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The Park: Restcamps - Punda Maria Advisory | Exploration | Map | Restcamps | Sections | Statistics | The Park The restcamp is located in the northern section of the Kruger National Park. Not far from Punda Maria Gate.
The camp offers a very nice old world atmosphere. The northern region of the Kruger National Park is also one of the least frequented by visitors. Punda Maria is situated in one of the most undisturbed areas of the Kruger National Park. And the camp is fittingly simple and elegant. The tourist camp was built in the mid 1930s and many of the original huts still stand as a silent tribute. Not only to the builders of the day but also to the termite-resistant ironwood beams used in their construction. The long white wattle and daub buildings stretch across a well-treed hill slope overlooking vast mopane plains. The Paradise Flycatcher Trail is so named due to the number of these birds to be seen. A further attraction is a family of tame bushbuck. At night a camp attendant spreads out hot red coals in the braai area for anyone wishing to cook meat. A charming tradition usually found only in the far more smaller camps. The braai area is often visited by interesting nocturnal species such as genet, porcupine and sometimes civet. Bird species include pennantwinged nightjars, Arnot's chats and yellowbilled oxpeckers. Punda Maria was established in 1919 as a post from which to monitor ivory poaching. Captain J.J. Coetser, the first ranger to be stationed there, gave the camps its curious name. The first species he saw after his arrival were zebra, called punda milia by the Swahili people. Other restcamps: Berg en Dal, Crocodile Bridge, Letaba, Lower Sabie, Mopani, Olifants, Orpen, Pretoriuskop, Satara, Shingwedzi and Skukuza restcamps. Other bushveld camps: Bateleur, Biyamiti, Shumuwini, Sirheni and Talamati.
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Punda
Maria is a charming old world camp which offers very nice family
cottages, huts, camping sites, facilities for day visitors, an
in-camp trail, a petrol station, shop, restaurant and a laundry.