Kings Camp

OVERVIEW:

Kings Camp is listed in the Seasons in Africa group portfolio. As such, it provides high-quality accommodation, facilities, and service. Since 1988, the camp has been managed by husband and wife Warren and Lisha Moore, and in 2011 a self-contained four-bedroom villa was added – it’s known as Waterbuck Private Camp. Unsurprisingly, Kings holds a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor! The camp is booked on a full-board basis, including accommodation, three meals daily, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, game drives, and game walks. Children aged under 12 years incur 50 per cent of the adult rate, and the camp is open all year round.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

The camp can be accessed via road transfer from the airports of Kruger Mpumalanga, Skukuza, and Phalaborwa. There’s a local airstrip too. Kings is situated in the centre of the Timbavati Game Reserve, overlooking open savanna and a popular waterhole!

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT KINGS CAMP:

There are six luxury suites, two honeymoon suites, and one suite for family use. All suites occupy classic timber, stone, and thatch structures dotted around the well-kept grounds. Each luxury suite is designed to accommodate a maximum of two travellers, and it contains a king-size bed with mosquito nets, bedside tables and lighting, end-of-bed seating, a full-length mirror, and ample storage space. There’s also a separate lounge, featuring a well-cushioned sofa and a couple of upright chairs around a coffee table, occasional tables bearing plants, and some wildlife artwork. Additional amenities include air conditioning, heating, mosquito repellent, telephone, tea-and-coffee station, mini-bar, complimentary sherry and fruit platter, digital safe, animal reference guides and magazines, bathrobes, hairdryer, and free Wi-Fi. In the en-suite washroom, there’s a flush toilet, twin washbasins with mirrors over, walk-in shower, and freestanding claw-foot bathtub. Outside, you’ll find a private veranda complete with hammock! There’s an outdoor shower too. The family suite comprises two interleading luxury suites, while both honeymoon suites benefit from an open-plan bedroom and lounge, plus iPod docking station.

Most of Kings’ communal areas occupy additional timber, stone, and thatch structures within the grounds. They include a sumptuous lounge, adjoining the camp’s bar. Here, plush sofas and armchairs surround coffee tables, and there’s always a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. In the library, piles of explorer’s chests are put to use as occasional tables, plentiful reading material is displayed on shelves, and the walls are adorned with wildlife artwork. There’s another lounge area on the upper floor of the building, a slightly less formal space with some charming bird-print décor. Back downstairs, you’ll find a grand dining room with smart individual tables and chairs flowing out onto a dining terrace, also known as the viewing deck. Here, guests can tuck in to delicious meals, while watching out for wildlife at the waterhole! Kings has a boma-style structure too, with a large fire-pit in the middle. Anyone in need of a little retail therapy need only pop to the curio shop, which sells local arts ‘n’ crafts as well as safari clothing. Keep-fit fans can get a good workout in the well-equipped gym, and the massage sala is the place to go for a spot of pampering in between activities. Finally, Kings has a perfectly positioned swimming pool, a few metres from the waterhole! You can enjoy a refreshing dip while local wildlife comes to drink just a short distance away.

ACTIVITIES AT KINGS CAMP:

Kings offers an enticing variety of activities.

• We rate the Timbavati Game Reserve very highly as a wildlife-viewing destination! It’s situated on the western unfenced edge of the mighty Kruger National Park, and numerous species move between the two areas. There are five different types of woodland in the reserve, interspersed with plains and water sources.
• Among the wildlife highlights are all Big Five – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo.
• Smaller predators include cheetah, hyenas, jackals, and the rare wild dog, while the herbivore count features hippo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and all sorts of antelopes.
• Kings’ expertly guided morning and afternoon game drives provide exciting opportunities to explore the Timbavati and to see this wealth of wildlife.
• There are also over 350 types of bird, and keen birders can look out for specials such as Montagu’s harrier, woolly-necked stork, harlequin quail, and southern carmine bee-eater.
• The camp’s game walks are fantastic for birding too, as well as close observation of the reserve’s plants, insects, trees, and various evidences of mammals! Please note, walks are available only to safarists aged 16+ years.
• However, everyone is allowed on the drives – and at additional cost you can even book a private or photographic safari for a truly tailor-made experience!
• Other activities incurring extra cost are rhino chipping, art on safari with celebrated local artist Warren Clay, and a three-day birding safari.

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.

For more information about these activities, or anything else to do with staying at Kings Camp, please contact a member of the YZ team.