Simbavati River Lodge

Our second trip to this lodge and still outstanding in every way - accommodation, dining and game drives. A special thanks to our game guide Clement and tracker Aubrey. Thank you for letting us experience the big five and more. We will be back why go anyway else

Loved the secluded sanctuary of my luxury tent, including en-suite bathroom with ample storage, indoor shower, double vanity, enclosed toilet as well as an outdoor rain-shower. The pièce de résistance was the private plunge pool, overlooking the currently flowing Nhlaralumi River was just what was required on a hot summer's afternoon. Again, the attentiveness of all the staff and the meals provide a perfect blend of comfort, tranquility, and luxury. Our guide CJ, and Tracker Nonto went out of their way to share their knowledge of the local habitat and it's inhabitants, providing 2 amazing safaris.

We had the most incredible time at the Simbavati River Lodge. We spent part of our honeymoon here, and it could not have been more amazing! The staff, the food, the animals- just AMAZING! Our guide, TJ, and spotter, Daniel were fantastic! So knowledgeable, friendly, hospitable, and they really made the game drivers so enjoyable and fun. We saw so many animals, it was truly unbelievable. Our accommodations were lovely as well! I loved that we were greeted after every game driver with a refreshing beverage and cold towel. The food exceeded our expectations, I am vegetarian and the chef came up with so many incredible dishes to accommodate. Both my husband and I absolutely loved all the food. The bar was well stocked and the bartender was fantastic. Mampuru was our server for our stay, and he was just wonderful. We spent one afternoon at the spa which was lovely. We were so happy with all of the staff, so welcoming, and accommodating, and we loved getting to know everyone. We had so many elephants, giraffes, and hippos that came up to the property and deck, we loved sitting on the deck and watching the animals walk through the river bed. We were there middle of December, and the weather was quite warm for the afternoon game drives, mornings were perfect, and we only have one morning of rain. Would highly recommend this property- we will absolutely be back. It was the best experience!

The Simbavati River Lodge was the most unforgettable and favorite part of our 11-night honeymoon in South Africa. The staff is very hospitable and are some of the friendliest and welcoming people we have ever met. They are genuine people and are highly knowledgeable about the cultures, animals, land and more. During our stay, my husband and I enjoyed the food, spa treatment, personal plunge pool, special treats, clean rooms, and safari rides. We loved our experience and especially the following staff: Sarah (guide), Joseph (tracker), Bongi and Raphael (managers). Sarah and Joseph shared a lot of information throughout our safaris and we (our entire safaris car) all felt like friends by the end of our 4 night stay. We wouldn’t change a thing about our stay here and will encourage our friends to make a trip out with us in the future!

Form the moment I arrived at the lodge to find Elephants literally just outside my tent, this was an amazing experience. If you want to get close, and I mean close, and I mean close, to the animals I can think of nothing better. Every drive, was extraordinary and we were lucky enough to see everything from Leopards through to wild dogs shortly after a kill….and frisky Lions! Our guide was so knowledgable throughout and even when the weather was sub-optimal we were never disappointed. The lodge itself was stunning with the food and service just perfect. If you are considering going…..go!

Absolutely the best service my family and I have ever received. Everything from the transportation from the airport to the home cooked meals was a 10/10. We actually got to see so many animals just on the way from the airport to the lodge, and our driver allowed us to stop for pictures and gave us a lot of cool information. We did not know this when booking, but each room is assigned a butler who will cook, serve, and will educate you on the animals. Our butler was Bishop, and he was an absolute pleasure. He even made my mom a homemade birthday cake since her birthday was coming up. Food was amazing, you couldn’t go wrong with the choices. We didn’t get to use the pool because it was under construction during our stay. We stayed in one of the family huts (not one of the tents) and had all different animals coming up to our patio. One thing to note is that if you stay in one of the luxury tents, you are in a separate area that is not separated from the animals, so they can roam anywhere. If you have anxiety like me, this is probably not the best option as you never know what you’ll walk out to. If you stay in one of the family-style huts, you are fenced off from the animals, besides the patio which they don’t come onto anyway. I truly can’t stress enough how amazing our experience was at the River Lodge. Our game driver was very knowledgeable and taught us a lot. The only thing I would say to be prepared for is that you will get very close to the animals. I’m talking like less than an arms length. Personally that was not for me, but my parents loved it. Overall 12/10 experience.