Experience Safari in Unique Ways
How we make your trip special:
Game Drives
Two game drives are offered per day, one in the morning and one in late afternoon that moves into the night. All game drives are conducted in open 4×4 game viewers that provide 360-degree views of wildlife and wilderness.
Sundowners & Coffee Stops
On the morning drive, there is a coffee stop; on the afternoon drive, you will stop for sundowners. Stops usually take place in scenic, open areas. Sundowners are drinks of your choice, usually accompanied by a few snacks.
Morning Bush Walks
For the more energetic, each day after breakfast, there is the option of a short morning bush walk. This needs to be requested and is weather permitting.
Special Occasions
nThambo Tree Camp can tailor-make a special occasion for guests, provided it’s pre-arranged. The Honeymoon Sundowner Experience costs R500 per couple but is complimentary for honeymooners. There is also the Bush Bar experience and bush breakfasts, available upon request.
A Typical Day at nThambo Tree Camp
Each morning begins with a game drive in the Klaserie, followed by breakfast and the option of a bush walk thereafter.
05:00
Wake-up call and coffee
05:30 - 06:00
Depart for a game drive
08:30 - 09:00
Return to camp and enjoy breakfast
10:00
Bushwalk (optional/weather permitting)
14:30
Lunch
16:00
Depart for afternoon/ night game drive
20:00
Dinner followed by campfire chatter/
drinks
Details & Useful Information
The Kruger is a fantastic year-round safari destination, with hot summers and crisp, dry winters. Summer runs from November to April, and winter runs from May to August.
During the rainy summer season, the landscapes shift to lush, emerald-green. During November/December, is when impala give birth, making it ideal to spot young lambs. Summer is also the best season for birdwatching, as it draws in a wealth of summer migrants from across the globe. Expect full waterholes and rivers, with short bouts of rain and dramatic skylines.
The temperature in winter is warm. Evenings and early mornings are cool, and days are warm and dry. The bushveld thins out during winter, making it easy to spot big game. Because water is scarce, predators are attracted to the waterholes and dams, making it easy to track game.
During the summer months, the weather can be hot and humid. Winter sees mild days and cold nights. Early-morning and night game drives can be cool year-round, so you may want to bring a few things for every occasion.
These are a few essentials to bring on a safari to the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve:
- Comfortable, closed walking shoes
- Sunblock in the form of SPF lotion
- Hat and beanie
- Neutral-coloured clothing for when you are out on safari,
- Light, airy clothing for midday heat
- Swimming costume
- Scarves and warm jackets for the winter (May to October)
- Outdoor tech gear (binoculars, cameras, phones, a headlamp for around camp)
nThambo Tree Camp is a relaxed, comfortable camp that offers a unique safari experience, led by qualified guides and friendly staff. It is an intimate camp, so the experience is cosy and personal, with the flexibility that only a small camp can offer.
There are two game drives per day, designed to introduce guests to elements of the wild. Drives are conducted at times of day when the predators are most active. For the more adventurous, there is an option of a guided bush walk. The walk is a specialised activity designed to give guests a more in-depth look at the bush they are traversing.
This camp blends naturally into its surroundings and is constructed primarily from wood and canvas. nThambo’s major selling point is its unique accommodation. Expect to overnight in wooden chalets on stilts. Don’t be surprised if you hear the scurry of hyenas beneath your room.
The camp is open, which means wildlife can roam freely throughout. Expect to see a variety of wildlife while based at camp.
Wildlife You Can Expect To See
Embrace the wild.
Predators
Africa’s most elite predators are found in the Klaserie and are frequently seen by guests on game drives. Knowing that Africa’s most successful predators are all around nThambo Tree Camp, the feeling of being in the wild is ever-present.
The Klaserie is known for its prolific sightings of big cats, especially lions. The Klaserie lion pride dynamics are well documented. Other fantastic predators found here are leopard, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, caracal, crocodile, cheetah, serval, and African wild dog, to name but a few.
The reserve is rich with prey, waterholes, and den sites, making it a haven for lions and leopards.
Mammals
The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger Park. The reserve shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park and is west of the Timbavati, covering 60,000 ha on either side of the Klaserie River. This means there is a diversity of habitats and, as a result, a diversity of species to enjoy.
Mammals one can expect to see in the area include elephants, rhinos, buffalo, impalas, kudus, zebras, giraffes, steenboks, duikers, mongooses, baboons, vervet monkeys, hippos, warthogs, and many others.
As is always the case on safari, you can never predict what you will see, but with such a variety of wildlife, game drives at nThambo Tree Camp always produce notable sightings.
Birdlife
The birdlife in the Klaserie is a mix of migrant and resident species. Commonly seen (and heard) birds at nThambo Tree Camp are magpie shrike, lilac-breasted roller, yellow-billed hornbill, glossy starling, white-crowned shrike, blue waxbill, fork-tailed drongo, and francolin.
Some of the most superb raptor species are often seen soaring through the skies and perching in trees, surveying the land. Brown snake eagle, bateleur, martial eagle, African harrier hawk, African hawk eagle, dark chanting goshawk, black-chested snake eagle, Wahlberg’s eagle, and tawny eagle.
The Klaserie has some of the best viewing of white-backed vultures because it is a primary breeding area for these endangered birds. Circling carcasses in the Klaserie, guests can also expect to see lappet-faced, white-faced vultures, and hooded vultures.
