Roodewal Bush Lodge
Whole-lodge booking with a river deck · Central, on the Timbavati River 44 km north of Satara · SANParks (South African National Parks)
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (SANParks)
A SANParks bush lodge on the Timbavati River, 44 km north of Satara and 28 km from Olifants, with a private viewing deck on stilts. Like all bush lodges it is booked en bloc, has no reception, shop or restaurant, and admits only the booked party. No activities run from the lodge; Satara can arrange walks or drives. The reseller rate is R11,679 a night for the lodge, which works out cheap per head for a full group and expensive for two. Roodewal was closed after the January 2026 floods, and reopening was not confirmed by October 2026. Choose it for a family or friends' group in the centre of the park. Owned and run by SANParks.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Whole lodge for your group
- Timbavati River frontage
- Viewing deck on stilts
- Between Satara and Olifants
Cons
- Closed after the 2026 floods, reopening unconfirmed
- No activities from the lodge
- Expensive for a party of two
What's here
- Self-catering
Read from Roodewal Bush Lodge's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Kruger National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryR602 per international adult per day at USD 1 = ZAR 16.65 (6 Oct 2026); R692, about $42, from 1 Nov 2026.
- $36per person, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults pay $216 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
SANParks charges no vehicle fee for private cars at Kruger.
Almost every private lodge inside Kruger excludes the SANParks conservation fee from its rate, so you pay it on top for each night.
The full fee schedule for Kruger National ParkRates at Roodewal Bush Lodge
From $701 per lodge (reseller rate). Reseller rates from krugerpark.co.za (Siyabona Africa), read 6 October 2026, for 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, per unit per night, self-catering. SANParks prints no unit rates and asks you to request a quote via Online Bookings or Central Reservations on +27 (0)12 428 9111. R11,679 per lodge per night (1 November to 8 December 2026 and 13 January to 18 March 2027; about $701) or R12,865 in peak (about $773). Booked en bloc, so the cost per head depends on party size. Roodewal was closed after the January 2026 floods; its current status is not confirmed. Extra on top: the SANParks conservation fee (R602, about $36, per international adult per day until 31 October 2026; R692, about $42, from 1 November 2026 on figures SANParks has linked but we read through secondary sources) and SANParks' 1% community fund on accommodation and activities. SANParks says its rates and fees include VAT.
Self-catering. You cook. Nothing else is included unless the entry says so.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates checked 6 October 2026 and converted at R16.65 to the US dollar (rate of that date); re-check before you book. SANParks does not print its unit rates online, so every SANParks figure here is a reseller rate from krugerpark.co.za (Siyabona Africa) for 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027, quoted per unit and shown per person for two sharing. Private lodge figures come from each lodge's own rate page unless the entry says reseller. The SANParks conservation fee is extra almost everywhere: R602 (about $36) per international adult per day until 31 October 2026, R692 (about $42) from 1 November 2026.
Questions about Roodewal Bush Lodge
Where do I check in for Roodewal?
Bush lodges have no reception; SANParks says payment can be made at any gate or rest camp. Satara, 44 km south, is the camp that handles Roodewal.
Can I book a single room at Roodewal?
No. SANParks says a bush lodge must be reserved en bloc.
Is Roodewal open?
SANParks listed it as closed on 31 January 2026 after the floods; no reopening was confirmed by October 2026. Check SANParks' notifications page.