South Africa in safari mode: February/March 2026 (page 7 of 9)

Thanks for stopping by and checking in! 🙂

I don’t miss a single message!! [;]

Yeah, me neither, but I’ve been having some issues with VF lately—it wasn’t notifying me about new posts. We’re tracking your adventures, Holigirl! 😊

So, Pascale, are you off traveling again or what 😄?

you already spoiled us with your Leopard and your African wild dogs, but we want more 😍

Hi Holigirl, I’m jumping into this travel journal just in time for takeoff! Kruger brings back great memories—I was disappointed by Etosha afterward, though. The animals were much rarer there, even though it was almost the same time of year. Love the photos—hyenas are my favorite! ;) And what luck spotting all those big cats! Looking forward to the next update! 😛

Thanks for stopping by and reaching out! 🙂

I don’t miss a single message!! 😉

Perfect timing—I’m back!

So, Pascale, are you off traveling again or what? 😁

you already spoiled us with your Leopard and African wild dogs, but we want more! 😉

Here’s the next part!

Hi Holigirl, I’m jumping into this travel journal just as I’m about to disembark! Kruger brings back such great memories—Etosha, on the other hand, disappointed me. The animals were much rarer there, even though it was almost the same time of year. Love the photos—hyenas are my favorite 😉! And what luck spotting all those big cats! Can’t wait for the rest 😛

Fingers crossed our visit to Etosha lives up to expectations. Thanks for stopping by, Aude. Hyenas are my favorite too 🙂

Hey there, I’m back after a (not-so) relaxing summer vacation in the Southwest that was anything but quiet. Hope you’re all still around despite my delay in finishing the travel journal.

After those (really) great meet-ups in the Orpen area, we head to the highly acclaimed Timbavati Reserve at Shindzela Tented Camp. Timbavati is especially known for being home to white lions. White or not, we’re really hoping this private reserve break lives up to its hefty price tag. The welcome is promising—just a few meters from the entrance gate, a huge giraffe blocks the road in the rain.



On the road, we pass other vehicles, many of which stop near us. One driver is laughing and asks if we’re okay. Well, yeah (we must’ve looked like clowns). A little further on, we quickly understand why. The road is wrecked by the rain, and we’re struggling more and more to move forward. Near Shindzela, we come across one of their rangers organizing a backhoe to try and fix the road. A stream has formed just beyond, and he tells us to follow him.



He leads the way in his massive 4x4, and we’re supposed to follow in our tourist 4x4… No need to spell it out—we got stuck right in the middle.



He had to tow us out of the mud. But first, we had to take all our suitcases out of the trunk and put them on the back seat. I’m not sure his socks ever recovered. That was the memorable moment at Shindzela. Because when it came to safaris—zilch, or almost. That was the big letdown of the trip. In three safaris, we saw very few animals, and they were often alone.







No big cats. Even the other species were either missing or too well hidden. For those hoping to see the white lions, they’re actually in the camps near the reserve entrance. We did, however, have a lovely encounter with a group of white rhinos that came right up to us. A curious little one even stopped right next to our vehicle.

The reserve was very green during this rainy season, much more so than Kruger. Regarding the camp, it’s now enclosed by a security fence. (I’d seen this information before leaving.) And it’s no longer really a bush camp—it’s a full-comfort camp.







There are definitely more luxurious lodges, but this one isn’t bad at all. It’s fun to feel like a princess, but I prefer the "wild" side. A few photos of the camp:





Little tip: the best tent for location is number 5 (in photo 2, number 6 is ours). As for the guests, half were French and other Europeans, and the other half were English speakers. The French were really friendly, while the English speakers didn’t say much. There was a couple who own a lodge near Kruger in South Africa, and they spend several months there each year. This year, they didn’t see any animals in northern Kruger. The floods certainly impacted the presence of animals in the park. They’d had guide training. At one point, the woman told me the ranger must be really stressed and unhappy about not finding animals. I laughed and said we felt the same way! She replied, philosophically, that we have our whole lives to see them. Well, it must be easier when you own a lodge in South Africa! After Shindzela, we head back to Kruger for our last night at Lower Sabie, entering through Orpen Gate. There was a faster route, but at Shindzela, they advised us to take this gate for safety reasons. We saw more animals in the park than at Shindzela. Especially around Lower Sabie, the wildlife is well present.

Welcome back! 😉 It’s true that a private lodge can be pricey, so when you don’t see much (or almost anything) ... 😕 I think that’s the downside of the rainy season (though it seems you avoided the worst of it!)

Really nice travel journal in South Africa (and lovely photos along the way). Great encounters and good memories.

We did a somewhat similar trip back when Eswatini hadn’t changed its name yet. But no private reserves in Kruger (it was too expensive for us Auvergne folks 😉 traveling with family).

South Africa is a great complement to Tanzania. A totally different experience.

On the rain front, we were really lucky—just 2 rainy days during the whole trip. Otherwise, it was bright sunshine and super hot 😎 But the folks who arrived right after us got non-stop rain for at least a week.

Thanks Manu! 🙂 A private reserve is clearly a big budget item. We hadn’t planned it in our initial 2020 family trip. The advantage of traveling with a friend is being able to split some expenses in half (car, accommodations, etc.), which lets us add extras and treat ourselves. I’ll share a breakdown of expenses in the conclusion for future travelers.

Hey there, it's me again!

Shindzela...

A long time ago... no fence... no splash pool... no electricity... and toilets attached to the "tents" only recently (before that, nighttime pee breaks were *very* dangerous). No lounge... A basic kitchen, etc. A bush runner had come to help his friend, also a bush runner. Like, we’d get out of the car to approach rhinos... A loaded rifle was always ready, and in the early morning or evening, we’d be accompanied by the ranger with his gun. Anyway... things have changed. I’ve been there twice recently and was lucky enough to have dream spots... The weather must’ve been really rough, and... well, it’s the bush. Sorry for you... It’s still an "affordable" game lodge (compared to others) in a prime part of Timbavati, which is super rich in wildlife since it borders the KNP directly.

Thanks for picking up this travel journal.

I’m really interested, but all that rain! 🌧️

Hi Michel,

Yes, the Shindzela camp isn’t cheap compared to others, but it’s still affordable.

That was one of the reasons we chose it—other options were way over our budget.

620 € per night all-inclusive, so 310 € each (accommodation, safaris, meals).

We knew it wasn’t a zoo, but expectations were high after spending that much. Afterward, we chatted a bit with the staff since we were the only ones staying just one night.

I’ll do a full financial breakdown of the trip later. I would’ve loved to try Shindzela’s old version.

With Christelle, Mkhaya really won us over. The camp is fantastic.

Thanks! 🙂 I’ll keep updating the travel journal this weekend. We got a lot of rain all at once, but only for 1.5 days out of the whole trip. We were lucky with the weather 😎

620 € per night all-inclusive

Can’t believe I used to pay that price for 3 nights at another lodge. 🤪 Prices seem to have shot up way more in private reserves than in public parks!

For the weather, I’ve traveled at the same time of year as you many times, and it’s always been great overall.

A bit too hot on the desert side...

Sorry Cosette, no time to chat...

At that price, we really hesitated, to be honest. If you’ve got the budget, it’s an amazing experience. And it’s also nice to just go with the flow sometimes. If the budget doesn’t allow it, you can always do occasional drives in Kruger’s camps, for example. And honestly, I don’t think they’re expensive at all (under 25 € for a 2.5-hour guided safari).