Kings Camp Private Game Reserve

Kings Camp is a sophisticated safari camp located in the wildlife-rich Timbavati Private Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park. The camp is situated in South Africa’s northernmost province of Limpopo, renowned for its impressive wildlife, including the Big 5.

The lodge is managed by husband and wife team, Warren and Lisha Moore, who have been part of the Kings Camp family since 1995. Since taking over management in 1998, Warren and Lisha have nurtured this Timbavati lodge as if it was their own.

They are supported by a dedicated team of staff, who work to ensure your stay at Kings is as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. At Kings Camp Private Game Reserve, we aim to provide a highly personalised and memorable safari experience.

Our team of passionate guides and trackers is one of the most crucial aspects of your safari in the Timbavati. They facilitate the wildlife encounters that you’ll be talking about long after you’ve forgotten the delicious food or your comfy bed.

Whether you’re particularly interested in birds or hoping to see the Big 5, our guides will help to tailor your activities around your preferences. Aside from daily game drives and guided walking safaris, game viewing can be enjoyed from the comfort of your private suite.

Kings Camp is positioned on the edge of a savannah scattered with acacia trees, overlooking a waterhole. Located right in front of the camp, the waterhole attracts a wide variety of wildlife both day and night.

Should you decide to skip a game drive, you can enjoy wildlife viewing from the viewing deck, with a sundowner in hand. Kings Camp Private Game Reserve perfectly combines South African hospitality, exquisite accommodation and once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters.

It is an ideal choice for honeymooners seeking a romantic bush escape, families looking for a safari with flexibility, or friends looking to relax in an uncrowded wilderness setting. We look forward to inviting you into our bush paradise during your stay at Kings Camp Private Game Reserve.

The History
Kings Camp Private Game Reserve is situated in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park.

The Timbavati was created in the 1950s by a group of conservation-minded landowners who came together to protect pristine wilderness area from destructive crop and cattle farming.

In 1993, the Timbavati’s importance as a wildlife haven was recognised, and the fences between it and the Kruger National Park were removed to encourage natural migration.

Kings Camp Timbavati Game Reserve was established just two years later, in 1995 as a premier eco-tourism destination in South Africa. This slice of African paradise was purchased by Joof Alberts, and after a renovation, officially opened its doors in October 1995.

Combined with the Kruger National Park, the total area under protection is a mind-boggling 2.2 million hectares of protected African wilderness. It is considered a lesser known private reserve, offering exceptional and highly exclusive game viewing safaris in the Greater Kruger Area.

Not only is Kings Camp a world-class safari destination, but also home to an incredible team of proud and dedicated staff. The lodge is managed by husband and wife team, Warren and Lisha Moore, who have nurtured and run Kings Camp Timbavati Game Reserve since 1998, as if it was their own.

In 2011, Waterbuck Private Camp was officially added to the Kings Camp Portfolio, as a luxurious private camp for families and small group safaris in the Timbavati.

Alongside Warren and Lisha is our passionate team of safari guides and trackers – a group of highly knowledgeable individuals who will help to reveal the wonders of the African bushveld on game drives and guided walking safaris. We believe that the foundation of the lodge is in the strength of our team.

Kings Camp forms part of the Seasons in Africa group, a premier tourism marketing and management company comprising luxury game lodges, hotels and adventures throughout Southern Africa. Each of the properties within the Seasons group offers top quality facilities and friendly service.

Timbavati Lodge
Made up of six Luxury Suites, one Luxury Family Suite and two Honeymoon Suites, Kings Camp Lodge offers the perfect Kruger Park safari escape. The lodge is positioned on the edge of a savanna plain and the grounds are dappled with the shade of Acacia trees.

A vast array of wildlife frequent the watering hole and the camp grounds both day and night, allowing for spectacular game viewing from the doorstep of this Timbavati lodge.

Kings Camp Luxury Suites
The newly renovated, generously spacious Luxury Suites are elegantly decorated in a contemporary-style offering the ultimate luxurious safari retreat.

Each Luxury Suite offers magnificent views of the African bush from their private verandah with exclusive-use plunge pool. Relax and enjoy the closeness of nature with a refreshing drink around the environmentally friendly fire in your suite’s outdoor sunken lounge.

If you’re looking for family-friendly Timbavati accommodation, you’re in exactly the right place. Ideal for small families or groups travelling together, Suites 2 and 3 are combined to form a Luxury Family Suite with an inter-leading door to accommodate 2 adults and 2 children.

These unique suites enjoy all the amenities of the free-standing suites, with an additional shared space and their own outside dining area for private family dinners.

The pinnacle of Timbavati accommodation, Kings Camp offers luxury like no other. Each Luxury Suite and Family Suite is equipped with air-conditioning, indoor and outdoor double shower, fully stocked mini-bar and private verandah with plunge pool.

For your comfort and convenience, other room amenities include robes, mosquito repellent, an umbrella and hairdryer. Your suite is also equipped with its own safe and telephone.

Honeymoon Suites
The spacious, open-plan design of the 2 air-conditioned Honeymoon Suites offers an intimate and romantic bush escape. Two sets of double doors open onto a private verandah and frame outstanding views from the lodge.

The open-plan lounge and bathroom, with both indoor and outdoor showers, offers a wide range of luxurious amenities and fittings to ensure utmost comfort. Recline on a plush armchair or stretch out on the luscious four-poster, king-sized bed, with front row seats to the vibrant bush.

This is truly one of the most luxurious Kruger National Park honeymoon destinations, and the ideal place to begin your life together. Leaders in luxurious safari hospitality, the team at Kings Camp treat each guest with the utmost care, ensuring an experience unlike any other.

Special dinners can be arranged on the private verandahs for romantic, candle-lit moments spent under the African night sky. Our expert spa therapists are also available for treatments and massages within the comfort of your own suite.

Some of the other standout amenities include a free-standing Victorian ball-and-claw bath tub, double basin, Wi-Fi, Nespresso coffee machine, fully stocked mini-bar, robes, mosquito repellent, an umbrella and hairdryer. As an extra addition for your Kruger National Park honeymoon, the suite is also equipped with its own safe and telephone.

Facilities
Kings Camp Lodge offers a number of comfortable, open-air living areas in which to relax and soak up the tranquillity of the African bush.

The raised viewing lounge, sheltered from the sun by a thatched roof, overlooks the active waterhole. This is an ideal spot to while away the hours and offers the best vantage point for unexpected wildlife sightings.

The coffee lounge offers a generous space where guests can relax between game activities as well as indulge in refreshments before and after drives. A flat screen smart TV with digital satellite viewing and Apple Mac laptop with complimentary Wi-Fi are all available in the lounge for guest convenience.

The open-plan informal lounge and bar are perfect for seeing out the heat of the day, while sipping an ice cold cocktail. Alternatively, a dip in our swimming pool, positioned just meters away from the waterhole, is a wonderful respite from the warm temperatures for which the Greater Kruger National Park is known.

Elegant and central, the spacious dining room is positioned to offer stunning views of the surrounding landscapes. The exquisite chandelier indoors creates a feel of sophistication, while the shaded verandah incorporates the spectacular natural beauty of the outdoors.

Along with a well-equipped gym, Kings Camp Lodge offers an array of pampering treatments at the luxurious spa – a must in completing your all-round rejuvenating safari experience.

During the day, guests are welcome to browse through our well-stocked and air-conditioned curio shop, where you can select gifts and African memorabilia for your friends and family back home. The shop is stocked with an assortment of beautiful safari gear as well as local arts and crafts.

Cuisine
Indulge in a decadent dining experience in the bush at Kings Camp Private Game Reserve. Our dining options include fine dining in our elegant dining room, relaxed lunches on the patio overlooking a waterhole, traditional boma dinners, breakfasts in the bush and private romantic evenings on the verandah of your suite.

Boma Dinner

Our traditional boma dinner takes place under the thatched dining area surrounding the fire pit at Kings Camp. This outdoor dining experience is a memorable way to spend an evening under the stars, discussing the events of the day.

The delicious meal is paired with fine South African wines and finished off with a sumptuous dessert. Top off the night with a nightcap around the firepit before heeding the call of your comfortable bed.

Bush Dinners & Breakfasts

Listen to the sounds of the bush as you tuck into a hearty breakfast under a canopy of trees on safari at Kings Camp. A bush breakfast is the perfect end to an early morning game drive in the Timbavati.

If it’s romance you’re looking for, consider a candle-lit dinner with your loved one in the bush. Top quality cuisine and excellent service make romantic bush dinners unforgettable.

Kosher Safaris
Kings Camp is situated in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and faces an open savanna plain with an active waterhole, which is frequented by a wide variety of wildlife both day and night.

With access to 100km2 of traversing, big game abounds; each day bringing something different whilst exploring the endless fascination of Africa’s wildlife.

Offering a sublime South African Kosher safari, Kings Camp Private Game Reserve is the best place to treat yourself and your loved ones to a carefree Kosher bush getaway. Our experienced team will ensure every detail is taken care of of so you can sit back and enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of the African bush.

Enjoy top quality gourmet Kosher cuisine, prepared fresh on site, in accordance with Kashrut and Jewish Laws.

Whether it’s a bush breakfast near a busy watering hole, a boma dinner under the stars or an elegant dinner enjoyed in the dining room, all catering is supervised by a Mashgiach appointed by the Beth Din Kashrut Supervisor in the fully-equipped, Beth-Din Council certified Kings Camp Kosher kitchen.

Meat and other products, as well as wines, juices, beers and other beverages will be Kosher approved so you don’t have to think twice before fully immersing yourself in your bush experience.

With Kings Camp Kosher safaris, you can feast on world-class cuisine while you unwind and relax with the ones you love. Kings Camp offers the best in Kosher travel.

Vegan Safaris
Kings Camp is situated in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and faces an open savanna plain with an active waterhole, which is frequented by a wide variety of wildlife both day and night.

With access to 100km2 of traversing, big game abounds; each day bringing something different whilst exploring the endless fascination of Africa’s wildlife. Offering a sublime South African safari, Kings Camp Private Game Reserve is the best place to treat yourself and your loved ones to a carefree Vegan-friendly bush getaway.

Our experienced team, lead by Assistant Manager Hayley, with her international Vegan Hospitality certification, will ensure guests who follow strict plant-based diets have every detail taken care of so you can sit back and enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of the African bush.

With enthusiasm, the passionate team at Kings Camp are putting the Lodge on the Vegan Safari map. Hayley and Executive Chef, Gareth, have collaborated and created innovative, delicious vegan and plant-based meal options.

These amazing creations are a permanent feature on the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, which also allows other guests the opportunity to try them out.

Food is an important component on safari, so Kings Camp will make sure every meal and snack is vegan friendly and will even arrange a vegan cheese and wine tasting for guests!

Hayley ensures that all of our vegan guests have the same experience that our traditional guests do, this includes the taste & presentation of meals, variety & overall attention to detail.

“For us, it is important to not only cater to our vegan requests but to attract vegan guests to the lodge, we love providing this unique experience for them’’

Hayley’s passion and knowledge relates not only to the food at Kings Camp, but also the overall service making sure all staff in each department are trained in what vegan customers need and want. All the small touches are covered from the amenities in the rooms to the spa products used.

Should you wish to have a vegan field guide during your stay then this can also be arranged, and our head guide Grant Murphy promises not to eat all the vegan droewors at the sundowner stop!

At Kings Camp we go above and beyond to ensure our guests needs are catered for ensuing a 5-star safari holiday experience of a lifetime.

Timbavati Game Reserve
The Timbavati Game Reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger Conservation Area, located in Limpopo Province in South Africa. The reserve lies west of the Kruger National Park Boundary and north-east of Johannesburg.

There are no fences between the Timbavati and Kruger, meaning game moves freely between the two reserves. Timbavati Game Reserve came into existence in 1956.

Aside from being Big 5 country, the Timbavati is home to over 40 species of mammal and 282 bird species. The reserve covers approximately 60 000 hectares of pristine African bushveld. The Kruger National Park itself is a further two million hectares in size, which is about the same size as Israel or Wales.

In the early 1990’s the boundary fence between the Kruger National Park and adjacent private game reserves including the Timbavati, Sabi Sand, Klaserie, Umbabat and Manyeleti was removed to create the Greater Kruger National Park.

The fence was removed to allow ancient migration movements of wildlife from the Lebombo Mountains in the east to the Drakensberg in the west. Kings Camp is situated in the northern corner of the Timbavati Game Reserve and has been in operation as a game lodge since 1995.

Kings Camp is committed to sharing an experience of the Timbavati that is both enlightening and relaxing. But above all, Kings Camp pays careful attention to our surrounding environment, and strives for the camp to benefit our nearby community culturally, environmentally and economically.

THE TIMBAVATI ECO SYSTEM
The Timbavati Game Reserve is situated within the Savanna Biome of South Africa. The biome covers roughly a third of South Africa. Savanna is classified as a vegetation consisting of both a tree and grass layer.

The region receives annual rainfall between about 550mm-600mm per annum. The wet season occurs between November and April and can be particularly hot and humid.

The terrain in the Timbavati is undulating, with altitudes ranging between 300 to 500 metres above sea level. Granite and Gneiss are the dominant geological formations in the Timbavati and thus sandy soils characterise the landscape for most of the region around Kings Camp.

Game viewing in the Timbavati is exceptional. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, kudu, zebra, impala, lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena are all regularly seen, as are larger antelope such as roan, eland and tsessebe.

The entire Greater Kruger National Park has been zoned into 35 basic landscape types. There are 3 different landscape types that are recognized at Kings Camp namely:

Olifants River Rugged Veld
This landscape dominates the northern section of the traversing area at Kings Camp. An undulating terrain with steep slopes and a great number of drainage lines/creeks. Soils are shallow and stony.

The altitude varies between 250-300 metres above sea level. The climate is relatively dry with an annual rainfall of between 450-500mm. High temperatures are experienced in the summer months with 40 degrees Celsius and higher not being uncommon.

Due to the shallow soil and stony soils the grass layer is sparse with a relatively high density of woody plants that are usually not higher than 5 metres. The reason for this density is due to the absence of regular natural fires.

Common tree types include Mopane, Knob thorn, Buffalo thorn, Russet bush willow, Red Bush willow and Common Corkwood. The dominant wildlife in this landscape includes Elephant, Impala, Kudu, Waterbuck, Giraffe, Lion, Leopard and Spotted Hyena.

Bush Willow/ Mopane Woodlands
This landscape is the most dominant landscape type and includes the area where the camp is located. The substratum is mainly granite and gneiss intersected by numerous intrusions of dolerite.

The altitude varies between 300 and 500 metres above sea level. Temperate climate with hot summers and cool winters (with frost in the low lying areas). Annual rainfall varies between 450-550 mm.

Dominant Trees: Red Bush willow, Russet Bush willow Marula, False Marula, Knobthorn, Silver Cluster leaf and Mopane. This landscape is most suited to Elephant, Buffalo, Kudu, Giraffe, Bushbuck, Impala, Lion and Leopard.

Thornveld on Gabbro
The southern area of Kings Camp’s traversing region comprises of this “Gabbro intrusion” and is characterized by thorn savannah and dense grass cover that is typically flat to slightly undulating.

The landscape generally has a higher altitude than the surrounding granite areas of 550 and 600 metres above sea level. The rainfall varies greatly but is typically higher than the first two landscapes.

Common tree types include Knob Thorn, Buffalo Thorn, Magic Guarri and Large-fruited Bushwillow. Animal species include Burchell’s zebra, Blue wildebeest, buffalo herds, warthog, giraffe, kudu, white rhino and cheetah.

Location
Kings Camp is located in the northern corner of Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, adjacent to Kruger National Park. The Timbavati lies approximately 450 km north-east of Johannesburg.

The Timbavati Reserve area is located within both the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces of South Africa. Today this great wilderness area is often referred to as the Greater Kruger Conservancy.

Kings Camp is located in a part of the reserve characterised by mopane woodlands, overlooking a waterhole frequented by a wide variety of wildlife. This Timbavati lodge was established in 1995 as a premier ecotourism destination.

In 1992 the western boundary fence separating the Kruger National Park and the Timbavati was removed to create a 2.2 million hectare open natural ecosystem that would enhance and promote natural ecological cycles.

Weather
Timbavati weather is characteristic of most safari destinations in Southern Africa. The region experiences two main seasons – summer and winter – with very short periods which could be classified as spring and autumn. The Timbavati has a typical subtropical climate with warm, wet summers and cool, dry winters.

Summer falls between the months of October and March and this is also the rainy season in the Timbavati. Temperatures are moderately high to very high with some humidity and occasional cloudy conditions.

The rains, which vary between 450-550mm per year, start in November and usually last until the end of March. The dry bush comes alive after the rains, offering spectacular vegetation and the start of a new life cycle. Summers can get hot with average temperatures of 38°C in the months of January to April.

Winter falls between April and September and is the official dry season. The Timbavati winter is cool to warm, and the skies are clear with plenty of sunshine. We are privileged in South Africa to have some of the highest hours of sunshine in the world.

Winter is considered the best safari season as the animals can be viewed more clearly in the dry bush and often stay close to water resources. During the winter months the daytime temperatures in the Timbavati are pleasantly mild but these can drop significantly during the late evenings and early mornings.

Timbavati Traverse
The Timbavati Traverse was established in 2021 in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve with one goal – to make a difference to our endangered wildlife and wildlife communities. The first event was a 45km ultramarathon hosted in September 2021.

The 2022 Timbavati Traverse has expanded and is hosting both an ultra-marathon run (45km) and a half-marathon walk (21km) within the beautiful 53 000 hectare reserve on 9 July 2022. The pristine wilderness is home to the ‘Big Five’ and boasts great sightings of a wide variety of wildlife.

Activities
Guests planning a Timbavati safari at Kings Camp can look forward to twice daily game drives in custom-designed safari vehicles, night drives with a spotlight in search of nocturnal creatures, guided bush walks and specialised bird watching safaris with expert guides.

The Timbavati is especially well known for its frequent elephant sightings, as well as leopard and rare African wild dog. It is also home to over 350 bird species, making it a must-see destination for keen bird watchers.

Morning & Afternoon Game Drives

Twice daily game drives are conducted at Kings Camp in customised luxury game viewing vehicles. All drives are led by qualified professional guides and trackers.

Vehicles accommodate a maximum of 6 guests to ensure outings remain personal and highly exclusive. Tea, coffee and biscuits are served on morning drives. Canapés and sundowners are served on afternoon drives.

Private Safaris
Private safaris offer the ultimate flexibility and exclusivity for game viewing activities on a Kings Camp safari. For avid photographers and specialist bird watching, a private guide and vehicle is the best way for you to set your own pace as you explore the reserve.

Private safaris are also an excellent option for families with younger children. Activities can be tailored to their interests and timetables without interfering with anyone else.

Game Walks
Game Walks through the bush take place just after breakfast, on request. Your knowledgeable ranger will guide you as you uncover this new aspect of the fauna and flora of the Timbavati Nature Reserve.

You will be amazed to discover animal tracks, dung, insects and trees and how they all play a part in an intricate ecological web. For safety reasons, children under 16 years of age are not permitted on walks.

Photographic Safaris
The Greater Kruger Park is renowned as one of the best places in Africa to photograph the Big 5. The Timbavati is unmatched for the high quality of wildlife sightings, professional guiding and custom vehicles that will help to ensure that you always have an uninhibited view of your subject.

Whether you’re interested in capturing birds, big game or even the beautiful landscape of the Timbavati, photographic safaris at Kings Camp offer a world-class experience behind the lens.

Luxurious Three Day Birding Safari
Kings Camp invites keen twitchers to indulge in a private tailor-made Birding Safari in our unique corner of Africa. Bird-lovers would struggle to replicate the calibre of bird watching anywhere in the world, with the Timbavati featuring over 360 different species.

As part of the greater Kruger National Park, which covers an area of 2.2 million hectares, Kings Camp boasts a wealth of bio-diversity and offers the perfect backdrop for a sensational Birding Safari as well as the added bonus of some exceptional game viewing experiences while out ticking off your bird list.

A Birding Safari in a Luxury Private Game Reserve offers many advantages. Fewer vehicles, traversing off the main roads so you get closer to the sighting, you can get off the vehicle to set up the spotting scope to view raptors and you can enjoy evening viewing of nocturnal birds.

Walking in the bush also offers another dimension altogether. The Lodge itself is a good birding base especially in the summer months when woodland kingfishers and red-headed weavers nest in the camp. The Timbavati has an abundance of large diurnal raptors.

Cuckoos and their antics with their brood hosts are a regular sighting, and the Great Spotted Cuckoo is common due to the prevalence of its host the Burchells Starling. While out exploring the Drakensberg escarpment Blackfronted Bush Shrike or Narina Trogon would be a great find.

Birding at Kings Camp is best in Summer (October to March) when migratory birds are present. It is a frenetic time when birds breed and males are in their summer breeding plumages. A three day record spotting is standing at around 175 species found across the various habitats in the reserve.

Birding outside of Summer is thoroughly enjoyable with more comfortable temperatures. Sightings include host of resident birds such as Hornbills, Rollers and Shrikes. In July, August and September Owls are breeding and can be located on their nests.

Verraux’s Eagle Owl is the easiest one to spot – they have a deep grunting call which carries long distances. They attract a lot of unwanted attention and are harassed by Grey Goaway birds. These owls often make use of Vulture or Wahlberg Eagle nests.

Yoga Safari
There is no better place on earth to experience Yoga than in the heart of the African Wilderness. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned Yogi, this experience will bring you close to nature and relax your mind, body and spirit.

The combination of Yoga, safari, bush walks and spa treatments align perfectly with amazing meals, prepared with seasonal local produce by your private chef.

Private, Family & Small Group Safaris
Accommodating up to 8 guests in an opulent Villa, Waterbuck Private Camp offers exclusive and private Timbavati lodges accommodation for small groups and families. At Waterbuck you set the pace of your safari.

A villa host, chef, luxury open game vehicle, ranger and tracker are all at your disposal for the duration of your stay, so you choose how you spend your time in this wonderful corner of Africa.

The times and length of your game drive are in your hands. Spend the entire day out in the bush stopping for a decadent picnic or dinner in a river bed, enjoy both a game drive and walk, or spend the entire day lazing around the pool soaking up the sights and sounds. Here, you have the luxury and privilege of choice.

Perfect for intimate family and friend getaways and celebrations, or exclusive small group safaris, Waterbuck offers it all and more. This luxurious oasis offers the best of African hospitality, specialised game viewing and premium placement so you can focus on the ones you love.

Should you be looking for a family bush experience, we are happy to tailor-make activities to suit your children’s ages, optimising their stay in the bush and creating lasting memories. At Waterbuck we cater for children of all ages and have a baby sitting services available at an additional cost.

Weddings
If you’re considering a safari wedding in Africa, look no further than Kings Camp in the Timbavati. The romantic bush setting, high standards of service and elegant accommodation options at Kings Camp provide the perfect intimate Timbavati wedding destination in the heart of South Africa.

The wedding ceremony usually takes place in a dry riverbed, sculpted over millennia by the Nhlaralumi River, surrounded by African bushveld. The location is unique and romantic and there’s always the chance of seeing a herd of elephant crossing the river in the distance.

Kings Camp as a venue has a stylish, sophisticated air to it and the surrounding wilderness adds the perfect amount of ambiance to your special day. The events team at Kings Camp are renowned for their careful attention to presentation and service when it comes to coordinating your day.

A Timbavati wedding at Kings Camp is more than just a special occasion; it is a timeless celebration of love and we look forward to sharing our special corner of Africa with you.

Kings Camp Spa
Tucked away in a discreet setting, surrounded by mopane trees is the Timbavati spa at Kings Camp. A paradise of peace and tranquility reflective of the natural surroundings, the spa offers a range of indulgent skin and body treatments to enjoy on safari.

Whether you’re in the mood for a relaxing massage or a rejuvenating beauty treatment, the spa at this Timbavati safari lodge has something to suit you. For ultimate privacy, there is also the option to retreat to your suite and enjoy an indulgent treatment in the comfort of your own space.

For guests not wanting to miss a workout while on holiday, there is the spacious, well-equipped, air-conditioned gym at Kings Camp.

The gym has recently been re-equipped with free weights, a bench press, treadmill, spinning and training bike, gym ball, gym mats and weight machines. For your convenience fresh towels and bottled water is provided.

Mpumalanga Helicopter Co. Flights
Experience breathtaking panoramic views over the Blyde River Canyon on a helicopter with Mpumalanga Helicopter Co. The trip takes you over deep gorges, dramatic rock formations and cascading waterfalls on the flight of a lifetime just 2 hours from the Timbavati.

Hot Air Balloon Flights
Watch the sunrise over the lowveld of Blyde River Canyon on a hot air balloon flight near Kings Camp. The Blyde River escarpment forms a natural amphitheatre around the flight area, offering stunning panoramic views and unbeatable photographic opportunities. Hop aboard for the adventure of a lifetime.

Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
The Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is situated an hour and a half’s drive from Kings Camp at the base of the majestic North Eastern Lowveld Drakensberg.

Moholoholo is haven for the rehabilitation of abandoned, injured and poisoned wildlife including lion, rhino, leopard, servals, vultures, caracals, honey badger, eagles and vultures. Tours are available at 09h30 and 15h00 except on Sundays. The tour lasts ± two hours.

Elephant Whispers
Elephant Whispers offers an intimate experience with a herd of elephants. The up-close encounter will leave you with a renewed respect and admiration for these gentle giants of Africa.

An interaction with the elephant offers you the opportunity to feel their constantly curious trunks, touch their rough skin, exchange greetings and offer tasty treats, while learning about their behaviour and history from the Elephant Handlers. This Timbavati wildlife experience is a must-do when visiting Kings Camp.

Our Community
In 2000 Rotarian Charles Hardy organised a safari trip to Kruger Park and Kings Camp for his brother and family from USA.

At Kings Camp they encountered the managerial couple of Warren Moore, an old friend, and wife to be Lisha De Meyer. The Unique Rotary African Safari fund raising project concept to raise funds for deserving charities in the Limpopo Province was conceived.

In the Spirit of Ubuntu
Started almost 20 years ago by the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve (TPNR) and the de Villiers family, landowners in the TPNR, ostensibly as a “bush” school to help educate children of staff in the Reserve.

In 2010 the Timbavati Foundation was formed and registered as a Public Benefit Organisation. Funded by various sponsors with the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve being our main supporter – in 2019 the reserve donated over R2 million!

From humble beginnings, the Timbavati Foundation moved to vastly upgraded facilities located outside the TPNR known as the Timbavati Environmental School.

This new facility provides overnight accommodation for students and their teachers. The bush school today hosts 64 local schools who reap the benefits of having access to it.

Conservation
Since its inception in 1995, Kings Camp has been committed to creating a safari experience that is both indulgent and enlightening.

We offer an experience that combines luxury, flexibility and above all a responsible approach to tourism. Kings Camp is committed to practices which materially benefit our surrounding local community and encourage environmental awareness in the Timbavati.

THE TIMBAVATI CONSERVATION FUND
The Timbavati Conservation Fund is used for the management of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. The management of a large wildlife area, 54 300 hectares in size, is costly and needs numerous vehicles and staff to function on a daily basis.

The reserve is enclosed on two sides by game fences, covering approximately 60km. These fences are maintained and checked daily. The reserve management maintains 120km of boundary and internal firebreak roads, which is done using heavy machinery that run at a high cost.

The reserve also has a dedicated ecological division that oversees the monitoring of ecological processes and animal populations. This monitoring system is extensive and informs management decisions.

One such monitoring event is the annual aerial game survey, where all large animals are counted to record animal population growth and numbers. Annual veld condition assessment, and elephant impact monitoring surveys are also conducted.

Part of the ecological maintenance is an ongoing erosion reclamation programme, where all human-induced erosion is actively mitigated. The Timbavati Conservation Fund has a dedicated anti-poaching team, which is responsible for all area integrity related actions.

Due to the size and shape of the reserve, many kilometres and hours are spent patrolling the boundaries and internal areas of the reserve on a daily basis. Being a declared protected area in South Africa, the Timbavati has many legislative requirements that have to be met, which increases the administrative load.

In addition to the massive task of maintaining the reserve, the Timbavati conservation fee, paid by guests visiting the lodges, also finances an important community outreach project – The Timbavati Foundation.

Website: www.kingscamp.com

Rooms: 9

Price: from 1.109 EUR per night