with their guests.
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