Bateleur Safari Camp
Bateleur Safari Camp Is An Intimate Tented Camp In The Heart Of Timbavati
Bateleur Safari Camp is one of the more authentic safari camps available in the Timbavati or Sabi Sand reserves. The camp is small and personal, with cosy central areas, a lovely swimming pool and comfortable tented accommodation. Game drives are often (but not always) complimented by safari walks, where you can learn about the bush and track game alongside an experienced guide. Whilst Bateleur is well-positioned for superb big game sightings, the excellent guides also try and give guests an exclusive and in-depth safari experience – it isn’t all just about ticking off a few iconic species. This camp also offers excellent value for money.
Rooms
Accommodation is provided for up to 16 guests in seven thatched safari units. Each en suite unit is raised on a wooden platform with a furnished veranda to the fore. Sliding doors lead into the light and airy bedroom furnished with double or twin beds, a ceiling fan and mosquito net, writing table, wardrobe space and easy chairs. The bathroom contains a flush toilet, wash basin and has a door leading to an outside shower (some of the tents have covered showers). The family units plus one of the double tents also have a bathtub. Note that hairdryers cannot be used due to the limits of the solar power system.
Central Areas
Daily camp living focusses on the outdoors with the open sided lounge and dining areas overlooking the riverbed. There is an ‘honesty kitchen’ where guests can help themselves to drinks. There is a small (natural salt water chlorinated) swimming pool and a fire pit where guests gather before dinner.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for Charging – Yes
Swimming Pool – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
The Timbavati is a private wildlife reserve bordering the famous Kruger National Park. It was started in 1956 where conservation minded landowners decided to pool their individual farms and create a wilderness habitat. In 1993, the fence between the Kruger and the reserve was removed allowing animals to move freely between the two.
The habitat of the region is predominantly mopane/bushwillow woodland on an underlying strata of granite. The Oliphants River is the major watercourse through the reserve, flanked in places by open floodplains and in others by riverine woodland. Animal species likely to be seen include elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, impala, duiker, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, bushbuck, zebra, hippo, warthog and wild dog. Under the guidance of your ranger, you will be able to learn about the intricate workings of the habitat, and its inhabitants – the animals, birds, insects and reptiles. The birdlife of South Africa is exceptional, and the Timbavati is no exception. Birds likely to be seen include the beautiful rollers (Lilac Breasted and European), various kingfisher species, as well as a variety of species usually associated with the bush – shrikes, widowbirds, babblers, starlings, vultures and raptors.
Activities
Game drives (with up to eight guests on a vehicle) take place twice a day, in the morning and afternoon. For those who wish, these drives are often punctuated with safari bush walks as your guide follows tracks on foot (this is not compulsory). Bush craft skills sessions are included and take place daily in and around the camp.
During your stay, you will have the opportunity to experience the bush after dark. Using a spotlight on the vehicle, you may have the luck to see some of the many nocturnally active species of wildlife – honey badger, leopard, civet, serval, genet, aardvark, pangolin, African wild cat, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, and hyena.
Seasons
Bateleur Safari Camp is open all year. Game viewing is superb all year round, though you could experience rain from November through to March.
Children over the age of six years are welcome at Bateleur Safari Camp, though bush walks are only possible for children 12 years and older. Three of the units are suitable for families with younger children, with two additional beds positioned in a space behind the master bed.
Every guest who stays in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve pay a conservation levy which is crucial for the operational functioning of the reserve. It aids in funding essential activities such as fenceline maintenance, anti-poaching efforts, and overall security measures. Furthermore, 10% of all conservation levy income is used for community development projects through the Timbavati Foundation.
The primary objective of the Timbavati Foundation is to reach underprivileged communities neighbouring the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve with quality environmental education, skills-development opportunities, social upliftment projects and healthcare support.
Bateleur Safari Camp has a comprehensive green policy which includes the camp building having minimal impact on the surroundings, the use of solar power electricity, no bottled water is used (guests receive a stainless steel water bottle to use during their stay and camp water is sourced from an underground aquifer) and using home grown vegetables and herbs.
The camp has been owned by Andreas Liebenberg since 1991 who has been instrumental in creating what Bateleur is today including the implementation of game viewing policies, which have the utmost respect for wildlife and habitat, together with maintenance and conservation of the property. Andreas has twice received the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve’s conservation award for the most eco-sensitive land owner. Andreas is a partner in an organisation which specialises in training field rangers across Africa in counter-poaching measures.
