Timbavati Safari Lodge

Good service, spacious rooms with firm, comfortable beds, and great food. It's about a 30-minute drive from Kruger National Park. You have to ask at reception for a hair dryer. Wi-Fi is only available at the pool bar and front reception, and there are no phones or TVs, though we didn't need them. Reception closes around 6 pm. My complaints are about the bathroom in room #1, where we stayed, so I can't speak for the other rooms. The shower head sits about 7 to 7.5 feet above the floor, is hard to move, and sprays widely. Most of the water hits the wall across from it, about 3 feet away, and barely reaches you. It also sprays all over the floor, soaking the bath mat and making it useless. There's no shower door or curtain. The sink pressure is very low, and a sign says to wait 3 to 5 minutes for hot water.

The rooms were very small, and there was no air-conditioning. The staff and service were excellent, and the food was very good.

We felt really let down. Our travel agent described this safari lodge as luxury, but to us it felt like a one-star stay at best. Even though the location near Kruger National Park is stunning, the lodge was missing basic things: no fridge, Wi-Fi, or TV in the room, and sometimes the water didn't work. Hot water was especially unreliable. The rooms were very basic and poorly maintained, more like a rundown camp than the luxury place we'd been promised. The bar had a decent atmosphere, and that was the only part of the stay we genuinely enjoyed. We felt misled and wouldn't recommend it unless expectations are extremely low and location is all that matters.

The guided trip and bush walk were amazing. Vusi was our guide, and he was knowledgeable, entertaining, and full of great stories and information. Later that day we were able to identify a male Nyala ourselves, even though we'd only seen females with him. A wonderful experience, and I thoroughly recommend the whole package.