Karongwe Private Game Reserve

Karongwe Private Game Reserve Safari Trips & Tours

Karongwe Private Game Reserve

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4.9/5 (911 reviews)

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025
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Voted No.1 in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 by Travel+Leisure
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Karongwe Private Game Reserve Safari Trips & Tours

Where the Big Five roam and the mountains tower in the distance, this pint-sized reserve has a lot to offer.

Spanning 9,000 hectares in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, Karongwe is a small reserve at the very edge of the Greater Kruger area. Its undulating and diverse landscape makes an ideal home for a whole host of creatures including the Big Five as well as all sorts of antelope, giraffe and hippo. With over 360 bird species, the reserve is a twitcher’s paradise and you’ll spot everything from soaring Martial eagles to Little bee-eaters. Guests on the reserve can get involved in several conservation initiatives, including the chance to track and observe cheetah, or the highly effective anti-poaching programs. Accommodation-wise, you can choose from a variety of intimate camps and lodges from high luxury to family-friendly – and everything in between.

Our Experts

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or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Jonty

Jonty Medcalf

Africa and Antarctica Travel Specialist

Kristin

Kristin Jessup

Africa Travel Specialist

Millie

Millie Trotter

Africa Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in Karongwe

The undulating terrain creates diverse habitats where the Big Five roam alongside giraffes, hippos, and numerous antelope species. Over 360 bird species call this reserve home, from impressive Martial eagles to tiny bee-eaters. Conservation drives the reserve's mission, with hands-on initiatives including cheetah research and anti-poaching programs that guests can actively support. Game drives wind through varied landscapes tracking elusive predators, while walking safaris reveal the smaller wonders of the wilderness. A collection of intimate lodges provides thoughtful bases for exploration, where each day brings new wildlife discoveries.

Open Map
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Wildlife

Search for Karongwe's elusive cats on a game drive

Walking safari

Spot Karongwe's critters on a walking safari

Adventure

Soar over the Oliphant’s Gorge in a helicopter

Best time to visit

When to go on a Karongwe Trip

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Reviews

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Based on 333 Feefo Reviews for South Africa

Guest
June 2026
14 nights in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana
see previous description
Awesome safari and South African trip.
Guest
Awesome safari and South African trip.
June 2026
25 nights in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe
Our trip went without a hitch! Couldn't be happier with the organization of the whole thing. Of course, Meg was fantastic. She gave us so much information up front and spent the time with us to help us figure out what would be best for us and what we really would want to do since it was our first time. I can't say enough about how much we appreciated that as well as how accessible and responsive she was for questions. I think having someone who has been to all the places and really knows how it will be is so helpful to people who have not done a safari before. I definitely would recommend to friends and family to use Timbuktu.
The perfect South African/Botswana African safari
DAVID ZEBROWSKI
The perfect South African/Botswana African safari
June 2026
15 nights in South Africa, Botswana and Mauritius
I really enjoyed working with Jenna and Nadine on planning our perfect African safari. Jenna chose the two most perfect camps for our stay. Both are super detail oriented and nothing fell through the cracks. It was great having them, knowing I can rely on both of them to ensure the trip went smoothly and we had the best experience possible. I will absolutely use Timbuktu when planning my next safari vacation.
S. Africa / Tanzania vacation
Boris P
S. Africa / Tanzania vacation
May 2026
18 nights in South Africa and Tanzania
Thanks a lot to Jonty for his professionalism, patience, and assistance in helping us to build a wonderful itinerary for our upcoming South Africa and Tanzania vacation. We truly appreciate all the time and effort that has gone into planning this special trip and are very excited for the adventure ahead.
Have planned four trips though Timbuktu and each one was wonderful!
Guest
Have planned four trips though Timbuktu and each one was wonderful!
May 2026
7 nights in South Africa and Mozambique
They have planned my last four trips with them to perfection. They always listen to what you want to see and do on each trip and how much you want to spend. They are simply the best!
South Africa/Zambia/Seychelles
Guest
South Africa/Zambia/Seychelles
April 2026
12 nights in South Africa, Zambia and Seychelles
We planned a multi country vacation with several flights, lots of different hotels and many activities. Timbuktu took a lot of the stress off of me by helping me Figure out exactly what I wanted to do on this trip and helping me get it all scheduled. At every stop we were well taken care of and we had exactly what we needed. We felt safe and taken care of the entire trip.

Why travel with Timbuktu?

We design tailor-made journeys for travellers who want more than a holiday, from first-time safaris, gorilla treks and multi-generational family adventures to once-in-a-lifetime honeymoons - and everything in between. And here's why so many choose us to plan them.

Tailor-Made Since 2014

Tailor-Made Since 2014

We've been crafting one-of-a-kind journeys since 2014 — over 2,500 trips across 40+ countries, each one built from scratch around your interests and dreams.

Specialists Who've Been There

Specialists Who've Been There

Our team only recommends places they've slept in, eaten in, and happily keep going back to. Condé Nast Traveler named 11 of them Top Travel Specialists in 2026, and Travel+Leisure made three A-List Advisors.

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

Travel+Leisure's readers voted us the World's No.1 Tour Operator in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 — the travel industry's biggest readers' award, judged by people who actually travel.

Every Trip Makes A Difference

Every Trip Makes A Difference

$50 from every booking goes to female empowerment, tech education, and conservation projects across the countries we love. We have donated $78,000 so far – and it's going up!

Collaboration Is Key

Collaboration Is Key

Your travel specialist is with you the whole way, dreaming up the trip, building the itinerary, checking you in, and answering the 2am question from the other side of the world..

Loved By Our Guests

Loved By Our Guests

We are rated 4.9 out of 5 from 911 verified Feefo reviews. And these are the words of people who actually went, not us talking about ourselves.

As Seen in

11 Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists 2026

Condé Nast Traveler

No. 1 & No. 2 Tour Operator in Travel + Leisure's Best Awards 2024 & 2025

Travel + Leisure

Best Booking Platform in Women's Health Travel Awards 2025

Women's Health magazine

Travel Specialist voted as Latin America A-List Travel Advisor 2025

Condé Nast Traveler A-List Awards

"Timbuktu can take relatively complex and slightly amorphous travel plans and transform them into a well-organized, perfectly tailored trip."

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