1 / 19
Lodge · Timbavati
Makanyi Private Game Lodge
Makanyi Private Game Lodge offers a truly unique and intimate experience, set in a secluded part of the Timbavati where there are no other lodges, just a handful of private homes, and allows you to immerse yourself in the beauty of the bush, creating the feeling of having the entire wilderness all to yourself.
From R 23 250 per person sharing, per night
Special offer available on selected dates.
Lodge · Timbavati
Makanyi Private Game Lodge
Makanyi Private Game Lodge offers a truly unique and intimate experience, set in a secluded part of the Timbavati where there are no other lodges, just a handful of private homes, and allows you to immerse yourself in the beauty of the bush, creating the feeling of having the entire wilderness all to yourself.
Live availability
Makanyi Private Game Lodge
Please hang on while we search…
Please choose a check-out date that comes after your check-in date.
Live availability
Makanyi Private Game Lodge
Tell us a little about your trip and a safari specialist will be in touch within as little as 15 minutes during working hours.
Live, available now
About the lodge
An overview of Makanyi Private Game Lodge .
Makanyi Private Game Lodge offers a truly unique and intimate experience, set in a secluded part of the Timbavati where there are no other lodges, just a handful of private homes, and allows you to immerse yourself in the beauty of the bush, creating the feeling of having the entire wilderness all to yourself.
Highlights
- Private and secluded bush experience
- 6-seater game drive vehicle – "Window Seat Guaranteed"
- Tailor-made game drives
- Incredible wildlife encounters from the comfort of your room or the dining area
- Gourmet South African cuisine – locally sourced
- Romantic in-room dining experience
- Starlit Boma dining experience
You Should Know
No children under 14 years of age are permitted in any suite unless the lodge is booked on an exclusive basis.
The Detail
The lodge offers five spacious Luxury Suites with an open-plan design, boasting stunning views of the bush and waterhole. Each suite features custom-made furnishings, indoor and outdoor showers, freestanding bathtubs, and a cozy gas fireplace.
For enhanced privacy, the lodge also offers two Luxury Pool Suites, complete with private plunge pools and breathtaking bush views. Families and small groups can opt for the expansive Marula Suite, which includes two en-suite bedrooms, a dining room, and a spacious living room with cable TV.
With all meals served at the main lodge, guests can indulge in home comforts while fully immersing themselves in the natural beauty of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.
Price Includes
- All meals and beverages offered at Makanyi
- Two daily game drives
- Other daily activities taking place in the lodge area, such as bush walks, picnics, and seasonal star gazing
- Use of the gym
- Laundry service
You pay the lodge's rate, never a markup.
The same as booking direct
Rates and dates.
Per person sharing, per night. Final pricing depends on dates, room category and party size.
Valid until 31 Mar 2027
Shoulder
1 Nov 2026 – 19 Dec 2026
Full Board - All meals, beverages, two daily game drives, and daily activities in the lodge area
Special offer
R 23 250
per person · night · normally R 31 000
Rates are per person sharing, per night. Where a reduced rate is shown, it reflects a stay-pay or long-stay offer for those dates; honeymoon and other offers are applied separately when we prepare your quote. A single supplement may apply for solo travellers. We offer a price match guarantee, just ask your safari specialist.
Current offers
Special offer available.
Where the rates above show a saving, it comes from a stay-pay or long-stay offer. Honeymoon offers are applied by your safari specialist when preparing your quote.
Stay & Pay
Stay 4 nights and only pay for 3. Valid 5 Jan-31 Aug | 1 Nov–19 Dec 2026, and 10 Jan–30 April 2027. Standard terms apply. Excludes 1 Sept–31 Oct 2026 and 20 Dec 2026–09 Jan 2027. Not combinable with other offers.
Honeymoon offer
For couples celebrating a wedding.
Documented from Kambaku Lodges's 2026 rate sheet. A formal offer you can claim, not marketing language.
Honeymoon Special
Save 50% on one of the couple's accommodation costs; bottle of South African MCC & welcome platter; private dinner; romantic turndown; complimentary 30-minute massage each
Honeymooning couples staying at Makanyi Private Game Lodge receive a 50% saving on one of the couple's accommodation costs. The offer is valid year-round until 31 March 2027, requires a minimum 2-night stay, and must be taken within 6 months of the wedding date. Proof of wedding date is required. The conservation levy still applies in full each night. Inclusions are a bottle of South African MCC & welcome platter, a private dinner, a romantic turndown, and a complimentary 30-minute massage per guest.
- Minimum stay
- 2 nights
- Valid
- 31 March 2027
- Proof
- Proof of wedding date required
Sourced from operator rate sheets and audited by our safari specialists. Terms and eligibility may change. Your specialist confirms all offers at the time of booking.
Photographic safari options
Built for photographers.
Specific photographic infrastructure available at Makanyi Private Game Lodge, taken from Kambaku Lodges's published rate sheets, not marketing copy.
Photographic vehicle
Private Vehicle with Professional Wildlife Photographer. Tutor
Makanyi offers a private vehicle adapted with specialised photographic equipment (equipment not included) for a minimum 2-day immersive photographic safari, accompanied by a professional wildlife photographer and tutor. The vehicle must be booked for the full duration of the stay, and advance pre-booking is essential subject to availability. Rates are available on request.
Private vehicle adapted with specialized equipment for professional photography; equipment not included, to be rented separately from Africa Photographic Services (advance notice required); minimum 2-day immersive photographic safari; max 6 guests per vehicle.
- Cost
- rates on request
- Availability
- advance booking required, subject to availability
Specialist guide
Professional Wildlife Photographer. Tutor (Photo Host)
Makanyi can provide a professional wildlife photographer and tutor to accompany guests on a private vehicle for a minimum 2-day immersive photographic safari. This is booked in conjunction with the private photographic vehicle and is subject to availability at the time of booking.
Professional wildlife photographer / tutor; minimum 2-day immersive photographic safari; must be booked with the private vehicle.
- Cost
- rates on request
- Availability
- advance booking required, subject to availability
Camera Rental
Camera Equipment Rental (Africa Photographic Services)
Guests on the photographic safari package at Makanyi can rent camera equipment from Africa Photographic Services. Advance notice is required to arrange the rental, and the equipment is not included in the vehicle or tutor rate.
Camera equipment rental via Africa Photographic Services; advance notice required; specific camera bodies and lenses not stated in the excerpt.
- Availability
- advance booking required
Sourced from operator rate sheets and audited by our safari specialists. Prices and availability subject to change. Your specialist confirms at booking.
Family policies
Travelling with children.
What our safari specialists know about bringing children to Makanyi Private Game Lodge, current as of May 2026. They plan family trips here all the time, so anything below that needs arranging, they will sort. For the bigger picture, see our guide to safari with children .
- Minimum ages
- Stay 12+ · Game drives 12+ · Walking safari 12+
- Child rates
- A third person aged 12–18 sharing a Luxury Suite pays 50% of the per person per night sharing rate, subject to availability (proof of age required). Not available in a Luxury Pool Suite.
- Family rooms
- No dedicated family unit.
- Care
- No dedicated kids' programme
- Exceptions
-
The minimum age at Makanyi is 12 across the lodge. Children under 12 are not accepted in any suite unless the lodge is booked on an exclusive (sole-use) basis, in which case all ages are welcome. Third-person child sharing (ages 12–18) is only permitted in a Luxury Suite and is not available in a Luxury Pool Suite. A private game-drive vehicle can be booked (subject to availability, maximum six guests per vehicle, must be booked for the full duration of the stay).
Sleep-outs
Under the stars.
Star beds, sleep-out hides, walking sleep-outs and overnight platforms documented at Makanyi Private Game Lodge.
Sleep-out hide
Adventure Sleep Out Hide
Makanyi Private Game Lodge offers an adventure sleep-out hide set on the banks of Nduna ('Old Wise Man') Dam, where game regularly come to drink. This raised, three-tiered structure places guests in the middle of the bush — dam on one side, bushveld on the other — with an en-suite bathroom featuring a shower, flush toilet, gowns and slippers, and a super-sized bed open to the African night sky. Guests arrive after dinner, enjoy a pre-bedtime drink under the stars, and are collected by their guide for the morning drive. The experience is priced as an add-on to standard accommodation and is weather-dependent, with payment taken on departure only.
Max 2 guests. Three-tiered raised deck structure. En-suite bathroom with shower, flush toilet, gowns and slippers. Guests retain their lodge room while staying in the hide. Children must be old enough to remain in the lodge unaccompanied if parents wish to sleep out (no babysitters available overnight). Weather-dependent — cannot be pre-paid; payable in camp on departure only. Can be pre-booked. Must be booked in conjunction with lodge accommodation (cannot be booked independently). Price listed as ZAR 2,000 pppn additional to accommodation cost (2022 rate; subject to change).
- Cost
- ZAR 2,000 pppn additional to accommodation cost (2022)
- Availability
- Subject to weather conditions; advance booking recommended; payable on departure only
Sourced from operator rate sheets and audited by our safari specialists. Prices and availability subject to change. Your specialist confirms at booking.
Cultural
Beyond the game drive.
Community visits, cultural walks, and dining experiences documented at Makanyi Private Game Lodge.
Village visit
Sigagule Village Walking Tour
A guided walking tour of Sigagule Village, supporting the Nourish Eco Village initiative that works to build resilient local communities through tourism. The tour includes an opportunity to purchase handmade crafts from local villages at the on-site Craft Shop, and cold drinks are available at the bar at extra cost.
Community project visit
Nourish Eco Village Immersion Tour
An immersive tour of the Nourish Eco Village, a community project focused on creating sustainable income and skills for local community members. The initiative aims to break the poverty cycle by building healthy, educated communities with access to opportunities, with a direct link to reducing poaching in rural areas.
Sourced from operator rate sheets and audited by our safari specialists. Prices and availability subject to change. Your specialist confirms at booking.
Imagery
A closer look.
Your specialist for this lodge
Safari Specialist - Southern Africa & East Africa
Knows Makanyi Private Game Lodge backwards. Your direct contact from first enquiry to the day you come home.
"Sara Van Coillie was an absolute pleasure to work with. Our trip to Hoedspruit and Timbavati was fantastic and everything she organized went seamlessly. I would 💯 recommend her and the company. Thank you Sara!"
Speak to a safari specialist
Let's design your stay.
From your first enquiry to the day you come home, one named safari specialist looks after every detail. We can handle the whole trip, not just the stay at Makanyi Private Game Lodge : multi-country itineraries, internal flights, road transfers, tipping guidance, travel insurance, the lot. A safari specialist will be in touch within as little as 15 minutes during working hours.
Planning something beyond the ordinary?
Private & bespoke travel