Reminiscent of a traditional African safari camp from a bygone era, Buffalo Camp offers the ultimate luxurious tented accommodation experience. Built from natural stone and wood, the luxury game lodge has an olde worlde atmosphere while being completely contemporary. All comforts are catered for in the plush tented suites and throughout this carefully appointed luxury safari lodge, with décor accent colours of burnt red and gold.

Set on the banks of the perennial Klaserie River is the reserve’s most secluded and prestigious lodge: Kapama Karula. Meaning ‘place of peace’ in the local language, Kapama Karula exudes calmness and depicts the pinnacle of luxury five-star safari accommodation. The meandering river running through the camp enhances the sense of tranquillity at this elegant and luxurious safari lodge.

Within the expansive Kapama Private Game Reserve, River Lodge epitomises five-star safari accommodation. The majestic northern Drakensberg mountains form the backdrop to the 64-suite River Lodge, which is positioned along a bend of the seasonal Kapama River. It’s the largest luxury game lodge in the Greater Kruger National Park area, and is stylishly furnished to ensure an unforgettable African safari experience.

Southern Camp is the proud new addition to the Kapama Private Game Reserve family, and is situated in the south of the Big Five game reserve. It offers luxury game lodge accommodation, warm hospitality and friendly service in a tranquil setting that will be savoured by even the most discerning nature lover.

Family

all ages

64 rooms

Eastgate Airport - 21 km

Two game drives a day are offered to all our guests. Accompanied by a skilled ranger and tracker, you can expect to encounter a diverse range of animal and bird species. Since this is a Big Five reserve, encountering lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo is possible over a two-day safari.

Cards accepted

Internet

Within the expansive Kapama Private Game Reserve, River Lodge epitomises five-star safari accommodation. The majestic northern Drakensberg mountains form the backdrop to the 64-suite River Lodge, which is positioned along a bend of the seasonal Kapama River. It’s the largest luxury game lodge in the Greater Kruger National Park area, and is stylishly furnished to ensure an unforgettable African safari experience. The beautifully designed River Lodge, blending sophisticated architecture with the natural environment, offers state-of-theart accommodation. The lodge offers three types of accommodation options in spacious rooms, each featuring full en-suite bathrooms, tea and coffee making facilities, mini bar fridge and climate control air conditioners. Between invigorating dawn and evening safaris, relax next to the sparkling pool, or savour a glass of Cape’s finest from the cellar and retreat to the solitude of the library with a novel. River Lodge features a spectacular open air boma from where you can exchange accounts with the other guests of your day’s game viewing around a crackling fire. The lodge is also perfectly suited to accommodate corporate events, providing organized entertainment in the boma or private bush dinner site. Experienced trackers and guides guarantee up close and personal encounters with Africa’s best, imparting in-depth knowledge of the bush.

Stretching over 13 000 hectares of pristine African wilderness, towards the renowned Kruger National Park, lies an abundant sanctuary of beauty and wildlife magnificence. Kapama Private Game Reserve, one of the most prestigious wildlife destinations in South Africa, is home to the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) and numerous other animal and bird species. Affording a true African experience, Kapama offers a range of stylish accommodation in four sophisticated bush camps. Each one is strategically positioned within the wildlife reserve to complement the particular lodge’s theme and to blend in with the bigger surrounding ecosystem. Your choice of lodge may be the classic safari experience at Buffalo Camp,the opulence at Southern Camp, the vibrancy of River Lodge or the serenity of Kapama Karula.

In true African luxury safari style, Kapama offers guests three different dining venues. As in classic old Africa, evening meals are often enjoyed seated around a roaring fire in the Rhino Boma. Here, buffet meals are served under open-sided thatch and showcase pan-African dishes prepared from fresh local ingredients. Traditional venison dishes also feature on this authentic African menu. Romantic dining is epitomised by dinner set in the dry riverbed in front of the lodge, under a star-studded African night sky. The experience adds enchantment to any African luxury safari experience. The Siyatla Lounge is purpose-built as an enclosed dining area, where breakfasts and lunches are served. It has its own bar and lounge with two large fireplaces, while glass stack doors open up the lounge to the surrounding bushveld. All cuisine at Kapama is prepared using fresh seasonal ingredients and herbs grown in the lodge gardens. Traditional South African dishes and accompaniments further enhance the luxury game lodge experience by giving a taste of real Africa. Menus include warthog stew, kudu casserole, impala sausages and oxtail curry. Vegetarians, vegans and various other dietary requirements are easily catered for.

Recliners under umbrellas beckon guests to enjoy shady relaxation around the pool, which is also a prime vantage point for game viewing. A small, permanent waterhole lies just beyond the perimeter of River Lodge and attracts various antelope species, elephant and buffalo, so viewing the Big Five - cocktail in hand - is quite usual from here.

Surrounded by stillness and sweeping bushveld, the Kapama Wellness Centre takes safari spa treatments to new heights. Considered one of the finest safari spas in Africa, the six sumptuous treatment rooms are arranged around a generous central lap pool that evokes a sense of calm.

the state-of-the-art mini gym is fully equipped. There is both cardio and weight-lifting equipment, depending on if you want to tone or build muscle. What is guaranteed is that a visit to the Wellness Centre will energise and uplift you for the day.

Bush walks. Experience the African bush on foot under the guidance of a skilled ranger. Your guide will point out medicinal plants, insects and birdlife along the way, and share traditional tracking skills such as using animal footprints and scat to identify animals. Photographic safaris. World-class photographic training by leading South African wildlife photographer Albie Venter is aimed at beginner and intermediate photographers. Bringing together like-minded people who enjoy both nature and photography, the workshop covers everything from operating a camera to how to compose and spot evocative images.

River Lodge’s spacious air-conditioned suites have uninterrupted views over the Big Five game reserve from private patios, and all feature full, en-suite bathrooms with lavish amenities replenished daily. The suites are decorated to reflect old Africa in a luxury game lodge setting. Beverage stations for early morning coffee in suite and minibars for sundowners on your private patio are standard in all rooms.

Spa suites are positioned a little way from the lodge to ensure additional privacy and proximity to the spa for unique African spa treatments. Expansive glass doors and frameless windows allow unobstructed bush views, including from the bathroom. Each suite is equipped with a minibar, coffee and tea-making facilities, as well as a safe, hairdryer and international plugs.

Located with the spa suites, the family rooms have triple balconies, along with spacious bedrooms that can accommodate an additional two beds for children sharing with their parents. The rooms - measuring over 70 sq.m. with the balconies - are also ideal for couples wanting the additional comfort of an oversized bedroom.

Taking luxury game lodge accommodation a step further, River Lodge has two royal suites that offer substantial space and include a separate lounge and extended balcony, furnished with recliner couches. The en-suite bathroom has a bath and a dual shower overlooking the surrounding bush and resident wildlife, while the bedroom is spacious and opulently appointed.

• Accommodation in luxury twin rooms or tents. • 3 Meals per day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner • 2 Daily game drives in open safari vehicle. • All teas, coffees and pastries. • Return transfers between Eastgate Airport and the camps. • Soft drinks and water during sundowners

Feel Africa underfoot on a guided bush walk with a highly trained game ranger. The experience offers an intimate encounter with nature and wildlife, and medicinal and other plants are identified en route. Rangers also teach walkers to track wildlife in the traditional way, using animal footprints and scat. Large and dangerous animals are avoided on walks, but many other species can be viewed from a safe distance at ground level.

To meet and interact with Kapama’s elephants, your ranger will drive you to a specifically designated location in the bush, where the reserve’s 16 habituated elephants will be browsing in the wild. The elephant herd ranges in age from calves to mature adults of over 30 years. After a brief introduction to elephant life, some members of the herd will be brought forward for you to meet. Always accompanied by their handlers, the elephants are relaxed and there is the opportunity to get extremely close to them. You can feed them and touch them and watch their herd dynamics, as the younger elephants play under the watchful eye of the adults.

Across all of Kapama’s lodges, two daily game drives are offered and are included in the tariff. Accompanied by a skilled ranger and tracker, guests can expect to encounter a diverse range of animal and bird species on game drives. Since this is a Big Five reserve, seeing lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo is possible over a two-day safari in Kapama Private Game Reserve.

To see rare wildlife up close, take a late morning trip - after the game drive and breakfast - to the nearby Hoedspruit Centre for Endangered Species. Here cheetah, wild dog, serval, caracal and various other species are rehabilitated and can be safely viewed from close range. Rare king cheetah can also be seen here. It’s followed by a guided tour to view cheetah and other fascinating wildlife. Guests to the centre will be accompanied by a Kapama lodge ranger.

The giant candy-striped balloons lift off at first light and drift at the mercy of the wind for about an hour. The hot air balloon landing can be bumpy, so hold on tight then celebrate with a glass of bubbly. This memorable experience is highly recommended.

While Dermalogica and Matisse products are used in the spa, five uniquely created African-inspired treatments are also on the menu to provide rejuvenation and complete relaxation. Soak up the signature four-hour Marula Miracle Moments - which includes a body wrap, facial, massage and more - or opt for other enticingly named treatments such as the Kapama Pinotage Bliss, which uses vine-infused products, or the Marula Sensual Steam Treatment. Various treatments are also available to couples. The luxury safari spa treatment menu includes a full range of body and beauty treatments.

The Kapama Romantic Sleep-out offers a million-star overnight experience. Sleeping in the open air on the reserve, elevated high above the ground under the African night sky, is a uniquely romantic experience. A raised platform is evocatively furnished with an oversized bed festooned in white linen and billowing mosquito netting. It’s completely safe, while being surrounded by only wilderness and wildlife.The platform and luxury bathroom underneath are both animalproof, but both a two-way radio and cellular phone are supplied for additional peace of mind. With a flush toilet, shower and his and hers basins, the bathroom has all comforts catered for.

Kapama's transfers are effortless for fly-in safari guests arriving on scheduled flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town. The region is serviced by Hoedspruit's Eastgate Airport, a mere 10-minute drive from the entrance to the reserve, and transferring to the lodge in open vehicles means game viewing right from arrival - so your safari starts even before check-in.