Home to the Big 5 and lots, lots more
Timbavati Private Game Reserve is top class safari territory. Hugging the western border of the Greater Kruger Park and stretching 60,000 hectares across South Africa’s Limpopo Province, it’s a vast reserve packed with a huge profusion of exotic wildlife. A stunning mix of rolling savanna bushland dotted with waterholes and scattered with acacia woodland, Timbavati really captures the epic magic of Africa, promising a safari experience that you’ll never forget.
Timbavati shares an unfenced border with Kruger, allowing the animals to roam freely between the two areas and giving you a chance to see African wildlife in a truly natural habitat. As well as the classic Big Five, Timbavati boasts a huge volume of giraffe, zebra, kudu, wild dog, waterbuck and cheetah - to name just a few! Alongside some 40 species of mammal, there are over 360 kinds of bird in the reserve, so the branches above are constantly bursting with birdsong.
During your Timbavati game drives, you’ll set off each morning before sunrise to scour the hills, lowlands and thickets for passing herds of elephant, lion cubs playing in the long grass and leopard on the prowl for a morning kill. Just before sunset, you’ll hop aboard your open-topped jeep again to spot wildlife in the dusk, stopping for a scenic sundowner on the way. If you’re eager to get even closer to the action, you can try a heart-thumping walking safari and, for a different take on the bush altogether, you can book a sleep out under the stars.
There are just a handfull of private lodges sprinkled across the huge expanse of Timbavati, so each one feels extremely exclusive and totally tucked away in the bush. Stargaze under blankets in a bush treehouse, relax in complete colonial elegance, plunge into your own private pool or immerse yourself in bygone romance by staying in a camp lit only by flickering candles.
Whatever your idea of the perfect safari may be, we’re pretty sure that Timbavati has it covered.