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Write a User ReviewTimbavati: Echoes of Kruger
Timbavati is an extension of Kruger National Park – there are no fences between the two – with all of the wildlife possibilities that brings. Effectively a patchwork of private concessions and community lodges, Timbavati can be difficult to get an overall sense of. But that rarely matters as most of the lodges and camps keep to their own corner of the reserve, and it was in Timbavati that I first saw all of the Big Five on a single afternoon’s game drive. Waterholes draw elephants and lions, while spotted hyena, rhino and leopard lurk in the woodlands, and buffalo and other plains prey species are everywhere. It’s rare here to have more than a couple of vehicles on any sighting and, unusually for the Greater Kruger reserves, accommodation is a good mix of top-end and mid-range.
Pretty much guaranteed Big Five
Timbavati is part of the Greater Kruger Area, and having dropped its fences, game is free to wander between here, Kruger National Park and the surrounding private reserves. Timbavati makes a great first-time destination if you’ve never been on safari before – you are almost guaranteed to see the Big Five, and close up. There are a variety of high-end lodges, all offering pretty much the same wildlife viewing experience – they just differ in degrees of luxuriousness. Personally, I prefer the tented camps, rather than being in a brick chalet, as I like to hear the wildlife sounds at night. The disadvantage of Timbavati is the thick bush, and the central tar road takes away a little of the wilderness feeling. You may also have to await your turn at a sighting – although this is managed very well.
Up-close encounters in luxurious surrounds
Self-drive safaris are fun, but you'll likely never get the sightings that you can experience on a guided drive. Timbavati is dotted with luxurious lodges, each offering wildlife drives, walks and other activities like bush breakfasts. Our trip coincided with an unseasonably rainy weekend and we expected the wet weather to put a literal dampener on our wildlife watching. Instead our guide, a man whose party piece was reciting from a memorized birding book, treated us to glimpses of things we'd never seen before – a hippo foraging on the river bank, baby hyenas sniffing the jeep's tyres while the mothers lounged nearby, a leopard seeing off an opportunistic hyena and a pack of wild dogs stalking their prey. Off-road driving is probable and with no fences between Timbavati and the Kruger, sightings of at least some of the Big Five are virtually guaranteed.
Bushveld Bliss in Timbavati
Wildlife sightings here are excellent, with leopard encounters rivaling the best in Africa. As in Sabi Sand, guides communicate via radio to share sightings, which means game drives can sometimes feel a little orchestrated. Only three vehicles are allowed at a sighting at a time, so while you’ll see a lot, you may spend limited time with each animal before making way for others.
Most lodges in Timbavati cater to high-end travelers. On my last visit, however, I stayed at Umlani Bushcamp, which was refreshingly rustic and down-to-earth. The camp has no
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electricity, and meals are served at a large communal table, giving a sense of immersion in the bush that luxury lodges can sometimes lack.Home of white lions
Almost three times as large as Sabi Sands, but boasting a fraction of the number of camps, Timbavati sprung to fame in the 1970s when it was discovered to harbour a population of white lions. The lions were removed to a zoo shortly afterwards, but white individuals are still born here quite regularly, thanks to the high incidence of the recessive gene that causes the phenomenon. Today, however the best reason to visit Timbavati us that it offers a comparable game experience to Sabi Sands, but tends to be far less crowded around top sightings. All the big five are present (though rhinos are relatively scarce) and while it is not so famed for leopards as Sabi Sands and surrounds, I had one of my finest leopard sightings ever here. An excellent alternative to the better known private reserves to its south.