TRIP OVERVIEW
Seven days / Six nights duration
Big Five game viewing + more
Open borders to Kruger National Park
Eco-friendly camp surrounded by wilderness
Photographic guidance throughout
Private vehicle and field guide
Optional editing tuition in between game drives
Trip includes:
+ Hoedspruit airport pick up and drop off
+ Ground transfers to and from Timbavati
+ Six nights in Timbavati
+ All meals, tea, coffee and water
+ All game drives
+ All conservation levies and gate fees
+ Photographic guidance throughout
Trip excludes:
- Any accommodation or travel outside of itinerary
- Drinks (available as extra purchase at bar)
- Laundry
- Items of a personal nature
- Tips for local guides and lodge staff
- Travel insurance
ABOUT TIMBAVATI
Buffalos, lions, giraffes, wildebeest, impalas, baboons, cheetahs, leopards, and the rare white lion – the list of wildlife in the Timbavati Game Reserve is mind-blowing and goes on and on.
This private game reserve, adjacent to Kruger, has over 40 mammals roaming freely. Covering 75.000 hectares of bush, you will experience a more intimate and personal affair with wildlife than anywhere else. Being in a private game reserve, jeeps are allowed to go off-road – in contrast to Kruger Park where vehicles are restricted to paved roads – and get much closer to animals.
The bright white icing on the cake in Timbavati Game Reserve is the presence of the rare white lion. A crème-coloured coat, ice blue eyes; their beauty is captivating. Although born with a snow-white coat, white lions are not albinos; it is the result of a rare colour mutation. White lions are indigenous to the Timbavati Game Reserve and the earliest records of sighting them in this region date from 1938.
Due to an agreement of all parties in 1999, the fence was taken down. Now, no fences separate Timbavati’s 75.000 hectares from the Kruger Park, so herds are free to track along the ancient paths they roamed for ages. In the Timbavati Game Reserve, wildlife can be viewed up close, since vehicles are allowed to approach animals within six meters.
Beside the Big Five and dozens of other mammals, here is one exclusively for the birdwatchers among us.Get your cameras ready for the ‘Big Six’: Lappet faced Vulture, Martial Eagle; Saddle billed Stork, Kori Bustard, Ground Hornbill and Pel’s Fishing Owl. Africa’s most intriguing feather friends!
ITINERARY
Day One
Arrive at Hoedspruit airport and be met by Sam at arrivals. Meet the rest of your group and then head off to Timbavati. The drive to the lodge is between 1 and 1.5hrs. Upon arrival at our lodge, take the time to adjust to your new surroundings and settle in before lunch.
First game drive, an introductory drive to the reserve, kicks off in the mid afternoon. We stop to celebrate the first safari at sunset with a drink before heading back to the lodge at night. We're welcomed back to the lodge and dinner is shortly served
Day Two - Six
It's an early morning start as we head out with the sunrise on gamedrive. We stop half way through for a short coffee break before heading back to the lodge mid-late morning. Breakfast is served at the lodge
The rest of the day, until lunch and our second daily game drive, is our own time. This is when your photographic host will provide one-on-one bespoke tuition and editing guidance. However, this is also a great time to see what animals turn up for a drink at the nearby waterhole. Alternatively, you can use the time to relax - have a drink at the bar, take a swim in the pool or a read a book with a view of the bush.
After some lunch, we depart again for our game drive and then arrive back to the lodge for dinner.
Day Seven
After our final game drive and breakfast, we check out from the lodge and head back to Hoedspruit airport where say our goodbyes.
YOUR HOST
" I've been a professional wildlife photographer for over a decade, photographing the flora and fauna of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and South Africa - a country I consider as a second home.
I spent four years living in the Limpopo province of South Africa amidst the wildlife and on the doorstep of the famous Kruger National Park, teaching international guests the specifics of wildlife photography and aiding conservation initiatives.
Over the years I've seen my photography and writing published across various platform through the likes of National Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Travel Africa, Wildcard Magazine, Africa Geographic, Getaway Magazine, Nature TTL, Tracks4Africa and more locally in the Limpopo-based publications of the Klaserie Chronicle and the Hoedspruit Explorer magazines
I love being creative and photography is a fantastic outlet for showcasing one's artistic sensibilities. However, I truly feel that with nature and wildlife - it should be more about what's in front of the camera and less about the person behind it. As much as I put my own creative stamp on my imagery, it's also important to me that my work truthfully and honestly reflects and the wildlife and scenery that was in front of me. "
ACCOMMODATION
Situated within the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa, Shindzela offers guests an authentic African wildlife experience. The eco-friendly (solar-powered) camp is the perfect place where one can feel part of the bush. The team at the camp are passionate about conservation and our staff strive to make guests feel right at home.
The safari-style tents are situated under thatch (grass-roof structures) and can be made up in either twin or double-bedded accommodation. Enjoy your morning coffee on your wooden deck or freshen up in your semi-open en-suite bathroom (shower, WC and handbasin). The camp can accommodate a maximum of 16 guests in total in 8 safari tents where you will be treated to our warm South African hospitality in a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy and soak up the true African wilderness.
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