Formerly known as
Wonderfull!
Kapama River Lodge is Kruger National Park's largest private game lodge - a charming holiday destination, which creates an air of excitement and activity with its huge accommodation and range of adventure options. Named after the curve of the Kapama River in which it makes its home, Kapama River Lodge is also a highly attractive, serene lodge - with its nearby water sources attracting
South Africa's wild Limpopo Province is home to the fantastic Kapama Private Game Reserve - 13 000 hectares of wilderness, authentic and rugged, with the mammoth Drakensburg mountain range to the north and the world famous Kruger National Park to the south, this is also a place of luxury. Relaxing five-star accommodation, professionally guided trips out into the bush aboard open 4 x 4s, and impossibly large populations of birds, impala and blue wildebeest combine with the relief of warm afternoon rains to create an atmosphere not easily recreated anywhere else.
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.
Standard Suite: River Lodge’s 40 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: 20 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.
Royal Suites: 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.
One of the biggest reserves in Limpopo, Kapama plays home to huge groups of the Big Five safari heavy hitters, as well as the remainder of the Big Seven (leopard and wild dog), numerous other mammal species, and more than 350 various bird species.
For team-building events, conferences, corporate getaways or product launches, Kapama Game Reserve has two spacious venues, facilitated with modern multimedia equipment, for conferencing that can accommodate small and large groups. Kapama River Lodge conference centre can accommodate up to 200 guests and Kapama Lodge conference facilities accommodate a group of up to 60. Kapama also offers a range of activities such as the Amazing Race, game capture participation and elephant interaction, all of which are perfect for team building activities.
Facilities and Services
projector and screen,
TV
DVD player
Flip chart
sound system.
Seating Arrangements
Classroom style - 130
Cinema style - 200
Rates
Conferencing rates vary seasonally and are dependent on the number of guests and other personalised requirements. Please contact us and our consultants will quote you on a package tailored to meet your particular needs.
Additional information
various packages are available to groups for exclusive dining.
Children
Children of all ages are welcome at Kapama River Lodge. All children under the age of sixteen must be accompanied by a responsible adult during game drives and bush walks. Children under the age of 12 are permitted on safari at the sole discretion of the manager or guide. Children under the age of 6 are not permitted on safari.
Excludes:
Conservation Levy of R114 per person per night (excluding VAT)
Self-dive instructions:
Take either the N12 or the N4 from Johannesburg to eMalahleni and Middelburg. Turn onto the R540 towards eMakhazeni, Emnotweni, and Mashishing. Emnotweni is set on the Highveld and is an ideal point for exploring the region. The village has a quaint atmosphere and is famous for its trout fishing, and is a good halfway or lunch stops on the way to Kapama Private Game Reserve. From Mashishing, proceed on the R36 to Ohrigstad, and through the Strydom Tunnel to Hoedspruit.
This scenic drive through Mpumalanga takes in magnificent mountain landscapes and panoramic views - as you drive up the mountain passes onto the high escarpment, you’ll have sweeping vistas of the Lowveld down below. At the Strydom Tunnel, roadside stalls sell ethnic curios from the area.
From Hoedspruit, take the R40 to Klaserie and continue until you reach the Kapama Private Game Reserve entrance on the left.
GPS coordinates:
S24°25’45.08” E31°00’49.01”
Wonderfull!
This is a private game farm and a luxury resort. We staye for 2 nights and had 3 game drives seeing 3 of the big 5, plus many other animals. The staff take care of you extremely well with personal attention and all food and game drives included. If you have limited time for safari and are willing to pay extra to be treated well and have rangers make sure you see the animals, this is a great option.
From start to finish this was a first rate experience. Accommodation, food, facilities and the game drives were all excellent. I particularly liked the way a ranger is allocated to you from the moment you arrive and he keeps you posted all the time. Also you get the same waiter looking after you in the dining areas. Administratively, I could not get over how good. The staff were at remembering guests' names. This applies particularly to Darren Mdhluli who welcomed a small group of us when we first arrived. The welcome letter in each room with names ( and surnames) of the management staff was helpful. A very well run lodge. Nothing was too much trouble.
It was our first safari, and we did not miss anything, Kapama River Lodge fully lived up to our expectations.
Truly excellent. We saw some really fantastic game, including love struck and exhausted lion and lioness (!), lioness and suckling cubs, leopard, elephant, buffalo etc etc, in fact everything we could have hoped for, and we go so incredibly close to the animals. The Kapama River Lodge is fantastic, With excellent accommodation, food, ambiance, facilities, ranges, trackers and staff. Thoroughly recommended.
We absolutely loved our stay at Kapama River Lodge. Service was impeccable, the rooms were comfortable and the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets offered a very wide variety of choices that even we, being vegetarians, did not have to miss out on any of the delicious offerings. And of course, the game drives were perfectly well organised. We saw all the big animals and plenty more. We're telling all our friends to go to Kapama!
This was my favorite lodge/hotel room we stayed at on our entire South Africa vacation. The rooms were big & clean. The bathrooms had a tub and a shower with great water pressure and fancy bathroom amenities. The walkway between lodges were beautiful and interesting as you never knew what you might see along the walkway. But best of all is the spa! The spa was the best experience I have ever had. My pedicure massage was so good, I immediately booked a facial for the next day. Oh, and the food was tremendous as well. This place did not disappoint.
Great place, luxurious rooms, great service, lavish food spread, love the ambience, thrilling game safaris .... at one point we were surrounded by almost 2 dozen wild African elephants ... saw them from as close as 5 feet .. one of them even sniffed us ... saw 5 lions playing with each other by the lake from 10 feet ... missed seeing all the BIG 5 though ... all in all a great experience ... where else can you have giraffes roaming at a few feet while you swim or get a massage done .... did not feel we were not in the main Kruger park ... am not sure, is Kruger really better than this?One suggestion, with so many tourists, there should be an ATM machine or an option to change US dollars and other major currencies nearby ... this became a bit of an issue for us
My husband and I stayed at Kapama on a recommendation from a friend, and we were so glad we did. Kapama is a private reserve right next to the airport, so it's very convenient. Private reserves are better than the national parks (like Kruger) because they have less rules and the guides are able to "off road" to find the animals. And off road we did!We loved our guide, Harry, and his tracker (and brother), Noel and we saw each of the Big 5! Harry was very informative and knowledgeable, having grown up in the bush, so he was the perfect guide. His obsession with finding a leopard paid off--apparently leopards are very hard to track down!The lodge itself was luxurious. The rooms were very comfortable (we stayed in one of the spa suites), the food was delicious, and the spa was amazing. We were there in winter, so we really couldn't enjoy the pools, but the pools are gorgeous and I'm sure very refreshing in the summer.Although the following may be the same with all safari experiences, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:1) The drives are 3 hours long and, of course, nature is the only available bathroom. This wouldn't be so bad if not for the fact that when the guide stops, he likes to stop in an open area so that lions can't sneak up on you and eat you. So, especially if you're a woman, you might not feel comfortable relieving yourself within eye-and-earshot of your group. My advice would be to not drink during the tea/coffee time they have right before each drive. Basically, you need to dehydrate yourself. My husband and I drank a ton of water when we left the reserve and I think our bodies were confused. 2) It's freaking cold in the winter when you're driving in an open-top truck. Especially in the morning. We didn't believe that we would really need a winter hat, gloves, coat, etc. because, hey, the LOW was only going to be in the 50s. Well, you do need those things, so bring them. I think going in the winter is a good option because the bush is more "open" (i.e., no leaves on the trees), so it's easier to search for and spot animals, and there really isn't any rain, but you do need to keep in mind that it's cold and pack accordingly. In the day, it would be in the mid-70s and perfect for laying out by the pool.I would definitely recommend Kapama to anyone looking for an awesome and luxurious safari!
We stayed at three Lodges while in South Africa just this month, well, in fact just a few days ago. Originally we wanted four nights at the Buffalo Camp but it was booked so we did two and two. I must say the staff at the River Lodge eased us right in to the setting and therefore we were not disappointed in the least.The welcome to the lodge was amazing, as if we were the only ones there. The room (Spa Suite) was huge and away from the main buildings, perfect. One can see most of the big five at the watering hole which is just beyond the swimming pool.The food is served buffet style so that you can pick and choose just what to eat and how much. It was really yummy and hard to make choices.On the drives (we had four while at this lodge), we had the perfect sighting of the elusive leopard. My photos are fabulous. The last morning we opted for the elephant safari which was amazing in itself. A perfect coda to a perfect trip.Yes, I recommend the River Lodge highly and with no reservations. It was a dream trip and I am glad that the River Lodge was part of it.
Accommodation options
Standard Suite
| Dates | PPS | Single | Unit Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Jan 2019 — 19 Dec 2019 | $ 361 | $ 542 | 2 people |
| 20 Dec 2019 — 04 Jan 2020 | $ 477 | $ 716 | 2 people |
| 05 Jan 2020 — 19 Dec 2020 | $ 387 | $ 581 | 2 people |
Includes: Accommodation, all meals, teas & snacks, two daily safari activities with soft drinks, local drinks and waters on these activities and return transfers from Eastgate Airport (HDS) on scheduled flights only.
Spa Suite
| Dates | PPS | Single | Unit Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Jan 2019 — 19 Dec 2019 | $ 429 | $ 644 | 2 people |
| 20 Dec 2019 — 04 Jan 2020 | $ 580 | $ 870 | 2 people |
| 05 Jan 2020 — 19 Dec 2020 | $ 467 | $ 701 | 2 people |
Includes: Accommodation, all meals, teas & snacks, two daily safari activities with soft drinks, local drinks and waters on these activities and
Royal Suite
| Dates | PPS | Single | Unit Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 2018 — 19 Dec 2019 | $ 580 | $ 870 | 2 people |
| 20 Dec 2019 — 04 Jan 2020 | $ 818 | $ 1,228 | 2 people |
| 05 Jan 2020 — 19 Dec 2020 | $ 682 | $ 1,023 | 2 people |
Includes:
Accommodation, all meals, teas & snacks, two daily safari activities with soft drinks and waters on these activities and return transfers from Eastgate Airport (HDS) on scheduled flights only.
