The 15 Best Kruger National Park Accommodations for Families
Finding the perfect Kruger National Park family accommodation can be tricky. There are just so many options out there and this may be a once in a lifetime holiday so you want to get it right.
Having taken the kids on safari a few times, we know what to look for when choosing a property.
With this knowledge, we’ve narrowed the selection down and chosen the 15 best family-friendly Kruger National Park accommodations.
The selection is based on 4 main criteria that we look for ourselves when choosing where to stay.
- Large family accommodation
- Pool
- Kids’ club or child-friendly activities
- Game viewing from the lodge (in case you don’t want to take a game drive)
To help with your planning, we recommend getting a travel guide for the area or some general safari reading which will give you some great insights into a Kruger Safari. See also our guide to the best time to visit the Kruger.
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If this is your first safari, you may want to take a look at our advice on taking kids on an African safari before booking anything. Also, take a look at our bumper guide to the best safaris in Africa. It may be that the time of year you are planning on going is not ideal for safaris in South Africa.
Or speak to one of the best African tour agents – Go2Africa who are highly knowledgeable and can help plan the most amazing safaris.
They can also help with family-friendly South African itineraries if you want someone else help you plan.
Visiting Cape Town? Make sure to read our guides on the best Cape Town activities for kids and the best family accommodation in Cape Town.
Going on safari in South Africa is one of the best holidays for families who love nature and we highly recommend it.
Without a doubt, South Africa is THE most family-friendly country in Africa for a safari but there’s a lot more to visiting South Africa with kids than a wonderful safari experience which is why we love it so much.
We suggest that you look at combining your safari with some of the many other family-friendly things to do in South Africa to make it an even more memorable holiday.
Kruger National Park for families
There are quite a few places to go on safari in South Africa but quite frankly, you can’t beat a Kruger National Park safari with a family.
Not only is it one of the best places in the world to go on safari, it’s possibly the best place in Africa to do a self-drive safari. This is ideal when travelling with little ones as you’re in the comfort of your own car and can do it at your own pace.
Doing a self-drive safari will also bring down the cost of the safari significantly as you will only pay the conservation fee (entrance fee) which is R400 for adults and R200 for children.
If you don’t feel like doing a self-drive safari, there are plenty of guided safaris to choose from.
Watching the giraffe at the watering hole
There are lots of budget-friendly Kruger National Park camps to choose from which will help to keep your costs down too.
If it’s your first time on safari, or you just want to sit back and relax, then you also have the option of choosing the type of Kruger National Park family accommodation that offers the whole safari holiday package.
It can be quite overwhelming deciding where to stay in Kruger National Park because the selection of Kruger National Park lodges is enormous. We’ve narrowed down the choice for you and have only included safari lodges that offer beautiful family accommodation with a kids club or some other form of childcare.
This way, the whole family can enjoy their safari experience. Rest assured, these are the types of places that think of everything and have families firmly in mind when they do.
Most of the lodges are located in private game reserves on the fringes of the Kruger. They’re in no particular order, other than being grouped by game reserve.
The BEST Kruger National Park family accommodation options
Thornybush Game Reserve
Thornybush Game Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES.
Pool – YES.
Kid’s activities – YES.
We stayed at Thornybush Game Lodge in November 2022 and had such a lovely time. We had a family suite which had day beds for the kids.
The bath and shower looked out onto the reserve and the plunge pool was a welcome relief after a warm game drive.
There were additional activities on offer during our stay. We had a very educational talk from a K9 anti poaching team.
We can highly recommend Thornybush Game Lodge for families. See here for our review of Thornybush Game Lodge.
We also stayed at the sister lodge – Jackalberry Lodge. This was a fabulous choice for families as it is small, more personal and has a family suite. It is also a lot cheaper. See our Jackalberry Lodge review here.
You can book with Booking.com or enquire with Go2Africa.
Photo Credit: Thornybush Game Lodge
Royal Malewane (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – fantastic Junior Rangers programme and kids’ activities.
Photo Credit: Royal Malewane
Timbavati Game Reserve
Simbavati River Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kid’s activities – kids’ game drives and lots of child-friendly activities
Photo Credit: Simbavati River Lodge
Kambaku Safari Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – child-friendly game drives and bush walks
See our other top picks for Timbavati Game Reserve family accommodation with more information on each of these lodges.
Photo Credit: Kambaku Safari Lodge
Kapama Karula (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kid’s activities – YES. Children aged over 6 allowed on game drives.
Photo Credit: Kapama Karula
Sabi Sabi Game Reserve
Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Elefun Centre for kids of all ages. Kids under 6 not allowed on game drives unless a private vehicle is hired and children under 12 are not allowed on walking safaris.
Private game drives suitable for aged 3+. Babysitting available. Read more about the Elefun Centre here.
We visited here in November 2022 and were absolutely blown away with our accommodation (we stayed in a luxury 2-bedroom villa) with this incredible bathroom.
Photo Credit: SabiSabi.com
Sabi Sands Game Reserve
Chitwa Chitwa (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Dedicated activities for kids under 6. 6+ can go on game drives.
Read more about children at Chitwa here.
Photo Credit: Chitwa Chitwa
Cheetah Plains (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Cub club for all ages. Each child receives a complimentary backpack stuffed with exciting activities to enjoy on safari. Age-appropriate game drives.
Read more about Cheetah Plains Cubs Club here.
Photo Credit: Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve
Elephant Plains Game Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Kids’ club with activities. Babysitting available. No children under 3 years.
Photo Credit: Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Ulusaba (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Cubs’ club with activities. Babysitting available.
Photo Credit: Ulusaba
Inyati Game Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Young Rangers Programme where they learn about the wonders of nature. Suitable for children over 8 years old only.
Photo Credit: Inyati Game Lodge
Jock Safari Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – game drives for 0-5 years in closed vehicles. 6+ can go on adult game drives. Junior ranger training, kids activities and babysitting available.
Read more about kids on safari at Jock Safari Lodge here.
Photo Credit: Jock Safari Lodge
Lion Sands Game Reserve
Hi’Nkweni Villa (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Mack & Madi kids’ programme. Read more here. Kids of all ages welcome.
Photo Credit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Lion Sands Tinga Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – Mack & Madi kids’ programme. Kids aged 6 and above welcome.
Photo Credit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Singita Game Reserve
Singita Ebony Lodge (click for more info)
Viewing wildlife from lodge – YES
Pool – YES
Kids activities – dedicated kids’ activities and a mini ranger programme. Read more about children at Singita Lodge here.
Photo Credit: Singita Ebony Lodge
If you don’t see something here that you like, check out Booking.com which has the largest selection of accommodation in the Kruger area.
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These look beautiful and it’s great to see that they have kids clubs and activities.
One of the things I find so impressive is that they have activities for the kids to get them interested in the animals and their protection. I think this benefits everyone.
Thanks for the tips! The lodges look gorgeous :)
Thank you! Yes, they’re all really stunning, aren’t they!?
It’s scary to know that small kids are the perfect snack size for lions! But these are some fab safe options for accommodation and game drives – totally worth doing at any age!
Thanks for your comment Katie. I know! I had no idea about this little fact..but the rangers are so knowledgeable and they really cater well for families to ensure everyone has a great time.
Lions can eat small kids! What!! This freaked me out! Nonetheless, this is a great post and very resourceful too. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for your comment Rahma. Well yes, and adults! But you just need to be sensible and not go walking up to a lion to pat it :)
This list is great for families wanting to take a safari in South Africa. Summarizing the family-friendly features is very helpful.
Thanks for your comment Rhonda. There are just so many choices out there so hopefully we have made the selection process a little easier by summarising the most family-friendly ones.
Great post! It’s great that there are so many activities for children!
Thanks for your comment Amy. These activities are so great for getting kids interested in animal conservation and protection.
I just read all these blog posts of yours about budget options to take your family on Safari in Kruger, and while these lodges do indeed look great, 1000$ per night for a family is not exactly a budget option ;) Are you go2africa in disguise hehe :)
Hi Miki, thanks for your comment. While I have some posts on budget safaris, the Kruger accommodation post is not titled ‘budget accommodation options’ so I don’t see how it’s misleading? It is to help people if they are searching for properties that allow kids to stay and indeed are looking for some child friendly activities/child minding.