Giraffes in Kapama Private Game Reserve near Kruger National Park, South Africa.

© Robert from Arizona/Shutterstock

Kapama Private Game Reserve

Kruger National Park


With four luxury lodges and the Big Five in residence (as well as occasional passing wild dogs and great birding), 13,000-hectare Kapama gets all of the important things right. Unlike most other private reserves, which constitute a patchwork of privately owned landholdings, Kapama is unusual in that it's the preserve of just one family, who have added to the reserve over the years since its establishment in 1986. The family also runs the Centre for Endangered Species on the reserve's southern boundary.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kruger National Park attractions

1. Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre

6.48 MILES

A few clicks south of Hoedspruit along the R40 and attached to the Kapama Private Game Reserve, the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre was set up to…

2. Thornybush Private Game Reserve

9.63 MILES

This 13,816-hectare reserve is a collaboration between 12 lodges (the number keeps going up every year), with a focus on high-end comforts and excellent…

3. Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

16.62 MILES

A 600-sq-km (or 60,000 hectare) private wildlife reserve in the greater Kruger area, Klaserie has strong conservation credentials.

4. Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

17.17 MILES

Timbavati abuts Kruger National Park's western boundary and has an excellent mix of wildlife, conservation and good accommodation. Its accommodation…

5. Three Rondavels Viewpoint

21.13 MILES

The area's highlight, with a staggering view of these enormous rounds of rock, their pointed, grassy tops resembling giant huts carved into the side of…

6. Lowveld Viewpoint

21.73 MILES

Affords stunning views up the canyon, to the glistening Blydepoort Dam at the far end surrounded by forested slopes. The rocky cones of the Three…

7. Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve

22.03 MILES

This stunning 260-sq-km reserve centres on the 30km-long Blyde River Canyon, where epic rock formations tower above the forested slopes and eagle-eye…

8. Bourke’s Luck Potholes

25.4 MILES

These bizarre cylindrical holes were carved into the rock by whirlpools at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur Rivers. Bridges span the rivers,…