
&Beyond Ngala Tented Camp
This is how safari should be done: under canvas in a remote and exclusive setting. Don't let the thought of nights under canvas put you off: the rooms are still superbly well appointed and comfortable.
Perched above a dry riverbed and facing a seasonal waterhole, the Bateleur Safari Camp is located deep within the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. A simple, eco-friendly camp, it offers an exceptional wildlife experience, with a focus on walking. For example, on a morning game drive, you and your guide might leave the vehicle to head into the bush on foot to track elephant or rhino.
The canvas-and-reed chalets face the river and are equipped with comfortable beds, en suite bathrooms and a private sandy terrace. Family rooms sleep four, in slightly larger rooms with both inside and outside showers as well as a bathtub and a wooden deck. The honeymoon room is the most private, with a spacious decked terrace, bathtub and inside and outside shower.
The main draw of this delightful camp are the informal communal areas. Help yourself to a drink from the honesty bar and spend the afternoon by the pool, play a game of cards or just enjoy the view — elephant, rhino and buffalo are frequent visitors along the riverbed. In the evenings, enjoy a pre-dinner drink round the campfire with your ranger to discuss the day’s sightings.
Sleeping a maximum of 16 people, the camp offers spacious, serene safari-style chalet. Each unit has a thatched roof and private patio, breathable canvas sides and generously sized windows. Some units have an interior bathtub and a private outdoor shower.
Bateleur Safari Camp is situated within the game-rich Timbavati Private Reserve, which shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park, allowing the animals to roam freely.
There are family-sized rooms available, and children are welcome on game-drives but limited on walks.
Bateleur Safari Camp was designed to have as small a footprint as possible. For example, the tents have canvas walls instead of concrete ones, allowing you to enjoy closer interaction with the outdoors. No trees were removed during the building process, so the camp blends into its surroundings easily.
We like Bateleur Safari Camp as a good-value alternative to the more indulgent options in the area. The thatched tents are simple, but you can enjoy more activities than at other nearby camps.
Where possible, we like to offer a range of accommodation for each stop of your trip, chosen by our specialists as some of their favourite places to stay. To help you make the right choice, we give each property a rating based on its facilities and service, but we also look for hotels with distinct character or a location that can’t be bettered.
This is how safari should be done: under canvas in a remote and exclusive setting. Don't let the thought of nights under canvas put you off: the rooms are still superbly well appointed and comfortable.
Found in the heart of Timbavati Private Game Reserve, the intimate RockFig Safari Lodge has just six exclusive suites featuring thoughtful furnishings, a private veranda, and a bath with a view overlooking the bushveld below.