Shipandani Sleepover Hide

Bird hide that becomes an overnight shelter · North, about 3 km south of Mopani on the Tsendze River · SANParks (South African National Parks)

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Budget Inside the park Park-run (SANParks)

The second SANParks sleepover hide, about 3 km south of Mopani on the Tsendze River. It works like Sable hide near Phalaborwa: a public bird hide during the day that becomes a primitive overnight shelter for one booked party at night. Bring bedding, food and water, and expect no facilities beyond the hide itself. Mopani handles bookings and check-in. The 2024/25 tariff priced the hides at R1,072 a night; ask SANParks for the current figure. Shipandani was closed after the January 2026 floods and reopening was not confirmed by October 2026. Choose it for a night on the river once it reopens. Owned and run by SANParks.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • A night alone on the Tsendze River
  • 3 km from Mopani's shop and fuel
  • Very low cost on the last published tariff
  • Checked in through Mopani, which has a shop and fuel

Cons

  • Closed after the 2026 floods, reopening unconfirmed
  • Bring everything, including water
  • Public bird hide during the day

What's here

Arranged from the lodge:

  • Birding

Read from Shipandani Sleepover Hide'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 Park

Rates at Shipandani Sleepover Hide

Rates on request. No current rate found. SANParks' 2024/25 tariff listed the overnight hides at R1,072 per hide (base) per night, about $64 at today's rate; request a quote via SANParks Online Bookings or +27 (0)12 428 9111. Shipandani 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.

Official website ↗

Questions about Shipandani Sleepover Hide

Is Shipandani hide open?

SANParks listed it as closed on 31 January 2026 after the floods; no reopening was confirmed by October 2026. Check SANParks' notifications page.

How do I book Shipandani?

Through SANParks Online Bookings or Central Reservations on +27 (0)12 428 9111; Mopani Rest Camp handles check-in.

What is Shipandani like?

SANParks describes it with the same concept as Sable hide: a bird hide by day and a primitive overnight dwelling by night, about 3 km south of Mopani on the Tsendze River.