Kruger National Park Safari: Public camps.

Berg en dal  has a brick structure with en suite bathroom, A/C, kitchenette etc. Most Kruger camp grounds have the same amenities with the bungalows.

There are 3 ways  to experience a Kruger National Park Safari:

1. Stay outside the park and come in during the day existing the park at night. Its not as complicated as it may sound and for some folks this is a viable option. It has budget/price considerations as well activities ie play golf in the am and head into the park in the afternoon.
2. Stay in the private lodges spread out around the greater Kruger National Park almost all of which are on private concession land
3. Stay in the public  camps almost all of which are in the public areas of Kruger National Park.

The vast majority of my clients stay in the private lodges however I see a growing trend and one that I encourage especially if the safari is entirely within the Kruger National Park which is to stay the entire time in the public camps or split the time between a private lodge say 2Nights and then do more nights in the public safari camps.

The tendency over the last few years has been to arrange for a private safari guide to travel within Kruger National Park.

The advantages of a private guide and a sample itinerary are to be found on this under the heading  Private guide safari in Kruger National Park.

When you stay in the public camp grounds you either do it on a

• Self drive basis.
• With a private guide just for your travel party ie family, couple, single, extended family etc.
• There are some escorted small groups that have a set departure that stay in the park, with others staying outside the park, and some staying both in and outside the park

Kruger Park safari camps advantages

Skukuza safari camp has the traditional “rondavel”bungalows.

1. Cost. The Kruger public safari campgrounds are relatively inexpensive compared to a private lodge even taking into account meals which are all the camps offer a restaurant and or self catering option that many people enjoy.
2. Location. The Kruger public safari campgrounds are located through Kruger National park making it easy to draw up a schedule of stays that can cover different areas of Kruger Park.
3. Guided game drives. All the camps offer a am and pm and even a greater variety of guided game drives that anyone can join in given that space is available.
4. Road infrastructure. There is a huge as in vast and varied tarred and dirt road infrastructure that can be explored in between the camps and or surrounding a particular camp.
5. Time on safari. When you are in a private safari lodge you have 2 game drives a day. When you stay in the public safari camp grounds in Kruger National Park you can stay out the whole day on safari. True there is less activity during the middle of the day re animal activity. However there are bird hides, dams etc to experience.
6. Simplicity. All the camps are geared to simplicity with all mainly having bungalows, reception, restaurant, shop to purchase supplies and petrol/gas.
7. Camp amenities. all camps have different attributes to offer. for eg Lower sabie has a awesome deck with food overlooking the river. Berg en dal has a large watering hole right by their deck and a educational walk with intermittent fact boards about the wildlife etc that is inside the park fence.

Many camps  have swimming pools.

Skukuza interior bedroom bungalow. You can see part of the en suite bathroom. Most of the bungalows have A/C, etc

This is another camp interior….the camp bungalows differ according to when they have been refurbished.

Shingwedzi rest camp

Example of activities available at Shingwedzi Rest Camp 
Guided Bush Walks
Game Drives (in the company of trained field guides)
Kanniedood Bird Hide (located about 7 km east of the camp)
Ntishivana Bird Hide (located about 30 km east of the camp)
Northern Plains 4 x 4 Adventure Trail (weather sensitive activity)
Wildlife films on the big screen (every evening except Sundays)

 Every camp has a sighting board that gives an idea of where the wildlife may be.