Pretoriuskop – The Oldest Rest Camp

Pretoriuskop Rest Camp is a convenient place to get to if you’re driving to the park from Johannesburg.

Pretoriuskop Rest CampThe camp is in the south-western section of the park, quite close to the boundary, and is a distance of 397km (246 miles) from Johannesburg. It’ll take about 5 hours to drive that far.

The closest park entrance gate to the rest camp is Numbi Gate, 9km (6 miles) away to the west.

Accommodation

The rest camp is a main camp, so if you’re planning to stay there, all of the accommodation types are available except for safari tents. You can choose to stay at:

  • Camp sites
  • Huts
  • Bungalows
  • Cottages
  • Guest houses

Pretoriuskop Rest Camp hutHaving stayed in a hut at the rest camp in late 2010 and having used the communal showers, we can say that then, the plumbing for the showers was in need of an upgrade.

We either got a trickle of water to wash under or scalding hot and cold bursts depending on the overall water usage at the time. We hope this isn’t a long-lived problem!

Tours and Trails

The rest camp has a very good range of activities on offer which you can book at the camp’s reception, either in advance or during your stay there:

  • Bush braai (BBQ)
  • Bush breakfast
  • Morning game drive
  • Morning game walk
  • Napi wilderness trail
  • Sunset game drive

Morning walks and drives leave before dawn and carry on past sunrise. They’re well-worth it, but be prepared to get up in the middle of the night to go on them!

The Napi wilderness trail is a four day hike through the bush. You have to carry your own clothes, but food and a place to sleep in a hut or tent are provided as part of the trail fee.

Sable Trail signpostFor a nice in-camp nature tour, try the Sable trail camp walk. If you go on it at dusk or later, remember to take your torch with you to see if there are any eyes looking back at you when you shine the light in the bush.

You can visit the rest camp if you’re a day visitor, that is, you’re just dropping by and not staying overnight at the camp. There are picnic tables and cooking facilities available to you.

Did you know that this rest camp is the oldest one in Kruger National Park. The original rest camp of the game reserve!