The 10,000-hectare Bateleur property is located in the heart of the world-renowned Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, an exceptional safari location. All artificial barriers between the Timbavati and the adjacent Kruger National Park have been removed and the Bateleur property itself shares unfenced borders with Kruger, allowing free animal movement. Bateleur’s traversing area extends over 10 000 hectares of the Timbavati Reserve.

The Bateleur camp is renowned for its remote feel, the exclusive location ensures privacy, giving guests the chance to experience closer interaction with nature and their family. There is little to no reception, providing the chance to reconnect with a loved one as well as mother nature.

Experiences at Bateleur

The camp

Bateleur Safari Camp is ideal for couples, singles and small groups who are looking for a Timbavati safari that simultaneously exceeds expectations and offers an up-close experience of the true African bush and wildlife. Bateleur is totally eco-friendly – full details regarding our ‘green’ policy are available on request.

The feature of the camp’s central area is the covered, open-sided wooden deck that houses the lounge and dining areas and overlooks the riverbed and its seasonal waterhole. The comfortable lounge area is an ideal place for idle game viewing or relaxing with a good book and a cool drink between guided activities. Books are available from the library and drinks can be purchased from the bar. At mealtimes, the dining area is the perfect location for enjoying sumptuous meals whilst absorbing the sights and sounds of the African bush. The wooden deck extends past the adjacent chemical-free swimming pool which allows guests to cool off in the heat of the day without missing the wildlife and birdlife that frequent the waterhole.

The central area is completed by a tastefully finished, low-walled boma area open to the stars with chairs set up around a central fireplace. This is an ideal place to relax around the fire and share stories of the day’s activities under a big African sky. Adjacent is the camp’s braai/barbeque area where food is often prepared by the chef on the open fire.

Accommodating up to 16 people, the camp offers very spacious, comfortable safari units with a unique design. Each unit has a thatched A-frame roof with supporting gum-pole structure and covered patio; canvas sides with large windows offering fixed mosquito screens and roll-down flaps; double wooden front doors with fixed mosquito screens and roll-down flaps for the top half; a large en-suite bathroom.

When designing and building Bateleur Safari Camp, it was a priority to make as small a footprint as possible. Tented walls were chosen over concrete structures, allowing guests inside the units a closer interaction with the outdoors. No trees were removed during the building process, allowing the camp to unobtrusively blend into the surroundings. Literally, hundreds of trees have subsequently been planted in and around the camp.

GAME DRIVES

Traditional guided game drives are conducted in open safari vehicles, affording the opportunity to get closer to the animals for photographic purposes. During the guided game drives you can view the magnificent creatures up close from the comfort of the open safari vehicles, using spotlights after sun downers to search for the nocturnal animals.

BUSH WALKS

The guided bush walks are led by qualified and armed rangers. Every walk is a book on its own, with the emphasis on information relating to all the wonders of nature, big and small. During the guided walks you are out there with the African wildlife, sharing their paths and waterholes, the daily dramas of their lives, sharing their space.

BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL

During your stay at Bateleur Safari Camp, weather permitting, you will be treated to practical information and instruction relating to bushcraft and survival skills. During the guided bush walks you will come to appreciate basic tracking & navigation skills. And back at camp the operational team will give you a bush survival skill demonstration, which includes lighting fires, making ropes & water containers, and setting snares, all using items that you find in the bush. This is not widely offered by other game lodges and it never fails to exceed guests’ expectations.