OVERVIEW:
Notten’s Bush Camp is family owned and run. It prides itself on a convivial and laidback atmosphere as well as an eco-friendly approach to lodge design. The accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, including three meals daily, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, two game drives daily, one bush walk daily, Wi-Fi, and a laundry service. There’s a 30 percent discount for children aged 6–12 years, and all ages are welcome when Notten’s is booked for exclusive use. The camp is open throughout the year and there’s a minimum age requirement of 6 years.
ACCESS & LOCATION:
The camp is accessed via road transfer from Skukuza Airport, Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, or Hoedspruit. It’s situated in the south region of the Sabi Sand, along the banks of a seasonal tributary of the River Sabi.
ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT NOTTEN'S BUSH CAMP:
Guest accommodation consists of nine chalets, including two for family use. These are sturdy buildings, featuring white-washed concrete walls and a corrugated metal roof. Inside each standard chalet, there’s a double bed or twin beds, bedside tables with candles and paraffin lanterns, a writing desk and chair, a tea-and-coffee station, a chest of drawers, a separate seating area, and access onto a private deck through wood-framed sliding doors. There are wood-framed windows too, and all apertures have screens for keeping cool. Other amenities include insect coils, air-conditioning, electric lighting, and plug points. The deck is set with lounge and dining furniture, and it offers beautiful views! Every tent’s washroom, adjacent to the bedroom, contains flush toilet, twin washbasins with mirrors over, step-up shower, and bathtub – there’s an outdoor shower as well. Both family chalets benefit from an additional bedroom with twin beds for children, and each has a shared bathroom. In all chalets, wildlife artwork adorns the walls and there are comfy floor rugs. There are a few artifacts too.
Notten’s communal lounge and dining areas are housed in another sturdy structure – this is connected to the guest chalets along neat pathways through trees. At night, the ways are lit by lanterns, for a really magical feel! The lounge features leather, cotton, and rattan seating around coffee tables. Other décor includes cowhide rugs, antelope sculptures, a cabinet containing a few books, a hat stand, numerous black-and-white wall-mounted photographs, and a gun mounted over the room’s fireplace. There’s also a well-stocked bar! In the dining room, smart upright chairs surround chic individual tables, and a long table is often set up for communal meals. There’s another fireplace here, with various artifacts on the mantelpiece. This space is the setting for the camp’s delicious breakfasts, lunches or high teas, and lavish three-course dinners. Guests can also dine in the open-air boma, or on the lodge’s deck. Soothing massages are available in the property’s spa, and you can take a refreshing dip in the 20-meter lap pool! The pool even has a pavilion alongside, and it’s the perfect place for relaxing between activities.
ACTIVITIES AT NOTTEN'S BUSH CAMP:
The camp offers an exciting variety of activities.
- Expertly guided game drives take place during the morning and the late afternoon, providing great opportunities to observe a wealth of wildlife!
- The Sabi Sand is the most exclusive of the Kruger private reserves, and its unfenced border with the national park allows all sorts of species to move freely between the two areas. Comprising 65,000 hectares of savanna and woodlands, and of course the Sabi and Sand rivers, the reserve is home to all Big Five – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo.
- The reserve is particularly renowned for its leopard sightings, and other carnivores in residence include cheetah, hyenas, jackals, and occasional wild dog.
- Among the herbivore count are giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and ample antelopes!
- Hippopotamus frequent the rivers, alongside 45 species of fish.
- And there are over 300 types of bird, not least raptors such as hawk eagle, waterbirds such as comb duck, and the vibrant red-billed oxpecker. Notten’s bush walks are ideal for travelers hoping to indulge in close scrutiny of Sabi Sand’s feathery friends, as well as the reserve’s plants and insects.
- Photographic safaris are also offered, as are cultural tours in the local Shangaan community.
- And you can even play a round of golf on Skukuza’s course, located just 45 minutes’ drive from camp!
*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.