By Roxanne Reid
[Updated October 2024]
Tsendze Rustic Camp near Mopani is by far my favourite campsite in the Kruger National Park. But on a recent visit, we found ourselves visiting Kruger’s Maroela camp for the first time – and we really liked it too.
[Updated October 2024]
Tsendze Rustic Camp near Mopani is by far my favourite campsite in the Kruger National Park. But on a recent visit, we found ourselves visiting Kruger’s Maroela camp for the first time – and we really liked it too.
One of the biggest advantages of Maroela, which is for campers and caravanners only, is that it’s near Orpen Gate, so it’s well positioned for late arrivals or early-morning getaways. It’s also close to the H7, opening up easy drives to the Big Five hotspots around Talamati and Satara camps.
Our first day in the Kruger National Park had been great. We’d left Berg en Dal at 9am and within 30 minutes had seen a rhino with a calf, some ellies with little ones whose trunks were still floppy, a small group of buffalo, and nine wild dogs with at least two pups on the H3 tar road north to the Afsaal picnic spot. North of Tshokwane we saw a spotted hyena plonked down in the water at Mazithi to cool off. Some 20km south of Satara there was a zebra kill right on the side of the road, with lions having a post-gorging snooze.
Our first day in the Kruger National Park had been great. We’d left Berg en Dal at 9am and within 30 minutes had seen a rhino with a calf, some ellies with little ones whose trunks were still floppy, a small group of buffalo, and nine wild dogs with at least two pups on the H3 tar road north to the Afsaal picnic spot. North of Tshokwane we saw a spotted hyena plonked down in the water at Mazithi to cool off. Some 20km south of Satara there was a zebra kill right on the side of the road, with lions having a post-gorging snooze.
Unless you insist on looking out onto the dry riverbed along the perimeter fence, there's lots of space to spread out
So we were on a bit of a high when we arrived at Maroela, fully expecting that the day couldn’t get any better.
We were wrong.
Manager Zondi Seepane came to welcome us with a big smile and ask if he could help with anything. We also met his wife Nikiwe, who evidently takes pride in her work if the super-clean ablutions are anything to judge by. There’s nothing better than a clean, cared-for camp with friendly, personal service and Zondi and Nikiwe provide just that.
[Update 2024: After a long illness, Zondi passed away in October 2024.]
We were wrong.
Manager Zondi Seepane came to welcome us with a big smile and ask if he could help with anything. We also met his wife Nikiwe, who evidently takes pride in her work if the super-clean ablutions are anything to judge by. There’s nothing better than a clean, cared-for camp with friendly, personal service and Zondi and Nikiwe provide just that.
[Update 2024: After a long illness, Zondi passed away in October 2024.]
Nikiwe and Zondi Seepane
There are about 12 sites along the (dry) riverfront at Maroela, but campers were already packed in fairly close. That’s not really our thing and it’s one reason we love Tsendze so much; there each large site has boundaries of natural bush so you’re not tripping over your neighbour’s guy ropes or sticking your foot into his pap pot.
Space, shade trees, a braai and water tap nearby - everything you need for happy camping
But at Maroela we found a large site under a saffron tree with lots of space to ourselves, where piet my vrous, yellow hornbills, olive thrushes and squirrels came to visit. By late afternoon our camp was organised, our braai fire started. An African scops-owl was saying prrrrrt every four seconds and we could hear lions roaring in the distance.
The next morning we were out by 6:15am. At the first viewpoint along the Orpen-Satara Road there was a kill with a bateleur and tawny feeding about 2m from the side of the road. Then five lions on a hippo kill in the mud on the edge of a waterhole down a dead-end near Nsemani dam. And finally, on the Sweni Road, three male lions on a freshly killed buffalo. And we had it to ourselves.
This is the magic of Kruger – and Maroela is both a lovely camp in its own right and a great base from which to find that magic.
Like it? Pin this image!
The next morning we were out by 6:15am. At the first viewpoint along the Orpen-Satara Road there was a kill with a bateleur and tawny feeding about 2m from the side of the road. Then five lions on a hippo kill in the mud on the edge of a waterhole down a dead-end near Nsemani dam. And finally, on the Sweni Road, three male lions on a freshly killed buffalo. And we had it to ourselves.
This is the magic of Kruger – and Maroela is both a lovely camp in its own right and a great base from which to find that magic.
Like it? Pin this image!
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12 reasons why I love Kruger Park’s Tsendze camp
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
12 reasons why I love Kruger Park’s Tsendze camp
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
