Drawing on the hugely successful model used by the Botswana Government, the South African Government leases large areas of land around the Kruger National Park to private operators to create exclusive luxury lodges that maintain the pristine environment. Until recently, the only accommodation options available in the Kruger National Park were all state run, but the new concessions have opened up a great variety of options for the discerning traveller.
The Kruger Park Private Concessions – which include Camp Shonga, Hamilton’s Tented Camp, Imbali Safari Lodge and Jock Safari Lodge (to name but a few) – are amongst some of the finest in the world and offer guests five star amenities, exceptional cuisine and highly trained staff. Guests at the Private Concessions enjoy unrivalled privacy and solitude – as the Concessions are closed to the general public in the Kruger National Park itself – so encountering other vehicles when out on a game drive is an extremely rare occurrence.
With the unfenced Concessions sharing borders with the Kruger National Park, the abundance of wildlife that the National Park is famed for is able to roam freely onto Concession land. Concession operators are also able to leave the Concession’s road network to give guests a game experience that they would not otherwise be able to enjoy in the greater Kruger National Park itself. Guests may also enjoy guided bush walks and night drives with some of the best-trained staff in South Africa.