Campgrounds for backpackers in South Africa

Xamarin Guest Farm

• Surrounded by vineyards five minutes' drive from Lambert's Bay
• Five minutes' drive from the beach and Bird Island Nature Reserve
• Swimming pool, bar, fishing river and braai areas

Solitude on Somerset

Buyskop Lodge

• Stays on a private game reserve in the foothills of the Waterberg
• A five-minute drive from Bela-Bela, and 70 minutes from Pretoria
• Restaurant, braai facilities, game watching, biking trails and a spa

Eagle Falls Country Lodge and Camping

• Remote site above the Molen River Gorge in the Kammanassie Valley
• Hikes from site; half an hour's drive from Kammanassie Nature Reserve
• Bar, restaurant, 4x4 driving trails, horse treks and air rifle range

M'kama

• Secluded riverside bush site in the Western Cape mountains
• Kammanassie Reserve 15 mins; Knysna Forest and Elephant Park 1.5 hour
• 40 minutes to shops and pubs in Uniondale

Old Mill Drift Guest Farm

• Remote site deep in the stunningly scenic Maluti mountains
• Huge site with off-roading trails, hiking paths and river for fishing
• Top spot for stargazing, with clear night skies

Pafuri Rivercamp

• Secluded bush camp on the banks of the Mutale River
• A 15-minute drive from Kruger National Park
• Fishing, tubing and birding walks from site; bar, restaurant and pool

Rooihoogte Guest Cottage and Camping

• Secluded farm site where mountains and grasslands meet
• In a region famed as one of the most biodiverse in the world
• Fish for bass and trout in pristine waters

La Belle Esperance Adventure Farm

• Peaceful, safe and secure farm site in the KZN mountains
• A 20-minute drive from Volksrust and 45 minutes from Newcastle
• Simple pitches by a river for birdwatching and swimming

Tava Lingwe Game Lodge

• Luxury game lodge over 170 hectares of farmland
• Game drives and lion tours available directly from the lodge
• Two pools and a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner

Steenbokkie Nature Reserve

• Family site on a working farm and private nature reserve
• Hikers' and bikers' haven: a 30-minute drive from Karoo National Park
• Meet the farm animals, and the springbok and wildebeest that wander in

Mutale Drift Pafuri Gate

• Quiet off-grid rural cabin just outside the village of Bende Mutale
• A 10-minute drive from the Pafuri Gate into Kruger National Park
• Covered deck area with braai overlooking the Mutale river

Highover Wildlife Sanctuary

• Rural site on a 3,000-hectare nature reserve a half-hour from Richmond
• 11km of river frontage for fishing, swimming and canoeing
• Trail maps available for hikes, mountain biking and game drives

Khamkirri

• Award-winning site by the stunning Orange River
• River views from all accommodation areas
• Activities, tour bookings, pool, braais, fishing, bar and restaurant

Amapondo Backpackers

• Stunningly scenic hillside site on South Africa’s Wild Coast
• Five minutes’ walk from a sandy beach; 10 minutes’ drive from town
• Sundowner trips, guided excursions, bar, restaurant and music events

Mac Mac Forest Retreat

• Peaceful forest camp with trails to Mac Mac Falls
• Within 25 minutes of God's Window and Mount Sheba Nature Reserve
• An hour's drive from the Kruger National Park's Phabeni gate

Kranzkraal