CHIC CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON CLASSIC TENTED CAMPS
When you talk of traditional tented safari camps, the things that typically spring to mind are dusty green canvas, flickering lanterns, simple furniture with perhaps the odd colonial style décor touch. Well Ngala Tented Camp has taken that old traditional recipe and ripped it up by completely re-imagining what the 21st century tented camp should look like - especially since the comprehensive re-modelling it received in late 2024! The result is frankly stunning – modern clean lines, funky furnishings and an imaginative use of colour combine with natural building materials like stone-clad walls and polished wooden decks (and canvas of course!) to create something very special indeed!
VIEWS OUT OVER THE TIMBAVATI RIVER
Ngala Tented Camp is located right at the southern boundary of the vast Timbavati reserve. If we were to be critical, its location is probably a little too close to the road leading to the Kruger’s Orpen Gate, so you don’t get that delicious sense of anticipation that usually builds as you drive through a reserve towards the lodge you’re due to stay at (on the plus side though, it does make the lodge quick and easy to get to compared to other lodges in the reserve) However, when you arrive all this is forgotten as you emerge out onto a gorgeous deck with stunning views over the (usually) sandy bed of the Timbavati River.
GORGEOUS PUBLIC AREAS
In our opinion the main lodge areas at Ngala Tented Camp are some of the most attractive to be found anywhere. The lines are sleek and modern, the materials warm and organic, the overall effect superbly stylish yet simultaneously very comfortable. The lounge area features lovely wood flooring with stone-clad walls and canvas roofs, comfy sofas and a host of contemporary décor touches and furnishing elements, including some very funky lighting - we especially like the lodge's new dusty red-pink signature colour that is utilised on various furnishings and features, including on the new bar. Floor to ceiling windows and doors make for stunning views out over the river bed.
RELAX ON THE DECK
Moving out onto the outside deck simply amplifies the experience. Plop yourself down in one of the comfy feature chairs with a cold drink in your hand and you’re in the perfect place to spot game grazing in the bush on the river bank. During the summer months, the attractive rim flow swimming pool which seems to hug the contours of the river is the perfect place to escape the midday heat (and you’ll get an unforgettable view when the elephants come down to drink from it as they regularly do!)
9 ATTRACTIVE TENTED SUITES
Sitting on elevated platforms gazing out over the bush and the Timbavati River, Ngala’s nine tented suites bring the romantic wonder and rustic charm of old-age tented camps together with modern, sleek design in a way that adds up to a superbly luxurious yet authentic experience. A massive bed sits at the heart of the room, a spacious and beautifully appointed bathroom found behind a low partition wall with twin vanities backed by an art-deco styled screen. Our personal favourite though has to be the gorgeous outdoor shower framed by a stone-clad curved wall - a new feature is that the deep free-standing tub has now moved outside – a wonderful option for late-evening soaks virtually al fresco!) Deep brown wooden flooring and the use of the lodge’s signature dusty red-pink on feature walls and door as well as the art-deco backing to the bathroom vanities echo the natural elements outside, while canvas, gauze screening, and screen windows bring an undeniable feeling of intimacy – of being hidden from the outside world, of complete seclusion. Another fantastic new addition to the tents is the private outdoor sala seating area, where you can relax in comfort for hours on end whilst you watch for signs of animals picking their way through the riverbed and bush beyond.
RENOWNED GAME VIEWING
Whilst we raved so far about the lodge itself, the good news continues in terms of the game viewing experience offered here. The Timbavati is recognised as one of the finest Big Five reserves in the country and in particular for its lion population (including being the home of the famous and rare white lions) with big breeding herds of buffalo and elephant also making for memorable sightings. And with Ngala’s thoroughly-trained game rangers and guides, seeing these animals in their natural habitat becomes a daily occurrence. And it’s not just their masterful expert knowledge of the entire eco-system here that impresses, their warmth and friendliness is also typical of andBeyond’s renowned high standards. Another major “plus” is that the lodge is located on an exclusive concession area within the Timbavati, so you’re not sharing the bush with myriad vehicles from other lodges and so under no pressure to leave great sightings.
HEAD OUT ON FOOT
Better yet, you can opt to leave the confines of your 4x4 and take a bush walk or walking safari. These treks on foot (under the guard and care of your professional ranger of course) are, quite simply put, the best way to get up close to the wild residents of the Timbavati reserve. It’s a totally exhilarating not to mention humbling experience to realise how little you know about the bush when you’re faced with the bare facts that every scent, sound and broken twig tells a tale of animal movements.
Ngala is one of those uncommon places that offer guests something truly remarkable and unique. Everything – from the in-house chefs’ amazing multi-course meals to the stress-destroying massages in the private riverside Spa overlooking the riverbed– seems to be honed and crafted to giving you the getaway that you’ll look back on for years to come. Listening to bush stories sitting in the calm of the evening around the fire under the stars, enjoying a romantic dinner for two along the banks of the river - Ngala Tented Camp is the kind of place you spend years trying to find, and a lifetime trying to relive.
