Greater Kruger · Safari destination
Timbavati Game Reserve
Where the white lions walk.
Home to the world's last wild white lions and over 40 mammal species, this exclusive Greater Kruger reserve hosts just twelve lodges across its wilderness.
Timbavati Game Reserve
Home of the white lions
The Timbavati's name travels because of something genuinely rare: the white lions that occur naturally here, a recessive gene expressed nowhere else in the wild with such regularity. Around that famous quirk sits a superb private reserve, unfenced into the Kruger system, with dense big-game country and a handful of intimate, owner-run lodges.
It shares everything with its glamorous Sabi Sand neighbour except the traffic and the tariff, which is exactly why safari connoisseurs keep choosing it.
- Are the white lions real, and will I see one?
- Real, wild and born here naturally: a rare recessive gene the Timbavati is famous for. Sightings are never guaranteed, white individuals appear in some prides and not others, but tawny lion viewing is consistently strong, and any white lion sighting is the stuff of a lifetime.
- Timbavati or Sabi Sand?
- The Sabi Sand has the leopard pedigree, the famous lodges and the price tag. The Timbavati offers the same unfenced Kruger ecosystem with fewer vehicles, a wilder feel and gentler rates. Choose it when exclusivity-per-rand matters more than label.
- Timbavati or Klaserie?
- Neighbours in the same open system, and honestly close. The Timbavati carries the white lion story and slightly denser lodge choice; the Klaserie leans even quieter and stronger on walking safaris. Either is a superb second-trip choice; many itineraries simply pick the best lodge available.
- When is the best time to visit?
- May to September for the classic dry-season game viewing. October is hot and intense around water; the green summer is beautiful, full of young animals and better value.
- How do I get there?
- Fly to Hoedspruit's Eastgate Airport, most lodges are within an hour's road transfer, or drive roughly five and a half hours from Johannesburg. Light-aircraft connections link onward to the Sabi Sand or Cape Town legs.
- What do the lodges cost?
- All-inclusive rates, drives, meals and most drinks, typically run from the low teens to the mid twenty-thousands of rand per person per night, noticeably below equivalent Sabi Sand properties. The lodges on this page carry live from-rates.
Tailor-made safaris
Safaris in Timbavati Game Reserve .
Most requested · 5 days
5 Day All-Inclusive Greater Kruger with Simbavati
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 4 nights at Simbavati River Lodge in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve
- Twice-daily game drives at dawn and dusk with expert rangers
- Big Five viewing with a chance of sighting the rare white lions
- Sundowners in the bush and spotlit night drives for nocturnal wildlife
Special offer available
From
R 51 390 normally R 64 510
per person, complete package
≈ R 102 780 for two · international flights excluded
Most requested · 5 days
5-Day MalaMala and Timbavati Luxury Safari
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 2 nights at Simbavati River Lodge in the Timbavati Reserve
- 2 nights at MalaMala Camp in the renowned MalaMala Game Reserve
- Twice-daily game drives in open 4x4 vehicles with expert rangers
- Big Five tracking across two of South Africa's top private reserves
From
R 97 870
per person, complete package
≈ R 195 740 for two · international flights excluded
Most requested · 3 days
3-Day Fly-In All-Inclusive &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 2 nights at &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge in a private Kruger concession
- Game drives across 14,700 hectares with Big Five viewing
- Guided bush walks and night drives on an unfenced reserve
- Sundowners at the rim-flow pool overlooking the lodge waterhole
From
R 47 610
per person, complete package
≈ R 95 220 for two · international flights excluded
5 days
5 Day Fly-in Safari to Timbavati Game Reserve
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 4 nights at Motswari Private Game Lodge in Timbavati
- Twice-daily game drives in a Big Five reserve
- Chance to track Timbavati's famed white lions and leopards
- All meals, house wines, local spirits and beers included
From
R 44 670
per person, complete package
≈ R 89 350 for two · international flights excluded
10 days · South Africa
10-Day Kruger to Cape Luxury Safari
Most meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 3 nights at Kings Camp in Timbavati, then 2 at Leopard Hills in Sabi Sand
- Twice-daily open-vehicle game drives with optional walking safaris
- Big Five viewing including Sabi Sand's renowned leopard sightings
- Ultimate Elephant Experience at Elephant Whispers with bush picnic
Special offer available
From
R 143 430 normally R 151 830
per person, complete package
≈ R 286 860 for two · international flights excluded
11 days · South Africa
11 Day Premier Cape Town & Kruger Safari
Most meals · Most activities · All flights & transfers
- 4 nights at One&Only Cape Town on the V&A Waterfront
- Optional add-ons: Table Mountain, Boulders Beach penguins, Cape Winelands
- 3 nights at Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp in the Big Five Sabi Sand
- 3 nights at andBeyond Ngala Tented Camp in Timbavati, home of the white lions
Special offer available
From
R 195 820 normally R 207 190
per person, complete package
≈ R 391 640 for two · international flights excluded
7 days · South Africa
7 Day Sumptuous Timbavati And Sabi Sand Safari
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 3 nights at Kings Camp in Timbavati, then 3 at Leopard Hills in Sabi Sand
- Twice-daily open-vehicle game drives with ranger and tracker
- Big Five viewing with chance of Timbavati's famous white lions
- Optional walking safaris with an armed ranger in both reserves
From
R 148 220
per person, complete package
≈ R 296 450 for two · international flights excluded
5 days
5 Day Timbavati Bush Adventure - All Inclusive Promotion
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 4 nights at Kambaku Safari Lodge in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
- Two daily game drives tracking the Big Five across Greater Kruger
- Optional morning bush walk after breakfast
- All meals and local-brand drinks included throughout the stay
Special offer available
From
R 36 260 normally R 44 960
per person, complete package
≈ R 72 530 for two · international flights excluded
5 days
5-Day All Inclusive Timbavati Fly-In Safari
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 4 nights at Rockfig Safari Lodge in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
- Open-vehicle game drives across 50,000 hectares bordering Kruger
- Big Five tracking with skilled trackers and rangers
- Chance to see Timbavati's indigenous white lions
From
R 96 000
per person, complete package
≈ R 192 010 for two · international flights excluded
5 days · South Africa
5-Day Ultra Luxurious Timbavati Fly-In Safari
All meals · All activities · All flights & transfers
- 4 nights in a luxury pool suite at Makanyi Private Game Lodge
- Twice-daily game drives in open vehicles with tracker and guide
- Big Five viewing across Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
- Bush walks, reserve picnics, stargazing and dinner under the stars
From
R 135 170
per person, complete package
≈ R 270 340 for two · international flights excluded
6 days · South Africa
6-Day Bush & Beach Safari
Most meals · Most activities
- 3 nights at Walkers Plains Camp in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
- Twice-daily game drives with experienced rangers in Big Five territory
- All meals and house beverages included at the bush camp
- 2 nights at Walkers Beach on the Plettenberg Bay shoreline
From
R 64 580
per person, complete package
≈ R 129 160 for two · international flights excluded
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Brochure
Southern Africa Guide
Southern Africa's icons, shaped into one itinerary: Greater Kruger, Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta and Cape Town.
Where to stay
Lodges in Timbavati Game Reserve .
18 lodges
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Premium Live availabilitySimbavati River Lodge
Simbavati River Lodge is situated along the Nhlaralumi River within the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, which borders Kruger National Park. One of its standout features is the popular waterhole located just below the dining deck, a favorite gathering spot for elephants. Between game drives, you can enjoy exceptional wildlife viewing right from the deck as animals come to the waterhole.
From R 13 500 per person · night
-
Premium Live availabilityAndBeyond Ngala Safari Lodge
Ngala Private Game Reserve shares unfenced borders with the world-renowned Kruger National Park, home to the Big Five. At Ngala Safari Lodge, you’ll experience an adventurous yet intimate safari, perfectly set in this exquisite landscape.
From R 14 180 per person · night · normally R 18 900
Special offer available
-
Affordable Live availabilityMotswari Private Game Reserve
Motswari Private Game Reserve, a family-owned and operated luxury safari lodge. Here, majestic creatures, including the Big Five, offer incredible viewing opportunities as they bask in their natural habitat.
From R 9 900 per person · night
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Premium Live availabilitySimbavati Hilltop Lodge
Simbavati Hilltop Lodge has one of the finest settings in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, an unfenced but private part of the Kruger Park. It’s perched on the hillside with wide-angle views over the bush and views to the distant mountains of the Drakensberg escarpment. Simbavati Hilltop Lodge offers an exclusive, authentic, and unforgettable African safari experience.
From R 20 400 per person · night
-
Premium Live availabilityKings Camp
Kings Camp is nestled within the private 53,392-hectare Timbavati Game Reserve, situated to the north and west of the renowned Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands. The Timbavati Game Reserve is famous for its stunning white lions, as well as the other members of the Big Five.
From R 18 500 per person · night
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Lux Live availabilityRockfig Safari Lodge
RockFig Safari Lodge located in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, features just six chalet-type suites, making it ideal for exclusive-use bookings for families or groups of friends.
From R 21 000 per person · night
-
Premium Live availabilityKambaku River Sands
Kambaku River Sands has received international acclaim for being one of the most frequented safari lodges in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.
From R 17 500 per person · night
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AffordableKambaku Safari Lodge
Nestled in the heart of the world renowned Timbavati Private Nature Reserve part of the Greater Kruger National Park, lies Kambaku Safari Lodge. The Lodge provides exclusive yet affordable accommodation that is meticulously designed.
From R 8 700 per person · night
Rates per person sharing, per night.
January
Green and full, cubs in the prides
Best time to visit
The white lion year.
The Timbavati runs on the lowveld's rhythm: dry-season concentration, green-season abundance, lions of both colours throughout.
Timbavati Game Reserve
Your guide to Timbavati Game Reserve .
When
The Kruger National Park experiences two distinct seasons: a dry winter from May to October and a wet summer from November to April. As the area is a year-round destination, when you choose to go largely depends on the type of experience you wish to have.
We rate the dry winter season as ideal for game viewing and safari walks. During this period, the vegetation thins out significantly and animals congregate around permanent waterholes, making them easier to spot. This is also a pleasant time to visit as there are relatively few mosquitoes and little to no rain. Day-time temperatures during winter are warm but not stiflingly hot. Visitors will need warm clothing for the chilly evenings and early-morning game drives.
At the end of the winter season, from around September to October, conditions can become very hot and humid. Concentrations of animals around water sources are at their peak, resulting in exceptional game viewing.
The summer rainfall period typically begins in November and continues until about April. The park is at its most beautiful as the vegetation becomes lush and green, providing an ideal backdrop for wildlife photography. This is also the calving season, when baby animals abound, and bird watching is at its best with the arrival of summer migrants. If you’re keen on combining your Kruger safari with a classic South African beach holiday, this is the time to visit.
Travellers looking to avoid the crowds should avoid Kruger during the peak tourist seasons from July to August and during the December/January South African school holidays.
Photos from our guests
A traveller's view.
Every photo below was taken by a guest of ours on a recent trip to Timbavati Game Reserve . No stock imagery, no marketing shots. What they saw, on their cameras.
Imagery
Timbavati Game Reserve , in pictures.
Recent travellers
Word from people who have just been to Timbavati Game Reserve .
Quotes pulled directly from Trustpilot. Where we have specific reviews mentioning Timbavati Game Reserve , those come up first. Otherwise these are recent five-star notes from across the trips we have planned.
"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!"
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