Camp Bethel

My Husband and I stayed at Camp Bethel between 5th September – 10th September 2023 and I can honestly say it was the best holiday I have ever experienced. One that is going to be hard to beat. We were met by Jojo, at the airport in Johannesburg, our guide for the week. I want to thank Jojo at this point for being so helpful and supportive during our stay. He went above and beyond to help us spot animals within Kruger national park. Top tip, keep an eye out along the side of the road close to Camp Bethel, we were fortunate enough to spot a Cheetah taking a rest on our way back to camp We were part of a small group, 8 in total which added to the great a**osphere, we all got on well and looked out for each other. The tent my husband and I were given was spacious and clean and had a lovely decked area for you to sit and take in the a**osphere. Each day it was freshened up and towels replaced. Unfortunately with the itinerary being so packed we didn’t see as much of the camp as we would have hoped but this is the only criticism and not a big deal really. Impala walked past the tent on a regular basis along with zebra. We were also fortunate to see mongoose, a bush baby near the bar area and baboons on an evening near the pylons. The staff at Camp Bethel were all so friendly and helpful and went out of their way to ensure you had a good stay, I also want to say a big thankyou to them all for making us feel so welcome. I know many people here have stated how good Chef Gibbs food is. Let me confirm they are not wrong! Each night there was a choice of 2 meals for us and each and every meal was fantastic. A Highlight for me was the night time safari, it was absolutely magical standing in the middle of a reserve, drinking a glass of wine whilst watching the sun set. I highly recommend taking that trip. On a practical level, make sure you take a fleece of something warm, this is mainly for the safari’s you are up extremely early and there is a bitter chill when driving around. Before travelling I was unsure what to take in terms of currency, my advice would be to ensure you have access to both South African Rand and some form of electronic currency. There are power cuts and this can mean some shops have difficulty at times processing payments.

Wow, what a great experience we had while staying at Camp Bethel! Every single member of the staff were fabulous! Super friendly and welcoming ! Chef made exceptions for my 6yo and our food was always so beautiful! Vusi and Phillip were very knowledgeable and kept us busy! The game drives were AMAZING and we were very lucky spotting 4/5 of the big 5 on the first day! My favourite trip was feeding the elephants which i recommend adding to your trip! Thank you again for such a unforgettable stay, our safari tents were so cosy, clean and comfortable and I loved the additions of story’s before bed! Perfect family holiday that we will never forget! You are all amazing! What’s the Craic xx

Camp Bethel was our home for the week whilst we filled our days exploring the Kruger National Park. The rooms have everything you need, we found the beds to be comfy and the rooms are maintained well daily by the team. It would been good to have a bit more storage space for our clothes but we managed to get by. The facilities at the camp are good, it's lovely to walk around and come across a zebra, baboon or bushbaby, it makes your stay even more special. The children enjoyed the pool and there are some comfy sunbeds or a shaded area if you wish to relax nearby. Chef Gibbs provided excellent food, we felt guilty that we couldn't eat more, but we were just so full! He offered alternative options to suit the children, everything provided was delicious. The team at Camp Bethal were friendly and helpful, we never wanted to leave! Something that gave our stay the personal touch was a suprise cake and song from the team to celebrate a birthday - the singing was beautiful, I've been trying to find the song online so that I can play it at home and think of my amazing time in South Africa. The only suggestions I have to enhance the holiday even more is to allow guests a few minutes to freshen up when returning to camp before briefing them on dinner arrangemnts and to consider including a price list for drinks in the room pack - I know we'd have ordered many more cocktails if we'd known the price beforehand! Finally, highest praise is reserved for our guide JoJo who made our holiday extra special. He was kind, patient and so knowledgeable, he took great care of us, his passion for his country and the wildlife was infectious and we have coming away sharing that passion. It was unbelievable how close we saw lions, rhinos, cheetahs and elephants, the parks were truly awesome. The mountain tour and boat cruise show you how beautiful South Africa is and I am desperate to return and see more of this amazing place. The package we booked had a very full itinerary, so we were quite tired by the end of the week, but it was worth every second and I'd do it again and again.

Where do I start, Camp Bethel was absolutely amazing, the tents are spacious and clean, staff were just incredible and we felt part of a family, nothing was too much trouble, little stories and treats on the bed added a lovely touch. Chef Gibbs, what a star, spoke to us all each night about the menu, food was out of this world and we were set up in different areas of the camp each day. Waking up and seeing the animals around the tent was magical, I couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to be around such beautiful creatures in their natural surroundings, pinch me! A big thank you to Truth and Wisdom and all the staff for everything, making my birthday the best ever, we truly were overwhelmed and blessed, the cake was delicious. 😋 A massive thank you to our amazing guide Vusi, thanks for everything, we learnt so much from you, you gave us memories to last us a lifetime and we hope to do another Safari one day with our family. Also, our amazing camp buddies, couldn’t have picked a nicer bunch of people to share the experience. ❤️

Wow just wow!!! What an absolute amazing place to stay this was a bucket list holiday my wife got me . To start off with the camp it's self is amazing, beautiful and out of this wold the tents were really comfortably and had everything you needed and the showers were perfect. The surroundings area was magical made u feel like you was on a safair but my wife felt safe too. I loved hearing the animals at night listening to the monkeys above the tent moving honestly words can't explain it. But what made it really special was the staff, the girls behind the bar were amazing nothing was to much for them and they always smiling and happy they made us feel so welcome 🙏 🤗 Then chef gibbs omg his food was out of this world, around here he would be a 5 star micheling chef 100% his food,flavours and presentation was amazing and he put so much effort into pleasing all 10 of the group which as you can imagen is not an easy job but i love his food 👏 he was asking what he could do better and in everyone's eyes he couldnt do nothing better it was perfect and trust me he likes to make sure your full after a meal 😉. All the other staff that was there couldn't do enough for us. But most of all our guid for the 10 days Jo Jo what a man!!! He made sure we seen every animal possible including the big 5 we sat in a jeep 1 meter from a pack of lions relaxing for about 20 minutes he would not give up till we found them even though other workers told him it was too late he sould give up but he still found them!!! I highly highly recommend if you going here to ask for Jo Jo very experienced in what he does wealth of knowledge, We decided to do 3 extra excursions while we were there (hot air balloon, night safari and river cruise) Jo woke up early (3.30am hotair balloon) to take us, followed the balloon on the ground to pick us up he was just truly amazing would do anything to help everyone. I can 100% say he made our groups holiday what it was and with out him we wouldn't of seen and done what we did. Thanks everyone for ever grateful for this experience and memories Colin (Mr blacklable)

From being met at the airport everything about this holiday was excellent We were with 8 others and everyone got on amazingly, you wouldn’t of thought we had only just met Jo Jo our guide was first class what he didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing and his enthusiasm and energy was limitless The staff at Camp Bethel were all exceptional we never wanted for anything The food presented to us by Chef Gibbs was fantastic and tasted even better, he always went out of his way to accommodate all our tastes The safaris and organised excursions were all excellent and the food establishments chosen when out were also of a good standard Would highly recommend and would definitely return

I don't know where to start. Booked a tour safari trip. And spent 10 days with another wonderful 8 people. We got on fantastic. We had Jojo as our guide and I wanted to take him home as he was just brilliant and full of smiles and information. The staff in the camp we couldn't fault them one bit. Always accommodating, greeted us everytime we came back to camp. Chef Gibbs food is outstanding, takes pride in his presentation and will always adjust the menu to your taste. The tent and decking area stunning, and has everything you would possibly need. Views are breathtaking and having animals come up to the tent and decking is just so surreal. Definitely book Camp Bethel and ensure you ask for Jojo as your Guide. We also had Phillip as a guide for 2 days and he is fantastic. Cannot give this place enough stars.

Had a fantastic stay at Camp Bethel. We loved staying in the tented accommodation. The tents were very clean, spacious, with a comfy bed, plenty storage and large verandahs which were great to relax on. The service was second to none, the staff were very friendly and super helpful and the food was fantastic. There was a real friendly a**osphere to the whole place as there are only 6 tents. Our safari guide Philip was so helpful, friendly and made our holiday so enjoyable. Thanks all for a fab holiday.

Me and my partner stayed at camp Bethel as part of a package (Newmarket) and we couldn't be happier. The entire team at camp bethel was so friendly and helpful, they really make you feel at home. Our guide Vusi was phenomenal! He has a wealth of knowledge about the animals and area and is all too willing to share this with everyone. He is clearly passionate about his job and the animals which was lovely to see. He made sure everyone was happy and tailored the safari drives to what we wanted to see. Phillip was also a wonderful guide for the two days we had him. His experience shone through when we were looking for animals which made the experience even more special. Chef Gibbs did a fantastic job, I felt like we were eating at a 5 star restaurant every day. One things for certain you'll definitely leave Africa with a few extra pounds. He did a particularly good job with my partners gluten free diet. He ensured he could eat as many meals as possible or supplied alternatives when this was not possible. My partner felt really included which is sometimes tricky with his diet. So thank you Chef Gibbs for the extra effort. As a heads up to anyone else who is thinking of booking this tour and is also Coeliac, the airlines weren't notified of his allergy, even though Newmarket said they told them (so best to call yourself first) and the first accommodation Irene Lodge was a buffet, but the staff were knowledgeable on what contained wheat. For the days where you have lunch at a restaurant, all the venues were knowledgeable on dietary requirements. For anyone with allergies on this tour it may be a good idea to message Camp Bethel yourselves. Chef Gibb is fantastic but he may appreciate the heads up before you get there. 5 stars all round. We loved the tented camps, they feel private and comfortable. It was awesome watching the zebra and Nyala wander around camp. Everyday was exciting. We saw every animal we wanted to and more! We would definitely return in a heartbeat. Enjoy every moment that your over there as it is wonderful but goes too quick!