Ngala Tented Camp (Timbavati Private Nature Reserve) South Africa
Location:
Located on the boundary of the world renowned Kruger National Park, Ngala Private Game Reserve is well known for its high densities of elephant, buffalo and rhino, as well as for its African wild dogs. Ngala was the first private game reserve to be incorporated into the Kruger National Park and has exclusive traversing rights on almost 15 000 hectares (37 100 acres) of one of the richest wildlife regions on the African continent. A spectacular diversity of wildlife moves through this immense wilderness, including elephant, spotted hyena, giraffe, buffalo and white rhino.
Ngala means “lion” in Shangaan and the Reserve lives up to its name, supporting several prides of these powerful cats. However, it is even better known for excellent viewing of a more elusive cat, offering regular sightings of leopard, particularly females with their young. With more open bush than the nearby Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Ngala guarantees exclusive game viewing opportunities guided by expertly trained &Beyond rangers. In one of Africa’s most innovative conservation partnership agreements, an annual lease, traversing fee and percentage of Ngala’s profits is paid to the National Parks Trust to further conservation projects throughout South Africa.
Accommodation:
While Ngala Tented Camp never lets you forget that you are in the wild, there is nothing primitive about this chic and contemporary camp. The romance of canvas, with big night sounds and flickering lanterns lighting the camp grounds, mingles with the simple sophistication of polished wooden decks, textured fabrics and clean lines. Ngala is a true safari experience where guests go to bed to the sounds of lion calling, safely cosseted in modern tented suites and pampered with the warm hearted service that embodies the soul of Africa.
Peering out onto the banks of the seasonal Timbavati
River from the shelter of dense indigenous trees, six tented
suites offer a tranquil escape for wired city dwellers and
frazzled travellers alike. The sights and sounds of the bush
provide a gentle backdrop to life at Ngala, as the ancient
patterns of African life carry on around the Camp. Every
step unveils a new surprise, whether it’s a dainty impala
tripping down the Camp path or a smart detail in the clean
lines and flamboyant styling of the guest areas.
Mounted on raised platforms, large gauze screen windows let the bushveld breeze into your tent, stirred and amplified by swirling overhead fans. Stone partitions and wooden sides carve cozy niches in the spacious suite. An oversized bathtub awaits on a wooden platform, where gauze screens open up to the outside and give the effect of bathing in a giant leafy chamber. An outside shower invites and entices from the embrace of a thick stone screen.
Activities / Wildlife:
Twice daily game drives - early morning and late afternoon / evening game drives in an open 4x4 safari vehicle traverse an area of 14 700 hectares (36 300 acres, which shares an unfenced boundary with the world-famous Kruger National Park. Track the Big Five, as well as a rich variety of other game, in the company of an armed ranger and tracker.
Strict vehicle limits at animal sightings ensure the exclusivity of your wildlife experience and careful off-road driving positions you for the best photo opportunities. Rangers are constantly in touch with each other to help keep track of game and the sensitive approach methods used mean that the wildlife has become accustomed to the presence of vehicles. Night game drives provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the predators, particularly the leopard for which Ngala is renowned.
Interpretive bush walks - in between game drives, take a leisurely walk within easy reach of your lodge and experience the sights, smells and sounds of the African bush. An armed ranger will accompany you and will share his vast knowledge of the local fauna and flora. Take in the intimate details of your surroundings, from the intricate patterns of a spider's web to the bright plumage of the local birds and the sharp alarms calls of a dozen small creatures.
Wonder at the delicate beauty of the leopard orchid, which flowers in the forks of tree boughs in early summer, taste the fruit of the marula tree or examine the meringue-like nests of the foamnest frog suspended from branches on the edge of pools of water.
Accommodation Rates:-
From $655 per person per night sharing. Please contact us
for a quote and suggested itinerary.