AfriCamps: A Review of Three Glamping Sites We Stayed At in South Africa
If you love African nature, but also appreciate a real bed, a proper shower, and maybe even a wood-fired hot tub, then AfriCamps is a wonderful way to experience South Africa. Over time, we have already stayed at three of their glamping sites: in Pongola, Hoedspruit, and Hazyview, and each one had its own charm. They all offered that familiar AfriCamps comfort, but in very different settings: from wild game reserves to riverside forests.
Rough access road, no restaurant or hot tub, fully self-catering
Each location had the same comfortable tent setup, but the overall feeling was completely different — Pongola felt wild, Hoedspruit felt social and adventurous, and Hazyview felt calm and cozy.
In the video below, you can see, in general, what Africamps’ glamping tents actually look like, they all look quite the same, except from a few details.
If there’s one place where you truly feel surrounded by nature, it’s AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris in the Pongola Game Reserve. From the moment we arrived, we were immersed in wildlife. On our very first afternoon, we simply sat outside our tent on the deck — and a bull elephant walked right past us. No game drive needed.
I remember my husband running after him to take a picture; it was his first time seeing an elephant in the wild. Bloody tourist – lol!
The camp overlooks Lake Jozini, with the Lebombo Mountains in the background. It’s a paradise for birdwatchers, and even when you’re just sitting quietly, there’s always something moving: birds, antelope, or a distant hippo snorting from the water. On hot days, we even used our wood-fired hot tub as a plunge pool to cool down.
The reserve doesn’t have lions, at least not when we visited, and that actually made it feel more relaxed. You could enjoy the surroundings without worrying about predators. (Maybe that’s changed since then — I’ve heard there were plans to bring lions back.)
Here, you can’t drive around on your own though; all safaris are guided, which turned out to be one of the best parts of the stay. The guides were fantastic: knowledgeable, funny, and patient. We also visited the small museum where Suzette shared stories about the reserve’s history and its elephant and rhino conservation projects: a lovely, personal touch that stayed with us. Make sure to arrange a visit at the reception for this museum and don’t forget to tip!
Even without leaving camp, the experience was magical. Just sitting on the deck or in the tub on a hot day, hearing all the sounds at night, felt like a scene straight from a wildlife documentary. If I were to give this game reserve a star review: 4.5 stars, it is for me! Just wish we could stay longer.
AfriCamps Hoedspruit in Limpopo had a completely different atmosphere: less wild, but very beautiful and well-located. The tents are set around a large dam, where you often see nyala, bushbuck, and zebra coming to drink. The water reflects the Lowveld sky, and evenings by the braai or in the wood-fired hot tub are just perfect.
Animals might come and visit your glamping tent at night at Hoedspruit, but none of them are harmful 🙂
water monitor is eating a fish head
One evening, we joined an off-road safari on a nearby private reserve, arranged through one of the luxurious lodges. That drive was one of the most memorable moments of our stay at Hoedspruit. The rangers were determined to find animals so that we, as tourists, could take pictures up close.
Which basically meant they drove straight through the bushes, and even tore them down, joking that they were “doing the work of the elephants”, since this particular reserve didn’t have any elephants of its own. I didn’t really think it was funny, to be honest.
The receptionist at Africamps told us that these guys’ cars don’t last very long, we could imagine!
They also told us that the reserve’s owner was a former billionaire turned millionaire, and we all laughed about the “poor guy” as we bounced along the tracks.
But while the sun sets down, you do get the most amazing views!
Another highlight at Hoedspruit glamping was our boat trip on the Blyde River Canyon. The cruise took us across the Blyde Dam, surrounded by towering red cliffs and lush greenery.
Our guide gave fascinating explanations about the canyon’s formation, local legends, and the wildlife living along the water’s edge. We spotted a few hippos and fish eagles, and even a Large Kingfisher, and seeing the famous Three Rondavels from the water was truly spectacular.
It’s an excursion I would recommend to anyone staying in Hoedspruit: relaxing, educational, and absolutely beautiful.
Back at the camp, Hoedspruit had a livelier atmosphere. Families with young children, music from radios, and plenty of chatter made it feel more like a family campsite. The tents here were closer together than in Pongola, so it felt less private but more communal.
For us, Hoedspruit was the perfect mix of comfort, convenience, and adventure. You can do day trips into Kruger National Park (rise up early, still isn’t my thing, but totally worth it lol), explore the Panorama Route, or simply enjoy the dam views with a cold drink. Just expect a bit more buzz than at Pongola.
Our last days in South Africa this year were spent at AfriCamps at Mackers, near Hazyview, and it was the perfect ending to our trip. If Pongola was wild and Hoedspruit lively, Mackers was pure peace and coziness.
The camp sits along the Sabie River, surrounded by thick green forest and endless birdsong. There’s no Big Five here, but it still feels close to nature in the best possible way.
Getting there was an adventure — the road leading down to the tents is rough and bumpy in parts, but with our 4×4 rental, it was completely manageable (and quite fun, actually).
The tents here felt a little older than those in Hoedspruit. For instance, Hoedspruit’s units had glass windows you could close, while at Hazyview, the canvas flaps left a few tiny gaps. It wasn’t a big deal, though — and luckily, no spiders or snakes found their way in!
This is a fully self-catering camp, so you’ll want to stop for groceries before arriving. There’s no restaurant, but there is a charming honesty shop: a tiny self-service store where you can note what you take and leave cash or your card details when you check out.
Honesty shop, including wood for the stove or braai
It’s simple, but it fits the relaxed atmosphere perfectly.
Hazyview is also a great base for exploring. It’s about 30 km from Kruger National Park, with an easy road connection (just avoid the main gate road, which can get crowded). And head for Phabeni Gate to get to Kruger, that is the best advice I can give you!
We loved spending our last few days here — no hot tub this time, but the quiet, the river sounds, and the green hills made it the most peaceful stop of all. (although we were mostly in Kruger all day!)
Other AfriCamps Locations Across South Africa
AfriCamps has around 19 glamping sites scattered across South Africa, each set in a unique environment. Some of the best-known include:
Western Cape: Doolhof (Wellington), Pat Busch (Robertson), Kam’Bati (Swellendam), Klein Karoo (Oudtshoorn), Oakhurst (Wilderness), and Stanford Hills (Stanford)
Eastern Cape: Addo (near Addo Elephant Park)
KwaZulu-Natal: Gowan Valley (Midlands), Champagne Valley (Drakensberg), and Bonamanzi (Hluhluwe)
Limpopo: Magoebaskloof and Waterberg
North West Province: Milorho (Magaliesberg)
No matter which one you choose, you’ll find the same signature AfriCamps comfort: a fully furnished tent, private bathroom, kitchen, and a wood-fired hot tub: but the surroundings change completely, from vineyards and mountains to bushveld and beaches.
Final Thoughts
All three AfriCamps we stayed at showed a different side of South Africa.
Pongola felt truly wild — elephants passing by, guided safaris, and the raw beauty of the bush.
Hoedspruit was a comfortable base for adventure — with a touch of humor, a social vibe, and plenty to do nearby.
Hazyview was the calm ending — quiet, green, and tucked away in nature.
No matter which AfriCamps you choose, you can expect solid comfort, friendly staff, and a sense of being close to nature without sacrificing a good night’s sleep. For us, it was the perfect balance between camping and comfort — and an experience we’d happily repeat.
Who am I? Well, the least you can say is that I am quite crazy about Africa, its nature, its climate, its culture, and more.
As a young woman in my twenties, I had already traveled to several African countries by traveling along in an overlander on my own and mostly camping ( or glamping ) and just fell in love with the diversity of it all.
So much, so that at the age of 26, I went back to university to study biology, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t finish because of health reasons (yes, I got sick from a tropical disease, oh cynicism). But this did not stop my dream of traveling back to Africa several times, and I still do.
My dream was back then to leave Europe and go study animal behavior, especially the elephants (sure, that’s every girl’s dream haha), but I am also very much intrigued by hyenas and other “ugly African animals“.
So, I “kind of” have a little bit of a scientific approach to my articles, when I write about African birds, for example. And most of all: the passion.
But life goes on, you move from one side of the country to the other, you get sick again and top it off with lower back problems, and before you know it, you are over 50 hahaha!
Now, I still travel to Africa, but take it a bit “easier” than the good old camping days, and stay in comfortable, yet affordable accommodations, together with my husband Wouter.
These are some of the countries I have traveled to: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tunisia, and a little bit of Lesotho LOL .
While clearly not being African territory, but Spanish, I also visited Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and location-wise, I consider them “African”, because of their climate and nature, sue me :-p
The last trip I took was to South Africa in the year 2023, and it sure got the fevers for Africa back! From the Barberton mountains to the Drakensberg and the Southcoast, one month wasn’t enough at all to see the whole country, so we’ll be back! At ease and with a little bit more luxury than in my younger days haha!
