Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Set on the banks of the perennial Klaserie River is one of Kapama's most secluded and prestigious safari camps named Karula. Karula means "place of peace" in the native tongue, and soon after your arrival, you will know exactly why this name is just so perfect for this magnificent luxury safari camp. Kapama Karula has twelve superior luxury villas, each exquisitely decorated with generous private space, each with a private outside deck and a large swimming pool, which is heated in the chillier months for year-round swimming. Two of the superior luxury villas are purpose-built for families. The open plan lounge and bar area, with floor to ceiling glass doors, illustrates the perfect balance with elegant light colours. The award-winning on-site Karula Spa & Wellness Centre offers a range of fitness equipment as well as health and beauty treatments in four deluxe treatment rooms. Head out on an exciting game drive where this Private Big Five Reserve offers the finest game viewing safari experience the Greater Kruger area has to offer.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
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Kapama Karula stands out for its elegant fusion of luxury and nature, offering a tranquil retreat that guests find both soothing and magical. The hotel's amenities, including gourmet dining and luxurious accommodations, consistently receive high marks for contributing to a top-tier experience. The cleanliness of the lodge is impeccable, with travelers often mentioning the fresh scent and meticulous housekeeping.
Reviewers praise the rooms for their comfort and stunning aesthetics, adding that the value is exceptional, with luxurious offerings that surpass expectations. The service at Kapama Karula is also a highlight, with staff providing attentive and personalized care.
Atmosphere
Elegant
Rooms
Luxurious
Value
Exceptional
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Attentive
Amenities
World-class
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The rooms were great, comfortable and 5 star. During morning, pre safari, coffee time you will be greeted by a host of monkeys waiting to steal your muffins. (-: Excellent safaris in the morning and afternoons or you may choose to chill at on of their 3 pools/bars. The employees were genuinely super nice and willing to help. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were umm umm good with menu selections of authentic African food and western food.
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Date of stay: October 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â claim your pool seat early
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our stay at Kapama Karula was exceptional. This is a Safari experience is highly recommended. Our Guide Ian had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Animal Kingdom and our Tracker Mike was excellent. They were a great team who led our Game Drives in such a way that each one flowed with us being able to see and learn an unusually amount for our first Safari. The Game Drives were magical and spirited paired with an educational experience that will be difficult to match. Our server Sindele was warm, spot on with assisting with the daily cuisine menu and knew what wines we preferred, offered a tasting of some when requested and coordinated with the Chef to accommodate my Gluten allergy. This is a property that has an impressive Chef in the kitchen.
The food is beyond this world at Kapama paired with an extremely high level of service and quality. The luxury lodge is brilliantly laid out with clear use of human design. From your arrival to where you stay along with the location of the dining rooms, public areas and spa, the flow is second to none. The villa suites offer an unusual open floor plan that clearly takes into consideration comfort and understanding of how a person functions in an environment. The combination of King bed, beautiful contemporary sitting area with fireplace, showering area offered inside and outdoors for warm weather is very much a plus. The out door terrace lounge area with private pool and space to relax and watch nature is nothing less then fabulous.
Being able to traverse the lodge surrounded by nature was also a plus. The Impala, Baboons and other small animals that are non threatening surround the property and your walk from the dining area to your village allowing an unusual up close experience in the Bush. Make sure to book a minimum of 4 nights as to allow for Game Drives, use of the fabulous Spa and also R&R to read a book or simply decompress from daily life.
With no agenda we saw all of what everyone refers to as the Top 5 in the first day's drive and the tracking of the Animal Kingdom was spectacular along with our ability to be close to the game. My comments are respective of visiting Kapama for a Safari/ Couples journey with my husband along with seeking out the property to add to our list of offering combined with Morocco. Look no further for where to stay in the Limpopo - Kruger region as this is your best choice that ticks all the boxes for a lifetime memorable experience.
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Date of stay: August 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Kapama exceeded our expectations in every way. We stayed 5 days as part of our honeymoon. We were upgraded to a villa in Karula - it was probably the best holiday accommodation we have ever stayed in. Our ranger Elvis and tracker Shane were extremely informative and friendly. The food was faultless as was the service from Loveness. It’s excellent value for money - they feed you constantly with amazing quality produce and they have a wide selection of premium drinks. Housekeeping is impeccable with a turn down service twice daily. If I could give Kapama 6 stars, I would! We would not hesitate to recommend Kapama to anyone wanting to do safari in South Africa.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2024 has been quite an exhausting year, and we decided we need to just get away for a few days. Being South African the Kruger and surrounding private camps/lodges are always the ideal trip. Due to the price point Kapama Karula was more of a “wish we could” rather than an automatic first choice. We had a look at a few places and just decided, it must be Kapama Karula.
We booked our stay for 4 nights and it was just magical. On the game drives we saw everything we possibly could, and the Tracker and Ranger, Tumelo and Justice, were a great team. The rooms are exquisite, luxurious and private. The chef and kitchen staff are amazing, every meal is a treat. The entire Kapama Karula team is exceptional, and I hope we will get the opportunity to return.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a fabulous time we had at Kapama, a Private Game Reserve bordering Kruger National Park! This is a private reserve commanding world-class prices, but also delivering world-class service. If you want to live like a billionaire, if just for a few days, this is an excellent option. You will never forget it!
Our suite was beyond amazing, as were the staff and amenities. Two game drives daily (we did all 4 for our 2 night stay, including a bush walk where the ranger carries a .458 WinMag with solid brass slug ammo, just in case). There are a few really nice amenities in the have drives, like hot water bottles and blankets when it's cold (we were there in Spring), but I won't spoil the surprises, as the WOW factor would be diminished (but not lost, as it never got old).
You could spend far less money on a game lodge inside the Park, and even hire a private guide for a day for less than the regular price of any Kapama lodge option, but we would use this facility again in a heart beat!
As Nike says, "Just do it!". You won't be sorry.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kapama Karula is one of 5 lodges on the privately owned Kapama Reserve adjoining Kruger National Park. Everything about the resort is amazing but they continue to work on it to make it more amazing. The "rooms" are really houses like you might see in Architectural Digest with king size beds, huge tubs and shower, sitting area and your own lap pool. Outside are trees with monkeys, a stream with antelope and an outdoor shower. The pictures you see online don't even show how nice these are. The staff are gracious and always listening for any indication of what you need. When we first came on property, we missed lunch. One of our mentioned how we thought "high tea" might include sandwiches, not just cookies, and next we knew we had warm chicken wraps! The food was really incredible. Gourmet and creative. We all gained weight. Wine and other spirits are available liberally. The spa was very good--nice massage. There is a spa pool open to all where you can have lunch in the midday break if you want a more social experience than your own room pool. The guides and trackers are just as excited as you are to find the animals which makes the drive experiences that much more memorable. The only negative is WiFi availability if you HAVE to communicate with the outside world. Because you are very remote, it was off on occasion. My advice...Don't plan on working! I booked this in a package so don't know exactly what it cost us but based on the resort's website, it is pretty expensive, so I rated Value only 4 stars. Don't let that keep you away!!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The lodge is a fantastic mix of understated elegance and safari chic! The decor is elegant, and the glass, wood and light exude a calmness, allowing nature to blend into the lodge so well. The room (Villa) was absolutely stunning, with sounds of the Klaserie river running in the background was very soothing. The food was on another level, everything was delicious (arrive hungry) and staff were very attentive. The game drives delivered, and we saw the big 5, wild dog, civet and so much more. Thanx to a work-class team for a really great stay!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My family and I recently stayed at Kapama Karula safari park and lodge. We had the most amazing time there. Our guides Adolf and Bridget met us from the airport where our safari adventure started immediately. Entering the national park we spotted lion, giraffe and impala on the short ride to the accommodation. During our visit there we were fortunate enough to see the big 5 and many many more animals. Our guides were so informative about the animals, the vegetation and the landscape as a whole. They went over and above to try and find the animals which were harder to spot normally like the leopard and the hyenas. The safaris were always full of surprises as to what we would see. We felt that we were the only ones in the park on many occasions as we could be driving for many hours without seeing any other vehicles on the roads. Adolf and Bridget made our safari so special by stopping on the morning safari for tea and cake or in the evening for a selection of drinks and nibbles all laid out on a table whilst we took in the panorama surrounding us. They were accomplished spotters of the animals and drivers on the rocky, steep, uneven terrain. They made us feel safe, gave the animals space and exerted caution when they needed to. This meant that we had a fantastic experience and felt so very close to all of the nature.
We were lucky to be able to experience a walking safari also, which was a little more nerve wracking. The guides were calm and educated us on not only the vegetation around us, but what to do if we came close to any of the animals unexpectedly. They carried guns for protection and advised us on how we should navigate most safely in the bush. Fortunately we did not come face to face with any of the animals on that walk but could hear they were in close proximity most of the time.
The lodge setting and accommodation were superb. Aside from the beautiful lodge rooms, swimming pool and decking area, the restaurants and bar were exquisite. The great selection of wines, spirits and soft drinks followed by what seemed like a michelin star breakfast, lunch or dinner each day all served by professional, happy staff who could not have done any more for us. The setting was amazing with views of the vegetation, some of the animals which lived inside the lodge.
Overall the most fantastic experience I have ever done.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here during our honeymoon and had the most magical time with so many surprises which we won’t spoil here! Attention to detail here has been outstanding. Staying on-site at the private reserve meant that we were able to really immerse ourselves into the Safari experience beginning with the pick up from our guides at the airport and the short drive over the road into the reserve. Room looked directly out onto the river and we saw a number of animals from our room and about the property. Our room with a pool was modern, spacious and tastefully decorated with all the amenities you could want and need. We used the gym and spa and both were modern, we enjoyed a brilliant massage and steam room. Our guides Bongani and Suggest were absolutely brilliant throughout, able to answer all our questions and we learnt so much! All of the staff made us feel so special and welcome, remembering our names and our dietary requirements. Food was brilliant - generous portions and plenty of choice and a great selection of drinks on offer. We were able to see the big 5, and most from such close proximity. We just didn’t want to leave!
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beautiful lodge but lacks some attention to detail which is unfortunate given the price tag associated with this reserve. In addition the reviews are great so we really were expecting 5* service and food.
The positives- the room is beautiful including the bathroom and lounging area. One of the nicest we have seen and been to. Comes with a pool but that’s where the beauty ends.The pool in the room which should be heated was not we asked twice and were told someone would be sent, nothing. Not sure what purpose a cold pool serves in winter. When the room is cleaned the drinks are not restocked, again little details we had to ask.
Food is just poor quality. Unfortunately the quality and food served leaves one feeling you in a 3 star establishment. We arrived relatively late (3.30om) & was offered lunch. I ordered kingklip served chips and peas, my husband ordered steak and chips requested medium rare . When the food was served, the steak was dry & cold and it was clear that it was not prepared when ordered. The kingklip was served with no sides and was forgotten. We returned the steak : chips & asked where was the sides for the fish. 5 minutes later the chips that was sent back with the steak was being served to me cold and sloppy. We returned it. Dinner was at the Boma. Chicken, beef boerewors, and kingklip. A variety of salads and dessert. We have been to other game parks and the food offered especially a barbecue comes with variety. Chicken & boerewors feels like you in a low end establishment and is not what you expecting. Overcooked chicken, veggies overcooked that we sent everything back and just had dessert. Presenting food that looks nice is one thing , ensuring it’s edible is another…
Breakfast was great with really no complaints.
The game drive was magnificent and the team very accommodating. Bongani and Mike were most pleasant and informative.
Loveness who was assigned to us was kind, patient and very polite.
Unfortunately I can’t say we bowled over. I chose this lodge for our 10th anniversary and sadly can’t say I’m very impressed. The value associated with what one gets is not worth the price unfortunately.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Michael, thanks for the message. Yes, our lodges are wheelchair friendly. We also replied to your direct messages and questions with additional information.
Kind regards
Good day, thanks for the message. Kapama will be able to assist you in getting a PCR test. The morning before you depart the Lodge can arrange for the test and you will receive your results the next morning before you depart Karula. kind regards
Good day, yes children are allowed. From the age of 6 years old, children go on the main safaris. For children younger than 6 years, we can arrange bumble drives, focusing on species such as zebra, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, kudu, waterbuck, etc.
Kind regards
Good day,
You are welcome to go to the contact area on our website and email reservations, who will be happy to assist with additional information.
Kind regards
There are more places to choose from in the Kapama Private Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 46,080 - RÂ 56,455 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
kapama karula hotel kapama private game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkKapama Private Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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