Garonga Safari Camp is only four hours drive from of Johannesburg. Visit Garonga Safari Camp for a 3 / 4 Day Safari from Johannesburg. Garonga Safari Camp is situated in the malaria free Northern Province within the Greater Makalali Game Big 5 - lion, rhino, leopard, elephant and buffalo Reserve. It is one hour west of the Phalaborwa Gate to the Kruger Park. Situated on the banks of the river Makhutswi to the west of South Africa's famous Kruger Park. After an early morning pick-up from Johannesburg we drive north on the N1 towards Pietersburg, then on to Tzaneen, Gravelotte and Garonga. A second Travel option is after an early morning pick-up from Johannesburg we drive east towards Witbank, then on to Belfast, Dullstroom, Lydenburg, we cruise through Ohrigstad and the JG Strydom tunnel towards Tzaneen passing Gravelotte and the village of Mica reaching our destination Garonga Safari Camp.

Garonga offers an in-depth experience for wildlife lovers seeking more than the classic “Big Five” encounter. The ethos of Garonga is holistic, offering an unhurried and relaxing experience in a totally natural environment, while viewing Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Cheetah, Leopard, Hyena, Hippo, Crocodile, and good General Game.

This is reflected in the camp’s architecture and design that highlight the textures and colours of the earth. The main living area is totally open plan and has a “Moorish” North African feel.

All activity is geared to your time-scales, not the camp’s. No one will care if you ever make it outside the camp gates until the day of your departure. Relax, snooze, sunbathe, daydream and be pampered all day long in the most tranquil and breathtaking of settings. And for those seeking an intimate bush experience 'sleep-out' excursions under the stars can be arranged. As English owner Bernardo Smith so rightly says, Garonga is a “safari for the soul”.

Accommodation:

There are six main rooms and one suite accommodating a maximum of 14 people. Each 55sq m room has a natural canvas tented roof with walled structures around it. It has its own viewing deck with hammock, its own indoor and outdoor shower, and is fully en-suite.

The accommodation at Garonga Safari Camp reflects the surroundings of the bush – textured earthy colours and clean lines have been incorporated with fine linen to ensure pure comfort, a tempting place to lie and meditate for hours.

Tented Rooms – Shower under the stars.
The Tented Rooms are situated on a dry riverbed – each with a wooden deck that commands spectacular views. The rooms are spacious, with large, draped beds. In addition to the indoor shower, there is an outdoor shower that flows outwards from the luxury of the room, providing a continuous link to nature.

Hambleden Suite – a once in a lifetime experience.
The Hambleden Suite offers luxurious accommodation and privacy in exceptional surroundings. The Suite contains an ebony four-poster bed with an en-suite bathroom, which includes a hand-beaten copper bath and matching basins. The Suite also has an outdoor shower, as well as a private pool and deck. The Hambleden Suite has its own salt water swimming pool, outdoor sala and indoor lounge, mini-bar, air conditioning, and fireplace. The bathroom has a hand-beaten copper bath, toilet, indoor and outdoor shower. The design of the suite has a distinctive Indonesian accent with influences of the Africa of old.

Sensational 3 / 4 Day / 2 / 3 Night
Departure Days: Mon./Tues./Wed./Thurs./Fri./Sat./Sun.

Children: Above12 – 15 Sharing With Adults, Less 50%

Price includes

• Costs include hotel pick & drop off in Johannesburg
• Luxurious en-suite accommodation
• All meals, teas & coffees
• Game drives, bush walks, sleep-out excursions, bush bath.
• Soft drinks, house wines, local beers and spirits
• Laundry

Price excludes

• Therapies:
• R250 - 60min session
• R220 - 45min session
• Park/Conservancy Entrance Fee - R45 per person.
• Exclusive wines and champagnes
• Curios and telephone calls

Please note: All bookings must be paid in full on confirmation. Exceptions: 4 - 6 months advance bookings 50% on confirmation of booking. The balance 100% 30 days prior to departure.

Facilities:
The main lounge is open plan with a huge fireplace for those cold winter nights. Many meals are taken here. The main bar is run on a "serve yourself basis". There is also a salt- water swimming pool with a waterfall that drops down into the riverbed below. There is a wine cellar consisting solely of good quality South African wines which guests can browse through should they wish to choose something different from the house wine. It is stored at cool room temperature.

The thatched sala is used for aromatherapy, reflexology, or reiki. Guests may book during their stay. Each session lasts for 45 minutes and is charged as an extra. The camp has its own "Bush Bath", a ball and claw bath, set out under the stars. This requires booking in order to prepare it for use. It is best to take it as the sun is setting as it is beautifully lit with candles and lamps, but it can also be taken during the day.

About 20 minutes north of the camp is a "Sleep-out Deck". It is built on a platform around a large tree, and has stunning views over the bush. It also directly overlooks a waterhole. This is the way to experience the true African bush. Guests are dropped off with a picnic hamper and drinks at sunset. After their meal they retire to comfortable beds under a mosquito net and can watch the constellations and then fall asleep with the night sounds all around them. A ranger picks them up in the morning and returns them to main camp.

Other facilities include pastels and drawing easels, a small library and house games and cards for guests’ use. These are in situated in the main lounge. The camp has its own curio shop consisting of African artefacts, clothing, jewellery, films etc.

Garonga has its own airstrip 5 minutes from the main camp. We also have our own transfer vehicle to drop off and collect guests.

Game:
Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Cheetah, Leopard, Hyena, Hippo, Crocodile, and good General Game.

The game drives and walks are handled in a very sensitive way, and every effort is made to make them a thoroughly enjoyable experience

Meal Venues:
These are varied. There is a balance of privacy and eating together at the camp. Breakfast and lunch are normally done served at separate tables. At dinner, the Lounge area lends itself to private dinners on one night and maybe a communal meal the next. Meals are taken also in the Boma, out in the bush (breakfast or dinner), on the picnic deck (two people only, for lunches), and sometimes a lunch barbeque is prepared round the swimming pool. Variation and privacy are the key factors.

Summary:

Relaxation, flexibility, privacy, and a “home from home" ambience are the essential values of Garonga. The service is professional, unobtrusive, and friendly where guests are welcomed as friends rather than as clients. The minimum stay for a fulfilling Garonga experience is 3 nights.

Activities

Garonga's holistic philosophy is to offer a safari for the soul, an unhurried and intimate wildlife encounter – a time to reflect and find inspiration in nature. You can either try your hand at every activity we have on offer, or you can do simply nothing at all – lazing in the hammock with a good book while watching the grazing impala.

Activities include game drives, wilderness walks, sleep-outs, outdoor bush-baths and aromatherapy and reflexology sessions. We encourage our guests to indulge in activities that will allow them to walk close to the animals, and thereby enhance their wildlife encounter.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

• Game drives in open Landrovers are included but not obligatory and at times arranged with guests. Elephant, white rhino, lion, cheetah and antelope can all be sited.
• Wilderness walks and tracking adventures accompanied by experienced rangers
• Wallow in the outdoor bush bath
• Experience the wild of the bush on a sleep-out excursion.
• Aromatherapy (R170), reflexology (R150) and Reiki (R150) sessions are offered in the outdoor sala
• Star gazing
• Dining out in the bush

Nearby activities:

• Blyde River Canyon
• White water rafting
• Horse riding

For Guests staying over a long period there are activities to enjoy outside the Reserve. There is horse riding, trips to the Blyde River Canyon, "God's Window", and other interesting places.

Game:
Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Cheetah, Leopard, Hyena, Hippo, Crocodile, and good General Game.

The game drives and walks are handled in a very sensitive way, and every effort is made to make them a thoroughly enjoyable experience

Meal Venues:
These are varied. There is a balance of privacy and eating together at the camp. Breakfast and lunch are normally done served at separate tables. At dinner, the Lounge area lends itself to private dinners on one night and maybe a communal meal the next. Meals are taken also in the Boma, out in the bush (breakfast or dinner), on the picnic deck (two people only, for lunches), and sometimes a lunch barbeque is prepared round the swimming pool. Variation and privacy are the key factors.

Summary:
Relaxation, flexibility, privacy, and a “home from home" ambience are the essential values of Garonga. The service is professional, unobtrusive, and friendly where guests are welcomed as friends rather than as clients. The minimum stay for a fulfilling Garonga experience is 3 nights.

Weddings
Get married in style – a wedding of your dreams in the bush veld.
Your wedding is said to be one of the most memorable days in your life - however, this is often not the case, and unnecessary stress and irritation can occur when things don’t run as smoothly as planned. Garonga will not only offer you a place of tranquillity to hold your dream wedding, but we will be able to assist you in coordinating and organising the event - thereby leaving you free to relax and enjoy your special day in style. For more info click here.

More information about the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve
This reserve is an hour's drive west of Kruger with a charm all of its own. Unlike the reserves along Kruger National Park borders, Makalali's Bushland is undulating with elevated viewpoints giving panoramic views of the reserve. This expansive area is covered with Jackalberry, Knobthorn, and Marula trees. The Reserve, founded in 1994, consists of 24 500 hectares of Lowveld Acacia bush and open savanna grass land and all surrounding the lush river. Considered one of the leading pioneers in ecotourism in South Africa, Makalali Private Game Reserve, represents a conservation mission to expand South Africa's green frontier by re-establishing the ancient traditional wildlife migration routes that linked the famous Kruger Park in the east to lush Drakensberg Mountains in the west.

In the process lion, cheetah, leopard, and breeding herds of elephant, rhino, and the rare sable antelope have all been reintroduced to the wild, making Makalali home to a wide species diversity including Africa's "Big Five" wildlife species. BT free buffalos are being kept in a camp. In the process of relocating animals, Makalali has contributed to the ongoing conservation efforts of endangered species. The elephants have been relocated from Kruger sparing them from annual cull. A breeding herd of white rhino were relocated to continue the spread and diversify the populations and in so doing contribute to the survivability of the species.

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