Timbavati is an excellent private game reserve in South Africa that covers an area of 53,392 hectares and is one of several reserves to border Kruger National Park. Since it’s completely unfenced, wildlife is free to roam between Timbavati and all the reserves it borders. As such, it is part of a vast Greater Kruger ecosystem offering a genuine sense of wilderness and a superior wildlife experience to anything else on offer in South Africa. As well as the white lion, the Big Five can regularly be spotted here, along with the cheetah, the hyena, the giraffe, the wildebeest and many more. Around 360 bird species have been spotted within the reserve as well, making it a very good destination for birdwatchers.
Timbavati competes with the neighbouring reserves of Mali Mali and Sabi Sands. Although it has slightly less cachet than those famous names, it more than lives up to them in terms of the wildlife experience and more down to earth camps and lodges.
The area’s wet season runs from October to April and is characterised by quite high humidity and temperatures, along with frequent bouts of rainfall. Showers and thunderstorms mostly happen in the afternoon and rarely last all day. As for the dry season, it lasts from May to September and is much cooler and drier, with humidity considerably lower.
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Timbavati Game Reserve
- Family Friendly Lodge
- Swimming pool & play area
- Superb family accommodation
- 2 Game Drives each day
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Family run
- Big five
- Guided bush walks
- Child friendly
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Luxurious tents
- ‘Big Five’ and Wild Dog
- Timbavati Reserve
- &Beyond property
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Big Five
- Private watering hole
- &Beyond Property
- Timbavati Reserve
- Exclusive family suite
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Stylish owner-run safari camp
- Tranquil location in private reserve
- Pool, spa, gym, and wine cellar
- Good game viewing including Big 5
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Proper bush camp
- Timbavati Reserve
- Fantastic views
- Superb food
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Big five in Timbavati Reserve
- Tree house for bush sleep outs
- Very child friendly
- Authentic safari experience
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Authentic eco-camp in private reserve
- Friendly, expert hosting and guiding
- Strong game viewing including Big 5
Timbavati Game Reserve
- Excellent location for exploring Timbavati Game Reserve
- Authentic, genuine safari experiences
- Game drives and walks led by knowledgeable guides
- Animals to be spotted on-site
Hi Lisa,
The safari trip was excellent! The stay, the food and the people were all very nice. We were happy to have Ryan and Stanley as our game drive guides they brought us up close to the animals and Ryan gave very good information throughout.
Would definitely recommend to friends who are interested in safaris :)
Also, thanks much for your help, particularly keeping the room for my Brother and his wife they’ve enjoyed the safari very much too!
Best regards,
Woan Chyi
Woan Chyi L
reviewing Cape Town & Kruger Safari
on 16 October 2019
We had a fantastic time and all the arrangements worked perfectly.
We were very impressed with the quality and service levels of all 4 locations visited and it was truly a holiday of a lifetime.
Thank you to you and to Lisa for giving us this experience.
Particular highlights for us – really the whole experience, but of particular impact:
Breathtaking scenery at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Rhino Ridge game drives incredible, thanks to guide (we had their head guide, Hala, who’s knowledge, enthusiasm, kindness, interaction, ability to spot wildlife was out of this world)
Luxury of Rhino Ridge (shower, food, views, service)
Immersion in nature, torch lit meal on last night and beach trip at Kosi Forest Lodge
Level of service, quality of food throughout
Catherine F
reviewing South Africa Safari, Beach and Wetlands
on 04 September 2019
We had a fantastic time. Thank you and it went smoothly in the main except for British Airways!
The trip had the right degree of luxury and relaxation (for me) and adventure (all of us).
A few points:
Driving directions to Umlunghi Lodge were slightly wrong. The driving directions should read at the 4th roundabout take the first exit and turn right over the railway. We loved it there. Anton, Bianca and her son and Harriet were very informative and entertaining. The snake talk and handling, night walks and seeing scorpions and the walk in the bush and "bumping" into a giraffe were really special. The kayak trip to Makuzi pan that the lodge organised was good and Tomaz was very informative and kept a respectful distance from the hippos.3 nights was plenty.Rhino River Lodge game reserve was incredibly luxurious and we felt very looked after. The lion siting in camp the day we arrived sent an extra frisson of excitement down our spines. It was easy to forget there were predators that could attack us with all that luxury. The staff and guides (Karl) were knowledgeable and invested in their set up. We saw rhinos with baby, cheetahs with young, porcupine, Genet, wildebeast, Impala, Lion with young, buffalo, a puff adder, ostrich, zebra and giraffes. 4 nights was also plenty.
They all served great food but I felt Ghost Mountain Inn topped the lot. The variety was amazing. We arrived at 10.30 but could not get into our room until 2 ish. The service was not so personal I guess because it is larger (far more than 50 rooms). We had been a bit spoilt at Rhino River! My daughter and I had some treatments at the Spa and loved it. We also went on a large boat trip on Jonzi and had a closer encounter with a large bull hippo and also a hike up Ghost Mountain with Patrick who was very informative and passionate about his people and his country. Isaac the other guide there took us on the boat trip and pointed out the sugar cane harvest on the way. he was very informative also.Lastly, Lalaria Lodge was fabulous and we all piled into the surf of the Indian Ocean. There was hardly anyone on the beach. It was "too cold" according to the landlady. The view from her terrace was of the ocean and whales breaching in the distance. I could have sat there all day. She very kindly provided us with a Scrabble board of her own for us to play. We took a Microlight ride from Ballito over the coastline in the hope of seeing whales and dolphins but no luck. If we had stayed longer we might have gone on a boat trip from Durban. We had a meal at a restaurant called Mozambique which was great fun with vast portions, plenty of carbs and fresh seafood!
The value of the Rand to the Pound was excellent and therefore we felt that we got excellent value which also played a large part!
Katrina P
reviewing South Africa Bush & Beach Safari For Families
on 02 September 2019