Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp
Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp Is An Intimate Luxury Camp In The Remote South-Western Timbavati
Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp is a very tranquil and exclusive safari camp that is ideal for couples (especially honeymooners) looking for a high-quality but affordable safari retreat. The Timbavati is excellent for game-viewing, but you will see fewer vehicles in the south than you will in the central game-viewing areas, and with just four guest tents, Thabamati offers an equally private enclave to relax in after your game drives. Being so small, it is usual for guests to meet and socialise, especially on game drives as the camp currently uses one vehicle for drives. Thabamati offers good value for the comfort and exclusivity it offers.
Rooms
The intimate camp sleeps up to eight guests in four spacious en suite tents, all overlooking a waterhole with views of the Drakensberg Mountains beyond. The tented rooms lie to either side of the central area, with each tent built on to stone plinth with wooden deck to the side. Sliding glass and gauze doors lead into a light and airy bedroom space with bed with mosquito netting, fan, writing desk, seating area and en suite bathroom with toilet, free standing bath and indoor and outdoor shower. Please note that the bathroom is only separated from the bedroom by a screen so the accommodation may not be ideal for friends travelling together.
Central Areas
The stylish main area features an open plan reception and lounge area under thatch, a library corner, a bar and dining area, a viewing deck, curio shop and infinity swimming pool.
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
Activities centre around morning and afternoon game drives in an open 4×4 vehicle (there is one vehicle allocated for the camp which has four rows of two seats so everyone has a window seat), and short bush walks are also optional (these take place after breakfast, lasting around one hour). The afternoon drives are extended after dark with a spotlight to see some of the nocturnal species.
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
Thabamati is open all year. Game viewing is superb all year round, though you could experience rain from November through to March.
Children aged 10 years and over are welcome, though with no dedicated family unit, this camp is perhaps best suited to families with older teenage kids who can take their own tent.
Every guest who stays in the Timbavati Nature Reserve pays 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.
Thabamati also supports two community projects. Hlokomela is an HIV and AIDS educational and treatment programme targeting workers, including foreign migrants, in the agriculture, nature conservation and tourism sectors in The Greater Kruger area. Nourish Eco-Village, meanwhile, is a non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting local communities, promoting social responsibility and encouraging environmental education.
Thabamati are members of Pack for a Purpose – a platform which lists items in need for community projects, should guests have space in their luggage and wish to donate supplies.
