When Conservation Becomes Part of the Safari

GREATER KRUGER, SOUTH AFRICA, September 2026, Bundox Safari Co. is bringing conservation into the traveller experience through its Live Wild & Conserve package, a five-day, four-night safari combining wildlife viewing with conservation talks, ongoing research, practical conservation activities and time in two privately managed reserves within the Greater Kruger region.

The journey begins at Bundox Explorer Camp in the Olifants West Nature Reserve before continuing to Khanya Tented Camp in the Olifants View Nature Reserve, within Balule.

Conservation Beyond the Game Drive

At Khanya Tented Camp, the itinerary includes a planned conservation talk with guides and the research team, giving travellers insight into the work, monitoring and ongoing research taking place within the reserve. 

Rather than simply hearing that conservation is important, travellers gain context around current work on the ground, ongoing research and the methods used to better understand wildlife within the reserve.

These conservation talks can include wildlife movement, species behaviour, habitat pressures, field observations and monitoring projects.

Camera traps are one example. Positioned within the reserve, they help teams record wildlife activity over time and gather information about which species are moving through particular areas, when they are active and how they are using the landscape.

The conservation talks help connect this research with what travellers are seeing on safari. Wildlife encountered during a game drive is no longer viewed only as a sighting, but as part of a wider environment that guides, researchers and conservation teams are continually observing and trying to understand.

The emphasis is on access to the work and the knowledge behind it, rather than turning travellers into researchers themselves.

Two Reserves, Two Conservation Contexts

Live Wild & Conserve also exposes travellers to two different reserve environments.

Bundox Explorer Camp is located in the Olifants West Nature Reserve, while Khanya Tented Camp is situated in the Olifants View Nature Reserve within Balule.

Both form part of the wider Greater Kruger landscape, but each reserve is responsible for the management and conservation of its own area.

This means conservation priorities, wildlife activity, monitoring and challenges can differ between the two.

Moving between them gives travellers a broader understanding of how conservation works at reserve level, while still seeing how these individual protected areas form part of the much larger Greater Kruger wildlife landscape.

A Practical Conservation Experience

The itinerary also includes a Conservation Activity linked to Down2theWire, a project that repurposes recovered wildlife snares into bracelets and bangles.

Snaring involves wire traps set to catch wild animals, often causing serious injury or death when animals become trapped.

During the activity, travellers learn about the impact of snaring on wildlife and how recovered wire can be transformed into jewellery that helps support the rescue and rehabilitation of animals affected by snares.

The experience gives travellers a practical connection to one of the real conservation challenges faced in protected areas.

A Safari First

Live Wild & Conserve remains a safari holiday.

The package includes accommodation at Bundox Explorer Camp and Khanya Tented Camp, breakfast, lunch and dinner, morning and afternoon game drives, transfers between the camps, conservation activities and transfers to and from Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport.

Travellers experience the wildlife and landscapes of both reserve areas through guided game drives, while time between activities allows for the slower rhythm of a private reserve safari.

The conservation component is integrated into that journey rather than presented as a separate programme.

From the Bush to the Olifants River

An included boat cruise on the Olifants River adds another perspective to the experience.

Most safari viewing takes place from a vehicle, while the river introduces travellers to a different habitat and the wildlife associated with it, including hippos, crocodiles and extensive birdlife.

It complements the land-based safari and reinforces one of the broader themes of the package: understanding that wildlife depends on a range of habitats and ecological systems, not only the areas visible from safari roads.

More Context for the Traveller

Live Wild & Conserve is aimed at travellers who want more depth from a safari without turning their holiday into a formal conservation or volunteer programme.

They still experience game drives, wildlife sightings, tented safari accommodation, the Olifants River and the landscapes of Greater Kruger.

The difference is that they are also given an opportunity to understand some of the conservation work happening around them.

That includes hearing about ongoing research, seeing how monitoring projects such as camera traps are used, discussing observations with people working in the reserve and gaining a clearer picture of the responsibilities involved in managing wildlife areas.

For repeat safari travellers and wildlife enthusiasts in particular, this adds another layer to the traditional safari experience.

About Bundox Safari Co.

Bundox Safari Co. is a Southern African safari company offering accommodation, safari packages and destination management services in South Africa and Botswana.

Its South African portfolio includes Bundox Explorer Camp, Khanya Tented Camp and Amava River Lodge, while its Botswana portfolio includes Mankwe Tented Retreat.

Bundox works with direct travellers and the international travel trade to connect accommodation, guided safari experiences, conservation-focused activities, transfers and wider destination planning.

Further Information

Travellers can view the full Live Wild & Conserve package or explore the wider range of Bundox Safari Co. safari packages.

Travel agents and tour operators can access product information through the Bundox Agent Sign Up.

Released in collaboration with WildBeest Media.