Kapama Game Reserve, South Africa Plan a trip
Hop off the plane at Hoedspruit Airport and you’ll be right on the doorstep of the Kapama Game Reserve. Slightly hidden between Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Valley, the Kapama Game Reserve is the perfect getaway for lovers of the great outdoors. This exclusive reserve has 13,000 hectares of land for animals to roam in, and for you to explore.
Kapama is the largest family-owned reserve in the area. It’s not a mismatch of different landholdings like other reserves, it all belongs to just one family. They’ve built it up over the years into the glorious reserve you see today. This is great for travellers, as your safari can explore the entire reserve without being charged extra. In other areas, you’re often limited to one area (where the animals might not be).
The Kapama Game Reserve was first established in 1986, but it has changed a lot since then. If you’ve been here before, it’s worth taking another look. All of the big five animals live here; elephants, lions, leopards, African buffalo and rhinoceros roam the lands. There’s also a growing population of general game and wild dogs. This is the natural habitat for over 350 species of bird, so bring your binoculars.
The Kapama Game Reserve is one of the easiest Kruger reserves to visit because the airport is so close. You’d think this would make it one of the busiest and most sanitised, but you’d be wrong. There are only a few lodges where you can stay, so not many people are in the reserve at one time. However, if you’ve already visited the Serengeti and Masai Maara reserves, you’ll appreciate that a safari here is a much more exclusive and solitary experience.
What we really love about the Kapama Game Reserve is that the family really care about the environment and the animals. Originally, Johann Roode bought the land to graze his cattle on, but he then shifted his focus to ecotourism so he could look after more animals and reduce human impact on the land. His family continue his legacy and concentrate on celebrating and preserving this astonishing reserve. As soon as you step foot inside Kapama, you’ll see exactly what we mean.
Plan your trip to the Kapama Game Reserve today.