Nestled along the Matjulu Spruit, in the mountainous south-western corner of the Kruger National Park, just 12km from the Malelane Gate, lies the aptly named and very popular Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp (Afrikaans for “Mountain-and-Valley”).
When it opened in February 1984, Berg-en-Dal’s face-brick architecture was a considerable departure from the “traditional” appearance of other Kruger camps. The camp’s buildings blend in perfectly with the mountainous surroundings and the small dam at the central visitor complex is a popular attraction to visitors who enjoy quietly watching a wide variety of game and birds come to the water.
The camp covers an area of approximately 24 hectares, in which the natural vegetation has been preserved as far as possible, providing both privacy and a closeness with nature to Berg-en-Dal’s guests. The camping area has space for up to 70 caravans and tents, and accommodation is available in 69 bungalows, 23 cottages and two luxury guest houses. Facilities available include a restaurant and take-away kiosk, shop, fuel station, conference facilities, laundromat, swimming pool and amphitheatre in which wildlife films are shown in the evenings. Guided game-viewing drives and bush walks (the only way to see some of the San rock art found in the area if you are not booked on the three-night Bushman Wilderness Trail) can be booked in advance or at reception. In the reception building, the information centre provides fascinating insights into the biology and conservation of the black and white rhino. A new picnic facility for day visitors has recently been opened just a short distance from the camp, on the way to Malelane Gate.
The Rhino Trail meanders from the dam at the restaurant along the camp’s fence for a total distance of over 2km, exposing guests to a wide variety of aromatic bushes and trees with frequent sightings of Berg-en-Dal’s avian inhabitants and sometimes even encounters with big game, safely on the other side of the electrified perimeter fence. The first part of the trail, about 600m in length, is made accessible to visually impaired nature enthusiasts by a guide rope linking displays and braille information boards.
Malelane is a small camp just 3km from the entrance gate with the same name, and 9km from Berg-en-Dal. The name means “out-of-sight”, referring to the outpost of warriors posted here to protect Swazi interests in the area in pre-colonial days. Agricultural and industrial development across the Crocodile River, which forms the southern border of the Kruger Park, unfortunately do detract from the visitor experience at this otherwise lovely camp and was a deciding factor in the National Parks Board opting to build Berg-en-Dal in the hills nearby. The Malelane of today is much smaller than the original camp, offering five bungalows and 15 campsites compared to the original camp of 25 huts and 30 camping sites, and does not offer any of the other amenities available at Berg-en-Dal.
Game-viewing in the scenic surroundings of Malelane and Berg-en-Dal can be a richly rewarding experience. Lion and hyena are often seen, but it is leopards and wild dogs that the area is renowned for. Kudu, giraffe and impala, being browsing animals, are frequently encountered, while elephant and buffalo are attracted to the area by the relative abundance of water. A firm favourite (late afternoon) destination with many visitors is the Matjulu waterhole just 4km from Berg-en-Dal, where they while away the last minutes of sunlight before heading back to camp before the gates close for the night. Further afield the H3 main road through to Afsaal picnic site, and the gravel roads to the east of it linking up with the gravel S114-road to the Biyamiti causeway (and onwards to Skukuza) and the S25 that leads to Crocodile Bridge, seldom fails to deliver something exciting.
DeWetsWild 
Pingback: Reward | de Wets Wild
Reblogged this on Roaring Reservations.
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Jou foto’s is so mooi,veral die een van die wildehond!Ek was al oral in Kruger,maar kan jy glo,nog nooit by Berg-en-Dal!Ek dink dis omdat ons altyd by Malelane ingaan en dan te opgewonde is om nog iewers af te draai,naby Malelane.Lyk vreeslik mooi daar.
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Baie dankie Dina 🙂
Ja, die Berg-en-Dal omgewing is regtig baie mooi, heel ander natuurskoon as wat mens in ander dele van die Wildtuin gewoond is. Julle kan maar volgende keer bietjie daai kant toe afdraai – die teerpad tussen Melalane en Berg-en-Dal het al dikwels vir ons luiperds opgedis.
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Your photographs, as always, are amazing! 🙂
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You are as kind as always Linda, thank you very much
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Oh my just another wonderful post! I also really like the moon scape!
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Thanks Kathryn, we’re glad you liked it 😀
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Amazing! We got to see a group of 8 African wild dogs during our visit last year. What a treat!
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Wild dogs are always a rewarding sighting, I’m sure you agree Ruth? And the area around Berg-en-Dal’s one of the best places to go searching for them. Good to hear that your efforts were rewarded!
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It sure was a great treat!!
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Great camp, we have stayed once in the bungalows and then again this past March in the camping. In March most of the gravel roads were closed due to the floods but we still saw so much including wild dogs and cheetah. Lovely photos !
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Glad to hear that you also had a great time at Berg-en-Dal, Kelly! And well done on ticking both cheetah and wild dog!
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Lovely again! I enjoy your photos and also the descriptions. Thanks a lot
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Ai, baie dankie Ineke!
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Love the Wild dog; lots of great images. We only had one night at Berg-en-Dal – definitely is worth a longer visit.
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Thanks for the great contribution Jennie!
We agree that you need more than 1 day at Berg-en-Dal to thoroughly enjoy all its facets, but 1 day in the bush is still faaaaaaaaar better than none 😀
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You’ll think I’m weird … but the shot I love most out of this lot is the pied kingfisher ! – have seldom seen anything so … stunning !
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Not weird at all M-R; poor wet bird looking so down in the dumps, certainly not “singing in the rain”…
Thanks for always leaving us such encouraging comments, we really do appreciate it Margaret- Rose!
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The guards at the entrance to the camp is such a wonderful shot! Of course, I wouldn’t think of asking them to move….
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Guards sleeping on the job!
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I would love to visit there one day. Its beautiful.
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I’d love to see the amazing photographs you’d return home with Maralee!
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It looks like a great place to spend vacation time and to get close to nature. These are cool photos! Thank you for providing the information.
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Thanks Amy! A very special destination indeed 😀
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