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Timbavati Game Reserve Safaris

  • Adjoining Kruger National Park
  • Home to all the Big Five
  • Large prides of tawny lion
  • Nine camps from the rather simple to the luxurious
When To Visit Timbavati Private Game Reserve:
When To Visit Timbavati Private Game Reserve:
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Timbavati is a private reserve bordering Kruger. Combined with the Sabi Sands, Timbavati is the region's second most famous reserve.

Timbavati is much larger and slightly drier than the Sabi Sands, attracting large herds of elephant and buffalo and an extremely large lion population. It is famous for its white lions, which were first seen here in the mid-1970s, and can occasionally be seen in the Kruger. The reserve is a good place to come to see tawny lions, as the prides here are very large.

When to visit Timbavati Game Reserve

Timbavati has a subtropical climate with rain in the summer season and thunderstorms. The best safari season is usually during the dry season (from April until September) when it is cooler. The rainy season starts in October and usually lasts through March. The bush normally comes alive after this, but game viewing becomes more difficult then, as the undergrowth gets thicker, giving the animals more cover.

Where to stay in Timbavati Game Reserve

There are a number of private concessions on the reserve, offering a variety of accommodation and safari experiences. These range from prestigious Kings Camp and Ngala Safari Lodge, to simple bush camps like Umlani.

Top tips for your safari vacation

Timbavati is not as good for leopard spotting. It can often be hard to find this species, as the reserve is so large, especially after the wet season when the vegetation is growing. If you are keen to see leopard, you would do much better visiting the Sabi Sands Reserve, where they are particularly plentiful.

Timbavati Private Game Reserve

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