Go back in time at Hamiltons Tented Camp
Hamiltons Tented Camp was named after James Stevenson-Hamilton who served as the first warden of the Kruger National Park.
The park opened in 1927 to the public and only a few cars visited the park that year, but 7 years later some 26 000 people passed through the gates and today the number is around 1.5 million per year.
Fittingly, everything in this camp is a representation of the colonial time when the park first opened. Imagine old brass lights switches, vintage photographs, hurricane lanterns and antique bathroom basins.
Hamiltons which is situated next to the Nwatswitsonto River in the Timbavati Concession of the Kruger National Park, is one of the more luxurious accommodation options available.
This intimate and unfenced camp is built entirely of canvas, with high wooden platforms linking the six elevated luxury tents. At full capacity Hamiltons only cater for 12 guests, allowing you to have a truly personal and peaceful stay.
We were fortunate enough to spend 4 nights at Hamiltons Tented Camp in April 2014, and the experience will remain fixed in my memory forever.
When visiting Hamiltons, self drive safaris are not allowed, because Hamiltons is located within the Timbavati Concession. A concession is an area of land where only the selected operators have a license to offer all the benefits of a safari. These operators are also allowed to leave the road network boundaries during game drives to get closer to wildlife.
This is a great benefit we discovered during our first afternoon drive. We were lucky enough to spot a pack of wild dogs in the road and manage to follow them into the bush where they made a warthog kill. If this happened on a public road in the Kruger, we wouldn’t have witnessed such a spectacular sighting.
Coffee and biscuits are served during your morning drive and during the afternoon drive sunset drinks and snacks are served. You are even allowed to exit the vehicle during this break to witness the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets Africa has to offer.
From the magnificent setting, the colonial atmosphere and the eventful game drives, you can also expect to be treated with delicious meals during breakfast, lunch and dinner. We certainly left Hamiltons heavier than we arrived, because we could not stop ourselves from indulging in all the food.
During the day, we spent most of our time on our private deck overlooking the river or next to the swimming pool where your G&T order gets handed to you in the pool. Not to mention the fantastic massages we received in the comfort of our own private deck.
If you are looking for an authentic, intimate, lavish safari getaway with a touch of history then I recommend Hamiltons Tented Camp.
