Punda Maria lies in the northern most part of the Kruger
National Park, 8km from Punda Maria Gate.
The camp is situated in the Sandveld region that is often
described as the botanical garden of the Kruger National Park. There are
numerous plant species which occur that are unique to the area. Game species
most likely to be sighted include impala, zebra, buffalo, elephant, eland and
sable and the camp lies in an area of fascinating history and
unsurpassed bird watching.
Punda Maria It also recognized as the best region inside the
Park for Kruger National Park safari accommodation in which to spot the often
shy Nyala Antelope.
Punda Maria boasts 7 luxury safari tents and a swimming pool. Punda
Maria Gate has received a new building, reception area and ablution blocks;
providing trouble free Kruger National Park lodging.
Further down the hill are two terraces of lovely bungalows,
divided into 18 two-bedded units and 4 three-bedded units. Each unit is
air-conditioned and comes with a toilet, washbasin, built-in cupboards and a
fridge. The three-bedded units have the added advantages of showers and fully
equipped kitchens. A family bungalow is also available.
The bungalow tiers slope down towards a shared ablution,
kitchen and barbecue facilities. There are 50 camp or caravan
sites available. Holiday visitors to Punda Maria Rest Camp
do not so much come for the game as for the camp's rich historical heritage,
since the vegetation supports fewer big game species than elsewhere in the
Kruger Park.
Large herds of Elephant and
Buffalo roam the Mopane-covered plains, Rare Tsebbebe and Sable are frequently
sighted from this Kruger National Park lodging. By road the Camp is just over 5
hours from Johannesburg.
History of Punda Maria
Rest Camp:
The name of the rest camp was given in 1919 by the first
ranger to be posted to the area, Captain JJ Coetser. He mistakenly named
his post Punda Maria in the belief that this was the
Swahili name for Zebra, the first big game he saw on arrival. The correct
Swahili name is actually 'punda milia' (meaning Striped Donkey).
When the error was pointed out to him, he chose to retain
the name, in honour of his wife, Maria, who bore him 12 children. Many years
later, Park officials corrected the name, and for a while the rest camp was known
as Punda Milia, but in 1981 it was changed back to the original 'Punda Maria'.
When Captain Coetser was posted to Punda Maria Camp, his
main aim was to curb ivory poaching. In the early 1900's, this region was the
haunt of smugglers, poachers and hunters who based themselves in an assortment
of derelict shacks at Crooks Corner, where the borders of South
Africa,Mozambique (formerly Portuguese East Africa) and Zimbabwe
(formerly Rhodesia) met at the confluence of the Limpopo and the Luvuvhu
rivers.
Fugitives from the law could just slip across one of the
borders and take refuge in a foreign territory when the authorities came
searching for them. The hunters at Crooks Corner realized that they could
supplement their income from ivory by recruiting labour for the Witwatersrand
mines, and an illegal trade in labour began.
The government eventually put a stop to this and
Wenela was given sole authority to recruit labour. The Wenela recruiting station now
stands as a sombre reminder on the S63 loop near Pafuri.
