Location: South Africa » Mpumalanga » Kruger National Park » Kruger National ParkKruger National Park Skukuza Caravan & Camping Kruger National Park Skukuza Caravan & Camp DescriptionA Brief History of Skukuza
The camp was originally known as Sabie Bridge or simply Reserve, the name was changed in 1936. Skukuza Restcamp in Kruger National Park is named after the Tsonga name for James Stevenson-Hamilton, the first warden of the park. Literally translated it means 'he who sweeps clean', a reference to his removal of all the local people to make way for the establishment of the Park. The Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Museum houses many interesting artifacts – very well known is the knife ranger Harry Wolhuter used to single-handedly slay a Lion and save his own life. Skukuza is the Kruger National Park's largest rest camp and administrative headquarters. It is situated on the southern banks of the Sabie River. Skukuza Restcamp is home to some interesting birds and amazing plant life.Activities, attractions and facilities are diverse, as are the animals and plants found both within Skukuza Restcamp and the surrounding area. Skukuza Camp is an excellent rest camp from which to pursue the Big Five and birds in the vicinity. Lion are frequently spotted along this route. At night, look for the Fruit Bat that hangs under the eaves of the shop, and the Thick-tailed Bush Baby climbing the trees in search of gum. Conference facilities for 158 delegatesA magnificent 9 hole (18-tee), Par 72 golf courseRiverside walks, wilderness hikes and game drives Accommodation and lodging ranges from luxury to standard
Accommodation and lodging:
Safari Tents Guest Houses Sites for camping or caravansLuxury Riverside Bungalows Family Cottages and Guest Cottages Skukuza Camp caters for all, from comfortable guest cottages and luxury guest houses to more rustic bungalows and safari tents. Bungalow Accommodation
This accommodation in Kruger National Park feature African styled rooms with either 2 or 3 beds. Each bungalow is equipped with an en-suite bathroom fitted with either a shower or bath. Some units are fitted with air-conditioning while others have fans. The units also feature kitchenettes which vary from bungalow to bungalow. Some kitchenettes are fitted with hotplates and sinks, while other have only sinks and some have neither. Cutlery and crockery can be hired from reception.
Luxury Riverside Bungalow Accommodation
These luxury bungalows are situated along the river front and have a more modern design. This accommodation in Kruger National Park features air-conditioning and televisions with limited DSTV channels. Each bungalow is fitted with a double bed. Guests can choose between luxury units with a river view or semi-luxury units without a river view and a communal kitchen.
Family Cottage Accommodation
The family cottage forms part of the Waterkant Guesthouse complex and is better known as Waterkant 2. The cottage features a well equipped kitchen and 4 bedrooms. The bedrooms are fitted with 2 single beds each. The cottage also has a living room, a bathroom and a river view.
Guest House Accommodation
Skukuza has 4 luxury guest houses in prime positions, which offer Skukuza accommodation for larger groups up to 12 persons. The units have 3 to 4 air-conditioned bedrooms, each with 2 single beds or double beds and a en-suite bathroom with a bath, washbasin, separate shower and toilet. Towels and toilet paper are provided for.
The guest houses feature limited DSTV channels. Moni, Nyathi and Waterkant guest houses sleep 8 guests in 4 bedrooms each while ABSA Guesthouse sleeps 12 guests in 6 bedrooms. The recreation area consists of a dinning room, lounge, kitchen and veranda with braai (barbeque) facilities. The kitchen is fully equipped with stove and oven, refrigerator/freezer, sink, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery.
Safari Tent Accommodation
Skukuza has 20 safari tents situated on wooden stilts. The tents consist of one room with either 2 or 4 single beds - bedding is supplied. The room also consists of a cupboard, table and chairs, fridge and electric fan. Guests have to make use of the communal ablution and kitchen facilities.
Cutlery boxes are available on request for a nominal fee, however it is advisable for guests to bring their own as availability cannot be guaranteed during peak seasons. Cutlery boxes include the following: crockery and cutlery (set of 4: plates, glasses, cups and saucers, knives and forks, spoons and teaspoons), pot and frying pan, teapot, frying pan, tin opener and water jug.
Camping Sites
For the budget conscious, the camping area for tents and caravans is spotlessly maintained and each site has its own power point. A maximum of 6 persons, one caravan with a side tent and one vehicle, or one tent and one vehicle, or one autovilla, or one motorised caravan will be permitted per site.
In the case of camping with a small tent, more than one tent will be permitted on a site, provided the maximum number of 6 persons is not exceeded. There is an extra charge for additional vehicles, as space can be limited in peak season.
Visitors may use generators from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset only. Although ground sheets may be used in the rest camps, specific arrangements must be made at the reception office of those sites where lawns have been planted. Guests can make use of the communal kitchen (cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery are not provided) and ablution facilities.
| Lodging Guide of Skukuza Camp:
Skukusa Restcamp in Kruger National Park is a popular rest camp situated in the heart of Big Five territory and is easily accessed by road and by air. Skukuza Restcamp in Kruger National Park features a variety of accommodation options such as camp sites, 21 furnished safari tents, luxury bungalows, cottages and 4 luxury guesthouses. The myriad of birds and wild game in the area is easily spotted by going on bush walks and game drives. Wildlife documentaries are shown in an outdoor amphitheater. There is a magnificent 9 hole (18-tee), Par 72 golf course available for golf enthusiasts. Airport: The airport is a rudimentary one. The airport staff assists passengers off the plane via airline wheelchairs and down a mobile ramp. No barrier free toilets existed at the time of writing although access to the toilets is easily managed.
Stevenson Hamilton Memorial: This is a get-out point with a path to a memorial plaque. The path passes over and between boulders and is not accessible to a person in a wheelchair.
Nkuhlu: Nkuhlu is a picnic site where a ramp has been specially constructed to allow wheelchair users the opportunity to descend from the parking lot down to the pathway adjacent the river's edge. There has been no adaptation of any of the other facilities and no barrier free toilets exist at the time of writing.
Kruger Tablets: Another get-out point where a memorial plaque has been embedded in rock. Reaching the plaque in a wheelchair requires assistance and such visitors are better off reading the plaque through binoculars.
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80 Camping-sites for caravans and tents 178 Economy bungalows with varying facilities 20 Luxury bungalows with and without river views 1 Family cottage with 4 bedrooms 20 Safari tents situated n stilts 4 Guesthouses that offer accommodation and lodging for larger groups There is one dormitory - girls section sleeps 32 and boys section sleeps 32 The perennial Sabie River flows past Skukuza Camp in Kruger National Park, South Africa, instilling an atmosphere of relaxed serenity. The closest entrance gate to Skukuza Camp is at the Paul Kruger Gate, just 12 km (7.4 miles) west of Skukusa, Kruger National Park - South Africa.
Johannesburg is about a 5 hours drive from the Paul Kruger Gate. The new Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport is just 25km (15.5 miles) from Nelspruit and less than an hour's drive from the Paul Kruger Gate. Skukuza Airport also offers chartered flights.
Climate:
Kruger National Park, South Africa is in a summer rainfall area. Such precipitation is usually convectional and can result in heavy downpours. The summer months (October to April) are hot and often balmy. Winters are warm and mild, although visitors going on night-drives will require warm clothing. |
 
Attractions| The myriad of birds and wild game in the area is easily spotted by going on bush walks and game drives on your Kruger National Park suggested itinerary. | | | |
Watch wildlife documentaries in an outdoor amphitheater Visit the knowledge research centre comprising of a library and museum Watch the birds and game from a sightseeing hide on this Kruger Park safari Choose from an morning or afternoon bush walk, or a dawn or night game drive
The most rewarding game drive is probably the route to Lower Sabie, which follows the well wooded bank of the Sabie River, where Bushbuck, Leopard and even a few Nyala find a home. Watch the Hippopotamus laze in the river and Crocodiles sun themselves on the sandbanks on this Kruger National Park safari. Lion are frequently spotted along this sightseeing route. The coastal forest is home to bushbuck, bushpig, brown hyena and the rare tree dassie.
All the Big Five can readily be seen in the vicinity of Skukuza on a Kruger National Park safari; Warthog and vervet monkeys inhabit the camp and can wreak havoc if visitors leave unguarded possessions. At night, genet, thick-tailed Bush Baby and Fruit Bats can be seen in camp. The riverfront of the camp is a great place to look for Hippopotamus and Buffalo, especially in the early morning, for your Kruger National Park safari.
Gemsbok, Black Wildebeest, Springbok, Buffalo and Black Rhino are found in the arid nama-karoo around the Darlington Dam area. Once this area has been consolidated, Cheetah and Wild Dog will be introduced.
Please Note:
If you must walk at night please do not do so without a torch.
Birding:
Although Skukuza is a large and busy camp, it hosts an excellent array of bird life. For the purpose of your Kruger National Park safari, you can expect to see kingfishers, green pigeons, purplecrested lourie, flycatchers and many more interesting species of birds.
Vegetation:
While the camp itself is riverine, with wonderful large trees such as sycamore fig, jackalberry and Natal mahogany, the surrounding eco-zone comprises of thorn thicket on granite/gneiss soils. Knob thorn and sickle bush are prominent.
5 Things to Seek:
Warthog Fruit Bat Spotted Hyena Purple–crested LourieThick–tailed Bush Baby
Attractions:
Dogs GraveyardStevenson Hamilton Memorial Library Selati Restaurant - the old railway carriage has been converted into a sports bar |
  
Accolades | :Tourism Council of SA Star Grading |
TGCSA Star GradingFacilitiesFacilities:
Laundromat Basic First Aid Cafeteria; Shop Public Telephone Post Office; Bank 9 Hole Golf Course Garage with Workshop 3 New swimming pools Information at Reception Auditorium and Conference Facilities Limited DSTV Available in Luxury Units Emergency Road Services; Petrol Station; Car WashDisabled Visitor facilities: Skukuza Restcamp's reception area is accessible with drop curves providing access from the parking area to the buildings, which include the reception office, a bank, a post office and public toilets (including a barrier free toilet) amongst others. The auto-bank is up a step and is thus inaccessible for wheelchair users. The camp's shop, restaurant and cafeteria are all easily accessed in a wheelchair, as is movement along the camp's perimeter fence adjacent to and overlooking the Sabie River.
Skukuza Restcamp has several attractions such as a museum hut, the Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library, an information centre and an auditorium. Only the library is inaccessible. Wheelchair users will need to be pulled up the stairs to access this facility. The camp has 8, 2-bed huts with barrier free facilities (6 with showers and 2 with baths). There is an accessible 6-bedded cottage with bath and shower facilities.
DirectionsBy air:
A one-hour flight from Johannesburg International Airport to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) on the Park periphery. There are daily flights between the 2 airports and bus shuttles between KMIA and Skukuza Camp or car hire from both the airport and the camp in Kruger National Park - South Africa. Private once off chartered aircraft wanting to land at Skukuza Airfield need to obtain prior permission from park management.
By road:
The N12 from Johannesburg and the N4 from Pretoria take you on a 5-hour drive through Nelspruit to Skukuza. Paul Kruger Gate and Phabeni Gate are the 2 options for travel to Skukuza in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
A car hire facility is available at Skukuza Camp in Kruger National Park - South Africa. Access roads through the 8 gates into the Park are tarred, whereas tourist roads in the park are either tarred or are good gravel roads. The speed limit within the park is 50 km/h on tarred roads, 40 km/h on gravel roads and 20 km/h in restcamps.
Nearest other camps are Pretoriuskop (49 km), Lower Sabie (43 km) and Berg-en-Dal (72 km). There are a variety of tar and gravel roads in the Skukuza vicinity. There are local picnic sites at Tshokwane (northeast), Nkuhlu (east) and Afsaal (south).
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SAN Parks - Natures Valley Rest Camp.
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