Bush camp offers serenity

THE Bateleur Bushveld Camp in the Kruger National Park (KNP) is the oldest bushveld camp in the park and boasts many interesting tourist attractions.

The camp gets its name from the Bateleur eagles that nest in the area.

Recently the KNP and Bateleur hosted a group of local journalists from the Venda region to show off the camp and what it had to offer.

Deputy manager and tourist guide, Cecilia Phophi, said tourists do not have to leave the comfort of the camp to see game.

“We have wonderfully situated game hides from where visitors can watch the wildlife from within the comfort of the camp,” she explained.

According to Phophi, the camp was well known for its exceptional birdlife and the wide variety of birds that could be found around Bateleur. She said they also offered early morning walks and game drives.

Bateleur is situated between the Shingwedzi and Mopani rest camps.

This camp offers seven family chalets that are fully equipped for self-catering and have air conditioning and access to DStv.

The access roads to Bateleur are restricted to visitors who have booked there.

“This minimises disturbances from other tourists, which makes it the ideal place for game watching.

“Some of the other camps can become a bit noisy at busy times like the Christmas holidays in December,” Shirley Smith, a visitor to Bateleur, explained.