Access & Location
The lodge is accessed via road transfer from &Beyond’s private airstrip. It’s situated within its own reserve in the heart of the Timbavati, which borders the western boundary of the Kruger National Park.
Ngala Safari Lodge
Mid- to high-end luxury accommodation within its own reserve in the Timbavati
Lounge and dining areas, library, bar, boma, courtyard, and swimming pool
A total of seventeen standard cottages, three family cottages, and one private family suite
Game drives, interpretive bush walks, tracking, photographic safaris, helicopter flights, hot air balloon rides, WILDchild Programme
Our Yellow Zebra Opinion
-
Great value for quality
Timbavati’s finest family lodge, offering an unbeatable safari experience. Children can enjoy an array of activities such as baking, frog safaris, birding, bush walks, and that’s just to mention a few!
Activities
The Ngala Reserve covers 14,700 hectares of savanna, woodland, and water sources, and it’s a real haven for wildlife.
Game drives
Big five viewing
Timbavati Private Game Reserve
Wildlife viewing
Bird viewing
Photographic safaris
Kids club
-
The lodge’s game drives, which take place during early morning and late afternoon into nightfall, provide exciting opportunities to see all sorts of mammal species.
The mighty Big Five are in residence – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo.
The Timbavati Private Game Reserve as a whole is renowned for its impressive populations of big cats, so it’s a great destination for anyone who loves lion, leopard, and cheetah!
Other predators to look out for include hyenas, jackals, and the rare wild dog, while the herbivore count features hippo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and an amazing assortment of antelopes.
The reserve also holds ample interest for birders, as it’s home to well over three hundred types of feathery friend, from raptors to songbirds to waterbirds. Ngala’s interpretive bush walks are fantastic for taking a really close look at plants and insects, and for tracking animals too.
Photographic safaris are offered at extra cost, as are rhino notching experiences, helicopter flights over the breathtaking Blyde River Canyon, and spectacular hot air balloon rides. Please note, a few age restrictions apply – children aged under 16 years cannot participate in bush walks and those aged under 6 are not allowed on game drives.
However, &Beyond’s WILDChild Programme provides plenty of things to do for youngsters, such as arts ‘n’ crafts, bush survival techniques, and mini nature walks.
*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.
Make an EnquiryFacilities
The main lodge at Ngala is another timber, stone, and thatch structure, linked with the guest cottages and family suite along neat stone pathways.
It contains a large lounge, featuring plush sofas and armchairs around coffee tables, a cozy fireplace, occasional tables dotted with intriguing artefacts, and lots of wildlife artwork. The bar adjoins the lounge, and there’s also an elegant dining area. These spaces flow out onto spacious verandas, so guests can feast their eyes on lovely views over rolling lawns as far as a busy waterhole and surrounding bushscape. Ngala has a library too, and a traditional boma where guests eat al fresco. You can also take time to relax in the pleasant courtyard and cool off in the lodge’s very inviting swimming pool! The pool is flanked by two long lines of sunloungers, one row within a shady stone shelter and the other under parasols, so there’s plenty of room for everyone to relax in the heat of the day.
Make an EnquiryAmenities
There are 17 standard cottages, three family cottages, and one private family suite.
All are made out of timber, stone, and thatch, and set up in the shade of mopane and tamboti trees within the lodge’s grounds. Inside each standard cottage, you’ll find a double bed or twin beds, bedside and overhead lighting, a bench, a writing desk and chair, and storage furniture. Other in-room amenities include air conditioning, ceiling fans, telephone, mini-bar, safe, Wi-Fi, and hairdryer. The en-suite facilities comprise flush toilet, twin washbasins with mirrors over, shower, and freestanding bathtub. Sliding doors lead out into a private courtyard with open-air shower, the way lit beautifully with lanterns. Cottage access for disabled travellers is available on request. Each of the family cottages benefits from all the features of the standard model, in addition to an interleading bedroom for children. And the family suite has its own lounge and dining areas, a swimming pool, and use of a private vehicle!
Trips including this accommodation
Similar Lodges
-
Walkers Plains Camp
From C$1,164 – C$1,441 ppWalkers Plains is a safari lodge built and run by the Walker family, whose love and knowledge of the area have culminated in this wonderful new camp. It was previously their home and has only recently had rooms added and been opened up to the international…
-
Ngala Tented Camp
From C$2,148 – C$2,134 ppNgala Tented Camp has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment, making this already wonderful camp one of the finest properties in South Africa. Owned by &Beyond, which is among the premier safari operators on the continent, this is a high-end luxury…
-
Kings Camp
From C$1,552 – C$1,552 ppKings Camp is listed in the Seasons in Africa group portfolio. As such, it provides high-quality accommodation, facilities, and service. Since 1988, the camp has been managed by husband and wife Warren and Lisha Moore, and in 2011 a self-contained…
-
Motswari Private Game Reserve
From C$696 – C$1,008 ppMotswari Game Lodge is run by Newmark, a top hotel management company that was established in 1990. Newmark has a portfolio of properties spanning Cape Town, the Serengeti, and Zanzibar, and the company prides itself on its focus and drive. The lodge has been…
-
Motswari Geiger’s Camp
From C$974 – C$1,447 ppMotswari Geiger’s Camp is highly recommended for travellers looking for exclusive accommodation within this wildlife-rich region of the Timbavati. There is accommodation for up to eight adults, and guests have access to the curio shop and conference room at…
-
Tanda Tula Safari Camp
From C$2,688 – C$2,688 ppThough keeping the tradition of being a warm and welcoming lodge, it has taken on a modern African design focusing on a lighter footprint. As it is set overlooking the Nlharalumi riverbed, guests will feel incredibly close to the surrounding nature, thanks to…
-
Simbavati Trails Camp
From C$749 – C$749 ppAll are situated in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, a wildlife-rich area adjoining South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park. They include Yellow Zebra favourites Hilltop Lodge and River Lodge, which are the more luxurious offerings within the…
-
Simbavati River Lodge
From C$1,137 – C$1,137 ppAt Yellow Zebra, we rate River Lodge very highly indeed. A stay here is a great way to get to know Timbavati and we commend the lodge for being both family friendly and wheelchair accessible. And if you are into photography, you will relish the opportunities…
What our Customers say
Talk to someone who’s been there
Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.As Seen In
