Looking for a safari experience that’s a bit more off the beaten path, with intimate game drives and extraordinary wildlife sightings? Misava Safari Camp, located in the serene Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, offers just that, alongside stunning views and luxurious accommodation.
Misava Safari Camp is the last remaining camp from the Klaserie Drift collection in Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. While Van used to walk trails in Klaserie, this was the first time I had visited the reserve and I was excited to check it out. Klaserie itself has about 60,000ha of prime game viewing land, adjacent and open to Kruger National Park and one of our favourite reserves, Timbavati. Misava Camp traverses about 6,000ha of this land.
We were lucky to stay 2 nights in their River View suite, and after a few nights in public Kruger rest camps and a night at Sable Hide, I was ready for the luxury of this 5-star lodge! While we didn’t have our kids on this trip, children of all ages are welcome at Misava.
Misava Safari Camp’s Accommodation, Food & Service
The rooms
When we visited, Misava had 2 River View (honeymoon) suites with spectacular views, along with 4 elegant garden-view rooms (two of which could form a family 2-bed unit). They were actively working on two very amazing river view villas with star beds that were due to be open in 2025 and looked like they would be fit for royalty with their own dining areas and plunge pools.
We have stayed at a lot of lodges, and I have to say that our River view suite was one of my favourite rooms yet. While it was missing a plunge pool and not quite as big as some of the other 5 star places we have stayed (like Singita and Chitwa Chitwa for example), the view and the design had a true ‘wow’ factor. And it’s also worth noting the price is cheaper than some of the larger luxury rooms – which makes it great value.
The view overlooks the Klaserie River from a high vantage point, making it really spectacular – albeit not as ‘close’ to the wild animals as some other lodges that are directly positioned on a riverbed. When we arrived there was a huge herd of buffalo in the river below the lodge, and there were always elephants to be seen dotted along the river as well
The lodge
The lodge has a beautiful infinity pool and two lovely outdoor dining areas as well as a lovely inside eating area in the case of bad weather. While currently there is no spa or fitness centre, I believe they are potentially building these in future and for now you can get a massage treatment on your room deck (I took advantage of this).
Service was also really good at the lodge – what I liked about it was it was a bit more of a relaxed vibe while still attentive. Some places can be a bit overbearing in terms of service, which can put you on edge!
The Food
The quality of food is exceptional at Misava – definitely one of the best places we have stayed in this regard (particularly for the price point). They serve continental and hot breakfast, a two-course lunch with bread and a three-course dinner.
Unlike some other 5-star lodges, they do not offer a choice for meal – although they will cater to dietaries. I really liked the food, particularly the lunches, which were tasty and a great portion size. The bread was also baked on site and absolutely delicious. Like all 5-star lodges, your drinks are all included here as well.
Game viewing at Misava
The wildlife sightings
Misava has access to about 6,000ha of land to drive on within Klaserie, and this is more than enough to have amazing game viewing and landscape diversity. The Klaserie River always has water, which means it never struggles for wildlife and is a particular favourite for elephants.
Over the course of our four game drives, we had quality sightings of the Big 5 – including some great interactions when a buffalo charged two lionesses (who were resting after feasting on a zebra) and a hyena stealing a kill from two leopards. We also saw an elephant playing with an elephant skull and then get extremely emotional and go on a rampage, which was something I had heard about but never witnessed before.
Klaserie is a quieter reserve in terms of lodges and vehicles compared to many areas of other reserves like Timbavati and Sabi Sands. This means that the quantity of sightings can be a little lower, but the quality is much higher. For example, we had sightings with all the Big 5 completely by ourselves with no other vehicles, and no pressure to leave after just a couple of minutes (which is quite common in busy areas where they need to rotate vehicles in and out of sightings).
The Experience
If you are after a ‘ferrari safari’ style where you race around between sightings without getting a great opportunity to understand animal behaviour and take great pictures then Misava is not the right place for you. But if you are happy to be patient and invest the time to find your own sightings and then truly enjoy them in peace then it’s a great option.
Because Klaserie is a lesser-known reserve (and much younger in terms of its commerciality), it also means the prices are lower than some of the neighbouring reserves, which translates to good value. The landscape is a real highlight, with great diversity, awesome river roads and amazing sunset photo opportunities.
One downside of Misava is that they no longer used trackers, which does reduce the likelihood of spotting / tracking predators.
On the plus side, Misava typically keeps vehicle numbers to six and below, which is optimal for game viewing (some lodges allow this to go up to 8 or even 10, which significantly detracts from the experience).
What we love about Misava Safari Camp
- The view over the Klaserie River is spectacular
- The food is excellent
- The game viewing focuses on quality rather than quantity
- High quality guiding and service
- The river view rooms (and soon to be built villas) are beautiful and luxurious with amazing views
- It’s a smaller camp in terms of rooms/occupancy, meaning it’s more intimate and personal
- They generally have 6 or fewer people on their vehicles, making for a better experience
- While the traversing area is not quite as big as many other lodges, the diversity of the landscape is excellent – and it’s a beautiful part of the reserve
- The Klaserie is a quieter reserve, still maintaining a wilderness feel (compared to the hustle and bustle of many other reserves)
- Because of this, the price is very reasonable for the quality of accommodation, service and food – it offers great value.
Considerations…
- There’s currently no spa or fitness centre onsite, though massages are available in your room
- Because Klaserie is a quieter reserve and there are overall fewer vehicles out, the quantity of sightings can be lower (but this means you get higher quality)
- There are no trackers, which does reduce your chances of seeing as many animals – particularly rarer/smaller things and cats
So, should you stay at Klaserie Drift Misava Safari Camp?
Yes, particularly if you can afford the River View Suites or River View Villas – the view is amazing and the rooms are top notch. Klaserie is a less commercial reserve compared to some of its more famous cousins like Sabi Sands, which means that you are not just getting a more peaceful wilderness experience, but you’re getting great value.
I would prefer they add trackers to their vehicles to help spot some more wildlife, but other than that there’s not much you can fault this lodge for – it’s probably a new entrant to our top 10!
Keen to experience the serenity and luxury that Misava safari Camp offers? Contact us today and let us help you plan your perfect African safari, tailored to your preferences and budget.