Access & Location
Simbambili Game Lodge is located in the northern part of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Guests usually fly from Johannesburg to the neighbouring Arathusa Airstrip, and there are scheduled flights daily with Safarilink.
Simbambili Game Lodge
Luxurious accommodation in the northern part of the Sabi Sands
Lounge, dining area, bar, boma, deck, curio shop, newly refurbished wellness center
Nine guest suites, including a honeymoon suite, each with a private plunge pool
Game drives, walking safaris, birding, community visits
Our Yellow Zebra Opinion
-
Great value for quality
Enjoy the personal service that the lodge offers – and with fewer rooms, this property sure is great for honeymooners or couples who enjoy a more romantic setting, with their own private plunge pool and an expansive deck with views over the waterhole.
Activities
Activities from Simbambili focus on exploring Sabi Sand Nature Reserve on expertly guided game drives and walking safaris.
Game drives
Birding
Walking safaris
Community project visit
-
Expertly led game drives take place in the early morning and late afternoon into evening. Sabi Sand is made up of savanna, woodlands, and numerous water sources, including the beautiful Sabi and Sand rivers. It’s home to all Big Five – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo – and is especially famous for sightings of big cats, including cheetah! Other predators in residence include hyenas, jackals, and the rare wild dog, while the herbivore count features hippo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and numerous antelope species.
The bird life here is also impressive, and includes the hawk eagle, purple heron, gray cuckoo-shrike, and the beautiful emerald cuckoo.
The camp’s walking safaris are fantastic for anyone hoping to get a really close look at the smaller lives of the reserve – not only the feathery friends, but also the insects and plant life. Walks also offer opportunities to track big game and to learn about traditional folklore from Shangaan trackers.
Guests are welcome to visit Thornybush’s community project and gain insight into the initiatives in place to support the local communities.
*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.
Make an EnquiryMake an EnquiryFacilities
Simbambili’s communal lodge connects with the guest suites along neat stone pathways.
Its lounge contains a colourful arrangement of sofas, armchairs, and pouffes around a central coffee table, with fans suspended from the timber roof beams. Adjacent to this space is the dining area, set with individual tables. You’ll find a well-stocked bar between the living and dining areas, complete with a good range of wines, beers, spirits, and more. At the front of the building, there’s a spacious deck, where you can relax and savour delicious cuisine while gazing at the scenery and any passing wildlife. A short stroll away, a traditional boma provides an authentic al fresco setting for evening meals. Simbambili also has a curio shop, which displays an assortment of locally made items. As part of the lodge’s recent refurbishment, there’s a new wellness center with a spa, gym and communal swimming pool with loungers, and a living and dining space where the team can set up private dinners.
Make an EnquiryAmenities
Guest accommodation at Simbambili Game Lodge consists of nine suites, including a honeymoon suite and the Waterhole Suite.
The latter, as its name suggests, has particularly commanding views of a nearby waterhole. Each suite occupies a timber, stone, and thatch building, with stone steps leading to its entrance. Inside every standard suite, you’ll find a double bed or twin beds with mosquito nets, bedside tables and lighting, a separate seating area, and storage furniture. Additional amenities include air conditioning and a mini-bar. The en-suite facilities comprise a separate flush toilet, twin washbasins with mirrors over, a freestanding bathtub, and a shower that opens up onto the deck. Outside, you’ll find a sala, a plunge pool, a couple of sunloungers, and amazing vistas over sprawling savanna studded with woodland. The honeymoon suite benefits from all the features of the standard suite, in addition to a nicely secluded location. We recommend upgrading to the Waterhole Suite for breathtaking panoramic views!
Similar Lodges
-
Londolozi Varty Camp
From C$2,303 – C$2,303 ppLondolozi Varty Camp is one of five properties located within the private Londolozi Reserve. At the time of writing, it’s the oldest and largest camp – and also one of the best-value options within the reserve by a long way. Named after the Varty family, who…
-
Mala Mala
From C$2,320 – C$2,320 ppMala Mala Camp is one of three privately owned properties within the Mala Mala Private Reserve in South Africa’s wildlife-dense Sabi Sands Game Reserve, bordering Kruger National Park. Guests can expect handsome accommodations, fusing contemporary style with…
-
Kirkmans Kamp
From C$2,190 – C$2,359 ppKirkman’s Kamp prides itself on a signature blend of natural luxury in combination with great guiding and superb service standards. Located in one of the best game viewing areas in the Sabi Sands, you simply cannot go wrong with Kirkmans. The accommodation is…
-
Singita Boulders
From C$4,266 – C$4,987 ppSingita Boulders Lodge is one of the thirteen properties listed in the world-renowned Singita collection, which spans, among other areas, the Serengeti, Kruger National Park, and Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou. With a name that means Place of Miracles, Singita is…
-
Londolozi Founders Camp
From C$3,235 – C$3,235 ppLondolozi Founders Camp is family owned and run. Its name honours everyone who has helped establish the Londolozi Reserve, from the area’s beginnings in 1926 until the present day. The camp has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor!…
-
Dulini River Lodge
From C$2,840 – C$2,840 ppThere are lovely views of the river from the communal building and guest suites, which are situated in the shade of beautiful ebony trees. Somewhat larger than sister camp Dulini Leadwood Lodge, River has a slightly less intimate feel. However, it is just as…
-
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
From C$4,125 – C$4,365 ppLion Sands Ivory Lodge is owned and run by a family company called MORE, which specialises in unique and life-enriching experiences throughout Southern Africa. One of six properties operated by MORE within Lion Sands Game Reserve, it was recently refurbished…
-
Arathusa Safari Lodge
From C$947 – C$947 ppArathusa Safari Lodge is privately owned and run. This is a property with an impressive history of assisting local communities through direct employment as well as use of local products and services. The lodge has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence by…
What our Customers say
Talk to someone who’s been there
Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.As Seen In
