So you Want an Eco-Friendly Safari to Kruger?
Explore the inside information on the best sustainable eco-lodges and safari camps in Kruger with Voyage2Africa. We have entered the era of responsible tourism and sustainable travel and Kruger National Park is South Africa’s main drawcard for sustainable wildlife tourism. Explore our bespoke list of the top 5 best sustainable eco-lodges in Kruger Park showing true dedication to authentic off-grid energy saving, low carbon footprints and positive impact safari options.
Kruger National Park is a famous wildlife sanctuary and an unforgettable safari holiday destination for tourists of all ages and budgets. It is good to know that there are increasing numbers of green sustainable safari lodges in Kruger highlighting ecotourism as the way forward. More luxury lodges are committed to contributing to the sustainable conservation of resources and communities in their areas, mostly in the Greater Kruger National Park region.
How to Find Genuine Sustainable Authentic Safari Camps and Lodges in Kruger
Choose eco-lodges that are committed to the environment, wildlife and people around them. It’s not hard to find genuine sustainable authentic safari camps and lodges in Kruger but it is worth doing your homework and choosing the right one. Remember that luxury safaris do not have to take place to the detriment of the wildlife and landscape, the people and natural resources.
It is vital that we all support activities that protect that delicate balance between humans and natural resources while having a great time in the world. Get out there and use all your senses to feel and experience the wilderness at our top 5 eco-sustainable destinations in Kruger! Take photographs and videos and leave only footprints while creating everlasting memories.
On your quest for a true green earth-friendly safari destination, find those essential eco-ethics as the world moves into a drastic climate change era. Kruger National Park offers a wide choice of accommodation options and each part of the park offers something special. It is up to you to select eco-lodges in private concessions or find eco-camps in private game reserves bordering the Park. Look for sustainable lodges following Fair Trade Principles, green accommodation with solar panels and responsible tourism badges wherever you go. Environmentally conscious travellers are choosing sustainable companies and accommodations and their money counts.
Some eco-sustainable safari lodges in Kruger use solar energy, recycle all waste, deny any single-use plastics and are built entirely from natural materials on stilts to reduce all impacts on their environment. Other eco-lodges are committed to specific species conservation projects, community empowerment drives and ecotourism initiatives. Responsible travel means having the choice to support such safari lodges and to become part of the bigger green movement of the planet and people. The best eco-lodges in Kruger Park educate their communities about environmental issues and biodiversity and employ these locals as rangers, trackers, anti-poaching units and general staff.
Some ideas for eco safaris include community and school programmes, tracking rhinos, cheetahs, pangolins and elephants to assist rangers tag or research them, and assisting with anti-poaching efforts. Choose eco-lodges that have eliminated single-use plastics from their services. Some environmentally friendly actions include using local products and food sources to sustain lodge menus, and using Fair Trade principles where Fair Trade in Tourism means fair wages and working conditions and respect for human rights, culture and the environment.
See below for some of our recommended and best “eco” lodges in Kruger, some remaining extremely opulent for the well-heeled tourist, and others offering rustic safari camps in nature for family-friendly environmental safari holidays. This is the day and age of travelling lightly, in tune with nature, from air travel to road travel, and choosing destinations that contribute to sustainable ecotourism initiatives.
Our Top 5 Eco-Lodges in Kruger National Park
Rhino Post Safari Lodge
Game drives at Rhino Post Safari Lodge are eco-friendly and ethical in that no off-road driving is permitted and all guests are privileged to ride the Kruger National Park roads at night. Join the Rhino Post team on a life-changing safari into the Kruger National Park to find the Big 5 and learn more about rhinos and the biodiversity within this famous hotspot – and how we can all be part of its ongoing conservation.
Birding adventures are hot thanks to the nearly 400 species endemic to the Kruger and many guests love the wildlife viewing and bush walking to get close to animals and feel the magic of this ecosystem. There are only 8 ethical and eco-friendly canvas chalets on stilts, semi-permanent structures that have little impact on the environment around them – creating an authentic bush experience made from stone, thatch, wood and canvas.
Book a few days in the Sleep Out at Plains Camp where you take a bush walk into the wilderness and camp out on wooden platforms deep inside Kruger National Park to interact with the stars, the night animals and the absolute tranquillity of nature. Unlike so many other lavish safari lodges with their coiffed gardens and distinguished arty décor, Rhino Post is ethereal and natural, designed to merge with the environment just beyond its decks.
&Beyond Ngala Tented Camp
An affordable bushveld journey to Timbavati Private Game Reserve simply must be spent in the luxury of Ngala Tented Camp, a place right in the thick of nature but still featuring every mod con necessary for comfort. It’s a place that remains so unspoiled that it’s a top honeymoon retreat thanks to its remote setting in the wilderness. Nearly 15 000 ha of natural beauty brimming with wildlife and meaning – and adventuring off-road means you get to see more than usual. The camp only uses warming braziers and atmospheric lanterns at night and the rim flow poll seems to connect to the waterhole where elephants and bird species love to drink.
Become part of the AndBeyond anti-poaching campaign by participating in a rhino tagging experience – get involved in darting and capturing a rhino, watch a veterinary team notch the ear for research purposes or remove the horn painlessly to prevent poaching. Or visit a local community to see how ecotourism benefits can uplift people living beside the game reserves. Most of the staff come from these communities and the lodge is involved in the establishment of schools, local businesses, and healthcare for the people. Your exclusive night in the Ngala Treehouse will be part of the contribution to this project so go on, pamper your partner in this remote treehouse refuge, sleeping alone in nature on a timber platform under the stars.
Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge
The name says it all, Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge is an eco-lodge dedicated to the earth and her wildlife, in the pulse of the Kruger National Park and its Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve region. It is extremely modern and extremely lavish but Earth Lodge highlights nature and ensures it has as little impact on earth as possible. This Sabi Sabi luxury lodge leads the fray in terms of environmentally friendly safari accommodation in the South African bushveld for sustainable tourism.
Plenty of planning and thought went into the design and setting for Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge, the most recent of the Sabi Sabi lodges to offer world-class amenities and game viewing to all tourists. The enormous spaces disappear into the hillside, ingenuously built to mimic rocks and soil, sunshine, hills and wild landscapes. Cement features, wooden trimmings and high-end artefacts turn heads when guests enter and feel the energies. At Earth Lodge Sabi Sabi, it’s a new-age safari revolution conserving the rapidly dwindling wilderness areas and providing a sanctuary for all African fauna and flora. Tourism is vital for education, enjoyment and funding of such havens for our natural heritage.
Jock Safari Lodge
Jock Safari Lodge was one of the first private eco-lodges and concessions permitted inside the Kruger National Park and the owners chose to place it at the meeting of two rivers, the Mitomeni and Biyamiti. The lodge is surrounded by magnificent mature trees and thick bushes supporting the abundance of bird and animal life this region attracts. The eco-conscious Niven family, who is Sir Percy’s descendants, established the lodge close to where Sir Percy and Jock made history. Many decades ago, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick and his dog, Jock trekked to Pilgrims Rest as part of the heady gold rush and the lodge has been styled to reflect South African colonial days.
At Jock Safari Lodge, daily safari activities are guided by a passionate and professional team of rangers in open vehicles, getting you up close and personal with all wildlife in the Kruger National Park. Walking and birding safaris, guided historical tours to learn more about the story of Jock Safari Lodge, stargazing and even frogging safaris for those who love reptiles!
Jock Safari Lodge was built using sustainable principles and is audited twice a year by the Kruger National Park and Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment to make sure they remain a conservation-conscious green safari lodge. Everything at Jocks is about having a light carbon footprint and preserving the wilderness forever as well as working with communities in the area to educate and develop the youth to be conservationists too. Species research at Jock involves the black and white rhinos, lions, African wild dogs, Martial eagles and Ground hornbills.
Little Saseka
Little Saseka is a wonderful opportunity for families to get away on safari in the beauty of the Thornybush Private Game Reserve next to Kruger National Park and get their own kind of attention. This is the place to stop and rewind and unwind during the day between dawn and dusk game drives, to learn all about the natural world and our place in it. This is the place to tell stories around the campfire and learn about the millions of stars overhead.
All you can see for miles is the verdant vegetation, the beautiful Monwana River and plenty of game as it comes to drink and feed in this conserved ecosystem. At Thornybush Little Saseka, the focus is on conservation, ecotourism and sustainable tourism principles so your contribution to this is just being here, in nature, with your game ranger and tracker. They will treat you to incredible sightings of the Big 5 in this 14 000-ha area of pristine land.
Sustainable Travel and Family-Friendly Eco-Lodges in Kruger
Become part of the trending sustainable travel movement and find the top family-friendly eco-lodges in Kruger with Voyage2Africa. The best sustainable eco safari lodges in Kruger National Park are part of a drive to put conservation and community first, to save energy and water, to leave as little impact on the environment as possible and to recycle and reduce all waste. Children’s programmes include environmental education projects, trails, and eco-experiences in nature.
Responsible travellers can aim to support such eco-safaris when they put their money where their consciences lie – in nature and community empowerment where local people become game rangers, part of anti-poaching units and general lodge staff while gaining valuable insights into biodiversity conservation. Bring your family to one of our top 5 family-friendly eco-lodges in the Kruger and they will revel in the freedom of nature and learn about biodiversity with trained rangers.
Take your pick from the best top 5 eco-lodges in the Kruger and check out our eco-safari special package deals.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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What defines an eco-lodge in Kruger Park?
An eco-lodge in Kruger Park is defined by the commitment of the accommodation venue to ecotourism and nature conservation efforts (community and natural resources). Green lodges do their best to decrease their own impacts on the environment using energy and water saving techniques, waste recycling and reducing, pollution reduction and green construction. An eco-lodge in Kruger stands out as a top choice of accommodation for travellers who want to make a difference. Find one that suits your budget from rustic campsites to upmarket stylish lodges and put your money where your mouth is.
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Why should I choose an eco-lodge in Kruger?
Travellers can choose an eco-lodge in Kruger for many reasons. We live in an era of unprecedented environmental change and we can change our ways. Start by flying less, using more local public transport and staying at an eco-lodge in Kruger. Reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to natural resources conservation in Kruger Park and empowerment of surrounding communities. Tourism funds go back into these ecotourism initiatives while travellers learn more about new places. At your chosen Kruger eco-lodge, learn how to dart tag a rhino, monitor lions with TB and tag an African wild dog. Buy handmade curios and support community projects.
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What is the best eco safari in Kruger?
There are many best eco-safaris in Kruger as this is an over-arching eco-destination in South Africa. Choose from our top 5 eco safaris here and you will find something you love!
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What kind of conservation projects can I get involved in in Kruger?
Eco-lodges like Rhino Post Safari Lodge and Jock Safari Lodge are involved in conservation projects where guests can play a role – rhino tracking and tagging, Ground hornbill research and more. Visit a local community school with stationery gifts and books. Buy local curios and artefacts from communities in the area. Take your kids to eco-friendly lodges with kids’ programmes to learn more about the biodiversity around them.
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Where can I find a great community project to contribute to in Kruger?
Chat to South African National Parks (SANParks) to find out how you can contribute to their community conservation initiatives. Your chosen eco-lodge will most likely have a project you can connect with and be part of such as the AndBeyond community and anti-poaching projects at Ngala Safari Lodge.