Guests photographing elephants from an open safari vehicle. Photo: Pexels (free licence).
Is Simbavati a good company to book a safari with?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 2 November 2026
Simbavati is in the Uncompromised Travel table of safari camp owners. Everything below is from its own website and its review listings, each line with the page it was read from: no score, no rank.
What do guests say about Simbavati?
No rating for Simbavati was found on Google, SafariBookings or Trustpilot when they were read; ask the company for recent guest references.
- No Google listing in Simbavati's name was found.
- SafariBookings
- No SafariBookings listing in Simbavati's name was found.
- Trustpilot
- No Trustpilot listing in Simbavati's name was found.
Where are Simbavati's camps?
Simbavati's camps are listed below from its own website.
- Where they are
- Timbavati Private Nature Reserve: Hilltop Lodge, River Lodge, Trails Camp, River Sands, Mvubu Cottage. Klaserie Private Nature Reserve: Camp George, Waterside, Amani. Cederberg: Cederberg Ridge (Clanwilliam). Garden Route: Fynbos on Sea and Fynbos Cottage (Sedgefield). Tanzania: Grumeti and Musabi Plains in the Serengeti, with Mara and Lake Ndutu.
- Land and traversing
- Private nature reserves unfenced to Kruger National Park: Timbavati and Klaserie both 'form part of the Greater Kruger conservation area, with open borders to the Kruger National Park'. Trails Camp is in a 'secluded, unspoilt expanse of wilderness' in the Timbavati.
- Mobile and seasonal camps
- Trails Camp operates seasonally from March to November, in the cooler autumn to spring days.
- Camp sizes
- Camp George: eight luxury suites. Trails Camp: four tents for eight guests.
How much does Simbavati cost?
Simbavati does not publish a dated rate per person per night for its own camps on its own website; ask it for a quote for your dates.
- What the rate includes
- River Sands: accommodation, all meals, two safari activities per day, beverages (excluding premium brands and cellar wines), return shared transfers from Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport; extras are other drinks, babysitting, private transfers, gratuities, laundry, conservation levies and gate entrance fees. Tanzania game package: accommodation, all meals, beverages excluding premium brands and cellar wines, game drives, one night drive per two-night stay and shared transfers; park fees extra.
- Minimum stay
- Trails Camp: 'a minimum two-night stay requirement' (three nights recommended). River Sands: 2 nights, 1-night stays on request only, 3 nights recommended.
What are Simbavati's booking terms?
Simbavati's published terms: direct reservations require a 10% deposit upon booking confirmation, paid within 7 days (Easter and festive season: 25% non-refundable).
- Deposit
- Direct reservations require a 10% deposit upon booking confirmation, paid within 7 days (Easter and festive season: 25% non-refundable). Tanzania lodges: 20% deposit within 7 days.
- Balance due
- South African lodges: final payment due 30 days prior to arrival. Tanzania lodges: 45 days prior to arrival.
- Cancellation charges
- Cederberg Ridge scale: up to 61 days before arrival 10%; 31 to 60 days 25%; 15 to 30 days 75%; 14 days 90%, on total booking value. Tanzania lodges: 20% up to 61 days; 50% at 31 to 60 days; 75% at 15 to 30 days; 90% at 14 days. 100% charged if guests depart early.
- Currencies and card fees
- Rates in South African rand and US dollars. Tanzania lodges state a 3% surcharge for credit card payments.
- How guest payments are protected
- Not stated on its own website.
Who is Simbavati best for?
Best for: Timbavati, Garden Route and Serengeti lodges, on Simbavati's own published facts; its terms for children, couples, solo travellers and private guiding are below.
- Children
- Trails Camp: only children aged 16 and above. Grumeti and Musabi Plains: children 6 and older; 6 to 11 years 50% of the per person sharing rate in a family tent. Fynbos lodge: children 8 and over, cottage all ages, 6 to 11 years 50%.
- Teenagers and families
- Camp George markets multi-generational stays (eight suites, private vehicle for families with younger children, photography and tracking activities for kids; bush walks typically 12 and up). River Lodge has a Cubs Club and archery for older children.
- Honeymoon
- A Honeymoon Offer runs 2026-2027 across the lodges and honeymoon and romance experiences are listed on lodge pages (private candlelit dinners, Hilltop described as 'romance personified', Waterside romantic dining and surprise treats for honeymoons and anniversaries).
- Solo travellers
- Single supplement of 33% on the per person sharing rate (Fynbos on Sea and Cederberg Ridge) Trails Camp described as suitable for solo travellers seeking solitude.
- Older travellers and limited mobility
- Hilltop Lodge is 'not suitable for people who have difficulty with steps as each suite is accessed by a number of steps'; two suites have fewer steps and guests should mention mobility issues when booking. Trails Camp walks suit a moderate fitness level.
- Private guide and vehicle
- Private safari vehicle: River Sands guests have a private safari vehicle (exclusive-use villa) Camp George suggests booking a private vehicle for families.
- Exclusive use
- Exclusive-use options: River Sands Villa (2 suites, up to 4 guests, from R180,000 per night in 2026) Amani exclusive-use villa for up to 8 guests (four Riverbed Suites combined, villa rate from R127,600 from 01 Sep to 20 Dec 2026)
- Activities
- Game drives twice daily at the Kruger lodges; guided bush walks at Camp George. Trails Camp focuses on walking safaris, two walks a day of 5 to 10 km; boma and campfire dining; sundowners; night drives (Tanzania); spa and wellness.
When is Simbavati not the right choice?
Simbavati is not the fit if its own published limits rule you out: they are below, in its own words.
- Children
- Trails Camp: only children aged 16 and above. Grumeti and Musabi Plains: children 6 and older; 6 to 11 years 50% of the per person sharing rate in a family tent.
- Minimum stay
- Trails Camp: 'a minimum two-night stay requirement' (three nights recommended).
- Single travellers
- Single supplement of 33% on the per person sharing rate (Fynbos on Sea and Cederberg Ridge)
- Limited mobility
- Hilltop Lodge is 'not suitable for people who have difficulty with steps as each suite is accessed by a number of steps'; two suites have fewer steps and guests should mention mobility issues when booking.
Who owns Simbavati?
Camp George is part-owned by Deon Huysamer (son of the founder) and Frank Kilbourn is the other owner, alongside Simbavati.
- Owner or parent
- Camp George is part-owned by Deon Huysamer (son of the founder) and Frank Kilbourn is the other owner, alongside Simbavati. No owner or parent group for the Simbavati collection as a whole is named.
- In its own words
- Africalm is the company's promise: 'a state of ‘BE-ing’ where body, mind and spirit align'.
- Conservation model
- Camp George staff children's holiday programme grew into Eco Children, supported by Simbavati (bursaries, nutrition, school infrastructure, libraries). No percentage or per-night amount or land lease terms stated.
How do you book Simbavati?
Book Simbavati through its own enquiry page or through a safari planner.
- Price against a planner
- Not stated on its own website: it says nothing about whether booking direct is cheaper.
Simbavati: the questions people ask
When are Simbavati's camps open?
Trails Camp operates seasonally from March to November, in the cooler autumn to spring days.
What activities does Simbavati offer?
Game drives twice daily at the Kruger lodges; guided bush walks at Camp George. Trails Camp focuses on walking safaris, two walks a day of 5 to 10 km; boma and campfire dining; sundowners; night drives (Tanzania); spa and wellness.
Does Simbavati have honeymoon offers?
A Honeymoon Offer runs 2026-2027 across the lodges and honeymoon and romance experiences are listed on lodge pages (private candlelit dinners, Hilltop described as 'romance personified', Waterside romantic dining and surprise treats for honeymoons and anniversaries).
How does Simbavati fund conservation?
Camp George staff children's holiday programme grew into Eco Children, supported by Simbavati (bursaries, nutrition, school infrastructure, libraries). No percentage or per-night amount or land lease terms stated.
What is included in Simbavati's rates?
River Sands: accommodation, all meals, two safari activities per day, beverages (excluding premium brands and cellar wines), return shared transfers from Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport; extras are other drinks, babysitting, private transfers, gratuities, laundry, conservation levies and gate entrance fees. Tanzania game package: accommodation, all meals, beverages excluding premium brands and cellar wines, game drives, one night drive per two-night stay and shared transfers; park fees extra.
What deposit does Simbavati ask for?
Direct reservations require a 10% deposit upon booking confirmation, paid within 7 days (Easter and festive season: 25% non-refundable).
What are Simbavati's cancellation charges?
Cederberg Ridge scale: up to 61 days before arrival 10%; 31 to 60 days 25%; 15 to 30 days 75%; 14 days 90%, on total booking value. Tanzania lodges: 20% up to 61 days; 50% at 31 to 60 days; 75% at 15 to 30 days; 90% at 14 days. 100% charged if guests depart early.
Does Simbavati charge a single supplement?
Single supplement of 33% on the per person sharing rate (Fynbos on Sea and Cederberg Ridge) Trails Camp described as suitable for solo travellers seeking solitude.
Does Simbavati accept children?
Trails Camp: only children aged 16 and above. Grumeti and Musabi Plains: children 6 and older; 6 to 11 years 50% of the per person sharing rate in a family tent.
Does Simbavati offer a private vehicle?
Private safari vehicle: River Sands guests have a private safari vehicle (exclusive-use villa) Camp George suggests booking a private vehicle for families.
Where are Simbavati's camps?
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve: Hilltop Lodge, River Lodge, Trails Camp, River Sands, Mvubu Cottage. Klaserie Private Nature Reserve: Camp George, Waterside, Amani.
Who owns Simbavati?
Camp George is part-owned by Deon Huysamer (son of the founder) and Frank Kilbourn is the other owner, alongside Simbavati.
Read next
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: facts Simbavati published on its own website and its review listings on Google, SafariBookings and Trustpilot, read on 2 November 2026, from the Uncompromised Travel safari camp owners table. No score and no rank. Simbavati did not pay to be on this page and is not a partner of Uncompromised Travel. Photos are stock images from Pexels and do not show the company's camps. How this site earns · How we work.