This 4-day Timbavati walking safari stays at Bateleur Camp, an intimate safari lodge in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, part of Greater Kruger. Enjoy extended bush walks with highly proficient guides and trackers, as well as open vehicle game drives in the renowned Timbavati Private Game Reserve of Greater Kruger Park.
Early on the first morning of this affordable Greater Kruger Walking Safari, you are collected from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Leaving the country's economic capital, we travel northeast towards Timbavati Private Game Reserve in an air-conditioned transfer vehicle. Arrive at Bones Bush Pub, at the entrance to Timbavati, between 13h15 and 13h45 pm. One of the Bateleur Safari Camp drivers will collect you and take you to the lodge inside the Timbavati Game Reserve.
Lunch is served shortly after you arrive at Bateleur Safari Camp. After a delicious lunch, you are free to unwind at the safari camp, tucked away in the bush. Later, we embark on our first exhilarating game-viewing activity in the Timbavati Game Reserve, which forms part of the Greater Kruger Park. Set off on a late afternoon game drive in an open 4x4 safari vehicle, or you may opt to take your first guided bush walk.
Returning to Bataleur after our first thrilling wildlife encounters in Timbavati, we enjoy a hearty dinner in the dining area while looking out for wildlife and birds along the riverbed and at the seasonal waterhole nearby. After dinner, you can have drinks around the campfire, listening to the sounds of the African bush around you. At the end of your first exciting day on safari, retreat to the comfort of your spacious safari accommodation for a peaceful night's sleep.
Spend days two and three experiencing the African bush up close and spotting a host of African animals and birds in the wild. Game viewing activities are conducted in the exclusive Bateleur traversing area of Timbavati Greater Kruger Park, where an abundance of wildlife is found. No fences separate the Bateleur property from Kruger National Park proper, allowing wildlife to roam freely between these wilderness areas. All of Africa's iconic Big Five animals (rhino, leopard, lion, buffalo and elephant) are regularly sighted in the camp's traversing area, along with other rare and fascinating wildlife species.
A typical day on safari begins with an early morning snack (biscuits or rusks) and coffee or tea, before heading out into the bush at sunrise. For game walks, you either set off into the bush on foot from camp or drive out in search of animal tracks to follow on foot. Mornings are ideal for game viewing, given the relatively cool temperatures, increased activity levels of the animals, and the excellent lighting. Your guide takes you in search of the Big Five and other incredible animals, with regular sightings including buffalo and elephant herds, endangered black and white rhinos, the majestic big cats, and packs of endangered African wild dogs, to name a few. On the game drives, you get to cover more ground, sighting a variety of animals across a range of habitats. In contrast, on the game walk, you experience the bushveld ecosystem up close, taking in the details and appreciating the smaller creatures and plants.
After the adventure-filled morning game viewing activity, you return to camp for breakfast, followed by free time to rest and relax. Take a nap in your comfortable room, have a refreshing swim in the pool, or settle down in a comfy spot to read and keep a lookout for birds and animals around the camp. On either day two or three, you will be treated to an informative bushcraft and survival skills demonstration at the camp. This interesting instructional activity teaches basic tracking, navigation, and bush survival skills.
A light lunch is served in the dining area before the afternoon game viewing activity kicks off. In the late afternoon, your guide takes you back out into Greater Kruger on your choice of a bush walk or an open vehicle game drive. On the game drives, we stop in a scenic spot as sunset approaches to soak up the beautiful scenery with sundowners, continuing the game drive into the evening in search of the elusive nocturnal creatures that begin to emerge.
As night falls, we return to camp, gathering in the dining area for a tasty dinner and dessert. Indulge in a nightcap, sitting back around the cosy campfire where fireside stories are exchanged and plans for the next game viewing adventure are discussed. Tune into the nighttime sounds of the African bush and its wild inhabitants, marvelling at the blanket of bright stars, after a long and eventful day in Timbavati.
Start the final day of your Timbavati walking safari bright and early with morning tea or coffee and snacks before heading out into the untamed wilderness in search of wildlife. Your guide takes you on your last guided bush walk or game drive, giving you one more opportunity to put your improved game viewing skills to the test. After revelling in the last wildlife encounters of this safari, we return to Bataleur Safari Camp for breakfast in the dining area.
Then it’s time to say our reluctant farewells, leaving Bateleur Camp and Timbavati behind and taking the memories of a lifetime with you. You arrive back at Bones Bush Pub in time for your transfer back to Johannesburg, departing at 10h45 this morning. The shuttle service takes you back to OR Tambo International Airport, dropping you off between 17h00 and 18h00 pm. Here, your excellent-value Greater Kruger walking safari comes to an end.
The Bateleur property occupies 3,500 hectares in the heart of the renowned Timbavati Private Nature Reserve of the Greater Kruger. It enjoys a restricted 10,000-hectare traversing area in Timbavati, which means guests often encounter no other vehicles during their game drives, enjoying an exclusive safari experience!
Bateleur Safari Camp is a medium-sized safari camp ideally suited to couples, solo travellers and small groups looking for an authentic and intimate African bush and wildlife experience. Bateleur Main Camp was designed to keep its environmental impact to a minimum. The camp's main area consists of a lounge, bar and dining area overlooking a riverbed and seasonal waterhole, with a covered wooden deck next to the chemical-free swimming pool. There is an open-air boma with a fireplace and chairs, adjacent to the outdoor barbecue (braai) area where the chef often prepares meals over the open fire.
Free-standing safari units come with en-suite bathroom, and consist of thatched A-frame structures with thick canvas sides, with large windows and double wooden doors, and leading onto a covered patio. Doors and windows are fitted with mosquito screens and roll-down flaps so that guests feel close to nature. These spacious safari units provide good levels of comfort (quality linen, towels, comfortable beds and adequate furnishings) and modern amenities (plug points for charging batteries and solar-powered lights and fans).
Bateleur Main Camp has a two-strand electric ‘elephant fence’ around it, which keeps elephants out but allows other animals to enter the camp area. Guests are given a safety briefing upon arrival and advised to remain in their en-suite safari units at night. There are no full fences between Bateleur Camp and Timbavati, which in turn shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park proper. During your stay, you are likely to see various animals and birds in the camp area. Nyalas, warthogs and bushbuck are frequently sighted. Elephants, buffalo and rhinos are often spotted walking along the riverbed in front of the camp and at night, various wild animals walk through the camp under the cover of darkness.
During your Timbavati Safari, you embark on guided game-viewing activities every morning at sunrise and again in the late afternoon to evening. Qualified game rangers and trackers take you on game drives or bush walks and are armed to ensure your safety in the big game territory of Greater Kruger.
There are at least two highly proficient, armed head guides and at least two experienced trackers present at Bateleur Safari Camp at all times to ensure that guests wanting to embark on game drives only can be accommodated, whilst other guests can opt to do the walking safaris. Before embarking on game-viewing activities, your guide consults with the group to determine interests and preferences. They also consider the energy and fitness levels of group members. Drawing on his or her intimate knowledge of the local wildlife and weather conditions, your expert guide then discusses the best options for your group.
Although you can choose to spend all of your game viewing time on game drives, guests are encouraged (but not pressured) to spend a bit of time exploring on foot. Bateleur prides itself on its exceptional game walks and is rated as a leading destination for walking safaris in South Africa. The extended guided bush walks at Bateleur set the safari camp apart from standard lodges, where short mid-morning walks are generally offered as an optional extra. Bataleur's extended game walks are very immersive and can last up to three or four hours, replacing game drives. Alternatively, you can embark on a game drive with the option to continue on foot once interesting animal activity and tracks have been found in the bush. Walking with armed rangers in this truly wild part of Africa is a rare and special wilderness experience that will never be forgotten!
The game drives on this safari are conducted in open safari vehicles, enabling guests to get closer to the animals and take unobstructed photographs. After dark, powerful spotlights are used to light the way and search out nocturnal animals.
On a Timbavati bush walk safari, the focus is on learning about the wonders of nature, plants and animals, big and small. You are immersed in the African bush habitat with its free-roaming wildlife, sharing the trails and waterholes of the wild animals as you explore their lives and their space. The minimum age for walking safaris is 12 years, and an average fitness level is required - especially during the hotter summer months (from October to April).
Requests specifically for bush walks or for game drives are accommodated as far as possible each day, but the lodge manager or lead game ranger ultimately decides the schedule, taking factors such as the weather and animal movements into account. Rest assured, whether you take a game drive or bush walk, the staff go the extra mile to exceed your expectations.
During your stay at Bateleur Safari Camp, you will be treated to a practical demonstration of bushcraft practices and survival techniques (weather allowing). Find out how to survive in the bush - lighting fires, making ropes and water containers, setting snares and putting items that you find in the bush to use. During the guided bush walks, your guide also instructs you on basic tracking and shares navigation skills. This unusual bushcraft information and survival skills demonstration is popular with guests and not widely offered elsewhere.
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve was formed in 1956 by an association of private landowners striving to further conservation and restore the area to its natural state. In 1993, fences between Timbavati and Kruger National Park were removed, making the private game reserve part of the Greater Kruger Park. Today, Timbavati covers about 60,000 hectares of spectacular wilderness along the western edge of Kruger National Park, sharing unfenced borders with both Kruger Park and Sabi Sands to the south, allowing wildlife to roam freely within this region. The reserve is home to more than 40 mammal species, including the famous Big Five of Africa, and about 350 bird species. Timbavati is best known for the rare, endemic white lions discovered here in the 1970s.
Please note that we offer convenient pre- and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after your Timbavati Walking Safari at Bateleur Camp, 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 accommodation 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.
The minimum age requirement for bush walks is 12 years of age.
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