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Simbavati Hilltop Camp has one of the most stunning settings of any safari lodge in the Timbavati Wildlife Reserve. This luxury tented camp enjoys a hillside setting with wide angle views over bush and the distant Drakensberg mountains from every tented suite as well as the main lodge. Simbavati Hilltop has been carefully designed to minimize its ecological footprint. The public areas and tents are all set on decking to preserve the surrounding bush.
Each of the air-conditioned tented suites has a bedroom, separate en suite bathroom as well as an alfresco shower. Large doors open onto an expansive private deck with your own private covered sala for those all important afternoon siestas. Each suite has glorious views over the bush and down to the waterhole and Nhlaralumi
The public areas offers a spacious lounge, bar, dining area on the deck and an expansive deck with breathtaking views. There's a stylish rimflow pool for relaxing during the heat of the day.
Simbavati Hilltop Camp offers game drives in the early morning and evening to enjoy game viewing when the animals are most active. Game drives are conducted by experienced rangers and Shangaan trackers in open 4x4 vehicles, with excellent photographic opportunities. You traverse over 18,000 hectares of the finest big game country, with lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo thriving alongside giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope. Nocturnal animals, including the big cats, are regularly sighted on night drives. Bird watching is wonderful, with various eagles, owls, francolins, kingfishers, rollers and weavers among the over 300 recorded species.
Luxurious Safari Tent
8 luxurious tented rooms offer a choice or King or twin beds. Each suite has glorious views over the bushveld, the dam and the Nhlaralumi River. French doors open out onto an expansive viewing deck, each with its own private sala pavilion with double day bed for an afternoon read or snooze.
The en-suite bathroom tent is connected to the bedroom tent via a small passage. On the deck is a double ’rain’ shower with views over the dam.
Mvubu Cottage
• A private and exclusive cottage with two en-suite bedrooms (one of which has an outdoor shower) for up to four guests to share. It occupies its own elevated position, with a private pool and viewing deck (the day bed is the perfect vantage point from which to appreciate the view and the many animals that come to drink from the Nhlaralumi River below).
• Guests reserving the cottage at its published rate can expect the ultimate exclusive Big 5 safari, with access to a private vehicle, field guide and tracker (maximum of four per vehicle). Those guests who may be upgraded from Hilltop Lodge will join Simbavati Hilltop Lodge game drives with other guests.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge, although Mvubu Cottage guests have the option of more private dining experiences where continental breakfasts, picnic-style lunches and a-la-carte dinners will be delivered to them by our service team.
• The day bed on the upper deck can be converted into a ‘sleep out’ for our more adventurous guests.
Property Facilities
24-hour Security, Bar, Eco Friendly, Laundry Service (Available), Library, Mobile Connectivity, Pool, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Spa
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Bath, Dressing Gowns, Electrical Outlets, En-Suite, Fan, Hair Dryer, Heater, Laundry Facilities, Lounge Area, Mini Bar, Outside Shower, Safe, Shower, Tea / Coffee
Services
Credit Card
Game Drives
Game drives take place in the early morning and late afternoon when the animals are naturally most active. Key to the experience are your English-speaking local guide, working with a tracker from the local Shangaan community. This duo pool their knowledge, experience and fresh observations to maximise your wildlife sightings. Not only in terms of how much you see. But how rewarding, informative and fun the overall experience is. Your guide is often a keen photographer and will be conscious and considerate if your mission is to capture sightings on camera.
Boma & Campfire dining
Several times a week, dinner in the camps is a more hearty, campfire style meal served under the stars in a ‘boma’, a circular enclosure originally made from branches. The cosy, lantern-lit ambience recalls the early days of safari pioneers.
Another authentic safari experience is dining out under the star in a boma (an enclosed circular dining area) around the campfire. This usually takes place every 2nd night.
The gentle flicker of lanterns, candle-light and a welcoming open fire truly conjures up what is magical about a safari.
