Good For You

This is about as close to nature as you want to get at the edge of Kruger National Park, famous for its perilous Big Five – lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceros and buffalo. The lodge is inside the private 10,000 hectare Timbavati Nature Reserve, at Kruger’s western edge, and daily safaris with local bushmen – all well-informed and well-armed – will introduce to the exotic mammals, as well as more than 350 species of birds.

Off the reserve, the camp staff can help you enjoy a range of activities including horse riding, hot-air ballooning, white water rafting, or touring local villages.

The tribal-style huts are lavishly equipped with comfortable beds and crisp linens and open-air showers, while the home cooked meals are plentiful and delicious. The warm and friendly staff are proud of their culture and the natural beauty of their home, and do their best to welcome you and share their knowledge.

Good For South Africa

There’s no electricity at the camp – all lighting is by candle and oil lamp, lending a decidedly romantic air to the accommodations, and water is heated by wood fire while food is cooked on campfires. The eight bush huts are made of local materials and blend in with the environment, and, of course, all wild animals on the reserve are protected.

The lodge is committed to staff development, including not only training in tourism and ecology, but providing AIDS/HIV education and support. The lodge is certified by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa.

Rooms

Food

Features & Facilities

• Swimming pool with hammocks for relaxing
• Bar with deck for observing wildlife
• A fleet of open-topped land rovers for safaris
• A team of trained safari and bushwalk guides
• Tree house overlooking a dam, where guests can take picnics and observe wildlife

Umlani is renowned for its outstanding Shangaan rangers and trackers, who will not only find you the game, but will also introduce you to the wealth of flora, fauna, bird life and cultural heritage of the region.

You will be taken out on two game drives per day, in open- topped land rovers. The morning game drive will leave at dawn and the night drive will leave in the late afternoon. There is always a ranger on stand-by for an optional morning bush walk.

Local Info & Activities

Timbavati Game Reserve

Timbavati Game Reserve is situated on the Western boundary of the Kruger National Park and lies between the Klaserie, Umbabat, Manyeleti and Sabie Sands Reserves. In recent years, the fences separating Timbavati from the Kruger National Park were removed, thus forming a pristine wilderness area of some four million hectares.

Umlani Bushcamp works together with other landowners and African game lodge owners in the Timbavati Game Reserve in a mutually beneficial way, offering visitors more than 10,000 hectares of unspoilt wilderness for traversing and walking.

Beyond the Timbavati reserve

Apart from the wildlife safaris there are some optional daytime activities outside of the Timbavati Game Reserve that are accessible from Umlani Bushcamp and which camp staff are happy to arrange. A transfer service can be organised to and from the Umlani Bushcamp to any of the following activities:

- A one hour microlight flight over the Klaserie Big Five Reserve

- Mafunyane Shangaan Cultural Village

- Early morning balloon safaris

- Horse riding trips

- White water rafting trips

- Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

- Monsoon Gallery and Curios Centre

- Ringetani Acornhoek Village Tour, which includes tribal dancing, a chance to taste traditional African foods, and visits to a Sangoma (Traditional healer), a traditional Shabeen and a local family. You arrive back at the camp in time for the afternoon game drive

Kruger National Park

With 13 varied habitats, the Kruger National Park is home to one of the largest concentrations of birdlife and game species in Africa. Bird watching is a major highlight at Kruger Park, reputed to be the finest birding location in Southern Africa, with over 500 species to spot, the Raptor species being the most famous.

Sustainability

Timbavati Game Reserve is one of the oldest private nature reserves adjoining the Kruger National Park. It was established in the 1950's, when a group of conservation-minded private game park owners on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park decided to pool their resources for mutual benefit and to benefit the wildlife in the area. The individual farms were thus joined in order to form a wilderness area that is today privately owned by 48 individual members.

The small number of guests (16 at a time) keeps the camp low-impact, while the lack of electricity keeps its carbin emissions to a minimum.

The staff HIV/AIDS programme, developed and implemented by management, features awareness workshops and one-on-one staff counselling during a nurse’s monthly visits. Staff members have access to multi-vitamins and a high nutrition diet, and are provided with medical care, including the right to consult a traditional healer.

Umlani has developed a Youth Leadership programme at Welverdiend Village, where the majority of staff are based. The programme is linked to the Wildlife College and Umlani Bushcamp entices learners to visit the lodge, where they are hosted, in so doing obtaining insight into environmental issues and finding out about eco-tourism career opportunities. Some learners become involved in work shadowing at the lodge. Umlani has hosted a learner tracker, Jimmy Mathebula, who obtained board, lodging, a stipend – even driving lessons. Ruth Khoza secured a Hospitality / House-keeping Learnership. The tracker learnership programme forms part of a Timbavati-wide initiative to provide learning opportunities for local black youth. Plans are afoot for learners to rotate between the various lodges

Umlani is certified by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa. The FTTSA certification endorses fair and responsible tourism practice in South Africa, and is awarded to tourism businesses that adhere to Fair Trade criteria such as fair wages and working conditions, fairness in operations, purchasing and distribution of benefits, ethical practice and respect for human rights, culture and environment.

Getting There

The direct route when driving to Umlani Bushcamp in the Kruger National Park from Gauteng will take safari travellers approximately 5 hours.

If driving to Umlani Bushcamp from Pretoria, take the N4 from Pretoria to Witbank, which then joins the N12 from Johannesburg at Witbank.

You will need to pay R65 for vehicle entry into the reserve and R90 per guest conservation levy. After the Control Gate, travel past one turning to the right (with a large stone and concrete sign-post, like in the Kruger Park, indicating the direction to various camps).

Turn right at the second turning to the right (again, there is a large stone and concrete sign-post, like in the Kruger Park, with Umlani indicated at the top of this sign-post).

After about 30m, there is a Y-fork in the road, with a wooden sign to Umlani. Follow the left hand fork (the one which goes almost straight ahead). From here, follow the wooden signs to Umlani, and these will lead you straight into the camp.

Road Transfers & Flights:

Hoedspruit Airport to Umlani - R 280.00 pp one way

Johannesburg to Umlani via panoramic route or direct route can be arranged, ask for quotation.

Flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town can be arranged. Please contact us should you require any additional information.

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

Rates Include:

Accommodation, 3 meals, 2 game drives, optional bush walk, all local brand drinks and 14% VAT

• Per adult per night sharing R 2 250.00 (USD $ 320.00)
• Per single adult per night R 2 950.00 (USD $420.00)
• Children under 12 years per night sharing with parents R 1 125.00 (USD $160.00)
• Children under 12 years, in own room R 1 690.00 (USD 240.00)

3 Night Specials

• Per adult sharing R 5 750.00 (USD $ 820.00)
• Per single adult R 7 560.00 (USD 1080.00)
• Children under 12 years sharing with parents R 2 875.00 (USD $410.00)
• Children under 12 years, in own room R 4 310.00 (USD 615.00)

One Week Special (7 days, last day free)

• Per adult sharing R 11 500 (USD $ 1640.00)
• Per single adult R 15 120 (USD 2160.00)
• Children under 12 years sharing with parents R 5750.00 (USD $820.00)
• Children under 12 years, in own room R 8 620.00 (USD 1230.00)

Winter Special (May, June, July)

• Per adult per night sharing R1650.00 (USD $ 235.00)
• Per single adult per night R 2 310.00 (USD 330.00)
• Children under 12 years sharing with parents R 825.00 (USD $115.00)
• Children under 12 years, in own room R 1210.00 (USD 170.00)

booking & cancellation policy

A non refundable 20% deposit is required to make booking.

Full pre-payment is required for confirmation of all reservations no later than 1 month prior to guest’s arrival. Payment can be made by credit card or electronic bank transfer.

A 10% cancellation fee will be levied on a cancellation 4 weeks and more prior to arrival.

A 25% cancellation fee will be levied on confirmed bookings cancelled 2 to 4 weeks before arrival.

A 50% cancellation fee on the total bookings cancelled within 2 weeks of arrival.

Full payment on confirmed bookings cancelled within 5 days of arrival or not arriving without prior arrangement.

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.