Timbavati Private Nature Reserve

Small private

We stayed at Simbavati River Lodge (part of Timbavati) and were blown away by the luxury of our rooms, the amazing service (they catered to our every need), the food (we are vegan, and they totally accommodated!) and the knowledge of our guide (Mbongene) and tracker - who took risks for himself by tracking on foot a pride of lions, just so we could see them up close. I highly recommend Simbavati to anyone, and would love to return with our son for more safari!

Breath taking

A great opportunity to get close to some incredible animals. There is loads to see here, and some great off road tracks to see it on. The staff were really welcoming and knowledgable about the animals and area. Definitely worth a visit.

We got to see the "Big Five" on our first drive, in less than 2 hours! It doesn't get much better than this...

amazing!!!!!!!!!!

we stayed in the tented lodge- the experience was beyond anything we could have dreamed of. The animals were terrific the guide and tracker JV and Glen were simply marvelous. We loved every second.

National Geographic right in front of my eyes!

If only words can describe what my eyes see and if only words can justify the magical feeling I experienced when I was at Timbavati Nature Reserve amongst the animals and nature. We got to a fantastic start as we saw two cheetahs sitting under a tree. According to our ranger (Amos) and watcher (Andrew) they've not seen any cheetah since more than 6 months ago. From then on the animals showed us who's in the house - lions, lioness, white lioness, leopard, rhinos, elephants, buffalos, hippos, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, impalas and kudus just to name a few. We saw them all! We even had the rare opportunity of seeing lions mating.
I've not been to other parks but I have to say that Timbavati exceeds my expectations. I hope that they continue to preserve the Park and make sure that the animals are protected from poachers. I can't imagine a future without these magnificent and beautiful animals.

Great accomodation, good sightings. A little bit more "bush" than the Sabi Sands.

Down-to-earth but comfortable bush experience! Amazing Wildlife!

We had an amazing time in Timbavati. It was our first introduction to the South African bush, and it was
truly amazing. We stayed at Shindzela Tented Camp. The small size of the camp makes for an intimate experience, and you have a chance to meet and make friends with the guides, as well as other guests from around the world. The tents are extremely comfortable, providing everything you need. Our guide, Eugene, and tracker, Guyane (spelling?) were outstanding. They were a great team, and their knowledge and skill resulted in some extremely close encounters with wildlife.

The game viewing at Timbavati was outstanding. During our transfer drive into the reserve, we saw a herd of elephants, including babies! During game drives, we saw lions on a recent kill, got very close to elephants, hyenas, giraffe, you name it. Being able to continue the game drives after dark is also amazing, hearing a lion roar after dark, spotting honey badgers and a jackal were all highlights once the sun set.

The overall experience and atmosphere at Timbavati was exactly what we were looking for, and better. If
you are looking for a rustic, yet comfortable, true bush experience, this is your place. We are already
talking about going back in the future, and staying more than 2 nights!!

A wonderful safari adventure was experienced and many cherished memories were made.

The Timbavati Nature Reserve safari was truly a magnificent adventure enjoyed very much by my daughter and myself. From the moment of our arrival at the airport, we were greeted and taken very good care by all whom we met. The Ngala Safari Lodge, which is part of &Beyond resorts, was most impressive! The individual thatched cottages were quite charming and we were beyond satisfied with every meal. With our remarkable ranger and tracker, we did see all the big five animals and so much more. Having the open jeep made the animal viewing much easier for all of us to see the animals. The highlight of the game rides was the breakfast in the bush! The staff managed to surprise us as we were out on a morning game ride when suddenly we came across a gorgeously laid out breakfast with table and chairs for all of us. Having been on several safari, I would definitely recommend the Timbavati Natual Reserve for a safari.