Kruger National Park Satellite & Bushveld Camps
Help Me PlanKruger’s Bushveld and Satellite Camps, Away from the Crowds
Bush camps in the Kruger National Park offer a rustic, off-the-grid safari experience in South Africa’s supreme wilderness area. Not for everyone, but die-hard wildlife enthusiasts enjoy these remote outposts from where they can explore Kruger.
SANParks runs all guided game drives and walks in Kruger’s public camps, and there is no off-road driving. At several of the smaller camps below, these activities are booked through, and leave from, a nearby rest camp. Our infographic of Kruger’s camp types compares rest, satellite and bushveld camps and bush lodges.
Balule
Balule Satellite Camp lies in central Kruger on the Olifants River, 11 km (6.8 miles) from Olifants Camp, and has 15 campsites and six rondavels. Balule has no electricity, shops or restaurants, so it is for travelers happy with a very simple 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 stands where mopane shrubland meets the rugged veld of the Olifants area.
The perennial Olifants River runs through the valley toward the Lebombo Mountains, and its water draws wildlife to the banks all year.
Bateleur
Bateleur Bushveld Camp, the oldest and smallest of Kruger’s bushveld camps, lies on the Mashokwe Spruit in the north, some 40 km (25 miles) from Shingwedzi Camp. The closest entrance is Punda Maria Gate, and a hide in camp overlooks a waterhole.
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. Evenings center on the enclosed boma with its fire pit and bread oven.
Game drives and guided walks can be booked; a walk takes up to eight guests out with a park ranger for a few hours. The Rooibosrand and Silwervis dams are both near the camp, and access to them is reserved for Bateleur residents. Their shorelines are good places to wait for animals coming down to drink.
Biyamiti
Biyamiti Bushveld Camp, 25 km from Skukuza Airport, gives 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 setting, with 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 gas 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
Boulders Bush Lodge is built on a rocky outcrop in northern Kruger. Its raised units look out over the bushveld, 25 km (15.6 miles) from Mopani Camp.
The lodge is self-catering and is booked by a single party of up to 12 guests. Four separate rooms, each with a full bathroom, are linked by boardwalks, so a group of friends or a family has the lodge to itself. The main building has a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room and a bar. The lodge is serviced daily, and the units have no electrical plug points for appliances.
The raised units look over a nearby waterhole. Boulders has no activities of its own; walks and drives are booked through Mopani Rest Camp, subject to availability.
Crocodile Bridge
Crocodile Bridge Camp is a small SANParks rest camp on the northern bank of the Crocodile River, in the southeastern corner of the park, and thick marula trees shade the grounds. There are twenty bungalows, two of them adapted for guests with physical disabilities. Each has two or three beds and either a shower or bath in each unit. 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 has 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 gas station and a small convenience store.
Maroela
Maroela Satellite Camp overlooks the Timbavati River. The 24 campsites offer accommodation for a maximum of 6 persons per campsite. About 2 km (1.2 miles) east of 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.
Guests book SANParks game drives and guided bush walks with trained field guides through Orpen.
Malelane
Malelane Satellite Camp is in the far south of the park. One of the smallest camps in Kruger, Malelane is quiet and private. The camp has five bungalows (also known as rondavels), air-conditioned with a shower, toilet, and bathroom sink.
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 9 km away.
Visitors can book SANParks game drives or walks in the bush, led by armed rangers.
Roodewal
Roodewal Bush Lodge is 44 km (27.5 miles) north of Satara. It stands in private seclusion 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.
Game drives and walks can be booked with SANParks. A highlight at Roodewal is the viewing platform that extends over the Timbavati River, suspended in the branches of an old tree.
Shimuwini
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 name means “place of the baobab”, and the camp was rebuilt after the floods of 2000. It is closed for repairs for now, so ask us about its current status before planning a stay.
The camp has 15 family cottages, each sleeping between 4 and 6. The cottages have one, two, or three bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens. 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
Sirheni Bushveld Camp is one of a few small luxury camps. The camp has 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, good 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
Talamati Bushveld Camp is 30 km (18.6 miles) from Orpen Gate. The camp lies on the banks of the N’waswitsontso River in a large open valley. Accommodation is comfortable by Kruger’s standards: 15 family cottages that can sleep 80 visitors between them.
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
Tamboti Tented Camp is a satellite camp on the road to Satara, about 2 km (1.2 miles) east of Orpen Rest Camp and roughly 4 km (2.5 miles) from Orpen Gate. 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.