Kapama Private Game Reserve · Hoedspruit
Kapama River Lodge
Kapama Private Game Reserve · Hoedspruit
The main lodge on the Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit: five suite types including family suites, a large spa and wellness centre, and an all-inclusive safari rate with children welcome.
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The full-facility Kapama lodge
River Lodge is where Kapama concentrates its facilities: five suite categories from the newer Tamboti Superior suites through Leadwood, Marula and Royal suites to dedicated Leadwood Family suites, three dining spaces, a rim-flow pool with its own bar, a wine cellar and a six-room wellness centre with hydrotherapy and a gym. Everything sits on the 15,000-hectare Kapama Private Game Reserve a few minutes' drive from Hoedspruit's Eastgate Airport, with Big Five game viewing on the reserve's own roads. The rate is all-inclusive in the practical sense (three meals, two drives a day, a bush walk, selected drinks and the airport transfer), and children of all ages are accommodated, with a younger-child programme for those too small for the standard drives.
Why River Lodge rather than a smaller camp
It is the Kapama lodge for anyone who wants choice: room types across a range of budgets, a proper spa, several places to eat and organised activities for children. Families with mixed ages, larger groups and travellers combining a first safari with a resort-style stay are its natural market. If you want a ten-tent camp instead, Buffalo Camp shares the same reserve and rate structure.
Rooms & Suites
Tamboti Superior Suite
Family suitable
Leadwood Suite
Leadwood Family Suite
Max 2 adults
Family suitable
Marula Suite
Royal Suite
Safari & Experiences
Game drives
Two guided drives a day in open vehicles on the Kapama reserve.
Under-6s do not join scheduled drives; children 6 and over join at the guide's discretion.
Guided bush walk
Ranger-led walk on the reserve, included once per stay.
Minimum age 16.
Bush bumble and Kapama Kids activities
Shorter educational bush outings and on-site activities for younger children who cannot join standard drives.
Kapama calls the younger-child outing a "bush bumble".
Spa and wellness centre
Six treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, steam rooms, a Rasul chamber and a gym.
Good to know
Families
- Kids programme available
Children of all ages are accommodated. Children under 12 sharing with two adults pay 50% in selected rooms; family suites are charged per suite.
Power & connectivity
- In-room power available
Free Wi-Fi at all Kapama lodges. Suites have international plugs and air conditioning.
Getting there
- Nearest airport: Hoedspruit (Eastgate) Airport
- Nearest airstrip: Kapama private airstrip (1.5 km tarred runway)
- Drive time: Reserve is roughly 15 km from Hoedspruit
- Flight time: Under an hour by charter from Johannesburg/Pretoria
Self-drive to the lodge on marked roads only; game viewing is on Kapama vehicles. Complimentary open-vehicle transfers from Eastgate Airport; scheduled flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town. Private PC-12 charter to the reserve runway available.
Sustainability & Conservation
Kapama references solar energy, water conservation and biodiversity work on the lodge page without publishing certifications or figures.
Family-run private reserve since 1987; a separate per-night conservation levy applies.
Add the road leg
Private transfers, arranged with the stay.
Spurwing can arrange private road transfers from Johannesburg, O.R. Tambo, regional airports or another lodge where the routing is practical, or build the road leg into a wider South African itinerary.
Tell us where you are coming from and where you are going next. We confirm the practical route, vehicle and timing before anything is booked.
Request This Stay
Rates on request
One trusted partner for the whole journey — speak to us and we’ll help plan the stay alongside the rest of your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can children go on game drives at Kapama River Lodge?
Children aged 6 and over may join the scheduled drives at the guide's discretion. Under-6s are not permitted on standard drives but are taken on shorter educational "bush bumble" outings. Bush walks require guests to be 16 or older.
Which suites suit a family?
The Leadwood Family Suite (king bed plus a sofa-bed alcove, charged per suite) and interleading Tamboti Superior Suites. Children under 12 sharing with two adults are charged 50% in selected rooms.
Is there a spa at River Lodge?
Yes. The wellness centre has six treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, steam rooms, a Rasul chamber and a gym. Treatments are charged separately.
How do I get to Kapama River Lodge?
Fly to Hoedspruit (Eastgate) Airport, where Kapama collects guests in open safari vehicles; the reserve is about 15 km from Hoedspruit. Self-drive guests use the R40 from Hoedspruit towards Klaserie to the reserve entrance.