WHY YOU’D LOVE IT!
Discover the Big-5 and more at one of Africa’s best game reserves, the fenceless Manyeleti Game Reserve where the wildlife roam freely. Enjoy leisurely game drives, game walks and more during your three-day stay, providing the perfect setting for a glorious photo safari.
When it comes to observing and encountering wildlife, Timbavati Game Reserve stands out as unparalleled. Housing the renowned ‘Magnificent 7,’ consisting of the lion, leopard (with a substantial population in the Timbavati Reserve), elephant, rhino, African wild dog, buffalo, and cheetah, Timbavati Game Reserve has firmly positioned itself as a premier destination for African wildlife and Big 5 safaris. It is highly coveted by both local and international wildlife enthusiasts, solidifying its status as a top-choice safari destination in Africa and South Africa.
Highlights include:
MAP
Visualize your journey!
OVERVIEW
Itinerary at a glance
◽️ DAY 0 | Travel
Departure
◽️ DAY 1 | South Africa
Johannesburg arrival
◽️ DAY 2-4 | South Africa
Manyeleti Game Reserve
◽️ DAY 5-7 | South Africa
Timbavati Game Reserve
◽️ DAY 8 | Return
End of safari
Safaris by design
SOUTH AFRICA WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE
MARRIOT & COCHRAN FAMILY SAFARI
HOW MANY DAYS BEFORE THE MAGIC STARTS?
Day(s)
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USD $ 3,465 / pps*
*pps=per person sharing, min. of 6 pax traveling
DAY 0
DEPARTURE
Travel
DEPARTURE
Your adventure starts now!
Embark on an African safari and anticipate breathtaking landscapes, encountering diverse and majestic wildlife in their natural habitats, and immersing yourself in the rich cultural experiences of the continent.
* See your safari itinerary for transfer logistics
DAY 1
JOHANNESBURG
Overnight
📍 African Sky Boutique Hotel
AFRICAN SKY HOTEL
Guest House Overview
Dinner & Breakfast (drinks excl.) | Wifi available | No Laundy service
Welcome to South Africa! Johannesburg (JNB / OR Tambo) Airport arrival with meet & greet service.
Your arrival night overnight accommodation: AfricaSky Boutique Hotel is conveniently located only 10 minutes from Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International airport. A short drive will have you arriving at an oasis, rooms beautifully appointed and nestled in a peaceful lush garden. Enjoy dinner, bed & breakfast all on-site. True African hospitality and service excellence.
Just look out towards the information desk located in the arrivals hall for your pick-up with your name on it. 10 Minute road transfer to your overnight accommodation.
DINNER, B&B
GUEST HOUSE
OVERNIGHT
DAY 2-4
MANYELETI GAME RESERVE
Safari days
📍 Manthobeni Camp
MANYELETI GAME RESERVE
Area Overview
Discover the ultimate safari experience at Manyeleti Nature Reserve, a wilderness area bordering the Kruger National Park in South Africa. With high densities of herbivores comes predators aplenty. As such, you can be absolutely sure to only experience the best game viewing possible. As there are no fences between the national park and the private game reserves, wildlife is able to roam freely!
Manyeleti means “Place of the stars” in the local language. It truly is a unique safari destination well off the beaten path. You can be certain not to encounter big tour groups traveling around in busses, but rather expect a pristine bush experience in one of the world's most beautiful places.
Manyeleti is prime Big-5 territory, offering exceptional possibilities for viewing the elusive leopard. Other Big-5 animals (lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant) are also often spotted on a very regular basis. Furthermore, with more than 300 bird species present in the area.The Manyeleti is renowned for its lion, leopard and cheetah as well as great sightings of the endangered painted wolf (African wild dog). Also serval and caracal, dwarf mongoose and genet.
ACTIVITIES
A great safari destination for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and bird watchers alike.
Game drives are interpretive drives in the bush specially adapted 4-wheel drive vehicles, with the purpose of finding wildlife in a natural habitat. On a game drive you will be accompanied by ranger / guide (sometimes armed) with a comprehensive knowledge of all flora and fauna found in Manyeleti. Besides the ranger normally a "tracker" joins the ranger, who is being seated on the front of the car and scans the environment for (big) game. These are all very passionate people, who have a special ability to teach you about nature.
Just as with a game drive you will go out with a ranger / guide on a game walk. On foot you get a completely different experience: it is sometimes even possible to approach wildlife to a very short distance. It indeed is a very thrilling experience observing wildlife without the protection of a car. We do encourage participating in a game walk as it really is a very different experience. The minimum age for participating in a game drive is usually eight years, for a game walk this is fourteen.
Game drives or game walks coming up!
Game drives are interpretive drives in the bush specially adapted four wheel drive vehicles, with the purpose of finding wildlife in a natural habitat. On a game drive you will be accompanied by ranger / guide (sometimes armed) with a comprehensive knowledge of all flora and fauna found in Manyeleti. Besides the ranger normally a "tracker" joins the ranger, who is being seated on the front of the car in a small seat and scans the environment for (big) game. These are all very passionate people, who have a special ability to teach you about nature. As you are residing in a natural environment you might get a bit unlucky and only see small numbers of game, the rangers will then pay more attention smaller things in the bush (such as plants and insects). Just as with a game drive you will go out with a ranger / guide on a game walk. On foot you get a completely different experience: it is sometimes even possible to approach wildlife to a very short distance. It indeed is a very thrilling experience observing wildlife without the protection of a car. We do encourage participating in a game walk as it really is a very different experience.
* Please see your safari itinerary for transfer logistics
Safari days
Each day on safari in Africa is a magical experience, whether you’re exploring the savanna on foot or in a 4x4 vehicle in search of the Big 5 or taking to the sky in a hot-air balloon to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every single day is steeped in the promise of a unique adventure and cherished memories.
Although each day is unpredictable to a certain extent, based on the time of year or location, there is a general format or schedule that safaris tend to follow, but, as a rule, safaris do follow a familiar rhythm that combines thrilling game viewing with ample time to relax in between—a dream vacation in anyone’s book. One rule of thumb is that there are usually two game drives a day: one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon, when animals are at their most active.
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MANTHOBENI CAMP
Camp Overview
Full board, excl. premium drinks | Wifi in main area | Laundry at addl. fee
Manyeleti means "place of the stars" in Shangaan. Seeing the "Big Five" in the wild is one of the most memorable things one can ever experience.
Bordering the Kruger National Park and situated between the Timbavati and the Sabi Sand Reserves, and sharing an open border with Kruger National Park lies an expanse of pristine wilderness; in prime Big Five country in the beautiful and unexploited 23,000-hectare Manyeleti Game Reserve!
The camp offers breath-taking wildlife experiences, including the Big Five, superb cuisine and service excellence. Featuring 15 tents, each furnished with a king size bed (or two twin beds), and an en-suite bathroom with a sunken bath, double shower, his and hers basins, and a separate toilet.
The camp also boasts a large sitting area, an outdoor area with a splash pool and sun loungers, a bar area, and an extensive climate-controlled wine cellar. Wildlife drinking at nearby watering hole can be seen from the swimming pool deck which adjoins the reception area.
ACTIVITIES
Guests are taken on game drives in open game viewing vehicles in the early morning and late afternoon/evening. Late afternoon and evening drives include sunset drinks, views over the Mohwareng Hills, and glimpses of nocturnal creatures. Larger game frequently sighted in the reserve includes elephant, rhino, lion and hippo. In between meals and drives, watch the game and birdlife pass by while relaxing by the pool or take a walking safari through the deep bush, accompanied by an experienced, armed ranger; it can be hot work, but it’s very exciting – seeing the animals from a vehicle just doesn’t seem to compare. Group tours are available to the nearby village of Welverdiend, where guests will learn about the relationship between traditional and contemporary living. Activities include:
• Bird watching from a newly built hide opposite a watering hole
• Hiking and walking safaris
• Plant life/flora and footprint tracking
• Private guided tours
• Safaris in a private conservancy or into the neighbouring Kruger National Park
Wildlife photography.
Morning transfer to local airstrip for your flight to Hoedspruit regional airport*. Airport meet & greet followed by 1 hr road transfer to camp. Let the safari begin! *Please see your safari itinerary for transfer logistics
FULL BOARD
LODGE
GAME VIEW
DAY 5-7
GREATER KRUGER AREA
Safari days
📍Bateleur Safari Camp
TIMBAVATI GAME RESERVE
Area Overview
Positioned to the west of Kruger and north of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.This private game reserve (adjacent to Kruger) has over 40 mammals roaming freely. Covering 75.000 hectares of bush, you will experience a more intimate and personal affair with wildlife than anywhere else.
Timbavati Game Reserve is renowned for the presence of the rare white lion. A colored coat, ice blue eyes; their beauty is captivating. Although born with a snow-white coat, white lions are not albinos; it is the result of a rare colour mutation. White lions are indigenous to the Timbavati Game Reserve and the earliest records of sighting them in this region date from 1938. Luckily, their coloration doesn’t appear to be of disadvantage when it comes to survival. The Global White Lion Protection Trust (GWLPT) reintroduced white lions into their natural habitat in 2009, and they have been hunting and breeding successfully ever since.
Safari Activities
Each day on safari in Africa is a magical experience, whether you’re exploring the savanna on foot or in a 4x4 vehicle in search of the Big 5 or taking to the sky in a hot-air balloon to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every single day is steeped in the promise of a unique adventure and cherished memories.
Although each day is unpredictable to a certain extent, based on the time of year or location, there is a general format or schedule that safaris tend to follow, but, as a rule, safaris do follow a familiar rhythm that combines thrilling game viewing with ample time to relax in between—a dream vacation in anyone’s book. One rule of thumb is that there are usually two game drives a day: one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon, when animals are at their most active.
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BATELEUR SAFARI CAMP
Lodge Overview
Full board, excl. premium drinks | Wifi in main area | Laundry at addl. fee
Bateleur Safari Camp is situated in the renowned Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, a premier safari destination. The camp is uniquely positioned with no artificial barriers between the Timbavati and the neighboring Kruger National Park, allowing for seamless wildlife movement across the unfenced borders.
This exceptional wilderness area is home to the Big Five, a wide variety of antelope species, numerous smaller predators, over 500 bird species, and a rich array of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. The landscape features the characteristic undulating granitic Lowveld basin, with expansive broad-leafed trees in the uplands, Acacia woodlands further down, and large trees forming the riverine vegetation in the valley bottoms. Fertile, open sodic areas dominate the sandy riverbeds.
The camp’s central area features a covered, open-sided wooden deck that serves as the hub for both the lounge and dining spaces, offering views over the riverbed and its seasonal waterhole. The cozy lounge is perfect for leisurely game viewing or unwinding with a book and a refreshing drink between guided activities. Guests can choose from a library of books and enjoy a selection of local beers, wines, and spirits available from the kitchen, while premium drinks can be purchased at the bar. During meal times, the dining area provides an ideal setting to savor delicious meals while taking in the sights and sounds of the African bush. The deck extends past the nearby chemical-free swimming pool, where guests can cool off without missing the wildlife and birdlife in the area.
The central area also includes a beautifully designed boma with low walls, open to the starry sky, and featuring chairs arranged around a central fireplace. It’s the perfect spot to relax by the fire and share stories of the day’s adventures under the vast African sky. Nearby is the camp’s braai/barbecue area, where the chef often prepares meals over an open fire.
Four-legged visitors frequently seen within the camp’s perimeter during the day include nyalas, warthogs, and bushbuck. Elephants, buffalo, and giraffes are often spotted crossing the riverbed in front of the camp! At night, any animal smaller than an adult elephant may pass through the camp, often unnoticed as they move under the cover of darkness.
FULL BOARD
TENTED CAMP
GAME VIEW
DAY 8
RETURN
DEPARTURE
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end! Goodbye to the safari life, feeling relaxed, mesmerizing scenery, great food, family time, and romantic memories.
Morning road transfer back to the airport for your outbound flight... dreaming of the trip of a lifetime!
IMPORTANT INFO TO TAKE NOTE OF