Review Olifants Rest Camp Kruger National Park

Paul‘s Camp Review for the
General Impression Camp: 🐑🐑🐑
General Impression Staff: 🐑🐑🐑

 

Details:
Duration of stay: 4 nights / self-drive Safari
Check-in / Check-out:
Check-in Process: 🐑🐑🐑
Check-out Process: N/A
Concierge Service: N/A
Staff @ Front Desk: 🐑🐑🐑
Room / Bathroom:
Bed, quality of sleep: 🐑🐑🐑
Bathroom, Shower: 🐑🌿
Room Atmosphere: 🐑🐑🐑
WiFi / Internet: N/A
Housekeeping general: 🐑🐑🐑🐑
Cleanliness: 🐑🐑🐑🐑

Food & Beverage: 🐑🐑🐑🐑

Paul‘s Mix:
Pool, Spa: 🐑🐑
Camp Location: 🐑🐑🐑🐑🌿
Mojito Rating 😜: 🐑🐑🐑🌿
General Customer Care: 🐑🐑🐑
Staff attitude, interaction and responsiveness:🐑🐑🐑
Social media interaction: 🐑
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🐑 = bad, a lot of work needs to be done
🐑🐑 =not good, you will be busy with corrections
🐑🐑🐑 = good & normal, nothing special
🐑🐑🐑🐑 = high level, but the icing on the cake is missing
🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑 = topnotch, leave me here!
🌿= Half a Point/sheep
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General:
Olifants Rest Camp is located about exactly in the middle on the east side of the Kruger National Park. The closest Gate to enter the Kruger and getting to Olifants Rest Camp is the Phalaborwa Gate.
As we stayed one night in Nelspruit we did use the Malelane Gate.
It took us around 6 1/2 hours to drive to the camp on tar roads only but including stops for Sightings.

Olifants is seen as one of the Kruger National Park's very best camps because of its location in the Park. There are stunning views all around, plentiful high-up looking points for spotting animals, and is located along the banks of the Olifants river, which s a hotspot for animal viewing

The camp was opened in June 1960, though it was closed for a 16 month period in the early 1970's after a fire destroyed the reception, restaurant and shop.
The regular bungalows are still from this time and the buildings are urgently in need of a renovation. Everything is super old, fixed and taped together but luckily everything still works. The layout of the outdoor kitchen is super awkward.
Olifants Rest Camp offers accommodation in different sizes of bungalows and 2 luxury guesthouses.
It has a Picnic site and Kruger Park shopping facility. The restaurant is outsourced to Tindlovu Restaurants. They are e restaurant provider in several of the Kruger Camps.

The reception and all the staff we met were very helpful and friendly.

Accomodation:

The bungalows in Olifants are set within natural bush, leaving much of the natural habitat unchanged within the camp.

We had a 2 bed chalet (Nr. 21) right on one corner if the camp. The bungalow is actually described as one with no view but we still were able to look over the river. the problem with the chalets from Number 18 to 24 is the sun. You get the full load of sun from noon to sunset and it gets super hot on the terrace.

The chalet itself is a typical rondel and offers two single beds and a nice bathroom with toilet and shower. The water pressure in the shower is super low. A big pro is the aircon which is installed in all chalets. The aircon is super old but at least it was working.

The big big con is the kitchenette which is outside. Everything needs to be secured from the monkeys with a lock and the fridge is behind a cell door. On top the sun burns on the fridge the whole day that it takes much longer to cool things down and are ecologically a disaster.
Otherwise the kitchen is equipped with all necessary appliances (toaster, water boiler, etc.). On the very small terrace there is a chair and a table. You can't open the fridge without getting up and put the chair aside.
I front of the chalet there is a Braai (BBQ) ares.

Shop / Food & Beverage Options:

The restaurant is at the main area of the camp and so is the shop.
The restaurant was in good shape and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is open from 7AM to 9PM.
We went twice for dinner. Staff was super friendly and helpful. The drinks were great and the food was good. It was much better as the restaurant in Berg en Dal last year.
The terrace of the restaurant is amazing as it overlooks the Olifants River.

The shop is perfect. It offers souvenirs and curio articles as well as a big selection of groceries when you would like to cook yourself. This includes fresh meat, dairy products as well as vegetables and fruits.

The camp has also a pool if you would like to relax or go for a swim. The water was so warm that it wasn't refreshing anymore.
Mobile connectiin in the entire Kruger Park has been capped to a very low and slow network to hinder communication for poachers.
Unfortunately they haven't thought it through as also guest and tourists have no connection in the park. Camps have antennas but also here the difference is huge.
Mobile connection at Olifants Rest Camp is quite okay and fast enough to get online.

Up North were the Olifants Rest Camp is, there aren't many tourists. Most of the guests are South African. This gives it a great and pleasant mix.

Summary:

All in all the camp was good. Many things at Olifants Rest Camp need some urgent fix or attention and are actually due for renovations. Another good thing it is, that it is one of the smaller camps. Staff was super pleasant throughout the entire camp and all departments.
We liked it much better than Berg en Dal and we would come back ourselves.
Notes:
- Paul the Sheep does not get any benefits from the Hotels/Airlines etc.
- Paul will always pay for the services in order to be able to rate freely and truly about the experiences.
- If you are interested in more details, please send us a private message and I will be happy to share more information and pictures.