Simbavati River Lodge

Simbavati made our safari experience better than we could ever imagine. Staffed with the most incredible and friendly people, our stay was immaculate from start to finish. Of course safari was the highlight - our tracker and our guide were amazing beyond words. It felt like they spoke the language of the animals and were able to find us some of the best sightings I could have ever fathomed. We saw all of the Big 5 and more. Back at Simbavati before/after safari, the staff are so friendly and want to pamper you. The food and drinks are delicious, service is pristine, and facility is clean and exciting. Room ("tent") also is excellent, bed is comfy, water pressure in shower is impressive! There are even wildlife sightings at the resort - elephants joined us at breakfast!

Wonderful in every aspect. Animal experience was beyond expectations. Martin (our guide) and Stiff (tracker) found every animal we hoped for, and gave us all the info we wanted without being pedantic. Lodge staff all welcoming, solicitous but not overbearing - thinly seemed committed to us enjoying ourselves. Accommodations incredibly comfortable, technically a tent but felt like a luxury room. And the food was delicious, an unexpected plus.

Had a fantastic time at River Lodge, staff were friendly and go out of their way to make you comfortable, food as always was top notch, our luxury tent was beautiful, and the game viewing was outstanding saw the big 6 up close and personal including cheetah, what a treat.

Simbavati River Lodge was the perfect safari experience for us. We stayed for 3 nights in May 2025 on our honeymoon after flying from Cape Town. Booking our stay and scheduling transfers was very easy and we were met at Hoedspruit Airport with a driver that helped with our luggage. We made the drive to the lodge in an air-conditioned sprinter van (some other lodges make you drive in an open-air vehicle for an hour). While at the lodge, we had the pleasure of working with Dennis and Musa, our guide and tracker. The lodge ensures you have the same tracker and guide for the entire stay, so they know which animals you have and have not seen to ensure you have the greatest chance of seeing the Big 5. Dennis and Musa were both friendly and knowledgeable about the animals we saw. We saw the Big 5 on our first day but they still worked hard to make the following two days exciting and fun! Our butler (waiter) at the lodge was Ralph. He was warm and friendly, telling us about local traditions and customs while he served us. The food and service were both great. We stayed in a Luxury Safari Tent with a plunge pool and it was the perfect setup for our 3 night stay. It was private yet easily accessible from the main lodge. We were visited twice on our walkway by elephants and giraffe! There is plenty of communal space in the lodge and pool to hang out with family and friends. We were unsure what to expect as it was our first time on safari, but we're already telling all of our friends and family to stay at Simbavati River Lodge when they travel to South Africa!