LUXURY GLAMPING IN SOUTH AFRICA: WHERE TO STAY?
As a Kenyan, if there’s one thing I’m very particular and specific about — it’s my Safari experience. I’ve been on safari excursions probably about 50 times in my life now, which I guess makes me an expert, having stayed at different lodges, tented camps, and hotels. As is probably obvious, I usually seek out luxurious experiences, be it in tented camps or other unique lodges that have interesting accommodations such as villas, multi-room suites, and rooms atop a cliff overlooking the Savannah. In South Africa, we stayed at the Simbavati Hilltop Lodge!! The Hilltop Lodge is one of many accommodation offerings that Simbavati has in Greater Kruger. Our experience there was stellar and deserving of a 4.5/5 star rating. The 4 most important things to me when considering an accommodation for my safari stay are: 1) lodge/camp proximity to wildlife; 2) in-camp service and lodge offerings; 3) lodge/camp views; and 4) the game drives. Keep reading for the specifics on the Simbavati Hilltop Lodge.
First, Proximity to Wildlife. Simbavati gets a resounding 5 stars here. As with many camps/lodges, (and is generally my preference), Simbavati is unfenced, which means the animals roam freely through the lodge as they continue their daily lives. This means there’s often wildlife spotted in the lodge at all hours of the day. During our stay, a heard of elephants came “storming” through the Lodge, grazing a couple feet from several tents, including our own. Check out my Instagram post on this here! For me, unfenced camps in close proximity to the wildlife enhance the experience.
Second, Service and Lodge offerings. The lodge is secluded and only has 8 luxury private tents, all of which boast an outdoor shower, an adjacent tent with two sinks and a massive vanity area as well as a free standing tub, and the bedroom is in the other tent. The lodge was excellent and the service was stellar. Personalized service at every turn, including staff members assigned to you throughout your stay. The food was also incredible. There was a lovely infinity pool overlooking the Savannah, which is an awesome way to spend down time between game drives.
Third, Lodge Views. The views were decent. I quite enjoyed being able to see the dam from the deck of our tent. It was quite spectacular and, of course, because the lodge was unfenced, we were able to occasionally see wildlife outside and within the lodge. My only gripe here is that for a lodge named hilltop, I expected us to be a little higher up. But that was only a minor inconvenience.
Finally, the Game Drives. Listen, I’m very loyal to the Maasai Mara and maintain it’s the best place on the planet to view wildlife. But my experience with Simbavati was incredible. This was undoubtedly one of the best game drive experiences I’ve ever had, which included a rare African wild dog sighting. We also saw leopards, elephants, lions — the game drives were truly giving. I can’t wait to go back to Greater Kruger!! Oh, and I also got to ride “super shotgun”! Check out what that means here!
For more information on Simbavati Hilltop Lodge, here’s my other post on their property!
