Olifants Restcamp

Olifants camp guests will be exposed to an unforgettable window of Africa at their Kruger Park accommodation and lodging. The Olifants Camp is situated on top of a hill towering several hundred feet over the river of the same name.

Sightseeing views from the lookout platforms at Olifants allow a person to observe the river below. The camp is warm and welcoming and will win many staunch supporters for Kruger Park accommodation.

Lodging guides in Olifants:

The 2, 3 and 4 single-roomed thatched bungalows fitted with en-suite facilities and kitchenettes afford panoramic views across the surrounding bushveld. One of the 2-bedded huts are specially fitted with aids for those with mobility difficulties, so they may also enjoy authentic Kruger Park lodging.

Because Olifants Camp is situated in a transitional zone, 2 distinct types of vegetation can be found, offering a wide range of game. In the north, the low lying Mopane trees provide cover for Zebra, Impala, Kudu and Elephant.

To the south, rolling plains are dotted with Buffalo, Giraffe and Kudu. While along the Olifants River, wildlife such as Lion, Crocodiles and Hippopotamus can be viewed on game viewing and sightseeing excursions in Kruger Park, as well as an abundance of birdlife such as Owls, Storks and Eagles.

Facilities 

Game viewing is possible from Olifants Camp where a shaded lookout platform is positioned. Here at your Kruger Park accommodation you are sure to spot Hippopotamus, Crocodiles in the Olifants River as well as the occasional Lion kill.

Around the Olifants River, guided game walks are the perfect way to learn more about the bush from close up. But the most exhilirating part of your vacation will be a trip out on a mountain bike trail ride, departing from your Kruger Park accommodation.

Participate in a safari of the night sky. New to Olifants Camp... astronomy. With the aid a large telescope, set up out here in the bush, you can explore Africa’s magnificent southern hemisphere skies and discover African star lore, as related by guides experienced in astronomy. 

Morning or evening bush braais (barbeques) can be enjoyed as you soak up the warmth of a campfire and Kruger Park nightlife. Olifants Camp, like the other Kruger Park accommodation facilities, is suitable for year-round visits, but the summer months are often hot and balmy, (40 C / 104 F), interrupted occasionally by sporadic thunder showers.

'Olifants' is the Afrikaans word for Elephants, which are commonly found in the area. Kruger National Park attractions include seeing the tusks of 6 of the famous Magnificent Seven Elephants, which used to be on display at the reception but can now be found at Letaba.

A short distance from Olifants Camp you can find the signature of GR von Weilligh, one of the original surveyors in the area who left his mark on a nearby Baobab tree back in 1891.

Positioned on a rocky promontory in Kruger Park, South Africa, Olifants Camp towers above the Olifants River, near the river's confluence with the Letaba. Enter through the Phalaborwa Gate (5 hours drive from Johannesburg) or travel by air with regular domestic flights from Johannesburg to Phalaborwa Kruger Park Gateway Airport.

Flora found in this region include Apple Leaf, Tamboti, Baobab, Leadwood, Shrub Mopane, Mixed Bushwillow, Silver Cluster Leaf, Mopane and Mixed Acacias, Round Leaved Teak, Mixed Bushwillow, Transvaal Candelabra Tree, Marula, Wilddate Palm, Weeping Boer Bean, Buffalothorn, Sycamore Fig, Reeds, Jackalberry, Knob Thorn, Fever Tree, Thorny Cluster Leaf and White Seringa.

How to get there:

Directions to the Phalaborwa Gate:

From Johannesburg / Gauteng: follow the N4 out to Nelspruit. From there take the R40, north to Hazyview, Bushbuck Ridge and heading on to Klaserie and then onward to Hoedspruit: Follow the R40 on to Mica, being sure to follow the road as it splits to the right to the Phalaborwa Gate.

At Phalaborwa Gate, carry on the H-9 road for 51 kilometres (31 miles) until you reach your first T-junction. On the T-junction turn right travelling on the H-1-5 road for 24 kilometres (15 miles). When you reach the Nwamanzi Viewpoint, stick to your left on the H8 road for 9 kilometres (6 miles) until you reach Olifants Camp in Kruger Park, South Africa.