Skukuza Rest Camp, Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park, Skukuza, 1350, South Africa

Skukuza Rest camp is the largest of the Kruger National Park rest camps. It is located about 12km (30 minutes drive ) from Paul Kruger Gate, located in a very game rich area. There are a variety of accommodation options – from campsites to bungalows to guest cottages to the luxurious Guest Houses. The prices run from as low as $20 USD/night to $500 USD/night We had booked 2 bungalows for 3 nights at a rate of $100 USD/night. The official description of the bungalows on Sanparks website was “BD2 (BUNGALOW): 1 bedroom with 2 single beds, Air-conditioned, Fridge, Hotplate, No smoking, Sink,Utensils, WC and shower”.

Skukuza Rest Camp Reception Area

Check-in was very quick and we were asked to show our WildCard and that was it.

Bungalows in Skukuza Rest Camp
Bedroom

Room was very basic but served our needs because we felt we were only using it for sleeping at night.

Sink & Bathroom
walk-in shower
Storage Area
Crappy Air-conditioner

The air-conditioner in the room made lot of noise and did not cool much.

Kitchen area outside Fridge & Hot Plate
Communal Kitchen for camp site guests
Warthog roaming around by Reception Area
Cattle Baron Restaurant Outdoor Seating Area

Me and my wife dined at the Cattle Baron Restaurant for both lunch and dinner for the 3 nights we were there. The food was extremely reasonably priced (if you consider the location and that you are a captive audience).

View from Outdoor Seating Area

During lunch its nice to sit on the deck with great views of the river (and we saw some Cape Buffalo resting there). At night we preferred to dine indoors due to fear of mosquitoes.

Cattle Baron Restaurant Indoor Seating

Thumbs up:

  • Very affordable option compared to the expensive Private Reserves in Kruger (but you get what you pay for)
  • Unit was neat and clean
  • Superb game viewing location. The stretch between Skukuza and Lower Sabie Road has a very dense population of Leopards. We had great luck with a lot of lion sightings also in that area.
  • Pricing at the grocery/souvenir shop and dining was very reasonable as well as convenient

Thumbs down:

  • No lock on the refrigerators and we had food stolen by the thieving monkeys!!
  • No shampoo or conditioner provided in the bathroom. Its not asking a lot is it?