Top 10 Best Rest Camps in Kruger National Park

By Ariadne van Zandbergen

Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s premier wildlife-viewing destinations. The park extends over 19,485km²/7,523mi² of woodland savannah and is home to a great variety of animals, including the sought-after Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino). The excellent road network and well-priced rest camps make Kruger a popular choice for guided tours, as well as self-drive holidays.

Aside from the smaller satellite camps, Kruger’s rest camps all have a variety of different accommodations, such as self-catering chalets, huts, safari tents and cottages. Facilities include well-stocked shops and restaurants. Some camps also have a pool and filling station. All camps are fenced and family friendly. Wondering where to stay? Here are 10 of the best camps in Kruger National Park.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

453 Kruger Safaris

1. Satara Rest Camp

Satara Rest Camp Kruger’s second-largest camp lies in prime big cat territory on the park’s central plains

Satara is one of the largest rest camps in Kruger National Park and it has great facilities, including restaurants, a well-stocked shop, a swimming pool and a filling station. The accommodations are laid out in a series of circles, and the well-wooded gardens are rich with birdlife. The Satara stands in the flat open plains of central Kruger. It’s excellent lion country, and good for cheetah too.

33 Satara Safaris

2. Skukuza Rest Camp

Skukuza Rest Camp Kruger’s biggest, busiest and best-equipped rest camp has a great location on the Sabie River

Kruger’s largest rest camp, Skukuza sleeps up to 1,000 visitors in park-like grounds on the south bank of the Sabie River. Outstanding facilities include three swimming pools, a filling station, a laundromat, shops and restaurants, making it perfect for family holidays. Accommodations range from bungalows, cottages and safari tents to basic rondavels (traditional round buildings resembling African huts) and camping sites. The camp’s unfenced nine-hole golf course is an attraction in its own right. The roads around Skukuza run through prime wildlife-viewing territory but they also carry higher tourist volumes than any other part of Kruger.

30 Skukuza Safaris

3. Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp

Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp Berg-en-Dal is a well-run modern camp set in the park’s mountainous southwest

The aptly named Berg-en-Dal, meaning ‘Mountain and Valley’, is set in a spectacular, rugged mountain environment. It is one of Kruger’s newest camps offering modern brick bungalows that are ideal for families. The vegetation in camp is kept deliberately natural to enhance your bush experience. Don’t miss out on a guided walk to see ancient San paintings in the surrounding hills.

14 Berg-en-Dal Safaris

4. Letaba Rest Camp

Letaba Rest Camp Riverside Letaba is a popular gateway to the relatively little-visited northern half of Kruger

A favorite with many regular Kruger visitors, Letaba Rest Camp lies on the fig-shaded bank of the wide, sandy seasonal river for which it is named. It is generally regarded to form the cut-off point between central Kruger and the more remote north, so tourist volumes tend to be relatively low. The camp is known for its tranquil atmosphere and excellent birdlife, while the surrounding roads – particularly those running south towards Olifants – run through prime elephant and buffalo country.

Letaba Safaris

5. Lower Sabie Rest Camp

Lower Sabie Rest Camp Lower Sabie stands at the junction of several of Kruger’s finest wildlife-viewing roads

Located on the banks of the Sabie River, one of Kruger’s most reliable water sources, is Lower Sabie Rest Camp. This is arguably the best base to explore the wildlife-rich southern part of the park. The camp has a viewing deck over the river, flanked by fabulous giant trees such as sycamore figs, marulas and Natal mahoganies. A large variety of accommodations options includes bungalows, luxury safari tents and basic camping.

Lower Sabie Safaris

6. Pretoriuskop Rest Camp

Pretoriuskop Rest Camp Pretoriuskop is a characterful old camp set around a natural granite swimming pool

Pretoriuskop is one of the oldest camps in Kruger. It is also the highest and coolest. It is situated between granite outcrops, most notably the impressive dome known as Shabeni Hill. The natural granite pool is a great place to cool off in the middle of the day. The surrounding woodland is a good place to look for rhino as well as the localized sable antelope.

Pretoriuskop Safaris

7. Punda Maria Rest Camp

Punda Maria Rest Camp A firm favorite with birders, Punda Maria is a great base for exploring Kruger’s remote far north

Located in the remote north of Kruger National Park, away from the more touristy south, Punda Maria Rest Camp has the ambience of a small village. Established as a game ranger post in 1919, it was later converted to a tourist camp, and some of the original buildings have been kept to maintain the spirit of the old-style Kruger safari camps. The surrounding area, with its diverse vegetation, is known as the botanical garden of Kruger, and the birding is superb.

Punda Maria Safaris

8. Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp

Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp Crocodile Bridge, at the entrance gate of the same name, is a top springboard for exploring southern Kruger

One of the smallest rest camps in Kruger, Crocodile Bridge, as its name suggests, stands alongside a bridge across the impressive Crocodile River. It is also the site of Kruger’s most southeasterly entrance gate, and thus a popular first stop with many regular visitors, people heading to or from the nearby border with Mozambique. The camp itself has a rather charming low-key feel, and the surrounding area is known for its dense lion and rhino populations.

Crocodile Bridge Safaris

9. Olifants Rest Camp

Olifants Rest Camp Kruger’s most scenic rest camp, Olifants is perched on a cliff above the aptly named Olifants River

With its prime location high on a ridge overlooking the Olifants River, Olifants Rest Camp offers one of the most dramatic views in Kruger National Park. Hippos and crocodiles are a permanent presence on the sandy riverbanks, and you’ll very likely spot some elephants drinking. The area makes an excellent base for game drives. If you’re up for a little adventure, guided mountain-bike trails are available too.

Olifants Safaris

10. Shingwedzi Rest Camp

Shingwedzi Rest Camp Shingwedzi is a low-key gem of a rest camp that makes a great base for exploring northern Kruger

This rustic rest camp is the perfect base for wildlife viewing in northern Kruger. Accommodations are in two separate circles next to the seasonal Shingwedzi River, and amenities include a welcome swimming pool. Wildlife viewing is at its best here when the river is reduced to small pools that attract animals from far and wide, especially large herds of elephant and buffalo.

Shingwedzi Safaris