Whatsapp Us
Whatsapp Us
This rustic camp is located more or less in the centre of the Kruger Park, near Olifants Rest Camp and close to the Olifants River. Exclusive and rustic accommodation is offered for guests who enjoy staying close to nature in a small and intimate setting.
Only a low fence separates guests from the wilderness, making this camp popular amongst campers, backpackers and those who want to get away from the rush of everyday life. There is no electricity and lamps are set out in the ablution facilities early in the evening.
As there is no reception at Balule, guests must check in at Olifants Rest Camp or at Satara Rest Camp. Keep this in mind when planning the trip and ensure you arrive before gate closure.
Rates are per night and exclude 1% community fund which will be added when booking.
| Accommodation Type | Base Guests | Base Rate | Additional Adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Site (CK6) No powerpoint |
2 | R 459 | R 116 |
| Accommodation Type | Base Guests | Base Rate | Additional Adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hut (EH3) Communal Facilities, No Fridge, No Power |
2 | R 716 | R 221 |
| Accommodation Type | Base Guests | Base Rate | Additional Adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Site (CK6) No powerpoint |
2 | R 358 | R 116 |
| Accommodation Type | Base Guests | Base Rate | Additional Adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hut (EH3) Communal Facilities, No Fridge, No Power |
2 | R 649 | R 221 |
To keep Balule Satellite Camp an intimate and exclusive camp, there are only campsites and basic huts available, offering rustic accommodation. The huts don’t have their own bathrooms and communal ablution facilities are provided. Water is heated with solar heating and early in the evening rustic lamps are placed at the bathrooms, creating a cosy atmosphere.
The huts at Balule provide sleeping facilities for 2 to 3 persons. A basin is available, but guests make use of communal ablution and kitchen facilities. Bedding is provided but no utensils are available in the huts.
The campsites are laid out around the edges of Balule camp, offering guests an experience of being very close to nature. There are no electrical connection points and guests have to be self-sufficient regarding supplies and food preparation. Shared kitchen facilities are available with a scullery, gas stoves and communal freezer. Communal ablution facilities are available and water for the showers is heated with solar energy.
The nearest entrance gate to Balule is at Phalaborwa, which is 85 km from the camp and at least 3 hours’ drive. Take note that no restaurants facilities or shops are available at Balule.
Stock up on supplies at Satara or Olifants camp when checking in. No day visitors are allowed at Balule, but picnic facilities are provided to day visitors at Olifants Camp and Satara.
A variety of facilities are provided at all the Main Rest Camps while amenities at the satellite camps are more basic and limited. The following amenities are available at Rest Camps in relatively close proximity to Balule.
No activities are offered at or from Balule Satellite Camp, but Guided Bush Walks and Game Drives for groups of 10 persons or more, can be arranged at Olifants Camp.
More than 500 different bird species have a home in Kruger National Park, some of them not to be found anywhere else in South Africa. Numerous water points make for excellent birdwatching, while there are eleven bird/game-viewing hides in some of the camps and picnic sites in the park. Several more are earmarked for construction when sufficient funds become available.
Most species breed in summer when rains sustain most vegetation and food, but the larger birds of prey conversely breed during the dry winter, when their prey is most exposed. Out of the 507 species of birds found at Kruger, 253 are residents, 117 non-breeding migrants, and 147 are nomads.
Some of the larger birds require large territories or are sensitive to habitat degradation. Six of these birds, which are basically restricted to Kruger and other extensive conservation areas, have been assigned to a fanciful grouping called the "Big Six Birds".
Most of the rest camps in Kruger offer guests the opportunity to take part in daily early morning and afternoon guided walks. Professional, experienced and armed field guides take groups of up to eight persons out of the camp’s boundaries to explore the surrounding wilderness areas on foot.
Ensuring the safety of the guests, these guides share their knowledge of the fauna and flora and to explain natural wonders, enriching their knowledge of the African bush and wildlife.
The walks are informative and relaxed and don’t take longer than a few hours, focussing on the things not easily seen from a vehicle. Being out on foot, an area is covered more intensely and guests are able to experience nature using all their senses.
Large game in the area offers the possibility of encounters and the exhilarating experience of approaching them on foot.
Kruger’s game drives are for guests who want to get closer to the wild side of nature and experience the Park’s animals up close. Game Drives are offered at most of the rest camps and information is available and reservations can be made at reception at the camp. Guests are transported in open vehicles and an experienced guide interprets the natural bush and offers insight into the ways of the Kruger Park. The duration of the Game Drives are approximately 3 hours.
The Olifants area plays host to most of the park’s classic larger game. As the name of the camp suggests, elephants are common in the area. Baboon and Vervet Monkey both inhabit the camp as do fruit bats and thick-tailed bush babies at night. Lion and leopard are regularly seen on game drives. The Cape Clawless Otter has been seen from the Olifants lookout point on the gravel road towards Letaba.
Olifants is situated in rugged veld on rhyolite / basalt soil. Lowveld
cluster-leaf, Raisin Bush and Mopane are all prominent in the area. Just
south of the river is the transition zone between thornveld and the mopane
belt. Visitors can thus have the enriching experience of game viewing
in both ecozones.
In the camp itself there is a plethora of trees and plants, some that
are scarce elsewhere in the park. A variety of aloe species are a real
highlight.Next to the filling station there is a Sesame Bush.This is probably
the only accessible place in the park where it can be seen.
In early spring the Sjambok Pod (yellow flowers) and Weeping Boerboon
(red flowers) are both in bloom so the veld is a contrast of colour. Also
look out for tree euphorbia.
Well over 255 recorded archaeological sites - ranging from early Stone Age, roughly 1 million years ago, to various Iron Age settlements and recent historical buildings - hold cultural and spiritual importance, while others reveal an exciting and romantic history of the area.
A late Iron Age site and trading place for the BaPhalaborwa, Venda and Portuguese - situated 12 km from the Phalaborwa gate on the road to Letaba Rest Camp.
There are 336 tree species in the park of which 17 are protected trees.
With an estimated 1500 lions, 17 000 elephants, 48 000 buffalo, 1 000 leopards and just over 2 000 rhinos inhabiting the Kruger National Park, sighting the “Big Five” is very possible when doing game drives. Even though it should not be a prerequisite on a safari and sightings of specific animals absolutely happen on the luck of the draw, these animals are a huge attraction to visitors.
Kruger is one of the premier game-watching destinations in the world. Approximately 147 mammal species occur in the park. It is possible to see all the classical African big game, including elephant, black and white rhino, hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog and many antelope species. Large carnivores include lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena. There are also many smaller mammals which are equally enticing.
Something else that became an attraction to wildlife viewing, is a group of insects known as the “Small Five”. This group includes the Elephant Shrew, Ant Lion, Rhinoceros Beetle, Buffalo Weaver and Leopard Tortoise. Kruger National Park also supports packs of the endangered African wild dog, of which there are thought to be only about 400 left in the whole of South Africa.
More than 500 different bird species have a home in Kruger National Park, some of them not to be found anywhere else in South Africa. Numerous water points make for excellent birdwatching, while there are eleven bird/game-viewing hides in some of the camps and picnic sites in the park.
The Kruger Park is inhabited by 114 species of reptiles, including black mambas, African rock pythons, and 3,000 Nile crocodiles 34 species of amphibians are found in the park, as well as 49 fish species. A Zambezi shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull shark, was caught at the confluence of the Limpopo and Levuvhu Rivers in July 1950. Zambezi sharks tolerate fresh water and can travel far up rivers like the Limpopo.
219 species of butterfly and skipper are native to the park. The fastest and most robust of these belong to the genus Charaxes, of which 12 species have been recorded. Genera Papilio and Acraea are also well-represented, with about 10 and 15 species respectively. The total number of Lepidoptera species in the park is unknown but could be in the order of 7,000, many of which range widely in African savanna.