About
A ranked guide to Kruger and the African bush
Where to stay, which reserve to choose and which game drives to book — reserve by reserve, without the guesswork.
Best of the Bush publishes ranked guides to safaris in Kruger National Park, the private reserves of Greater Kruger, the gateway towns around the park, the rest of South Africa and Africa's other safari countries — safari lodges, SANParks rest camps, lodges near each Kruger gate, game drives, walking safaris and private game reserves.
Why we built it
Planning a safari means choosing between hundreds of lodges, a dozen private reserves and nine Kruger gates, and the pages that come up first are usually booking sites or tour operators selling their own packages. The problem is never a shortage of options — it is working out which suits your budget, your dates and the animals you most want to see.
We wanted guides that name real lodges and camps, link to their own websites and map pins, say what each does best, and tell you the practical thing you would only know if you had been — which gate to use, how far ahead to book, which lodges take children, when the gates open.
Who it's for
- First-time safari-goers choosing between Kruger and a private reserve
- Self-drivers picking a rest camp, a gate and a route
- Families looking for child-friendly or malaria-free lodges
- Returning safari travelers comparing lodges and countries
What's in every guide
The format is deliberately consistent, so once you've read one you know exactly where to look in the next.
- A short answer up top — the shortlist, if you only read one paragraph
- Every entry with its area, so you can group things by area
- A line on what each place is actually good at
- A price band, so nothing is a surprise
- One practical thing worth knowing before you turn up
- The official website and a Google Maps link, because that's what you'll want next
How a guide comes together
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01
Pick the destination and the category
We work down the questions people actually ask — best lodges in the Sabi Sand, best rest camps in Kruger, best lodges near Paul Kruger Gate, best game drives from Hazyview — starting with the ones asked most.
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02
Build the shortlist
Every plausible candidate goes on a long list, which then gets cut down hard. A guide of forty places helps nobody. We check every place is open and every link goes to the business itself.
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03
Write it up
What each place is good at, who it's for, and the practical detail that saves you a wasted trip — the closing time, the queue, the thing to order.
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04
Keep it current
Lodges change hands, rebuild after floods and change their rates every year. Guides get revisited, and each carries the month it was last updated.
A note on prices, malaria and safety
Prices are shown as bands per person sharing per night in US dollars. Lodge rates vary by season, and many private reserves charge a separate conservation levy. Always confirm the rate and what it includes with the lodge.
Kruger and Greater Kruger are in a malaria area. Ask a travel clinic about prophylaxis, or choose a malaria-free reserve. Keep to the rules in the park: stay in your vehicle except at designated spots, and respect gate times.
Common questions
What is Best of the Bush?
A guide to safaris in Kruger National Park and across Africa. We publish ranked lists — the best lodges in the Sabi Sand, the best rest camps in Kruger, the best lodges near Paul Kruger Gate, the best game drives from Hazyview — so you can choose without wading through a dozen booking sites.
Who is it for?
First-time safari-goers deciding between Kruger and a private reserve, self-drivers choosing a rest camp or a gate, families looking for a malaria-free or child-friendly lodge, and returning safari travelers comparing lodges.
How do you choose and rank places?
We start from what each place actually offers — location, game viewing, traversing area, guiding, rooms and price — and check every entry against its own website. Each guide shows the month it was last updated.
Are your prices current?
Prices are shown as bands, per person sharing per night in US dollars, because lodge rates change by season and year. Always confirm the current rate, what it includes and any conservation levies with the lodge before you book.
Do you take bookings?
No. We are an independent guide. Every entry links to the lodge or operator's own website so you can book directly, or ask a safari travel specialist to combine several lodges into one trip.
Spotted something wrong?
A closed venue, a detail that's changed, a place we've somehow missed — tell us and we'll take a look.
Get in touch