What to Expect
The Timbavati Private Game Reserve borders the Kruger National Park to the north and east. The name Timbavati was derived from a Shangaan expression meaning ‘the place where something sacred came down to earth from the heavens’. The Timbavati has a vast array of wildlife, which includes the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) thriving amongst giraffe, zebra, warthogs, hyena and many antelope species. This sums up the magical spirit of the Timbavati, which has a tangible sense of wilderness. The reserve is also a protective habitat for sustainable populations of many endangered species such as black and white rhinoceros, pangolins, and many other.
Highlights
8 luxurious tented rooms offer a choice or King or twin beds. Each suite has glorious views over the bushveld, the dam and the Nhlaralumi River. French doors open out onto an expansive viewing deck, each with its own private sala pavilion with double day bed for an afternoon read or snooze.
The en-suite bathroom tent is connected to the bedroom tent via a small passage. On the deck is a double ’rain’ shower with views over the dam.
Game drives take place in the early morning and late afternoon when the animals are naturally most active. Key to the experience are your English-speaking local guide, working with a tracker from the local Shangaan community. This duo pool their knowledge, experience and fresh observations to maximise your wildlife sightings. Not only in terms of how much you see. But how rewarding, informative and fun the overall experience is. Your guide is often a keen photographer and will be conscious and considerate if your mission is to capture sightings on camera.
Several times a week, dinner in the camps is a more hearty, campfire style meal served under the stars in a ‘boma’, a circular enclosure originally made from branches. The cosy, lantern-lit ambience recalls the early days of safari pioneers.
Another authentic safari experience is dining out under the star in a boma (an enclosed circular dining area) around the campfire. This usually takes place every 2nd night.
The gentle flicker of lanterns, candle-light and a welcoming open fire truly conjures up what is magical about a safari.
