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Fly direct by Federal Air scheduled charter onto RockFig's own airstrip, just five minutes from the lodge, alternatively fly to Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport (HDS) on multiple daily flights from Johannesburg (or a daily direct flight from Cape Town) and transfer by road, about 45 minutes; self-drive is around 5.5 hours from Johannesburg.
Six suites, each with a private plunge pool, air-conditioning and overhead fans, mosquito nets, a bath plus indoor and outdoor showers, a hairdryer, minibar, in-room safe and telephone. Since the lodge takes just 16 guests, the whole place feels exclusive and every suite is well-spaced and private.
Boutique, individually tailored dining with communal or private options, all meals included, from bush breakfasts and coffee stops out on the drives (weather permitting) to sundowners in the bush and dinners at the lodge, with a wine cellar on hand.
Neutral safari layers with a warm jacket and beanie for crisp pre-dawn winter drives in open vehicles (May–September, 9–24 °C), lighter clothing for hot summers (up to 40 °C), closed shoes for bush walks, a sun hat, sunscreen and binoculars, insect repellent and antimalarials, swimwear for the plunge pool, and a good camera with a long lens for the leopards.
The Timbavati is prime leopard country and RockFig caps game drives at four guests per vehicle, so you get space, unobstructed photography and a genuinely private feel, and being a private reserve your guides can traverse off-road and drive at night. The fenced perimeter makes this one of the few Timbavati lodges that's genuinely relaxed for families with young children (up to four children among the 16 guests). Fly into the lodge's own airstrip on a Federal Air scheduled charter (five minutes from the lodge) to skip the long dirt roads.
RockFig sits on 30,000 acres of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger conservation area whose fences with the national park were dropped to allow wildlife to move freely, and guests can engage directly with conservation through optional experiences including rhino notching, an anti-poaching helicopter flight, a K9 anti-poaching demonstration and a Timbavati Foundation tour, all supporting the reserve's wildlife protection.
