RockFig Safari Lodge

The 6 private and exclusive luxury suites at RockFig Safari Lodge are chic, elegant and luxurious. They have an atmosphere of a boutique hotel, with exposed thatch ceilings that create traditional safari character, and which add dimension to the space. Throughout the suite, a soft colour palette of beiges, greys, and creams are complemented by pops of colour with bright scatter cushions and comfortable armchairs.

The suites are open plan creating a unified space which is filled with natural and bright light through wide windows and floor to ceiling sliding doors. In the main section of the suite sits a large king-size bed covered in crisp bed linens and cosy comforters, with privacy curtains which can be drawn to enclose the bed. The bed overlooks the private decking area and the sweeping bushveld.

The ensuite bathroom is spacious and bright, featuring a large walk-in shower, double hand-basins which sit in front of a large mirror, and a freestanding egg bathtub sat beside floor to ceiling sliding doors that open onto a private outdoor shower area. A small exclusive decking sits outside the front of the room, and here guests can unwind after a long day, watching the sunset over the rolling plains with the odd animal wandering the grasses.

The rooms can come in double, triple or king configurations, and bunk beds can be added for children.

Wherever guests choose to dine whilst staying at RockFig Safari Lodge, you can be assured that food will be of the highest quality and be made with an emphasis on using and featuring locally grown ingredients that add authentic flavour to the creative dishes. Guests can eat in the communal dining area close by the open-plan kitchen where they can see their meals be prepared before their eyes before tucking in around a large feature wooden dining table.

Meals can also be eaten in the open-air dining area of the lodge. Guests will be protected from any changes in the weather by a large thatch roof, while the open sides mean guests can enjoy panoramic views of the vivid green Timbavati bush while enjoying delicious and fresh food.

Available for breakfast, lunch and dinner is the bush dining experience. In the heart of the bush dine in luxury, with elegantly laid tables and a pop-up bar. Enjoy a light and refreshing breakfast early in the morning, listening to the bush wake up surrounded by the gentle pink tones of the sunrise.

Stop mid-game drive for a brunch or lunchtime picnic, and enjoy an al-fresco picnic by a riverbed or under the shade of thick tree branches. Feast on delicious food while discussing all you have seen on your exciting game drive so far.

Or guests can enjoy a candlelit dinner in the very heart of Timbavati. With a crackling fire-pit close by, feast on heart-warming and delectable food, freshly prepared by skilled and professional chefs. Finish your evening meal with a glass of fine wine, or creative cocktail from the pop-up bar around the fire-pit, while you gaze up at the endlessly starry sky.

In a custom-built safari vehicle adventure through the wilds of the Timbavati Private Game Reserve in comfort, experiencing a traditional safari activity. A professional and knowledgeable guide will be able to take you to all the prime viewing spots of the bush, and will know the locations of a variety of animals.

Drive alongside a herd of wandering elephants, or see a pack of lions lazing in the bush. This is the perfect activity to see the animals up close and personal, in their natural habitats, with minimal disturbance. With access to photography equipment in the vehicles, guests can try to capture the perfect picture of the beautiful bush and wild animals that call it home.

For a truly immersive experience explore the Timbavati Private Game Reserve on your own two feet. With a professional tracker and knowledgeable guide, slow things down and wander around the bush keeping an eye on the smaller things like micro-ecosystems and animal tracks.

Your guide will be able to follow tracks and bird songs which may lead to close (but safe!) encounters with some colourful birds or lazing wild animals, and will also be able to impart on you their wisdom of the bush which has come from many years of experience.

The team at RockFig understands the need for conservation in Timbavati and offers their support and resources to the Timbavati Foundation. This foundation provides ‘assistance and funding for educational, training and sustainability programmes to local communities in the Greater Hoedspruit area,’ of which RockFig Lodge are a part of.

With Timbavati Private Nature Reserve being a haven for wildlife, RockFig Lodge works collaboratively with guests, the local communities and ecotourism operators to help manage and conserve the land. This is an open-system approach to conservation, with all the relevant stakeholders working together to ‘rehabilitate and preserve the Timbavati ecosystem.’ 

To help play their part, RockFig Safari Lodge supports the local economy, and the wellbeing of local village families by employing local people, as well as working with the Timbavati Foundation to implement ‘environmental education and outreach programmes’ in the local community schools, to help educate and inspire the younger generations on the importance of conservation.

Also, there are initiatives such as ‘permagardening’ which helps to teach the children about the importance of recycling and responsible use of resources. Initiatives which are also supported are ‘supporting rangers on anti-poaching patrols, and alien-plant-eradication projects,’ and ‘deterring rhino poachers, controlling fires and inspiring schoolchildren to grow vegetables.’

RockFig Safari Lodge’s main priority is to rehabilitate the land through good management and environmental practices, with an overarching holistic approach. RockFig understands the delicate balance of working ‘in conjunction with neighbouring communities’ instead of just imposing their decisions on Timbavati.