Kings Camp Review: Our Safari Next to Kruger

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Kings Camp in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, right next to Kruger National Park, was the safari stop on our 10 days in Southern Africa. It was top quality from the very second we arrived. We stayed two nights at Waterbuck, their private villa, with our own ranger, tracker, villa manager, and chef. As the only vegan in our group, I was blown away by how well they fed me.

Our Stay at Kings Camp

Arrival

Our flight into Nelspruit ran late, so we got to camp later than planned. Kings Camp still gave us a wonderful welcome, with snacks and food waiting for us. We dropped our bags and went almost straight out on our first afternoon safari drive. That night the sky over camp was full of stars.

Our cooking night

We asked if the chef would give us a private cooking class, and they made it happen. On our second night we cooked in the villa kitchen together, chopping vegetables and morogo, a local wild spinach, for dinner. I can’t tell you exactly what we made, but I can tell you we had so much fun.

A Day on Safari

Kings Camp runs on a set daily rhythm, with two drives a day built around the times animals are most active. The schedule shifts a little between summer and winter, so here’s how a day went for us in July.

Early morning drive

Our wake-up call came before sunrise, and we had coffee and tea in the library with our ranger, Grant, before heading out. The winter mornings were freezing, so we bundled up in beanies, scarves, and the blankets on the vehicle. Partway through the drive, Grant stopped for hot chocolate and biscuits out in the bush.

Breakfast and a bush walk

We came back mid-morning for a big breakfast. After breakfast there’s an optional bush walk, and I took every safari opportunity they offered. Grant led us on foot along a dry, sandy riverbed. He stopped to show us things we would have driven right past, like a giant snail shell and an elephant jawbone with huge ridged teeth. We also came across a small group of zebras. Seeing them on foot, without a vehicle between us, felt completely different from seeing them on a drive.

Afternoon at camp

We had lunch on the dining deck, followed by afternoon tea in the library. Between activities you can relax at camp, book a treatment at the spa, or watch for animals at the waterhole in front of camp. Kings Camp can also arrange a helicopter flight over the Blyde River Canyon. We didn’t do it ourselves, but it’s an option.

Camp itself is full of little surprises. One afternoon an antelope wandered right up to the camp office and peeked in the window. The desert roses around camp were in full bloom.

Afternoon drive and dinner

The afternoon drive heads out into golden hour and comes back after dark. Timbavati is famous for leopards and rare white lions. Over our drives we saw lions resting in the golden grass, a leopard, white rhinos with a calf, elephants, a hyena, and giraffes. What I loved about being on a private reserve with the Kings Camp guides was that the animals were never crowded by people. We always kept a good distance. The reserve allows no more than three vehicles at a sighting of any of the Big Five, so the animals don’t get surrounded or stressed.

Waterbuck Private Camp

We stayed at Waterbuck, the private villa at Kings Camp. It has four bedrooms and sleeps up to eight. There’s a master suite that has its own upstairs viewing lounge, two suites on the ground floor on either side of the kitchen and lounge, and a separate garden suite. Outside there’s a pool, a viewing deck looking out over the dry Nhlaralumi riverbed, and a boma with a fire pit for dinners under the stars.

The villa came with our own ranger, tracker, villa manager, and chef. That meant our group of women travelers had a vehicle to ourselves and could shape each day around what we wanted to do. What stood out most was the staff. The service was impeccable, and the attention to detail was on another level. Even the housekeepers left a handwritten card introducing themselves and asking if there was anything more they could do to make our stay comfortable.

If you’ve stayed somewhere remote like our two nights at a luxury camp in the Sahara during our 10 days in Morocco, expect the same early mornings and the same feeling of being far away from everything, with a lot more animals. You can check rates and book Kings Camp here.

Touring the Main Camp

Waterbuck is set apart from the main lodge, but the Kings Camp team gave us a full tour of the main camp. It’s just as beautiful. The suites have four-poster beds draped in mosquito netting, freestanding tubs, and bathrooms with brass fixtures, gilded mirrors, and big birdcage pendant lights.

The shared spaces mix classic safari style with modern touches, from the lounge with its palm leaf wallpaper and framed animal prints to the pool deck looking straight out into the bush. There’s also a gym with views of the gardens, a spa, and a waterhole in front of camp where we spotted terrapins lined up on a log.

Vegan Food at Kings Camp

Food is a big part of any safari, and Kings Camp takes vegan guests seriously. Vegan dishes are a permanent part of their breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. The staff know what vegan guests need, down to the spa products.

Our chef at Waterbuck was fantastic, and we picked our dinner each night from a menu. One night’s options included a pea and coconut soup with crispy onions, a grilled jackfruit steak with creamy butterbean mash and green pepper sauce, arancini stuffed with sundried tomato, spinach, and macadamia nut cheese, tagliatelle in red pesto, and for dessert a dark and white chocolate mousse or a plant-based cheese board.

Before dinner on our first night, they brought out a platter of vegan bites, including spring rolls, cucumber cups, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Dinner started with a roasted beet and baby carrot salad with orange, pistachios, and dairy-free cheese. Anything they packed for me came in a bag clearly labeled VEGAN, so I never had to wonder what I could eat.

Getting There

Kings Camp is in the Timbavati, a private reserve that shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park. Animals move freely between the two. We flew from Victoria Falls to Nelspruit and took a transfer to camp. When we left, we flew from Hoedspruit to Cape Town. Kings Camp can help you arrange transfers from the airport.

Kings Camp FAQs

Final Thoughts

Kings Camp was one of the highlights of our whole trip. The staff, the impeccable service, and the attention to detail made us feel so taken care of, and seeing the animals relaxed and never crowded meant so much to me.

If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly safari near Kruger, I can’t recommend it enough.

Where Should We Go Next?

We’re planning the next Soul Sisters trip now. Tell us where you want to go.