Experience Safari in Unique Ways
A few highlights of life at Chacma Bush Camp
Game Drives
Two game drives are offered per day, one in the morning and one in late afternoon that moves into the night. All game drives are conducted in open 4×4 game viewers, which allow for 360-degree views of wildlife and wilderness.
Sundowners & Coffee Stops
On the morning drive, there is a stop for coffee, and on the afternoon drive, you will stop for sundowners. Stops usually take place in scenic, open areas with elevated views of the landscape below.
Koppie Walks
A tall koppie serves as the backdrop to Chacma Bush Camp and is a great vantage point. The vistas from up here are awe-inspiring.
Special Occasions
The team at Chacma Bush Camp can tailor-make a special occasion for guests provided it is pre-arranged. The Honeymoon Sundowner Experience is R500 per couple and is complimentary for Honeymooners.
A typical day at Chacma Bush Camp
Each morning begins with a morning wake-up call, coffee and a game drive in the Maseke Game Reserve. Below is a rough time schedule of the day’s events:
05:00
Wake up call
05:30 - 06:00
Quick coffee and depart for the activity
08:30 - 09:00
Return to camp and enjoy a hearty breakfast
13:00
Lunch
15:30 - 16:00
Depart for an afternoon/ night game drive, including a sundowner stop
18:30 - 19:00
Return to camp
19:00 - 19:30
Dinner followed by campfire chatter/drinks
Details & Useful Information
Chacma Bush Camp is a fantastic year-round destination, with each season offering something unique in terms of game viewing. Summer is prime birding season, and it’s also the time of year when you’ll spot newborn wildlife.
Chacma is a summer rainfall region. Most of the rain occurs during mid-summer (November – February). The rainfall generally occurs in the form of thunderstorms, where a downpour is experienced, and very seldom lasts longer than a few hours.
During the winter season, the bushveld thins out, and water becomes scarce. Wildlife will flock to available water sources such as waterholes and pans in front of lodges. Animals become easier to see because the summer lushness of the bush has thinned out. During the summer, wildlife gains plenty of moisture from the surrounding greenery.
Whatever the season, you’ll always have a high chance of seeing wildlife.
During the summer months, the weather can be hot and humid. Winter sees mild days and cold nights. Early morning game drives and night drives can be cool throughout the year, so you may want to bring a few things for every occasion.
These are a few essentials to bring on a safari to the Maseke Balule Nature Reserve:
- Comfortable, closed walking shoes
- Sunblock in the form of
- SPF lotion
- Hat and beanie
- Neutral-coloured clothing for when you are out on safari,
- Light, airy clothing for midday heat
- Swimming costume
- Scarves and warm jackets for the winter (May to October)
- Outdoor tech gear (binoculars, cameras, phones, a headlamp for around camp)
Chacma Bush Camp is in a relatively unknown reserve in the corner of the Balule Nature Reserve (Maseke). There are barely any lodges and camps in the area, giving guests a thrilling experience with wildlife roaming a landscape filled with geographical marvels. Life is relaxed at Chacma, where the focus is on the natural surroundings, wildlife, and homely cuisine.
Expect morning and evening game drives with sundowner and breakfast stops. On game drives, you can get a lot closer to big game than you would in a national park. The animals are generally habituated to vehicles. This means that they’re used to the vehicle approaching them and know that it never causes them harm. This allows you to get within 5 to 10 metres of wildlife—and safely! All game drives are conducted in open 4 x 4 Toyota Land Cruisers or Land Rovers.
Wildlife You Can Expect To See
The animals that one can expect on game drives.
Predators
Following in the footsteps of the herbivorous mammals are the carnivorous species of the South African bush. Lion, leopard, hyena, cheetah, African wild dog, and the Nile crocodile are some of the prominent predators residing in the Maseke. There’s a local lion pride in the area that is regularly spotted.
The myriad of caves and rocky outcrops provide plenty of den sites for leopards, making the area a haven for these rosette-patterned predators. Smaller predators include jackal, mongoose, civet, genet, and honey badger, among others. The waterhole in front of the camp is a favorite drinking spot for many of these.
Mammals
Some of the world’s largest mammals find their home in South Africa, where elephants, giraffes, hippo, buffalo, and rhino reside in the wild Kruger Park and surrounding private game reserves. Elephants are the most commonly spotted mammal in the Maseke, and large breeding herds are often spotted soaking up water at the waterhole in front of camp.
Game drives lead to unforgettable sightings of these large species, in addition to general game, such as zebra, impala, kudu, gnu, waterbuck, bushbuck, duiker, and steenbok.
Birdlife
The Kruger habitat accommodates a complete smorgasbord of birder’s delights. Water birds such as herons, storks, plovers, spoonbills, and sandpipers are common along dam edges; kingfishers, orioles, robins, chats, larks, cisticolas, and coucals are some of the veld and woodland birds around, while birds of prey are seen and heard throughout the day.
Pied kingfishers and raptors are often seen at the waterhole in front of camp, making Chacma Bush Camp an idyllic destination for budding birders.
