Simbambili Game Lodge
Thatched suites, including a Honeymoon Suite and a Waterhole Suite · Northern sector, served by Gowrie Gate. Marketed under the Thornybush Collection, but physically sited in Sabi Sand, not in the separate Thornybush Nature Reserve. · Simbambili Game Lodge (Thornybush Collection)
High-end
Inside the park
Owner-run
Simbambili discloses less than most of its neighbours: a single from-rate of R27,000 per person sharing, no season table, no separate 2026 and 2027 figures. Nine suites, including a Honeymoon Suite and a Waterhole Suite overlooking the water, come with two daily drives and meals included, drinks and levies excluded. A generic Thornybush Collection page quotes an acreage for the separate Thornybush Nature Reserve, but Simbambili itself sits in Sabi Sand, so that figure is not its traversing area and we do not repeat it as one.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Private plunge pool and deck at every suite
- Arathusa Airstrip leaves you minutes from the lodge
- Wellness centre, spa and gym on site
- Wifi available across the lodge
- Honeymoon Suite has its own romantic outdoor shower
Cons
- No children under 12; under-16s barred from bush walks
- Beverages and premium alcohol excluded on some rates
- No lodge-specific traversing figure published
- Spa treatments cost extra
Rates at Simbambili Game Lodge
From R27,000 pppn. Simbambili's own site publishes only a starting rate: from R27,000 per person sharing, with no season bands and no separate 2026 versus 2027 figures. Converted at 1 USD = 16.35 ZAR on 23 September 2026, that is about $1,651. A third-party booking agent shows a considerably lower and differently structured 2026 table (from roughly R15,640 per person sharing), but per our own-site rule that figure is not used here, only flagged as a disagreement. 'Levies' are named as excluded with no amount given; based on the R27,000 starting rate that likely falls in the reserve's Tier 2 band (about R574 per person per night in 2026), but confirm with the lodge.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates and fees come from each lodge's own website, read 16 September 2026, cross-checked against the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own published Guest Conservation Contribution and access fees at sabisand.co.za (the landowners' association, spelled without an 's') and against a reserve overview compiled the same day. Two booking-agent microsites, sabisands.com and sabisands.co.za (both spelled with an 's', unrelated to the association), were checked for cross-reference only and are not used as a source for any rate or levy figure. Ulusaba's own site quotes no nightly rate for its three lodges, so those are recorded as rates on request. Sabi Sabi and MalaMala are not on the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own lodge list, and neither states whether the reserve's own conservation contribution applies to a stay there; both maintain their own separate levy or none at all, as noted lodge by lodge.
Questions about Simbambili Game Lodge
Is Simbambili good for families?
Simbambili accepts children from the age of 12, but anyone under 16 is not permitted on bush walks, so plan around drives rather than walking safaris with teenagers. Children under 12 are not accepted at the lodge, so it does not suit a family with younger children.
Is Simbambili good for a honeymoon?
Yes. The Honeymoon Suite has a romantic outdoor shower and a private indoor lounge, and every suite at Simbambili, including the more secluded Waterhole Suite, comes with its own plunge pool and private deck. The lodge's rate starts from R27,000 per person sharing, with no separate honeymoon-rate figure published.
Can you self-drive to Simbambili?
Not really. Simbambili's own site describes two fly-in routes: a two-hour road transfer from Hoedspruit Airport, or the closer private Arathusa Airstrip, which the lodge says leaves you just minutes from its front door. Once you arrive, all game drives run through the lodge's own guides and vehicles.
What does the rate at Simbambili include?
Simbambili's rate covers morning and afternoon game drives and meals, with laundry and local beverages included on certain rate plans. Premium alcohol, spa treatments and external activities are extra, and beverages are excluded on some of the lodge's other rate plans, so check which plan applies to your stay.