Orpen Rest Camp – Very Pleasant and Peaceful

Orpen Rest Camp is just through the gate of the same name, about a third of the way up Kruger National Park on the western side.

Orpen Rest Camp bungalowThe camp is very pleasant and peaceful and is one of our favourites with its open spaces and calm ambiance.

There’s a good view across the lawn from the accommodation to the camp fence. You can often see animals, like buffalos, just there on the other side! It’s fun to take your torch at night and wander along the fence looking for eyes shining back at you in the dark.

The rest camp has a swimming pool which is great to plunge into after a hot and humid summer’s day. Because the camp is small, the pool won’t get overcrowded like some do at other, bigger Kruger National Park rest camps.

There’s also a small shop at the rest camp which sells the basics.

There’s no restaurant or cafe, so all your meals must be self-catered. It’s a very pleasant experience though, preparing and cooking your meal in the outdoor kitchen of a bungalow or cottage, the only two types of accommodation available at the camp.

If you’re looking for some guided activities, there are a couple of Kruger Park tours which run from the rest camp:

  • Early morning game walks
  • Early morning game drives
  • Sunset game drives

If you’re a day visitor to the rest camp, there’s a picnic area with BBQ facilities to make use of.

View from bungalow at Orpen Rest CampIf you’re low on fuel, you can also fill up your car at the rest camp’s petrol station.

One of the Kruger Park live webcams is at the rest camp just outside the fence overlooking a small dam. Our webcam page will tell you all about it and there’s a link on that page to the live picture.

When you leave the camp to carry on with your safari, you have good options for continuing your adventure through the central region of Kruger National Park or for taking a route to the north or south.