Simbavati Hilltop Lodge

The Simbavati Lodge Collection boasts this wonderful Hilltop Lodge in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve of Kruger, exclusive and private accommodation with breath-taking views and outstanding game viewing.

Picture 8 luxury pavilion styled safari tents with wooden decks and intense views over the Timbavati Private Game Reserve in Kruger National Park – it’s Big 5 luxury, it’s an unforgettable safari, authentic, private. See the white lions on morning and evening game drives and enjoy fantastic bush walks daily to get up close and personal with wild animals and all the tiny things in between – amazing safari packages available for honeymoons.

Simbavati Hilltop Lodge overlooks the meandering Nhlaralumi River, the large Mbali Dam and the distant foothills of the Drakensberg Mountain Range from on high, a rocky outcrop made for a lodge with this name. African themes and wild auras, a wonderful set up for safari enthusiasts who want to learn more about the biodiversity of the huge conservation area called Kruger. 

Imagine you have a wide angle lens and you can see the panoramas of Kruger for miles – this you can do from Hilltop Lodge and all the water ways attract wildlife so there is never a dull moment on safari at Simbavati. The tents have been erected to ensure a light footprint on planet Earth and the design is ingenuously modern colonial with a touch of bohemian freedom. 

Yes, the greater Kruger is magnificent. After a full day enjoying safaris, spa treatments, swims in the swimming pool bush walks and private game drives, you will appreciate the huge soft king size beds, the deep bathtub and showers outside, the fans and aircon and the amazing offerings in the mini bar and coffee machines. Lay back on the beds out on your deck and listen carefully for the owls as the sun sets, the birds go to bed and the bats appear.      

Your privacy at Hilltop Lodge is guaranteed and families are welcomed with open arms. Allow the rangers to entertain your kids all day while you sip cocktails beside the pool, enjoy massages in the spa sala and enjoy bush walks with the rest of the guests. This is nature’s biggest, most fascinating classroom and we can all learn more about the planet just by being here.  Priceless.

Talented game rangers and trackers are so knowledgeable and bush wise that they enthral guests for hours both in the bush on safari and around the fire chatting about their experiences using their encyclopaedic authority. Dinners comprise quality grilled meats, side dishes with an African flair and more creamy desserts ensure that your safari is a gourmet delight and special diets are also catered for to ensue no one goes hungry. 

An African massage after dinner is the way to go if you want to feel even better so allow the therapists to douse you in aromatherapy herbal oils and massage those muscle aches and stresses away. 

This vast unfenced region is a wildlife mecca and tourists add to the magic with their contributions to an ecotourism model of sustainable living. It is amazing think that there are more than 40 unique species in the Timbavati including cheetah, wild dogs and more, and more than 360 bird species. 

Imagine a setting that shares views of the majestic Drakensberg Mountains, a mesmerising river and the lush wilderness of South African bushveld from a raised hillock in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. This is Simbavati Hilltop Lodge, named after the hill upon which it stands and the wildlife roaming the plains below.  

‘Timbavati’ comes from a Shangaan expression meaning ‘the place where something sacred came down to earth from the heavens’.  Sharing unfenced borders with Kruger and other private game reserves, the Timbavati is known for its elephants and its famous white lions – which still exist and breed in the bounds of this haven. 

Game drives will introduce guests to diverse wildlife species and birds including antelopes, giraffe, zebra, hippos, crocs, baboons, moneys, warthogs, bushpigs, mongooses, hyena, jackals, genets, bush babies, rhinos, wild dogs and all the big cats. Feel the spirit of the game reserve as you learn more.

Hilltop Lodge is a fancy place for safari enthusiasts in luxury accommodation in unique stand-alone pavilion-style tents. Come with your family and feel the sense of togetherness as you share the living areas and befriend the game rangers and their trackers. It is tranquil, it is intimate and you get to explore more than 12 000 ha of exquisite South African bushveld where life giving rivers flow, fresh dams host birds and hippos and huge trees provide shade for all animals. Seek out the white lions of Timbavati while you are there. 

Chill out on your soft comfy outdoor daybed after game drives, on your private deck with its scintillating bush views.  Your accommodation comes in two sections – one for the two single beds and one for the bathroom with its bath and outside shower, all linked and open to the awe-inspiring scenery outside if needed. Other awesome amenities include aircon, fans, heaters, tea and coffee facilities, bar fridges and hair dryers. 

Activities include twice daily game drives, take memorable photographs and capture these memories. Spa treatments in your own tent provide important self-care, much needed when on a luxury safari in the Kruger National Park. Family holidays at this Simbavati Hilltop Lodge include exclusive game rives, kids games and exciting activities for the kids every day laid on by the fun game rangers and staff. 

Now you know that Simbavati Hilltop is about a Big 5 luxury safari and more – it’s authentic, and private so choose excellent safari packages for honeymoons in Africa.