Timbavati Safari Trips & Tours

Timbavati

Home to the only natural white lions in the world, Timbavati is a wonder.

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025

We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!

Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024

Timbavati

A collection of private reserves with exceptional wildlife viewing and a delicious selection of lodges.

This 53,000-hectare reserve has achieved icon status in the Greater Kruger area, sharing an unfenced border with the national park, allowing the region’s incredible wildlife to move freely over miles of land. The reserve forms part of a bushveld region that was barely ever touched by humans, making it a genuine wilderness without the marks left by man. Most safari aficionados have no doubt heard of Timbavati’s white lions – after all, it’s the only place in the world where they occur regularly and completely naturally. Beyond these remarkable creatures, it is also home to the rest of the Big Five, as well as giraffe, wildebeest, cheetah and African-painted dogs. Most exploring is done in a game vehicle or on foot, between the marula and knobthorn trees that dot the grasslands. The reserve is also well-known for its conservation efforts, helping to protect white rhinos, pangolins and endangered birdlife. When you’re not safari-ing, there is a menu of stylish properties that ensure your comfort levels are always at 100%.

Our Experts

Want to chat?

Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

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

Kristin Jessup

South Africa Travel Specialist

Annie Irankunda

South Africa Travel Specialist

Jenna Coiley

South Africa Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in Timbavati

Stretching across 53,000 hectares of pristine African wilderness, Timbavati has adventure at every turn. What you experience depends on how you choose to explore - you could be tracking lions and elephants on an early morning game drive, or walking through the bush learning about smaller creatures and ancient trees. As day turns to night, head out in search of nocturnal predators on the hunt, or spend your afternoon watching some of the reserve's 360 bird species soar overhead. For a truly unforgettable perspective, take to the skies on a helicopter flight above this vast landscape. With a collection of luxury lodges to call home and expert guides to lead the way, Timbavati offers an authentic safari experience for everyone.

Open Map

Adventure

When to go

Best time to visit Timbavati

Excellent

Good

Mixed

january

Wet Season — a quieter time to visit

Articles

South Africa in the blog

Planning Guides

South Africa Country Guide

Safaris, sandy shores and multicultural cities

Planning Guides

South Africa’s Secret Safari Reserves: Klaserie, Balule & More

Discover top safari spots within the greater Kruger

Planning Guides

From Safari to Shiraz: Pairing Kruger with the Winelands

Combine an African safari with Cape wine tasting

Planning Guides

How to plan a Kruger park safari

Undoubtedly southern Africa’s most famous game reserve

Planning Guides

Top places to see wild lions

Where to find Africa’s most iconic big cat

Planning Guides

Best lodges in South Africa

Top spots to stay from the Kruger to the Cape

Reviews

Based on 360 Feefo Reviews for South Africa

Guest

The Africa trip of a lifetime

September 2026

20 nights in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana

The bottom line is that Timbuktu planned a fabulous trip for us (two first-time travelers to Africa). Things ran very smoothly during our three weeks in Africa, and we enjoyed every stop and accommodation along the way. Our travel agent took the time to speak with us about what we wanted, and her recommendations were detailed and tailored to what we had discussed. She was also clearly knowledgeable about travel to Africa. We initially came to her with one idea for our trip, but she kindly helped us see that it might be a logistical challenge, and she helped us craft an alternative itinerary that met all our goals and desires. The only qualm we had was with some of the communication during the planning process - our agent was lovely, and very helpful, but occasionally failed to respond to us by the deadlines she gave, and did not let us know what was going on when that happened. To be clear, these issues didn't end up impacting our trip, but it did create some concerns (although minor) before we left. Ultimately, though, it was the trip of a lifetime, and we're very grateful for all the planning help we received! We would recommend Timbuktu to others looking to travel to Africa.

Joan McCulloch

Amazing experience

August 2026

10 nights in South Africa and Lesotho

They tailored the entire trip to my requirements, communication was superb. There was no pushiness. I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them to anyone considering a trip to southern Africa.

Guest

August 2026

8 nights in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Jenna was fantastic and gave us great advice and recommendations for our homeymoon

Guest

July 2026

10 nights in South Africa

Tessa and Timbuktu put together a trip of a lifetime for us. The trip moving through South Africa to 3 different safari lodges required planning to move us from lodge to lodge. Tessa pulled that off the transfers went smoothly, We would highly recommend Tessa and Timbuktu.

Elizabeth Hubka

July 2026

9 nights in South Africa

Brandy Baucom

July 2026

14 nights in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe

Seamless trip for 14 nights start to finish. Beyond my expectations from when I started planning the trip. Highly recommend Timbuktu to anyone.

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

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

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

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

$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

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..