Overview
A Kruger safari package that includes return road transfers from Johannesburg. Game drives in lush private parks—Timbavati and Balule—with accommodations in traditional thatched chambers and safari tents, each with private bathrooms. All meals are provided. Excellent possibility for animal sightings. It offers personalized guidance and hosting.
Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Early morning transfer to the Kruger (5-6Hours) to your lodge in Timbavati for lunch & a game drive
- Day 2: Timbavati hospitality with morning and afternoon game drives of three hours each
- Day 3: A full day in the National Park via Orpen Gate at sunrise to exit further North at sunset
- Day 4: The magnificent scenery of Balule with great animal sights on game drives morning & afternoon
- Day 5: Morning drive and breakfast before the shared transfer to the city
5-Day Kruger Landscapes - See Wildlife in Kruger Itinerary
The shared road transfer is by minibus, which departs from OR Tambo in the early morning. The trip takes 5-6 hours, with occasional breaks, to the Enkulu Gate of the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, where you may visit the charming Bush Pub. Your host will pick you up at the Bush Pub and transport you to the lodge, where lunch has been prepared. Accommodation is provided in large free-standing thatched cabins with ensuite toilets and a private terrace.
A three-hour afternoon wildlife drive ends at twilight with a sunset stop complete with beverages and nibbles. This portion of the Timbavati Private Game Reserve is well-known for its abundance of animals and the picturesque Nlaralumi seasonal river valley. The game drive continues after dark with a hand-held floodlight with the goal of spotting some of the many nocturnal animals that come out after dusk. Following the journey and a nice shower, we gather in the boma around the fire for dinner.
Main destination is Timbavati Private Nature Reserve (Greater Kruger).
Accommodation: Tamanini Timbavati Lodge
A full day in Timbavati, complete with warm hospitality and three-hour game drives in the morning and afternoon.
Both drives include a refreshment stop. Morning trips are often more leisurely. It's almost soothing to bumble about in the wilderness on a small two-track road looking for fresh animal feces, enjoying the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair. With this small and personalized safari lodge, your guides will share their opinions and talents with you, and visitors will feel involved in tracking and identifying the animals they see.
Back at the lodge, the thatched chalets are big and pleasant - cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Each cottage features a private terrace. The pool area has a thatched part and a bar with sun loungers and table dining. The well-established gardens provide great birding opportunities, and animals are frequently spotted near the grounds' boundaries, where a single-strand fence has been constructed to keep elephants out.
Main destination is Timbavati Private Nature Reserve (Greater Kruger).
Accommodation: Tamanini Timbavati resort, a mid-range resort within Timbavati National Park (Greater Kruger).
We leave the lodge at daybreak and travel 30 minutes to the National Park's Orpen Gate. We spend the entire day in the enormous reserve, heading north till we reach Phalaborwa, near Balule Game Reserve and the nDzuti tent camp.
We bring a picnic breakfast and flasks of tea and coffee. Once in the reserve, we'll drive east over the broad plains near Setara camp, which is famed for its zebra and wildebeest herds, as well as the lions that hunt them. Later, we head north along the Timabvati River, which features pools of water and basking crocodiles. Elephant herds visit the seasonal river, and the vast plains are home to endangered cheetahs.
We stop for lunch at one of the "rest camps" and order off the ala carte menu.
The landscape changes as the valley of the Olifant River and the steep terrain that surrounds the river channel lead to Mozambique's lowlands in the east.
As we travel west to the Balule and our tented safari camp, we see vast herds of buffalo along the forested banks of the wide sandy Letaba River.
Main destination: Balule Private Nature Reserve (Greater Kruger).
Accommodation: Dzuti Bush Camp
We leave the lodge at daybreak and travel 30 minutes to the National Park's Orpen Gate. We spend the entire day in the enormous reserve, heading north till we reach Phalaborwa, near Balule Game Reserve and the nDzuti tent camp.
We bring a picnic breakfast and flasks of tea and coffee. Once in the reserve, we'll drive east over the broad plains near Setara camp, which is famed for its zebra and wildebeest herds, as well as the lions that hunt them. Later, we head north along the Timabvati River, which features pools of water and basking crocodiles. Elephant herds visit the seasonal river, and the vast plains are home to endangered cheetahs.
We stop for lunch at one of the "rest camps" and order off the ala carte menu.
The landscape changes as the valley of the Olifant River and the steep terrain that surrounds the river channel lead to Mozambique's lowlands in the east.
As we travel west to the Balule and our tented safari camp, we see vast herds of buffalo along the forested banks of the wide sandy Letaba River.
Main destination: Balule Private Nature Reserve (Greater Kruger).
Accommodation: Dzuti Bush Camp
Experience a last morning game drive, a now-familiar experience, and delight in using your keen "bush eyes" to identify the species.
After having breakfast on the grounds beneath the trees with your traveling friends, have a nice shower outside under the open sky and make the quick drive to the gate to catch the shuttle to the city.
Main Location: No significant location was visited.
Accommodations: Not provided (tour ends)
