bateleur safari camp

Bateleur Safari Camp is ideal for couples, singles, and small groups who are looking for a Timbavati safari that exceeds expectations, while simultaneously offering an up-close experience of the true African bush and wildlife.

Bateleur is completely eco-friendly, making our camp the place where conservation and adventure meet.

Bateleur Safari Camp is located in South Africa’s 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 shares unfenced borders with Kruger, allowing free animal movement.

This prime wilderness area boasts the Big Five, a large diversity of antelope species, an entire range of smaller predators, over 500 bird species, and a tremendous diversity of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.

The landscape at Bateleur 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!

The camp is surrounded by a 2-strand electric ‘elephant fence’ that is merely in place to prevent the elephants from destroying the en-suite bathrooms, central showers, swimming pool in the dry season, or the camp’s beautiful trees whenever the mood takes them.

Everything shorter than an adult elephant can walk freely through the camp area.

About the Owner and Founder of Bateleur Safari Camp Timbavati:

Andreas Liebenberg has owned the property since 1991.

He has been instrumental in creating what Bateleur is today.

He has personally been involved in every aspect, from the design of the safari camp to guiding groups and implementing the more specialist itineraries.

In the beginning, there was no camp at all – guests simply arrived with the backpack, sleeping bag, and food, and the ‘camp’ comprised a spot under a shady tree!

Great pride is taken in keeping the property in a pristine condition – erosion sites have been successfully rehabilitated and roads are constantly maintained.

Twice, he has received the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve’s conservation award for the most eco-sensitive landowner.

Andreas has been involved in the conservation industry for over 20 years, with a background in man and animal tracking; self-protection and combat training; and wilderness guiding.

He is a partner in Counter Insurgency Tracker Training (CITT) which specialises in training field rangers across Africa in man-tracking and counter-poaching.

The Look and Feel of Bateleur Safari Camp Timbavati:

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 a small selection of local beers, wines, and spirits from the kitchen.

Top-shelf 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 area.

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.

Accommodation at Bateleur Safari Camp in Timbavati:

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 a 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, secure safes for valuables and a solar-powered fan for the hot weather.

Plug points are provided for charging camera batteries.

Each spacious en-suite bathroom has a flush toilet, basin, and a hot-water shower.

Some units have an interior bathtub and a private outdoor shower.

Quality towels are provided.

Protecting the environment at Bateleur Safari Camp in Timbavati:

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.

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 giraffes 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.

Safari at Bateleur Safari Camp in Timbavati:

Bateleur Safari Camp enjoys an extensive transversing area.

Vehicle density in this area is very low and guests often encounter no other safari vehicles from neighbouring properties during their stay.

The central location of the camp offers guests the best opportunity to see a host of wildlife and birdlife without being disturbed by other vehicles during game drives and bush walks.

This is true untamed Africa and it’s one of the few places left in southern Africa where you can enjoy such an experience.

The location, size, layout, and ambiance of the Camp have all been chosen to enhance the experience for guests.

Bateleur is a South African safari adventure without the crowds.

There are no fences between Bateleur Safari Camp and the Kruger National Park.

As a result, the Bateleur traversing area has abundant numbers of all Greater Kruger’s game species.

This is what sets the Bateleur walking and tracking experience apart from other lodges.

Under the watchful guidance of armed qualified rangers and trackers, guests learn about the fauna and flora of South Africa as they walk across the wild land tracking animals for 3 to 6 hours.

Guests who choose to engage in the tracking and trailing activities offered at Bateleur will be entering an area that is home, not only to the big 5 but rarer species like the Wild Dog and others.

Bateleur is fast becoming the premier destination for walking safaris in southern Africa.

The camp caters to those who are experiencing Africa for the first time and want to see as much game as possible, as well as those who want to absorb the finer details of the bush on foot. (minimum age for bush walks is 12)

Guests who prefer not to walk can enjoy a drive on an open safari vehicle instead. Flexibility is unique to Bateleur Safari Camp and every effort is made to ensure that guests get exactly what they want from their South African safari adventure.

Guided activities take place every morning at sunrise and every afternoon-evening from mid-afternoon, all under the watchful guidance of qualified and armed rangers.

All guided activities are undertaken on a consultative basis because Bateleur does not believe in sticking to a rigid one-size-fits-all approach.

The experienced rangers tap into their intimate knowledge of local wildlife and weather conditions and then discuss the various options with the guests.

Taking people’s different interests and energy levels into account, the rangers tailor the guided activities to best accommodate everyone’s preferences.

Dining at Bateleur Safari Camp in Timbavati:

The food at Bateleur is excellent and best described as ‘wholesome South African cooking’.

It’s high quality, appetizing, tasty food that can be enjoyed in great company surrounded by the unique African bushveld.

Each day starts with coffee and biscuits before the first guided game activity.

Brunch is typically a cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast, with the option of cereals for those who prefer something lighter.

Lunch is usually a quiche or something similar, with salad and bread.

Dinner is a three-course meal and features a table bread/salad, a delicious main meal comprised of a starch, such as potatoes or rice, a variety of vegetables, and a protein such as chicken or red meat (often cooked on the open fire in front of the guests).

This is followed by a very tasty dessert.

A small selection of South African wines, beers, ciders, and spirits is available.

Top-shelf alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.