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Rockfig Safari Lodge is decadent and romantic, yet interactive and relaxing for the whole family. This newly renovated luxury lodge has been around since the mid-90s when it was a family retreat, until it was taken to the next level by an architect and interior design team. The location in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is exceptional and the views of the savannah can be enjoyed from your room deck, the swimming pool, or your own bubble bath. Coffee is served to your room in the mornings, safari activities are of extraordinary quality, lodge life leaves you wanting for nothing, and meal times are a sumptuous affair.
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Although guests are always conscious of where they are, no stone is left unturned in the quest for comfort and luxury, with each suite featuring both indoor and outdoor showers, a private verandah ideal for romantic candlelit dinners, a minibar and a bath. Specially commissioned watercolour paintings add notes of cool beauty, and – as with every space in the lodge – the aim is always to delight the guests who’ll stay here. There’s a thoughtfulness to the decor, with the emphasis being on the guest experience – but also an unmissable sense that it’s the natural beauty of the Timbavati bushveld that’s the true hero.
Game drives rank among the quintessential Timbavati experiences, and the guides and trackers at RockFig Safari Lodge pride themselves on providing incredible, safe but close wildlife encounters. Timbavati is Big Five country, and as many of the RockFig trackers hail from the area they’re able to put all their local knowledge to work to ensure the best possible viewing opportunities. Of course being out on safari isn’t just about big game; it’s also a chance to appreciate the beauty of Timbavati while traversing it, and while stopping to enjoy a morning coffee or a sundowner in an especially scenic spot.
Guided walking safaris from RockFig Safari Lodge are a wonderful way to experience Timbavati on foot. Bring your walking shoes; the guides and trackers have everything else that’s required, not least their knowledge of spoor and plants (and a rifle to ensure your safety). Spending time on the details of the ecosystem can be immensely rewarding, and surprising. Learn how every living creature, no matter how small, has its part to play in this intricate, interlinked web of life.
Bush dining takes RockFig Safari Lodge mealtime moments and transplants them into the wild. The element of surprise only adds to the experience – don’t expect us to give the game away; we’re busy hanging lanterns, or spreading snowy white linen on a table under the spreading branches of a mighty Timbavati tree. Naturally, everything tastes better al fresco, whether it’s a cheeky morning Mimosa from the bush bar or a piece of venison cooked just so over the coals.
Timbavati’s best-known residents are undoubtedly its white lions – the result of a naturally occurring recessive gene that causes leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation of the skin (as opposed to albinism, an absence of colour-giving melanin that affects the skin, feathers, hair and eyes of animals).
A recent uptick in white-lion births has reminded many old Kruger hands of the origin of the name Timbavati: it derives from a Shangaan expression meaning ‘the place where something sacred came down to earth from the heavens’. It could be said that the lions have come home: the varied, undulating landscapes, seasonal rivers and low density of lodges make Timbavati the safari equivalent of heaven on earth.
Although guests are always conscious of where they are, no stone is left unturned in the quest for comfort and luxury, with each suite featuring both indoor and outdoor showers, a private verandah ideal for romantic candlelit dinners, a minibar and a bath. Specially commissioned watercolour paintings add notes of cool beauty, and – as with every space in the lodge – the aim is always to delight the guests who’ll stay here. There’s a thoughtfulness to the decor, with the emphasis being on the guest experience – but also an unmissable sense that it’s the natural beauty of the Timbavati bushveld that’s the true hero.
Rockfig Safari Lodge is decadent and romantic, yet interactive and relaxing for the whole family. This newly renovated luxury lodge has been around since the mid-90s when it was a family retreat, until it was taken to the next level by an architect and interior design team. The location in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is exceptional and the views of the savannah can be enjoyed from your room deck, the swimming pool, or your own bubble bath. Coffee is served to your room in the mornings, safari activities are of extraordinary quality, lodge life leaves you wanting for nothing, and meal times are a sumptuous affair.
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Dining is an important part of safari. Children will be thrilled by pizzas straight from the oven while adults might prefer romantic private dining. To stay as close to nature as possible, the RockFig staff can host breakfasts, picnics and suppers in the bush. If you prefer to be indoors, take a seat at the stunning 4-metre / 13-foot dining table under a beautiful chandelier.
With no fences between Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park, wildlife is free to come and go, making this one of South Africa’s richest wildlife areas. Being centrally situated in Timbavati, RockFig is ideally located for exploring both the northern and southern reaches of the reserve. The 3,500ha area around RockFig is shared with just one other lodge, while the total traversing area of some 12,500ha underlines that this is true ‘free range’ conservation.
Timbavati’s best-known residents are undoubtedly its white lions – the result of a naturally occurring recessive gene that causes leucism, a partial loss of pigmentation of the skin (as opposed to albinism, an absence of colour-giving melanin that affects the skin, feathers, hair and eyes of animals).
A recent uptick in white-lion births has reminded many old Kruger hands of the origin of the name Timbavati: it derives from a Shangaan expression meaning ‘the place where something sacred came down to earth from the heavens’. It could be said that the lions have come home: the varied, undulating landscapes, seasonal rivers and low density of lodges make Timbavati the safari equivalent of heaven on earth.
Game drives rank among the quintessential Timbavati experiences, and the guides and trackers at RockFig Safari Lodge pride themselves on providing incredible, safe but close wildlife encounters. Timbavati is Big Five country, and as many of the RockFig trackers hail from the area they’re able to put all their local knowledge to work to ensure the best possible viewing opportunities. Of course being out on safari isn’t just about big game; it’s also a chance to appreciate the beauty of Timbavati while traversing it, and while stopping to enjoy a morning coffee or a sundowner in an especially scenic spot.
Guided walking safaris from RockFig Safari Lodge are a wonderful way to experience Timbavati on foot. Bring your walking shoes; the guides and trackers have everything else that’s required, not least their knowledge of spoor and plants (and a rifle to ensure your safety). Spending time on the details of the ecosystem can be immensely rewarding, and surprising. Learn how every living creature, no matter how small, has its part to play in this intricate, interlinked web of life.
Bush dining takes RockFig Safari Lodge mealtime moments and transplants them into the wild. The element of surprise only adds to the experience – don’t expect us to give the game away; we’re busy hanging lanterns, or spreading snowy white linen on a table under the spreading branches of a mighty Timbavati tree. Naturally, everything tastes better al fresco, whether it’s a cheeky morning Mimosa from the bush bar or a piece of venison cooked just so over the coals.
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