Experience a Kruger Safari at nThambo Tree Camp and stay in unique accommodation in the heart of the Klaserie. The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve is part of the Greater Kruger and shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park. It is here that guests can take part in Big Five game drive safaris.
On game drive guests will be led by experienced and professional game rangers through a wildlife area rich in game. There is the chance to see all of the Big 5 in and around camp at any time, so guides will escort guests to and from their rooms at night.
The Klaserie also boasts a plethora of interesting birdlife and is a haven for bird-watchers. All 5 chalets are positioned on stilts at level with the trees so game watching can be enjoyed constantly. The small size and privacy of nThambo means that activities are flexible and exciting night drives can also be conducted.
South Africa is a beautiful country to see and a self-drive option is recommended for guests who have the time and interest for a more diverse experience. The drive from Johannesburg takes about 6 hours according to directions that will be provided for you. The roads are good and safe, while the scenery in the Mpumalanga/Limpopo region is spectacular.
Flying from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport is the quickest and easiest option for getting to nThambo. Hoedspruit receives guests travelling to the Greater Kruger every day. Your host from nThambo will meet you at the airport and drive you through the Timbavati Gate and then into the Klaserie and to nThambo Tree Camp.
Road transfers are another option for guests travelling to nThambo. The Ashton’s Transfer takes guests to the Bush Pub & Grill just outside the Timbavati Gate, which is where nThambo will meet their guests and drive them the last 30 minutes to the camp.
The nThambo Tree Camp facilities include a main area, which houses a comfortable lounge and bar under thatch. The dining room, which has a large table and a wine rack, and is located next to the open-air boma fireplace, perfect for evening drinks around the fire.
In addition guests will experience a traditional South African braaivleis cooked over the open fire. To truly immerse yourself in the rustic bush experience, the main area is lit with lanterns while plug points in the chalets can be used to charge your camera batteries.There is also wifi available in the lounge and bar area.
During the hot summer months guests can relax around the splash pool – don’t be surprised if there is a herd of elephants approaching to drink the water!
nThambo Tree Camp has only 5 chalets that sleep 2 people each, which creates an intimate and personal safari experience. The accommodation is unique with bedrooms at eye-level with the trees, offering a different perspective from the private balconies.
There is an outdoor lounge and dining area, under thatch, that offers guests beautiful views of the plain and small waterhole in front of camp, as well as the Drakensberg mountain range in the distance. A pool and deck with sun loungers and umbrellas completes the main area and offers a refreshing spot to relax all year round.
A traditional boma area with fire place captures the traditional bush camp safari experience. Open to the sky and surrounded by a wooden kraal, the boma is where the warm evenings are spent sharing stories of the bush.
In the mornings and evenings, guests are taken on game drive. The animals are habituated to the vehicle, which means that they are used to the vehicle approaching them and know that it never causes them harm. This enables to you to get within 5 to 10 metres of the larger predators; even while they’re feasting on a recent kill.
The night drives allow guests the opportunity to see the nocturnal animals not encountered during the day. Your chances of seeing leopard in particular are a lot higher at night and with a bit of luck you might even encounter the predators such as lion and leopard hunting. During the night drives, your tracker uses a powerful spotlight to search for nocturnal animals.
The waterhole in front of camp attracts a number of species during the day and night, so regular sightings of warthog, baboons, elephants, even lions and leopards in front of camp can be enjoyed.
Africa’s most superb predators are found in the Klaserie and are frequently seen by guests on game drive. Knowing that there are all of Africa’s most successful predators around nThambo, and knowing that it is unfenced, the feeling of being in the wild is ever-present.
Leopard and lion, Africa’s biggest cats, prowl the bushveld and their calls can be heard in the night when you are falling asleep. The lions are famous in the Klaserie and their pride has been followed for years. Other fantastic predators found here are the spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, caracal, crocodile, cheetah, serval, and African wild dog, to name but a few.
The camp is frequently visited by a pair of honey badgers, which is an exciting and eventful occasion. These are ferocious little creatures that are feared by most other big mammals in the wild because of their fearless attitude and tendancy to aim for the groin in an attack!
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, there is a species diversity to be enjoyed.
As there are no fences and wildlife roams free between the major reserves that form the Greater Kruger Park, which include the Klaserie, Timbavati, Manyeleti, Sabi Sand and the Kruger National Park. Just as is always the case on safari, you can never predict what you are going to see, but with such a variety of wildlife species, game drives at nThambo are rich in sightings.
Mammals on can expect to see in the area are aplenty: elephant, rhino, buffalo, impala, kudu, zebra, giraffe, steenbok, duiker, mongoose, baboon, vervet monkey, hippo, warthog, and many others.
The birdlife in the Klaserie is a stunning mix of migrant and resident species. Commonly seen (and heard) birds at nThambo 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 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 Southern Klaserie, guests can also expect to see lappet-faced, white-faced vultures, and hooded vultures.
