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As I see it Here it is
R4400 per night for up to 8 people which amounts to R550 per adult and if you add another 10 people at R470 each to book the entire camp out then it will be R505.50 each. if my maths is correct

I think that is more than the average price per bungalow in the main camps but I think one needs to assess whether one wants the tranquillity and ambiance of this camp vs one in a busy main camp.

I guess it comes down to a personal choice.

For myself I think unless I could book the entire camp out, mini meet,
I would opt for one of the other bush camps where one has ones own facilities.

As an example a bush camp such as Bateleur GA6 with a base rate of 4 the cost of would be R336.23 per person and if you added 2 more people then it comes to a little over R314 pp

We stayed in Roodewal for 5 blissful days during April.

The place is very peaceful! We spent hours on the wooden deck that extends towards the dry river bed, built around a HUGE tree (think it is a Jackalberry?)

We utilized the kitchen in the unit as well as the communal area. The only problem was the presence of a troupe of Vervet monkeys. They were quite aggresive, especially towards me (female) and the big male did not budge when I tried to chase it away from eating my onions - YES ONIONS!

The riverbed is always dry (due to the river been dammed upstream). But we saw wonderful game from the camp. The elephants dig holes in the riverbed and stand there for long periods of time to drink water from their own little waterhole.

We saw giraffe, nyala, kudu, impala, elephants, baboon, vervets, bushbuck etc. just from the camp. The birdlife was also amazing!
I will post pictures in the Topic Accommodation photo's.

Has anyone organized an activity (game walk or drive) for their stay at Roodewal?

Yes, the last two times we have arranged a night drive from Roodewal. They came and picked us up from the camp. It was pretty costly, but lovely, especially as it was obviously just our party on the drive. We arranged it beforehand this last time (via email - it took some persistence but it was booked for us in the end), the first time we just booked it as we booked in at Satara.

Hello and welcome to the forum, morgandy!

I'm staying at Roodewal in June and had many of the same questions you have. Others may have better detail, but here is what I know.

Roodewal is along the S39 north of Timbavati. It is about 75km from Orpen Gate. Check-in is at Satara.

Base price for the camp is R4715.00 for 8 people, with an extra R504 per adult/R252 per child if you have more than 8 people. You rent out the entire camp ( ).

There are restaurants and/or takeaway at the main camps in the park, although not exactly close to Roodewal. Your best bet is to bring food and cook it yourself for your main meals, and you can always resupply at the main camp shops or get a bite to eat at their restaurants when you're in the neighborhood. There isn't a place to pop out of Roodewal and get a bite to eat and then pop back, however.

As for parking, you simply drive right into camp. No arrangements needed if you've booked the camp.

Hope this helps!

http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/camps/roodewal/default.php

Hi morgandy, and a warm welcome to the forum!

There is a nice Printable map of Kruger that you might find useful.

Also Here

This bush lodge is usually booked out for 1 large group.

Lots more info and pics Roodewal

As Stark has already said you do your own catering here, there are on site staff for the servicing of the camp.

If there any other questions please do ask.

Id love to hear about more stories of peoples experiences at Roodewal, interesting landmarks, routes that are best at specific times of the day, Interesting birds nests in the trees. Please post your stories and dont hold back!!!

Another Kruger trip is fast approaching, exciting times indeed

Every year our family makes the epic voyage north to KNP from the Eastern Cape. This year is no different and the excitement is starting to build as always. What can I say, 8 days in Kruger is enough to send most nature lovers into a flat spin, even if it is still 6 month away...

This time we were lucky enough to get a 3 day booking at Roodewal private camp, a first for all of us. We have many fond memories of exploring the drives north of Satara. One drive that always comes to mind is the southern half of the S39 following the Timbavati river.

I'm also a huge fan of the Olifants area, in particular those breath taking veiws overlooking the Olifants River off the H 1-5 bridge. Mind blowing!

Having never been to Roodewal, what can we expect from the camp itself and the immediate surroundings? What other drives in the area can you recommend? Where have you enjoyed some luck in the past and how did you approach this vast and beautiful region of KNP?

Your thoughts?

I am a James of the savanna myself
I am sooo about your Roodewal stay! That sounds so fantastic! I have never stayed there though!
Well it goes without saying that the S39 will feature in all your drives! And what a great road
The Satara-Olifants road (H1-4) is a good one for cats! Mainly Lions! Probably the best cat road in your Roodewal vicinity
The Ngotso weir on the S89 (Ngotso weir road) is a spot where a big male leopard is seen often!
The Old Main Road (S90) has few cars so you can enjoy some peace! The open grasslands are perfect for cheetah and lion if luck is on your side
A drive up to Letaba is worthwhile with high chances of many elephant sightings along the way! Check out the elephant museum. Very worthwhile. Maybe sit and have lunch at the Letaba resaurant overlooking the Letaba river. Good service and food with a breath taking view

Thanks James of the savanna

Agreed, S39 is world class. Haven't spent much time on the northern half of the Timbavati drive (around Roodewal itself), but no doubt it will be fantastic. Especially seeing as we should have it to ourselves for a few hours in the early hours of the morning and late arvi. Very excited!


Thanks for the tip, sounds very promising. We will only be there in a few months, hope he still drops in from time to time. Will be worth checking out for sure.

Thanks for the advice, looking forward to the experience.

this is the boy

We stayed at Roodewal in August 2011 and loved it !I would suggest you take a gas lamp or some form of lighting for your evening braais as the lighting outside is not great and all our eating took place outdoors.Obviously you will all need torches to get to your chalets at night.I also packed in a few extra tablecloths but they do have one there if you cant be bothered. We found the drive down to theTimbavati picnic spot S39 very rewarding with a lovely birdhide along the way and we had the road to ourselves for the first two hours Lots of general game and also lion and elephant however we didn't see much from camp itself.The monkeys in camp are a real problem so make sure all the doors remain closed -they don't respect females and cornered me in the dining room and we had to resort to using a catty to chase them away.I'll scratch out some photos but have posted some on the accommodation link.

Thanks Pamela, will be sure to add those to the list. Especially the catty We had an issue with baboons at Talamati bushveld camp a few years back, scary stuff

Love the Timbavati picnic sight, we've also had some good luck in the past. A few trips back I recall seeing a lioness walking through the dry river bed while eating breakfast. Its was quiet funny, half the people there were torn between enjoying the sighting and locating their children. I also enjoy the local bush buck that hang around the picnic sight. Beautiful!

The S39 is a good bet, cant wait to have a few quiet hours to ourselves.

How was the birding in and around the camp?

Can anyone tell me what the birding is like at Roodewal? By the looks of the photo's there are many big and beautiful trees. This must make for some quality birding? Whats the view point like?

As you rightly mentioned, you will have most of the S39 for yourself before the hordes from Olifants and Satara arrive. Birding especially in the very early morning may be very rewarding all along the S39. The big thing is to take it slowly with all windows open and listen for that bird call that you haven't heard before. Sometimes birds form a bird party and you may then see a lot of different species at one place. A tip as far as birds are concerned is that most of the time they are so well camouflaged that you are unable to see them but you will hear them if you travel quietly.