Kruger Shalati is one of the few lodges located directly within Kruger National Park. In fact, it is adjacent to the park’s biggest public camp – Skukuza – which means you can even walk over and hang out there during the day. It’s also the newest lodge in the reserve, opening in December 2020.
We have been excited to stay ever since, but between Covid and our kids, it took us a little while to get there. We left our little ones at home with their grandparents for this trip so we were able to take full advantage and stay in a carriage suite!
Kruger Shalati Accommodation, Food & Service
The rooms
Kruger Shalati has 31 rooms – 24 amazing carriage suites up on the bridge, and 7 Bridge House Suites, which are located on the ground (suitable for children or those afraid of heights). While the land-based suites are well appointed, and enjoy the same great hospitality (plus child-friendly), our view is that you really need to stay in a Carriage Suite to get the true value of Shalati.
The Carriage Suites have one big room that includes a minibar, bed, a small sitting area, a small balcony and of course a bathroom – including a bath with an amazing view. The rooms are beautifully appointed, but the main attraction is the spectacular view over the Sabie river. You will see wildlife below you – hippos, elephants, kudu and more.
Being that your room is built into a train carriage, the space is not huge and it also means you don’t have your own plunge pool, but there are plenty of shared spaces and a couple of pools (including one that provides the most amazing instagram photos) to enjoy. It’s also worth noting that noise can be an issue, even people walking past your room on the walkway can be bothersome.
Out of all the places we have stayed, this is up there for true ‘wow’ factor – it is something very different!
The lodge
The main area of the lodge includes a lounge area, as well as a decent indoor and outdoor space to eat meals. They also have two pools adjacent to the main area. The Bridge House Suites are also on the land. Then there is of course the train on the historic Selati Bridge, which includes a walkway the full length to get to your room, with a common area – indoor bar and some seating and outdoor pool and seating in the middle. It is spectacular, but also comes with a warning – for those who are scared of heights, this may not be the best option for you.
Being new, the aesthetics are great – although one of the downsides is the lack of view while eating meals compared to some lodges, where there is a clearer view of river beds or waterholes (so a higher possibility of seeing wildlife as you enjoy your breakfast/lunch/dinner).
The lodge is fully fenced (or too high on the bridge for anything to reach you) – so there is no risk of animal encounters while staying here.
There is no gym or spa at Shalati, but they do offer massages in-room, and you can also go across to Skukuza to take advantage of the spa over there if desired.
The best part of the lodge is definitely the pool up on the bridge – it’s an amazing experience to swim in a pool suspended in the air on a bridge overlooking elephants below – it was definitely my highlight!
The Food
The food at Shalati was great and exceeded our expectations. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus light snacks before game drives as well as drinks and snacks while on game drive. They are one of the few lodges that provide a relatively extensive menu to choose from for each meal – where you can select a three course meal. The breakfast buffet was also quite extensive (which comes along with a hot meal choice from a breakfast menu) – and their drinks buffet for breakfast was also impressive!
As with just about all five-star lodges these days, drinks and meals are all included.
Game viewing at Kruger Shalati
The wildlife sightings
We love game viewing in the national park, however the downside (at the moment) is that Shalati guides have to share the road with public vehicles, and that also means there is no off-roading. While game viewing is phenomenal in Kruger (and sometimes having public vehicles helps as there are more eyes to spot game) – this means that you may not get the same quality of sightings as you would get at a game lodge in a private reserve.
It also means there’s no limit to the vehicles at every sighting, which can also reduce the enjoyment. This is why we would ultimately recommend staying at Shalati for a couple of nights as well as another game in a private game lodge for a few nights – if your budget and timing allows. We stayed for two nights and had some great sightings – including standouts of a big pack of wild dogs with puppies, and two (TWO!) servals on the road on one evening. We had two quality lion sightings (lions mating and then a pride of lions, where they walked close to our vehicle) and one quality leopard sighting. Lots of elephants, giraffes, zebras and buffalo. We didn’t get a rhino sighting, but it is a good area to see rhino – these are never guaranteed anymore sadly given the reducing numbers.
Kruger never disappoints for the quantity of game – it’s just a question about whether you want the more guaranteed quality that a private game reserve offers.
The Experience
Some other points about the game viewing:
- They don’t use trackers on their vehicles to help find wildlife as there’s obviously no point – they can’t go off road or track anything on foot.
- Their vehicles have a roof – this can be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. This is a requirement for all lodges within the park.
- They do not have private traversing, they have to use the public roads
- They can stay out later than the public, which means you can (and do) get the benefit of sightings without the crowds. Depending on the time of year, you may also get out before the public as well, which means you can be the first on site for cool sightings.
What we love about Kruger Shalati
- The view is sensational – hard to beat
- The pool (though shared) is one of the most insta-worthy we have come across
- The food choice and quality was excellent.
- The mini bar in our room was well stocked and included
- Easy access by flying in/out of Skukuza airport, which is just around the corner (super convenient)
- The story behind the lodge and the employees is awesome – it is really supporting the local community
- The lodge is in the heart of Kruger National Park – where game viewing is amazing all year round
Considerations…
- The quality of the sightings is generally lower given you have to stay on public roads, with an unlimited number of public cars
- It is probably not a good choice if you are afraid of heights
- The quality of the guiding is a little lower than some other places we have stayed, however this is a trade-off we can accept in light of supporting the local community – they are all still learning (and they are still fully qualified)!
So, should you stay at Kruger Shalati Train on the Bridge?
We loved our stay at Shalati, and would definitely go back. You won’t however get the same quality in terms of sightings as a lodge in a private game lodge. For that reason I think Shalati is a perfect option for…
- Add-on to a stay in another lodge within a private game reserve (eg. 3 nights private game lodge in Sabi Sands and 2 nights at Shalati)
- Add-on to a self-drive stay in Kruger National Park (enjoy a touch of luxury)
- A 5-star experience at a slightly more budget-friendly price, as well as high convenience – for those who are budget conscious or time-sensitive.
Whatever you do, stay in a Carriage suite and make sure you take your swimmers and hop in the pool – even if it’s in Winter (it can still get quite warm).
If you’d like more information or advice on how to book the best possible safari experience for your budget, get in touch with us!