Family hotels and homes in Timbavati Game Reserve

everything was perfect. the place, the safaris were much better than in Kruger, the food was good and plenty, the service was excellent, the guide and tracker highly experienced, got a lot of help for the transfer from Joburg

Once in a life experience! An amazing rustic lodge right in the bush and well integrated with nature. The staff is very nice and makes you feel at home. Food is eccellent and different every day. Everything is well organized. Our riders Josh and David made our trip unforgettable. Josh has a lot of knowledge of animals and nature and David is great in following animals footprints.We wish we could have stayed even more! Thanks for everything Valentina&Jhonny

We had a wonderful vacation. The Thabamati team looked after all of our needs and we could not have asked for more. The location is beautiful and the nature fantastic!

Just GREAT, in all aspects. It's a small camp, only four rooms. Nice atmosphere and vibe. Large and well equipped rooms with complimentary mini bar. Staff was amazing and so friendly. The food, WOW! It was above expectation! Our guide and tracker did a great job, had several really surreal and incredible sights. All big 5 completed! We had an amazing stay and would love to come back one day.

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.

Well appointed lodge. Fantastic game drives and daily visits from wild animals to the viewing deck at the lodge.

The choice of food and its preparation were excellent. Aaron knew what we would need after an early or late game drive. He specialises in homemade bread and pastries. Yum.The lodge is small and intimate. Perfect for personalised game drives. It shares an unfenced border with Kruger NP. The animals roam free around the lodge. The accommodation was elegant and well-appointed. Sunday, our guide was very thoughtful and knowledgeable. It was very special that Aaron, Victoria and Sunday surprised us with a wedding anniversary dinner for two. The elephant loping around in the (near) background and the hyena watching, hoping for leftovers, just added to the authentic atmosphere!

We loved the location in the middle of the bush. The amenities and the comfort are outstanding while eco responsible. The staff is absolutely lovely and very careful while being very professional. The food is excellent and changes every day, the walk games are wonderful even if of course you don't see as many animals as in cars...but the contact with the nature and the intercation with animals is unique...and our guide was so nice and skilled. I defintely recommend to anyone who wants to live a true expreience in the bush

We had an amazing stay at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge. The location, staff, food, rooms… basically everything was 5 star. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough!

Guides, Service, Food, Location