Bateleur Safari Camp- Go SAfari

Bateleur Safari Camp

Located in South Africa's world renowned Timbavati Private Nature Reserve adjacent to the Kruger National

The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve lies within the Greater Kruger National Park open system and covers an area of 53,396 hectares (131,944 acres) with 47 landowners Bound by a common constitution committed to preserving the fauna and flora of the area and well know for their white lions. The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is renowned world-wide for its excellent game viewing and luxurious lodges.

The reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park and lies nestled between the Kruger National Park on the east, the Klaserie and Umbabat Game Reserves in the north and the Thornybush Game Reserve in the west and Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve in the south. There are no fences between the Timbavati and the Kruger National Park which allows free movement of wildlife between the reserves.

In Xitsonga, the name 'Timbavati' means "the place where something sacred came down to Earth from the Heavens", and refers to the rare white lions of Timbavati.

The camp is surrounded by a 2-strand electric ‘elephant fence’ which is merely in place to prevent the elephants from destroying the en-suite bathrooms, central showers, or swimming pool in the dry season, or the camp’s beautiful trees whenever the mood takes them. Everything shorter than an adult elephant can and does walk freely through the camp area.

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 the camp the place where conservation and adventure meet.

Accommodation

Six very spacious, comfortable safari units can accommodate up to 16 peoplee

Each safari 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, 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 bath tub and a private outdoor shower

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.

Even relaxing around the pool you will be able to watch animals walk past

Lodge Facilities

Wooden deck 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.

Boma the low-walled boma area is 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.

River deck Please feel free to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature on the deck overlooking the dry river bed.

The chemical-free Swimming pool allows guests to cool off in the heat of the day without missing the wildlife and birdlife that frequent the area.The swimming pool is situated adjacent to the bar / dining area. Sun loungers and swimming towels have been placed at the poolside for your convenience.

Quality food and beverages Enjoy pure South African style safari cooking. 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. A small selection of South African wines, beers, ciders and spirits is available.

Enjoying the lodge

Bateleur Safari Camp is sustainable

The entire camp and staff village, run on solar power. Unfortunately, no hair dryers can be used as these overload and trip the system.
Camp linen and laundry items are taken to a company in Hoedspruit to be cleaned. This company only uses eco-friendly, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic products to wash and care for guest and staff linen and towels.
Has an animal-proof vegetable and herb garden, in which a variety of veggies are grown, including: leafy greens, herbs, berries, lemons and limes, cherry tomatoes. Natural garden compost is mulched on site.
All cleaning products and shower gel/hand soaps are 100% eco-friendly. These products use ‘beneficial bacteria’ to actively biodegrade dirt in the process of cleaning, thereby eliminating chemical and dirt transfer to the environment. These products are locally produced and not tested on animals

Safari activities

Bateleur Safari Camp is a truly authentic safari experience.

Bush craft and survival skills Learn basic tracking and survival skills. Guests are treated to a hands-on, interactive demonstration on bushcraft and survival skills, perfected by the San Bushmen. This includes skills like: lighting fires, making ropes and water containers and setting snares - all using naturally occurring materials from the bush. This is another unique experience offered at Bateleur and it never fails to exceed guests’ expectations.
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.
Bush Walks Unlike other lodges, Bateleur Safari Camp give guests the opportunity to spend extended time in the African wilderness. There you can experience the fauna and flora up close under the watchful guidance of qualified rangers and trackers. Guests are encouraged to spend at least a little time on foot, as you'll get a completely different perspective. Guided bush walks range in length between 3 and 6 hours once suitable tracks are located. Bateleur Safari Camp is fast becoming one of the premier Big 5 walking safari destination in Southern Africa.
Open Safari Vehicles Game drives are conducted morning and afternoon in the comfort of the camp's open safari vehicles. The afternoon drive makes a stop for sundowners, allowing guests to enjoy refreshments while watching a magical sunset.

A day at Bateleur Safari Lodge

Game activities are planned for mornings and evenings as this is the time when the animals are most active. The game drives last for about three hours and include a coffee stop for the morning drive and a sun-downer stop in the evening. Bateleur Safari Lodge adjusts the daily activities to suit their guests, so the schedule below is just a guide line

Summer / Winter
05h00 / 05h30 – Wakeup call
05h30 / 06h00 – Refreshments and snacks on the patio
06h00 / 06h30 – Depart for morning game drive/bush walk
10h00 / 10h00 – Brunch
11h00 / 11h00 – Free time to relax and enjoy the lodge facilities
14h00 / 14h00 – Lunch is served
16h30 / 15h30 – Depart for afternoon game drive
19h45 / 19h15 – Pre-dinner drinks
20h00 / 19h30 – Dinner

We suggest that guests arrive in time for lunch on their day of arrival not to miss out on any game drives during their stay.

Making a difference

As mentioned above Bateleur Safari Lodge is Eco-friendly and sustaibnable, As an eco-friendly safari camp, Bateleur makes every effort to conserve, reuse and recycle as much as possible.The entire camp and staff village, run on solar power. A series of solar panels harvest energy from the sun, which is stored it in a 24-battery bank. Operation of the system is self-sufficient, with a silent generator automatically kicking in on poor solar absorption days. Future plans include an earthworm farm to be used in conjunction with the camp’s compost, to provide organic nutrients from the kitchen’s vegetable cuttings. Microbes are also used in the veggie garden, to prepare soil naturally without the use of chemicals and harsh fertilisers. Store-bought, shower gels, dishwashing liquids and ammonia-based cleaning products are no longer used. All cleaning products and shower gel/hand soaps are 100% eco-friendly