Timbavati Private Game Reserve
The Timbavati Private Game Reserve lies in the western region of the Kruger National Park, north of Sabi Sand Game Reserve, the borders between all of them unfenced allowing greater freedom of access to wild life.
This is typical lowveld terrain and home to the big 5, not least because the huge tracts of land that make up the Timbavati Game Reserve have only ever been very lightly inhabited and have thus remain largely unspoilt and wild. The Game Reserve has never had to resort to restocking its wild life.
The other famous fact about the Timbavati is its association with the white lions, known as the 'white lions of Timbavati'. Timbavati in ancient Sangaan means 'the place where something sacred came down to earth from the heavens' and refers to these genetically rare specimens that are not albino lions but are actually listed as a sub species of lion.
White lion cubs were first spotted in the Timbavati Reserve back in 1975 and today there is a whole pride of white lions in the greater Timbavati area. People come from all over the world to spot them, and they're the stuff of legends.
Pick your lodge
Contact us
Pack your bags!
We create memories not just holidays
Safari Lodge
Ngala Safari Lodge
Timbavati Private Game Reserve, South Africa
The magic and mystery of Africa come alive in the colonial ambiance of elegant Ngala Safari Lodge. A timeless, unhurried atmosphere, combined with the quaint traditions of a bygone era, creates an aura of romance and nostalgia.
Here, style and grace mingle faultlessly with the rugged natural beauty of the setting, as manicured lawns give way to dense mopane thickets and wild animals saunter down to drink at the waterhole.
Safari Lodge
Makanyi Private Game Lodge
Timbavati Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Makanyi is located in the southern sector of the Timbavati, it couldn’t be better located. The Timbavati is an area of prime game viewing, home to the “Big Five” and a place to enjoy excellent sightings of the Wild Dogs, when they come through. They are in the Greater Kruger National Park, an area of over 2.4 million hectares in which animals roam freely and, being one of very few commercial lodges in this area, it is a truly wild, authentic and private experience.
Every one of Makanyi’s seven luxury suites overlooks the magnificent dam and comes with an extra large bed, a relaxing sitting area with its own fireplace, a beautiful bathroom with a spacious shower and separate bathtub, a private deck with loungers and an outdoor shower.
Safari Lodge
Ngala Tented Camp
Timbavati Private Game Reserve, South Africa
While Ngala Tented Camp never lets you forget that you are in the wild, there is nothing primitive about this chic and contemporary camp. The romance of canvas, with big night sounds and flickering lanterns mingles with the simple sophistication of polished wooden decks, textured fabrics and clean lines.
Ngala is a true safari experience where guests go to bed to the sounds of lion calling, safely cosseted in modern tented suites and pampered with the warm hearted service that embodies the soul of Africa.