This short 3-Day Greater Kruger Safari to Balule Nature Reserve is a fantastic introduction to the thrill of going on safari in Africa.
Explore the Greater Kruger National Park on open 4x4 game drives with knowledgeable and passionate guides. Embark on early morning and afternoon game drives that last into the night when a spotlight is used to search for nocturnal animals. Enjoy sundowners out in the bush and between game drives take a dip in the splash pool and watch wildlife at the camp's active waterhole.
Accommodation is in walk-in safari tents each with its own patio and open-air, private bathroom for hot showers under the stars. The tented camp is simple yet charming, offering a genuine African bush experience complete with the thrill of staying at an unfenced safari camp inside Greater Kruger Park where wildlife roams freely.
An early morning pickup from OR Tambo International Airport signals the start of this 3-Day Greater Kruger Safari to Balule Nature Reserve. An air-conditioned shuttle transfers you from Johannesburg to the Three Bridges restaurant in Limpopo. Our journey takes approximately six hours and on arrival, you are met by a guide from the tented safari lodge. Here you board an open game-viewing vehicle and enter the Greater Kruger National Park where you have your first opportunity to spot wildlife in the bush.
Settle into your home for the next couple of days and enjoy lunch at the shady camp. The waterhole at the lodge attracts a variety of animals and birds, so keep an eye out for visitors. The tented lodge is in an unfenced safari camp surrounded by a private game reserve that forms part of Greater Kruger, sharing open borders with Kruger National Park.
Once the afternoon starts cooling down we board our open safari vehicle and venture out in search of the diverse wildlife found in this landscape of rocky outcrops, undulating hills, and the meandering Olifants River. As well as the Big 5 (elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo and rhino), this vast game reserve is home to giraffe, zebra, hippo, wild dog, exceptional birdlife, and much, much more. As the sun begins to set we toast our wildlife adventures with sundowners in the bush. Then we head back to the tented camp, using a spotlight to search for the nocturnal creatures of Greater Kruger Park.
Back at the tented safari lodge, you can freshen up with a hot shower in your own open-air bathroom or take a quick dip in the splash pool before heading to the boma for dinner under the stars. Tonight, you'll fall asleep to the sounds of the African bush in your comfortable bed.
Wake up to the sound of birds and the prospect of an exciting day on safari in South Africa. Day two of our Greater Kruger Safari is spent exploring the bush on open 4x4 game drives.
Fuelled with coffee or tea and fresh fruit we board the safari vehicle and head out for a three-hour game drive. This is a great time to spot animals gathering along the Olifants River to quench their early morning thirst. The river is also home to plenty of hippos and crocodiles, as well as attracting an array of birds.
Our game drive takes us into the Maseke Game Reserve section of Balule Nature Reserve. This part of Greater Kruger Park is well known for its excellent lion sightings and abundance of elephants. Your knowledgeable guide takes you to the best spots for taking photos and enjoying the views. As this is a private game reserve you will feel like your vehicle and the wildlife are the only inhabitants of this African wilderness. Wildlife viewing is thirsty work so we stop to fill up on tea or coffee and light snacks before continuing our search.
After our exhilarating morning drive, we return to the tented safari camp for a tasty full breakfast and a few hours of rest and relaxation. Cool down in the splash pool, find a comfy spot near the waterhole to relax and observe any visiting wildlife or take a nap in your private tented room. A light lunch is served at the safari lodge before we head back out into the bushveldt for more game viewing. Our 4x4 game drive takes us in search of the wildlife that roams freely throughout Greater Kruger Park.
Along the way, we pause for sundowners as the sun sets over the bush. As night falls we search for nocturnal creatures in the darkness with our spotlight making our way back to camp. A delicious dinner, hot shower, and relaxing evening around the campfire await. Then it's time to retire to your comfortable tent for another night surrounded by untamed nature.
On day three of our Greater Kruger Safari, we get up early in the morning for one more game drive in Balule Nature Reserve. Head out at dawn to catch the animals and birds at their most active. With luck, you'll see one or more of the famous Big 5 animals.
We drive to an active waterhole where we pause for coffee in the bush. The game reserve hosts diverse habitats across its varied terrain, from rocky hills to grasslands and riverine bush. Keep an eye out for klipspringer, sable antelope, waterbuck, and kudu, to name a few. As on your previous game drives, your experienced guide shares his/her knowledge and insights with you as you explore.
Our final game drive ends back at the tented camp, where we tuck into a hearty breakfast. Then your guide drives you back to Three Bridges where your return shuttle transfer awaits. This 3-Day Greater Kruger Safari to Balule Nature Reserve comes to a close at OR Tambo late this afternoon.
This safari explores Balule Nature Reserve where our tented lodge is located. This northern part of Balule is called Maseke Game Reserve. Maseke, approximately 9000 hectares in size, is part of the Greater Kruger Park which is made up of privately owned game reserves. The terrain is undulating with prominent mountain ridges and rocky outcrops which make it an interesting area for wildlife viewing drives. The Olifants River courses through the reserve attracting wildlife to its banks. All of the private reserves in Greater Kruger share open borders with each other and with Kruger National Park, which creates a vast landscape traversed by a huge collection of wildlife, including the Big 5. Open plains attract wildebeest and zebra while elephant herds crowd forests of tall mopane trees. Rocky outcrops are home to rare klipspringer antelope, baboon troops, and dassies - a magnet for leopards. All in all a diverse area that makes for an interesting, exciting safari.
Our safari camp, located in Maseke (Balule Nature Reserve), offers simple tented accommodation in a wild environment. The tented camp provides a genuine African bush experience with basic facilities. It is an unfenced bush camp where animals can roam freely. The camp overlooks a flood-lit waterhole visited by wildlife and birds, day and night. This is the ideal place to get close to nature and immerse yourself in the African wilderness.
Camp facilities include a small splash pool and hammocks, and a shady, thatch-roofed lounge area set on a platform. As often as possible meals are served al fresco, either in the lantern-lit boma around the campfire or in the well-established garden under shady trees. There is a cash bar available for drinks. The experienced, professional guides offer nature walks if there is time available, noting that only guests sixteen years and older may participate. And if you can't bear to be separated from the outside world, there is wifi available at the camp.
Guests are accommodated in four Meru-style tents with electricity. Each has a private bathroom adjacent to it and a small patio area under canvas. The patios have two comfortable hand-made chairs and overlook the waterhole. These are walk-in tents under canvas, in traditional African safari style. Each tent has its own open-air (yet private) bathroom where you can take a hot shower under the stars. The bathrooms have basins and flush toilets, with towels and amenities provided. The tents have two windows with mosquito netting to allow the breeze in but keep the insects out. The tents are fitted with sturdy beds with quality linen, and basic furnishings (side tables, bedside lamps, luggage racks, and mats).
Collection and drop-off will be at OR Tambo International Airport (Bus Terminal Building). Transport to and from this pre-appointed location is not included in the tour price.
Collection times on the first day:
Drop-off times on the last day:
Please note that we offer convenient pre and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after this Kruger Safari, which can be added to your tour booking upon request. The 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Follow the link for information on rates.
This tour does take children.
Children over the age of 10 years are permitted on this safari. The minimum age that young adults may participate in bush walks is 16 years old.
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