The Outpost
Open-fronted ridge suites · Makuleke Contract Park, far northern corner · Rare Earth Retreats
Top-end
Inside the park
Safari company
Rare Earth Retreats' lodge on what it calls the Makuleke private concession, at the northernmost corner of Kruger. Twelve free-standing, open-fronted suites stand on a ridge, closed with remote-controlled screens rather than walls. The land belongs to the Makuleke, who reclaimed it in 1998 and keep it under conservation by contract with SANParks. From R10,970 per person sharing, the rate covers meals, house drinks, two game drives a day and laundry; park, conservation and landing fees are extra. Rare Earth also runs lodges in Welgevonden and Plettenberg Bay. Choose it for the remote Pafuri country with a contemporary design.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Open-fronted suites with long views
- Meals, house drinks and two drives included
- On Makuleke community land
- Far from the southern crowds
Cons
- Park, conservation and landing fees extra
- Far north: 600 km from Johannesburg by road to Pafuri Gate
- We found no published child policy
What's here
- Laundry
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
Read from The Outpost'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 The Outpost
From $659 pppn. From R10,970 per person per night sharing (own site, read 6 October 2026; about $659). Includes all meals, beverages except premium brands, two game drives a day and laundry. Excludes the park entrance fee, the conservation fee and landing fees.
All inclusive. The rate covers meals, drinks, activities and the transfers named below. Park fees are charged separately.
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 The Outpost
Is The Outpost good for children?
We found no published child policy on Rare Earth's page for The Outpost. Ask the operator before you book.
What is not included at The Outpost?
The operator lists the park entrance fee, the conservation fee and landing fees as extras. Meals, beverages except premium brands, two game drives a day and laundry are included.
Is The Outpost inside Kruger?
Yes. It stands in the Makuleke Contract Park, community-owned land that is part of the national park by contract with SANParks since 1998.