This 5-day Klaserie treehouse safari stays at nThambo Tree Camp, an eco-friendly treehouse camp in Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in Greater Kruger.
As the most immersive option in our Klaserie Treehouse Safari Range, it offers extra time for Big Five game drives, guided bush walks and a deeper, slower-paced safari experience in a unique treehouse setting.
On the first morning of your 5-Day Klaserie Treehouse Safari at nThambo Tree Camp, our shuttle service collects you from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 07h00 before proceeding north to the designated pick-up point in Pretoria at 07h30. Travel northeast, alongside the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, before descending the Magoebaskloof Mountains towards the Kruger National Park in the Lowveld region of South Africa. At about 13h15 to 13h45, your shuttle arrives at a popular Bush Pub where a guide from nThambo Tree Camp meets you. Your guide transfers you to your beautiful eco treehouse camp inside Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.
After settling in and enjoying lunch, head out on the first of our late afternoon/evening game drives in Klaserie Private Reserve. Our rewarding game drive in Greater Kruger is followed by dinner back at nThambo Tree Camp. The camp is lit only by lanterns to give you the true feeling of the African bush. Relax by the campfire under a canopy of stars before retiring to your serene treehouse suite.
Days two, three, and four of your Greater Kruger Treehouse Safari follow a similar relaxed routine, though each day out in the African bush promises its own adventures. Each day begins with an early wake-up call at 5h00, followed by fresh coffee and a light breakfast at 5h30. Then we set off on our morning game drive in Klaserie private reserve at 6h00. The spectacular sights and sounds of Africa waking up can only be seen to be believed - this is the time of day when many wild animals are at their most active. Explore the various habitats within Klaserie in search of the Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo - and the many other animals that may cross your path, including giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hyenas, various antelopes, and primates. Your experienced guides are expert trackers and can share their knowledge of the things you encounter.
Between 9h00 and 10h00, return to nThambo Tree Camp for a delicious brunch. You then have the option of joining a guided bush walk or simply relaxing at the eco-camp.
There is no way to get closer to nature than on a bush walk. The walking safaris are led by trained safari guides who are trained for all encounters with Klaserie's animals. They give you a thorough demonstration of how to behave when encountering animals in the wild before you set off. Then you get to walk through the African bush as your guide tells you all about the environment around you - animal tracks, dung, the complexities of termite mounds. Being on foot, with no motors running, you will experience the sights, sounds, and aromas of Africa up close!
Back at your eco treehouse camp, refreshments and a light lunch are served, then more relaxation before you embark on a late afternoon game drive that lasts into the evening. En route, stop for sundowners as you watch a dramatic African sunset, then continue your drive in the dark in search of the nocturnal animals, like the leopard, who are just beginning to emerge. Other nocturnal animals which you may spot include bush babies, aardvarks, bat-eared foxes, and hyenas. Your safari guide will use a high-powered spotlight to seek out the creatures in the dark.
Returning to our intimate eco-camp between 19h00 and 20h00, enjoy a drink at the bar before a hearty dinner at 20h00. After dinner, tea, coffee, and drinks are served around the campfire, beneath the spectacular African night sky.
Enjoy one last early wake-up with a light breakfast snack before a final morning game drive in Klaserie. Make the most of your last game-viewing adventure and see how much your wildlife-spotting skills have already improved.
Then it's time to bid your friendly nThambo Tree Camp staff farewell, as your safari guide drives you back to the bush pub. Here, you are collected by the shuttle at about 10h45, which drives you back to the designated drop-off point, first in Pretoria, arriving at 17h00, and then OR Tambo in Johannesburg, arriving at 18h00. Here, your eco-friendly 5-Day Klaserie Treehouse Safari at nThambo Tree Camp comes to a close.
nThambo Tree Camp is an eco-friendly treehouse safari camp situated within the private Klaserie Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger. It has only five tented chalets, accommodating up to 10 people at most. Each suite is elevated on wooden stilts, with wooden floors, a thatched roof, canvas sides, and a balcony deck overlooking the trees and the African plains beyond. The treehouse-style eco chalets are placed strategically to give guests maximum privacy, eye-level with the trees. Each has an en-suite bathroom with a toilet and shower. The camp is solar powered, to ensure minimal impact on the environment, and each chalet comes with a plug point for charging camera batteries.
Meals are served in the thatched outdoor lounge and dining area that has sweeping views of the reserve, the on-site waterhole, and the distant Drakensberg mountain range. There is also a boma, with a traditional African campfire - a place to enjoy drinks before/after dinner, make friends, discuss the day's sightings and just enjoy the African night. There is also a small splash pool in the main camp area, for cooling off in the sweltering African heat, and a deck furnished with sun loungers and umbrellas for a refreshing place to unwind. During the dry winter months, elephants frequently visit the splash pool, often putting on an impressive display for those watching.
Klaserie Private Nature Reserve covers over 60,000 hectares within the Greater Kruger Park. There are no fences between the private reserves of Greater Kruger and the Kruger National Park, allowing the free movement of animals over an area of 2 million hectares. Due to this vast traversing area, Greater Kruger hosts an incredibly diverse array of animals, including the Big Five - lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos. Other animals include giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hyenas, various antelopes, and primates. Nocturnal creatures include wild dogs, cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, and civets. The birdlife in Greater Kruger National Park is also prolific, and you're sure to see hundreds of different species, including Ground Hornbill, vultures, eagles, starlings, and shrikes.
Access to Klaserie is restricted to guests staying within the Reserve, ensuring crowd-free game drives and a more exclusive safari experience. Off-road driving is permitted in the private reserves, allowing your experienced guides to safely get you close to the animals for great photo opportunities.
Klaserie is run by an NGO (non-governmental organization) that strives to protect the fauna and flora of the region. They run several projects, including the Children's Environmental Education Project, which interacts with local children about the importance of protecting their environment, and various studies of animals such as the Ground Hornbill, elephant, and buffalo of the area.
See our 3-Day Klaserie Treehouse Safari at nThambo Tree Camp
See our 4-Day Klaserie Treehouse Safari at nThambo Tree Camp
Collection times on the first day:
Drop-off times on the last day:
Note: Pick-up and drop-off are at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and a designated point in Pretoria. For more details and times, please enquire. Transport to and from these set locations is not included in the price of this Kruger Treehouse Camp Safari.
Please note that we offer convenient pre- and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after your Klaserie Treehouse 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. View pre- or post-safari lodge rates.
If you are looking for an excellent-value Kruger National Park safari, this 4-Day Kruger National Park Safari spends four days exclusively game-viewing within the Kruger National Park.
This tour does take children.
Children 12 years and under are not accepted on this Kruger Safari.
Children 13 years and older are welcome and pay the full adult rate.
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