Concession To Comfort

Three lodges in the central Kruger National Park allow visitors to link stays for a fantastic mini-safari.

- David Batzofin

In 1898, the South African government of the day instituted legislation that would protect parts of what was to become the Kruger National Park, proclaimed our first national park in 1926. Back in those early days, before the advent of motorised transport, getting to the area took months of planning and making sure that supplies were ordered and oxen or horses were ready to tackle the trek from Johannesburg.

Once the car made an appearance, access became easier, but there was still plenty of planning involved, as most of what was required had to be carried into the park by travellers. Fast-forward to the present day and the only planning that is now required is to get to the airport.

The sound of creaking wagon wheels and the spluttering of primitive engines have been replaced with the quiet throb of an Embraer as it wings its way to Skukuza Airport.

It is here that your safari begins – not in a wagon, but in a game drive vehicle.

The Kruger National Park covers nearly 20,000km and it is not possible to cover all of this in a single trip. If you have limited time but want to visit several camps, your decision could be made easier by visiting three private camps in the Mluwati Concession, all within a few kilometres of one another.

Although each lodge has a unique style, the theme that links them all is service excellence, food and adjacent waterholes where guests can enjoy watching wildlife while having a meal or relaxing on a deck. Each venue also offers spa treatments that can be conducted in guests’ rooms.