Balule is a private game reserve on the banks of the Olifants River in the Greater Kruger National Park. It is located in one of the most scenic parts of the park and offers fine lodges and interpretive wildlife viewing in the company of experienced rangers and trackers. Those seeking an affordable lodge safari in South Africa should consider Balule.
Need Advice?Balule covers an area of 40 000 Ha and is easily accessible from Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa airports. The closest Kruger Park gates to the reserve are Phalaborwa to the north and Orpen to the south.
Various accommodation options are available, from lodges providing every creature comfort to affordable tented camps deep in the unspoiled bush. The game viewing in the area will bring you in contact with the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and elephant in a wilderness where you can also encounter many antelope and small mammals.
This fly-in safari package visits the Okavango Delta and Linyanti in Botswana before gazing upon Victoria Falls and enjoying a safari in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve.
Enjoy safaris in three different countries in Southern Africa - South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
Explore Kruger National Park with an experienced African Sky guide, whose knowledge and insight will greatly enhance your safari.
We list only some of the lodges available in Balule. The properties below are those favored by African Sky in this private nature reserve that forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park.
Ezulwini River Lodge offers a luxury safari experience from its setting on the banks of the Olifants River, one of the largest perennial water sources in the central part of the Kruger National Park.
Pondoro is a family-owned lodge that offers accommodation in eight beautifully appointed, air-conditioned suites. All suites feature a jacuzzi and outdoor shower to enhance the romantic setting.
At Sausage Tree Safari Camp, you will experience an authentic Big Five safari in one of the most picturesque private reserves in the Greater Kruger National Park.
If you want to have a close encounter with animals in Big Five territory, Balule is for you. Water sources that attract mammals to the reserve include a dam and waterholes. Balule is on the banks of the Olifants River, one of the largest rivers that flow through Kruger. Open vehicle safaris, thrilling bush walks, and unobtrusive accommodation facilities make for unequaled encounters.
The reserve is entirely unfenced from the Kruger National Park, and the animals are free to roam, but visitors are not. The 40 000 hectares that belong to the Balule Game Reserve only make allowance for private guests. The limited number of guests allows for a more intimate and luxuriously exclusive experience of the Kruger National Park and its surroundings.
There is something special about Balule - it can be seen everywhere you look. The reserve's abundance of wildlife resulted from its outstanding conservation efforts in the form of the Transfrontier Balule Conservation Program, its work with Elephants Alive, and the founding of the famous all-female anti-poaching unit - the Black Mamba APU.
Savor premium game-viewing experiences when enjoying a safari at Balule. Guests will also delight in the striking scenery of the Olifants River Valley, fed by the perennial Olifants River.
It is easiest when you travel to Eastgate Airport, better known as Hoedspruit Airport, situated in the eastern reaches of the Limpopo Province. Connecting flights from either Cape Town International Airport or OR Tambo International (Johannesburg) to the Hoedspruit Airport are available daily.
From the airport, you will be transferred to the reserve in your own private, air-conditioned vehicle. Although the reserve is only a short distance from the airport, it can take up to two hours to get to the different accommodation facilities within the reserve, as speed limits are enforced, especially on the gravel roads, to ensure your safety and the safety of the animals in the area.
Visiting Balule all year round is possible, but summers in the northern part of South Africa can be hot. During the rainy summer season, there is an influx of mosquitoes, and the risk of malaria is at its highest. The sparser vegetation and prominence of animals at waterholes during the dry winter season make for easier game viewing.
If you are planning to visit the reserve to view the game, it is best to stay in the winter between May and September. Winter morning and evening game drives can be quite frosty, but day temperatures are very comfortable. Birding is excellent during the summer, between October and April, and the lush greenery makes for fantastic photography.
Various landowners in the area known today as the Balule Private Nature Reserve assembled in the early 1990s and decided to drop all internal fences between their farms. The sudden extension to their range prompted wildlife to follow new migratory paths, which prevented overgrazing and expanded the gene pool.
Hunting became obsolete as the animals became used to tourist vehicles shooting them with nothing but cameras. The reserve quickly developed a reputation as a place where visitors would see a wide variety of spectacular bird and animal life.
Once the border fences were electrified, the national park authorities decided Balule was ready to be incorporated into the greater Kruger National Park. Management removed the fences between Balule, Kruger, Klaserie, and Timbavati. Balule added an incredible 40 000 hectares to the Kruger National Park overnight. Although Balule is a young reserve compared to Kruger, its beauty and biodiversity give it an ageless allure that visitors will remember for a long time.
The reserve is known for its abundance and variety of wildlife. Many plains animals, such as zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, impala, and giraffes, are prominent at the various watering holes. The larger game, including hippos, elephants, and crocodiles, are found in the Olifants River catchment throughout the day - availability of prey attracts lions and other predators, as always, closely followed by hyenas. Moreover, the reserve is a leader in anti-poaching initiatives and combats poaching daily to conserve rhinos, wild dogs, and cheetahs in the area. Their Black Mamba anti-poaching unit won the 2015 Champions of the Earth Award, the United Nation's highest environmental honor.
Balule is a favorite among birders, with over 260 species in the area. Waterbirds like storks and herons are viewed along the Olifants River, and the area also serves as one of the main breeding grounds for the rare saddle-billed and black storks. Predatory birds such as eagles and hawks, including the revered African fish eagle, are regularly spotted here. The reserve is also well-known for its nighttime wildlife encounters, and guests can be on the lookout for civets, owls, bush babies, aardvarks, hares, and the elusive leopard, to name a few.
Balule's vegetation is predominantly bushveld, located in the subtropical Lowveld region. The latter is synonymous with the African continent. Although the occurrence of each species fluctuates depending on the area, the long grass combined with striking woodland trees, such as the fever, mopane, and thorn trees, are easily recognizable wherever you go. The broad, slow-moving Olifants River and its riverine vegetation significantly add to the range and frequency of fauna and flora to be found, with a staggering 336 tree species and more than 2 000 plant species documented in the Lowveld expanse.
During the dry winter months, the Olifants River's scattered pools and riparian woodland attract wildlife in great numbers. Baobab trees, knobthorns, marula, leadwood, apple leaf, and sjambok trees are the principal species in this wooded savanna. When spring arrives, they are joined by breathtaking seasonal flowers, pods, fruits, and an influx of migratory birds. The conservation efforts in the area are not limited to wildlife. With some species that can be found nowhere else, policies include clearing alien vegetation, controlling erosion, and planting indigenous flora to ensure its prevalence.
Whether you are searching for the illustrious Big Five or are interested in locating the rare birds of the area, you can be sure that there will be an experienced ranger to assist in your endeavor. Open vehicle game drives permit close-up encounters with wildlife during the day and night. Bush walks are also available to immerse yourself in the surroundings and identify the paths the animals make and follow. Experienced armed rangers accompany the walks. They will share their knowledge of the footprints, scats, and other animal signs not evident from vehicles.
Other available activities include horse riding, hot air ballooning, white river rafting, and other adventurous activities. Visit the Khamai Reptile Park and other centers for reptile insight. Stargazing on cloudless nights is spectacular, and the area is also well-known for its amazing sunsets and panoramic views. Balule is a mecca for avid photographers and cinematographers.
