Lodge, Kruger Park

Pestana Kruger Lodge

A four-star lodge on the bank of the Crocodile River, with Malelane Gate into the Kruger National Park just across it. Safari by day, the deck and the boma fire by night.

A sketch of what Pestana says, not a survey and not to scale: the lodge on the bank of the Crocodile River, opposite Malelane Bridge and Malelane Gate.

A lodge on the river, and the gate across it.

Pestana Kruger Lodge is a four-star lodge in gardens on the bank of the Crocodile River. Across the water are Malelane Bridge and Malelane Gate, which Pestana calls one of the main access points to the Kruger National Park.

Pestana says the view takes in the river, where hippos and several other kinds of wildlife can be seen. For a group, that puts the park at the door before the day has even started.

A four-star lodge, part of the Pestana Hotel Group
Gardens and a river view, with hippos and other wildlife to be seen
A tour desk that organises trips into the park

A day at the lodge, hour by hour.

The times are Pestana’s own, for the restaurant and the bar. The order is ours: one way a day here can run, from breakfast to the fire.

1
From 7 am

Breakfast at Buhlebethu

The Buhlebethu restaurant serves buffet meals through the day, under a thatched roof, with a view of the Crocodile River. Pestana describes the food as contemporary South African with international touches.
- Breakfast: 7 am to 11 am
- Holds: 80 people
2
Morning

Into the park

The lodge’s tour desk organises a wide range of trips through the Kruger Park. Pestana says the park has about 2,000 kilometres of roads and six rivers, and that its safaris are led by experienced guides in open vehicles.
- Safaris: themed ones include honeymoon and family safaris, horse-riding and birdwatching
- The gate: across the river from the lodge
3
Midday

The pools and the slide

Two outdoor pools, one with a water slide, sit in the gardens overlooking the river. Pestana calls them fun for the whole family, with sun loungers for the slow part of the afternoon.
- Pools: two, outdoors, one with a water slide
- Lunch: 11 am to 5 pm at Buhlebethu
4
Afternoon

The massage room

Pestana offers a range of body treatments inspired by African nature, with natural products, which it describes as ideal for unwinding after a day of adventures. Most begin with a Turkish bath.
- Treatments: body treatments in the lodge’s massage room
5
Evening

The Eshonalanga Bar and dinner

The bar is a cosy area in warm colours. After dark, Pestana says, you can sit outside and watch the nocturnal animals, and plan the next day’s adventures. Dinner at Buhlebethu follows.
- Bar: 10 am to midnight
- Dinner: 7 pm to 10 pm at Buhlebethu
6
After dark, by request

The boma and its fire

The boma is an African tradition, Pestana says: a typical dinner in an outdoor setting, served around the campfire. These meals must be asked for in advance, for at least 20 people and up to 150.
- Size: a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 150 people
- Ask early: the boma is arranged in advance, not on the night

Four ways to sleep by the river.

Pestana says the rooms look over the river and the gardens and are decorated with African motifs. It lists four kinds.

Standard room. For two adults.
Family room. Three adults and a child.
Premium room. Three adults, or two adults and two children.
Rhino Family Cottage. Three adults; Pestana’s picture shows a pool of its own.

Rooms and sleeping numbers as Pestana lists them on its website, read on 8 November 2026. Check-in is from 2 pm and check-out until 11 am, by its own answer to the question.

What a group does here.

Pestana tags the lodge as by the river, nature, family and romantic. Four ways it works for a group.

Safari from the doorThe gate across the river, and a tour desk to organise the trip.
FamiliesA water slide, family rooms and a family cottage.
CouplesThe deck, the bar, the massage room and honeymoon safaris.
MeetingsTwo conference rooms, and the whole lodge for one group.

Beyond the gate.

Pestana’s page describes the park and the country around it. These are its words and its numbers, not ours.

17,000elephants
48,000buffaloes
1,900white rhinoceroses
1,500lions
1,000leopards

Pestana’s figures for the Kruger Park’s Big Five, as printed on its page for the lodge.

Mac Mac Falls
Pestana calls them the most spectacular waterfalls in South Africa and a national landmark. The twin falls plunge 70 metres into the gorge, with natural pools, picnic areas and viewpoints along the way.
Pilgrim’s Rest
Just over two hours from the lodge, a small museum town that keeps its mining and prospecting heritage and evokes the gold rush. Declared a South African National Monument in 1986.
Three Rondavels
Three rounded mountains rise above the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world. Pestana suggests binoculars, cameras, hiking boots, hats and sun cream.
Themed safaris
Honeymoon and family experiences, horse-riding, birdwatching and more, led by experienced guides in open vehicles.

Meetings and events

Annual meetings, with the bush at the door.

Pestana says the lodge is prepared for gatherings, annual meetings, conventions and lectures, and that a group can take the whole lodge.

Two conference rooms, Impala and Kudu, under thatch
A coffee break on the deck overlooking the Crocodile River
A boma dinner for groups from 20 to 150 people
A tour desk for trips into the Kruger National Park

Pestana’s own notice says the lodge closes for renovation from 12 January to 30 April 2027. We confirm dates in writing.

A conference room at Pestana Kruger Lodge with a U-shaped table, a thatched roof and a chandelier

People each room holds, as Pestana’s venue factsheet and website give them. They do not say for which layout. Read on 8 November 2026.
Room	People
Impala	120
Kudu	30
Buhlebethu restaurant	80
Boma, outdoors	150

Ask about Pestana Kruger Lodge.

To start an enquiry, tell us:

The dates you have in mind, and whether they fall before May 2027
How many delegates, and how many stay
Whether you want the boma evening or a safari from the tour desk

Start an enquiry

An enquiry is not a booking. We reply from the enquiries address within one working day.

Questions about Pestana.

Where is Pestana Kruger Lodge?

On the banks of the Crocodile River, opposite Malelane Gate at the Kruger National Park. The lodge says its rooms have views over the river and gardens.

The lodge’s page on pestana.com, read 5 Nov 2026

Can it host a meeting or conference?

The lodge page lists Meetings and Events among its facilities. It gives the Buhlebethu restaurant a capacity of 80 people and the Boma 150.

The lodge’s page on pestana.com, read 5 Nov 2026

Where do guests eat?

The Buhlebethu restaurant (buffet), the open-air Boma dinner around a campfire and the Eshonalanga Bar. Boma dinners are for 20 to 150 people, asked for in advance.

The lodge’s page on pestana.com, read 5 Nov 2026

Is it open all year?

The lodge states that it will be closed for renovation from 12 January to 30 April 2027. Ask us before planning those months.

The lodge’s page on pestana.com, read 5 Nov 2026 (the lodge’s own notice)

Which river and park gate is the lodge next to?

The website says the lodge is on the banks of the Crocodile River, opposite Malelane Gate in the Kruger National Park.