Search hotels in Timbavati Game Reserve

I'm a bit uncomfortable with the staff having to rely on tips. Maybe it's a cultural thing 🤔....

everything was very delicate

Shindzela tented camp is an amazing stay in Timbavati private reserve, connected to the Kruger national park. The tents are perfect and the bed is very comfortable. The staff is amazing, friendly and very helpful. The food is tasty and big portions. The safari drives were amazing and we were lucky to spot many animals. Many thanks to our great guide Ruben, who made our stay unforgettable.

We loved Umlani - brilliant staff, amazing location and a relaxed atmosphere.

This as my first safari experience. I loved the rustic luxury.

We stayed 3 nights at King's Camp out of a total of 11 nights in South Africa and this was by far the best part of our entire trip. The place is immaculate - very large and comfortable rooms, extremely friendly staff and a beautiful location in the TImbavati game reserve. We were taken out for dawn and dusk game drives by our own dedicated ranger Cynet and spotter Sunnyboy, in vehicle we had to ourselves most of the time. All the seats were next to the side (so there were no obstructed views), there were warm blankets in the car for the cold and we stopped for sundowners every evening and watched the stars come out - and what stars - amazing views of the milky way. The game was excellent too - lions including cubs, leopard + kill, and all the rest of the big five (if that's what you're into), hyena and cubs. A big highlight was following a leopard through the bush in the car - simply unforgettable! Plus a multitude of birds from eagles to wax-bills - and our extremely knowledgeable ranger Cynet could identify them all! Our room was enormous and luxurious - private secluded pool and veranda area, carefully designed so that it was not overlooked but looked out into the bush with animals traipsing past! There's also a wonderful hide by the waterhole so you can watch the animals coming down to drink and mud-bathe - including a whole herd of elephants! The staff still have a sense of wonder about the animals they see and are just as excited as the guests. And there are steenboks and kudu who visit the grounds and wander around the rooms - and a lovely night-watchman who escorts you to and from your room after dark. The trouble with the food was that it was too good and too plentiful - hard not to gain weight! Well cooked, well presented and served by lovely, attentive staff. Every other night we had a buffet in the traditional "boma" around a fire with our guide.

What. A. Place. There isn’t a rating high enough. The rooms and lodge were beautiful, the rangers and guides were fabulous, animals sighting unbelievable. Staff were exceptional.

Our time at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge was outstanding! The staff was exceptionally polite, and our guide and tracker worked tirelessly to show us as much as they could while providing detailed information. The butler was sweet and attentive, accommodating to our food restrictions. Our room was consistently spotless and cozy. We had a wonderful time and would love to come back!

Outstanding - exceptional safari experience in an intimidate 5 suites lodge in the Motswari game reserve ! Big five and much more rare animals in beautiful nature & game drives . Outstanding cook & staff !

Stunning location in front of a large dam/pool populated by hippos, not a puddle of a waterhole like many lodges. The camp is simple, 2 tented rooms either side of an open main lodge building leading onto a terrace with small swimming pool and overlooking the water. But what else do you need ? Small, intimate, and stamped with understated luxury the camp is exclusive. As a family we occupied 3 of the rooms and had the lodge to ourselves for 3 of our 6 nights. The 4 tented rooms were a perfect size and beautifully decorated. The food was delicious, great attention was paid to portion sizes, presentation and all our dietary needs and requests carefully addressed (peanut allergy) The staff are lovely, approachable, always on hand and very attentive. Charlie and Mish, the managing couple along with Courtney make you feel as though you this is your home. The guiding experience was probably my best ever, and thats after 25 years of safari, we had started going on courses as we had heard it all so many times before, but Charlies breadth of knowlege is astounding, he is a master of timing, keeps you engaged and doesn't overload you, I was learning information that I had never heard before. Needless to say the sightings were amazing; leopard, lion, wild dog, many birds and some fascinating small stuff as well. The traversing rights mean that there are very few vehicles in your area and some drives we didn't see any other vehicles at all. The game viewer seats 8. The middle seat is converted for storage so no one ever has to sit in the middle. We absolutely loved it and will return.