simbavati Hilltop Lodge

Simbavati Hilltop Lodge has one of the finest settings in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, an unfenced but private part of Kruger Park.

It’s perched on the hillside with wide-angle views over the bush and views of the distant mountains of the Drakensberg escarpment.

Below lie the expansive Mbali Dam and the Nhlaralumi River, where you may be lucky to see elephants, and other wildlife, come to quench their thirst.

Simbavati Hilltop Lodge has a light footprint, purposely designed so that it can be removed without leaving any lasting impact on the land.

This luxurious tented lodge has a romantic, bright, and airy ambiance with 8 spacious tented suites connected by wooden walkways to the main lodge.

The Timbavati forms part of the Greater Kruger Park and offers exceptional game viewing including all the Big Five, most notably leopard, and wild dog.

Twice-daily game drives provide for close encounters with birds and animals, large and small.

Accommodation at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge in Timbavati:

8 luxurious tented rooms offer a choice of King or twin beds.

Each suite at Simbavati has glorious views over the bushveld, the dam, and the Nhlaralumi River. French doors open onto an expansive viewing deck, each with its private sala pavilion and a double day bed for an afternoon read or snooze.

The en-suite bathroom tent is connected to the bedroom tent via a small passage.

On the deck is a double ’rain’ shower with views over the dam.

Safari at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge in Timbavati:

Timbavati Game drives take place in the early morning and late afternoon when the animals are naturally most active.

Key to the experience is your English-speaking guide who works closely with a tracker from the local Shangaan community.

This duo pools their knowledge, experience, and fresh observations to maximise your wildlife sightings.

Their passion is in seeking out a variety of wildlife for guests to see as well as ensuring a rewarding, informative, and invigorating overall experience.

Your guide is often a keen photographer and will be conscious and considerate if your mission is to capture sightings on camera.

The afternoon drive often ends after the sun sets, offering guests a glimpse into nocturnal bush life.

With the help of a spotlight, guests may spot a hunter on the prowl or one of the shy animals that only operate after dark.

Your mode of transport, (or chariot as one of our guides likes to call it), is an open-sided 4×4 game vehicle with 3 rows of comfortable bucket seats in tiers.

You generally head out with a maximum of 8 guests.

This offers safe, yet close wildlife encounters.

Guests sit up high for the best advantage to view birds and animals.

There are no sides to inhibit your views and you naturally feel more in tune with nature.

In the summer, a shade top is added to protect against the African sun, but in winter it is open to the skies for the best bird-viewing and stargazing.

Your guide helps you to interpret what you see.

They also communicate with other vehicles by radio to keep in touch with sightings nearby.

The tracker, seated in the hot seat at the front of the vehicle, tunes into clues offered by the bush. It may be the spoor of a big cat on the hunt.

Perhaps a fresh scent mark on a shrub, a muddy patch on a tree left by an itchy rhino, or a tell-tale sign where a kill has been dragged into the bush.

But it is not just about game viewing.

You’ll start to tune into the sights and sounds of the bush, traversing the land and soaking it all in whilst you stop for a morning coffee or a sundowner in a beautiful spot.

Our vehicles come equipped with blankets, bird books, binoculars, water and refreshments. However, we do recommend that you bring your own binoculars for maximum enjoyment.

The Timbavati Private Game Reserve offers an exclusive safari wilderness.

There are never more than two vehicles at a sighting.

So you don’t have to jostle for positions as you may do in a national park.

Boma and Campfire Dining at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge:

Several times a week, dinner in the camps is a heartier, campfire-style meal served under the stars in a ‘boma’, a circular enclosure originally made from branches.

The cosy, lantern-lit ambiance recalls the early days of safari pioneers.

Another authentic safari experience is dining out under the star in a boma (an enclosed circular dining area) around the campfire.

This usually takes place every 2nd night.

The gentle flicker of lanterns, candlelight, and a welcoming open fire truly conjures up what is magical about a safari.

This is a convivial affair with traditional local dishes cooked over an open fire.

Most of the dishes will be recognisable, but you are welcome to try some traditional African delicacies such as pap and chakalaka.

Naturally, this is a mmeat-eatersdelight.

But vegetarians are well-taken care of as well.

Health & Wellness at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge in Timbavati:

Why does a safari spa experience work so well?

It’s probably because the combined mix of being surrounded by nature and pampering relaxation has such a restorative effect on your well-being.

Plus, the relaxing and unhurried hours between game drives offer the perfect opportunity to enjoy an in-room spa treatment.

The added plus of an in-room treatment is that you can fall asleep afterward if you so wish!

To pay homage to our unparalleled cultural heritage, our highly skilled therapists offer a selection of traditional African massages and other treatments.

All are aimed at relaxing and rejuvenating your mind, body, and spirit.

Choose from a range of massages, facials, and hand and foot treatments, all using luxurious Healing Earth products.