Accommodation at Kruger – Skukuza, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Safari Lodges and Accommodation in South Africa

Accommodation at Kruger – Skukuza, Mpumalanga, South Africa

KRUGER – SKUKUZA

Standard self-catering accommodation
World-famous Kruger National Park
On the banks of the Sabie River
Restaurant and shop

Situated on the southern banks of the Sabie River, Skukuza is the Kruger National Park’s largest rest camp and administrative headquarters.

The Camp is well foliaged and there are some lofty riverine trees along the river’s edge.

Activities and facilities are diverse, as are the animals and plants found both within the camp and the surrounding areas.

Skukuza consists of tent or caravan campsites, with power points, communal ablutions and cooking facilities –maximum six people per site; safari tents – two or four-bed permanent canvas tents with communal ablutions and cooking facilities and fridge; bungalows – two or three-bedrooms, equipped with ablutions (most with showers but some with baths), air-conditioning, some have hotplates and sinks and others just sinks; luxurious riverside bungalows, family cottages, guest cottages and guesthouses with satellite television.

Facilities at Skukuza include an auditorium, bank, cafeteria, car wash, laundry, petrol station, post office, restaurant and shop.

SKUKUZA RESTCAMP - KRUGER NATIONAL PARK:
The abundance of wildlife in the region makes Skukuza Restcamp, Kruger National Park perfect for birdwatching and spotting the Big Five.

Accommodation- Airport, restaurant, post office, medical facilities, police station and banks
- Accommodation types from luxury to standard
- Excellent bird watching opportunities
- A magnificent 9 hole (18-tee), Par 72 golf course
- Riverside walks, wilderness hikes and game drives

A 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, 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 – of much renown 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 in Kruger National Park is well foliaged and there are some lofty trees along the river's edge.

Activities and facilities are diverse, as are the animals and plants found both within Skukuza Restcamp in Kruger National Park and the surrounding areas. Skukuza Camp is an excellent rest camp on your holiday from which to pursue the Big Five and seek out 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 clambering in the trees in search of gum.

A variety of types of accommodation are available including:
- Bungalows
- Luxury Riverside Bungalows

- Family Cottages and Guest Cottages
- Guest Houses
- Safari Tents
- Camping option

Overview of Skukuza Camp:
Skukuza 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 is capable of accommodating over 500 guests with 80 camp sites, 20 furnished safari tents, 183 bungalows, 13 luxury riverside bungalows, 12 guest cottages and 3 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 amphitheatre. There is a magnificent 9 hole (18-tee), Par 72 golf course available for golf enthusiasts.

Disabled 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. There are barrier free toilets next to the cafeteria.

Skukuza Restcamp in Kruger National Park has several display features 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 eight 2-bed huts with barrier free facilities (6 with showers and 2 with baths). There is also an accessible 6-bedded cottage with bath and shower facilities.

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.

ACCOMMODATION:
Skukuza Camp caters for all, from the comfortable guest cottages to the more rustic bungalows and safari tents.

- 95 Camping-sites for caravans and tents
- 117 Bungalows with w/c and shower

- 61 Bungalows with kitchenette, w/c and shower
- 15 Luxury Bungalows with river views
- 16 Guest/Family Cottages with multiple Bedrooms
- 4 Guesthouses that offer accommodation for larger groups

Bungalow Accommodation:
Air-conditioned Bungalows with thatched roofs consist of one room with a separate en-suite bathroom at the Skukuza accommodation. The room has two or three single beds and bedding is supplied. There is also a clothes cupboard and a table with chairs in the room. The bathroom consists of a shower, hand basin and w/c. Towels and toilet paper are also provided for at your Skukuza accommodation.

Some of the Skukuza accommodation units have their own kitchenettes on the veranda, while others share communal kitchen facilities. All Skukuza accommodation units have a bar-size fridge. Skukuza accommodation units with cooking facilities vary as some have hotplate and sinks and some only have sinks. Units with kitchenettes include the following: electric kettle, crockery & cutlery (set of four: plates, side plates, pudding bowls, glasses, cups & saucers, knives & forks, spoons and teaspoons), pots and frying pan, salad bowl, bread knife, tin opener and water jug.

Luxury Riverside Bungalow Accommodation:
These new luxury Bungalows are situated along the river frontage and have a more modern design. Still only one roomed, with en-suite bathroom, these units have large glass sliding doors providing excellent views of the river and its wildlife.

The units each have a double bed, quality decor, air-conditioning and have satellite television offering limited channels. These Skukuza accommodation units portray a very warm and welcoming ambiance.

Guest/Family Cottage Accommodation:
Guest/Family Cottages have two or three air-conditioned bedrooms. Some Cottages have one bedroom with a double bed and the other bedrooms with two single beds. The units have either one or two bathrooms with a bath, washbasin, separate shower and toilet. Your Skukuza accommodation also provides towels and toilet paper. The cottages have an open-plan kitchen which is equipped with a stove and oven, refrigerator/freezer, sink, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery. Some Cottages are equipped for handicapped persons.

Guest House Accommodation:
Skukuza has four luxury Guest Houses in prime positions, which offer Skukuza accommodation for larger groups up to 12 persons. The units have three or four air-conditioned bedrooms, each with two single beds/or double beds and a bathroom en suite with a bath, washbasin, separate shower and toilet. Towels and toilet paper are provided for.

The recreation area consists of a dinning room, lounge, kitchen and veranda with barbeque/braai facilities. The kitchen is fully equipped with stove and oven), refrigerator/freezer, sink, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery.

Safari Tent Accommodation (Budget):
Skukuza has 20 Safari Tents for the budget traveller. The tents are built on wooden stilts and 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 equipment: Crockery & cutlery (set of four: plates, glasses, cups & saucers, knives & forks, spoons and teaspoons), pot and frying pan, teapot, frying pan, tin opener and water jug.

FACILITIES:
- Information at Reception
- Public Telephone
- Post Office
- Bank
- Basic First Aid
- Cafeteria
- Shop

- Emergency Road Services; Petrol Station; Car Wash
- Garage with Workshop
- Laundromat
- 9 Hole Golf Course
- Auditorium and Conference Facilities
- Limited DSTV Available in Luxury Units
- 3 New swimming pools
- Camping Sites (Budget)

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 six 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 at Skukuza's accommodation.

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 of Skukuza's accommodation.

LOCATION:
Skukuza is an excellent camp from which to pursue the Big 5, and bird watching in the vicinity is excellent.

- The Sabie River flows past Skukuza
- The closest entrance gate is the Paul Kruger Gate
- Johannesburg is just a 5 hours drive away
- Skukuza Camp is accessible by road and air
- Skukuza Airport offers chartered flights

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 Skukuza, 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.

HOW TO GET THERE:
Travel routes and times from JHB/PTA

By air:
A one-hour flight from Johannesburg International Airport to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) on the Park periphary.

There are daily flights between the two 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 two 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 eight 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).

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.

ACTIVITIES:
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 safari.

- Afternoon Bush Walk, Dawn Game Drive, Morning Walk, Night Game Drive
- Watch wildlife documentaries in an outdoor amphitheatre
- Enjoy a round of golf at the only golf course
- Watch the birds and game from a hide on this Kruger National Park safari
- Visit the knowledge research centre comprising of a library and museum
- Use one of the 3 swimming pools on this Kruger National Park safari

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 route. The coastal forest is home to bushbuck, bushpig, brown hyena and the rare tree dassie.

GAME:
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 visotors 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 birdlife. 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 ecozone comprises of thorn thicket on granite/gneiss soils. Knob thorn and sickle bush are prominent.

5 THINGS TO SEEK:
- Fruit Bat
- Thick–tailed Bush Baby
- Warthog
- Spotted Hyena
- Purple–crested Lourie

AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST IN CAMP:
- Stevenson Hamilton Memorial Library
- Dogs Graveyard
- Selati Restaurant - the old railway carriage has been converted into a sports bar.

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KRUGER NATIONAL PARK:
The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of nearly 2 million hectares, SANParks - Kruger National Park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.

Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries - from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident in the Kruger National Park. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park's natural assets.

The Kruger National Park is the primary destination in South Africa for many international tourists. Each year more than half a million visitors are registered.

The National Park was opened in 1898 at the instigation of then-president Paul Kruger. After hunters had considerably decimated the originally rich game stock, all the land between the Sabie and the Crocodile Rivers was put under the protection of Nature Conservation to ensure the survival of the remaining animals. Only as recently as 1961 was the extended Kruger Park fenced in.

The park stretches from the Crocodile River in the south up to the Limpopo River, which is the international border in the north. Altogether it is 350 km long, 65 km wide and comprises an area of about 20,000 sq km.

A web of roads of 1863 kilometres leads through the National Park, 697 kms of them being tarred. For the visitor there are numerous differently equipped restcamps, most of them scenically positioned. Within the park boundaries, travel is only allowed between sunrise and sunset. After dark one has to stay in one of the fenced restcamps.

The best time for observing the animals is the dry winter season. Then the grass is low and bushes and trees don't have leaves, so that one can have an unobstructed view. Because it virtually doesn't rain in winter, the animals come to the waterholes to drink in the mornings and evenings and can easily be viewed from the car.

Overview of The Kruger National Park:
Where nearly 2 million hectares of unrivalled diversity of life forms fuses with historical and archaeological sights – this is real Africa. The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of nearly 2 million hectares, SANParks - Kruger National Park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.

Vegetation and Climate:
The Kruger National Park is generally flat to gently undulating, with average height of 260 metres (853 feet) above sea level, with its most mountainous areas being along the eastern boundary, formed by the Lebombo Mountains. Sixteen distinct landscapes provide a multitude of habitats for the Kruger Park's inhabitants. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the Kruger Park has its share of rain and hot weather. During the summer months (September-April), the Park experiences sporadic rainfall in the form of quick thunder showers. April through August represent the winter months in Southern Africa which in turn means very little rain.As far as rainfall is concerned, the southern region receives the largest amount of rainfall while the central plains receive the least. The temperatures average from 30 C (86 F) in January (summer) to 23 C (73 F) in July (winter). Please be aware that the maximum temperature can reach 47 C (117 F) (January) and 35 C (95 F) (July).For your information, the average nightly temperature can range from 7-18 C (45-64 F) (January) and most certainly freezing in July. It is highly advisable to wear 'breathable' clothes to avoid heat exhaustion or stroke during the day, drink plenty of water and ensure that appropriate clothing is available in the often cold nights.

Vegetation Zones:
The varying climatic conditions impact on the type of vegetation in the ecosystem that can survive and flourish in each vegetation zone. This of course affects the distribution and population densities of the various animals - each type favouring some or other ecosystem environment.

History of the Kruger National Park:
The first explorer to set foot in the region was the Dutchman François de Cuiper who led a Dutch East India Company expedition to explore. However, the expedition was attacked and driven by local tribes-people near Gomondwane. Only around 1838 Voortrekker expeditions led by Lous Trichardt and Hans van Rensburg were able to successfully establish forward outposts. Hundreds of Europeans and farmers came to the Lowveld lured by rumours of gold and the great quantity of valuable commodities such as ivory and skins.

This caused the number of game to dramatically decrease due to hunting and trading of animal skins and horns. President Paul Kruger was told about the rapid destruction of wildlife in the area by hunters, after which he succeeded to persuade the Transvaal parliament to establish a protected area for the wildlife in the Lowveld region. The "Sabie Game Reserve”, bordered by the Crocodile River in the south, the Sabie River in the north, the Lebombo Mountains in the east and the Drakensberg Mountains in the west, which is now the southern part of the Kruger National Park, was established in 1898.

These reserves would eventually expand into today's Kruger National Park. The Anglo-Boer War stopped any further development of the reserve, but the British, after winning the war, proceeded with the plan to develop the Sabie Game Reserve and gave the task to major James Stevenson-Hamilton in 1902 to protect the animals against hunters, ivory poachers and cattle farmers. The Park was opened to the public in 1927 for visitors to view animals and plant life in a area where they are protected. After the Anglo-Boer War, James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed as the first park warden. He spent the next 40 years protecting what the war had destroyed. His actions are no doubt an ever-living contribution to the Kruger National Park's current existence. In addition to his animal conservation, James Stevenson Hamilton was also responsible for acquiring another 10 000 hex acres for the reserve.

After World War I, the Kruger National Park was protected by the government of South Africa and remains under the watchful eye of the government even today. The very first ranger in the reserve was Paul Bester who made his residence in a rustic rondavel (hut) which is now the site of the headquarters camp, Skukuza. Documents concerning the History of the Kruger National Park can be viewed at the Skukuza Library. Half a million years ago, the first San stone age hunters roamed the plains in search of game. The modern day bush men have left fascinating rock paintings all over the Republic of South Africa, and, Kruger National Park contains over one hundred sites of these paintings. The Kruger National Park is a living memorial to President Paul Kruger and those who have upheld his vision of a protected wilderness reserve which will forever remind us of that which we are so dangerously close to losing.

A Short Natural and Cultural History?

There are almost 254 known cultural heritage sites in the Kruger National Park, including nearly 130 recorded rock art sites.

There is ample evidence that prehistoric man – Homo erectus roamed the area between 500 000 and 100 000 years ago
Cultural artefacts of Stone Age man have been found for the period 100 000 to 30 000 years ago.
More than 300 archaeological sites of Stone Age man have been found
Evidence of Bushman Folk (San) and Iron Age people from about 1500 years ago is also in great evidence.
There are also many historical tales of the presence of Nguni people and European explorers and settlers in the Kruger area.
There are significant archaeological ruins at Thulamela and Masorini
There are numerous examples of San Art scattered throughout the park.
The park was first proclaimed in 1898 as the Sabie Game Reserve by the then president of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. He first proposed the need to protect the animals of the Lowveld in 1884, but his revolutionary vision took another 12 years to be realised when the area between the Sabie and Crocodile Rivers was set aside for restricted hunting.
The Scottish born James Stevenson-Hamilton (born in 1867) was appointed the park’s first warden on 1 July 1902.
On 31 May 1926 the National Parks Act was proclaimed and with it the merging of the Sabie and Shingwedzi Game Reserves into the Kruger National Park. The first motorists entered the park in 1927 for a fee of one pound.
Many accounts of the park’s early days can be found in the Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library.