Bateleur Safari Camp is located in South Africas 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 Bateleur Safari Camp itself shares unfenced borders with Kruger, allowing free animal movement.

This prime wilderness area boasts the Big Five, a large diversity of antelope species, the entire range of smaller predators, over 500 bird species, and a tremendous diversity of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The landscape is typical of the undulating granitic Lowveld basin with large broad-leafed trees dominating the uplands, followed by Acacia woodlands, which give way to the large trees that form the riverine vegetation in the valley bottoms. Highly productive and open sodic areas dominate along the sandy riverbeds.

All guests receive a safety brief on arrival, as this is untamed Africa at its best!

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 pizza oven and 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.

The safari units vary in size, each sleeping 2-4 persons in comfort with spacious beds, quality linen, mosquito nets, bedside tables, solar powered bedside lamps, wardrobes, adequate storage facilities, a small safe, and a solar powered fan for the hot weather. Plug points are provided for charging camera batteries. Each spacious en suite bathroom has flush-toilet, basin and a hot-water shower. Some units have an interior bathtub and a private outdoor shower. Quality towels are provided.

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 surrounds. Literally hundreds of trees have subsequently been planted in and around the camp.

Regular 4-legged visitors that can be seen walking within the camp perimeter during the day include Nyalas, warthogs and bushbuck. Elephants, buffalo and rhino can often be seen walking through the riverbed in front of the camp. And at night, anything shorter than an adult elephant can, and often does, walk through the camp under the cover of darkness.

Bateleur now offers a curio shop with a selection of hand-crafted and branded items for those who would like a souvenir from their African safari.