Singita Lebombo Lodge
Singita Private Game Reserve

Note Our most recent visit is here.

Overall impression: Named for the neighboring Mozambique Lebombo Mountains , this remote and architecturally distinctively Singita property was perched on a hill overlooking a stunning gorge near the confluence of two rivers. We found it ideal for a tranquil, sophisticated, service oriented get away with game viewing options. We appreciated the wilderness area’s game viewing possibilities, including the famous Big Five, and Singita’s emphasis on aesthetically pleasing surroundings, comfort and relaxation. The magnificent vistas, from the main building and our room, and the excellent service were among our favorite features.

The “Village” with an art gallery/curio shop, work-out and steam rooms, and small spa offered desirable options for those wishing to sleep in and be pampered. In spite of a remote location, we were delighted to find international direct dialing and a dedicated computer terminal with satellite Internet access for guests, like us, who had to stay in touch. We look forward to returning to Singita.

Location: Inside the Kruger National Park on the eastern edge (east of Satara) of the park nearest the Orpen gate.

Owned: Singita Group

Managed: The Singita Group Cape Town

General manager: Jason Trollip

Year opened/renovated: 2003

Class of accommodation: Five stars (awarded by South African government)

Size: 15 rooms in a concession of 15,000 hectares. The concession, spa, work out facilities, wine and curio shop were shared with a six-room sister property, the Sweni Lodge

Handicapped access: Yes

Check-in/check-out process ease: Excellent

Languages: English

Lobby and common areas : Contemporary décor with beaded curtains, large glass lamps, and rustic wood elements in light bleached wood, clear, beige and other neutral colors. South African designer Boyd Ferguson was responsible for the distinctive interiors and Andrew Makin was the architect able to fashion a property within the concession building restrictions meant to impact the surrounding environment as little as possible while offering luxurious and comfortable accommodations.

Room: Our temperature controlled (effective A/C and heating), glass enclosed room with wood floor had a magnificent view of the nearby river gorge. Our bed, surrounded by a quaint beaded curtain, consisted of two double mattress joined together to form a king bed with a night table and individual lamps on each side of it.

A simple small white table and two chairs were at the foot of the bed and adjacent to the sliding glass doors leading to the porch, where it was possible to spend the night under the stars. Though it was too cold and windy during our winter visit, the porch, which included a large mattress and two canvas chairs, looked an ideal place to spend time during a more temperate season.

Inside the room, there was a countertop and mini bar with courtesy snack food such as dried guava rolls, sesame and yogurt bars, macadamia nuts and coffee and tea service next to a beige sofa. Adjacent to the sofa was a coffee table with board games and large African picture books. A cordless phone with international dialing capability was a pleasant surprise. The front door to the room was a bit of a challenge. Because of aggressive baboons we were instructed to lock all our doors. Locking our front door from the inside or outside required the key. If one of us was out of the room and the other was showering, sleeping, etc. the other person could not get into the room because of the locked door.

Bathroom: Adjacent to the bedroom and divided only by two gossamer curtains was a wonderful bathroom area including an open wood closet and electronic safe. There was a glass sink and mirror, a round backless seat in the center, a second glass sink and a deep bath tub next to the glass window. The view from the bathroom and bath tub was beautiful. On the other side of the bathtub were indoor and outdoor showers. The W.C. (water closet) was next to the indoor shower; the two areas were divided by a shower curtain.

Cleanliness: Excellent

Amenities: Singita branded shampoo, body lotion, body foam and rose water facial spray in refillable large bottles. There were also loose bath salts, a shower cap, two bathrobes and two sets of slippers in the room.

Facilities: At Singita: Swimming pool, Long Bar, dining area. At the Singita owned “Village:” Exercise room, spa, steam room, 6,000-bottle bush temperature controlled wine cellar, African Art Gallery and souvenir shop.

Pool: A long infinity swimming pool and lounge chairs were next to the dining area.

Food: Meals were served in a dining area looking on to the swimming pool. Breakfast and dinner were served in a mixed buffet and a la carte style. For breakfast, for example, we had a choice of three yogurt flavors, several cereals, several cheeses and a half a dozen fruit from a buffet section. We could also request eggs any style from a hot food section of the buffet or place our order with the waiter. Each morning there were specials like eggs benedict and banana and mascarpone cheese covered crumpets.

Lunch was a la carte. Offerings included light appetizers, salads, sandwiches and a couple of hot dishes. Dinner reverted to the mixed buffet and a la carte style. We served ourselves from a series of eight buffet style appetizer options. We had a choice of four main courses which included meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. A number of the dinner selections were hot and spicy.

The dining room staff, Mandi in particular, was attentive and catered to special requests. Although room service was not listed as an option in the services list, we requested dinner in our room. Half an hour later a smiling waiter made us happy by serving us a delicious hot meal including a chilled sparkling wine and dessert.

Activities: Dawn and dusk game viewing drives with rangers and trackers, archery, bush walks, board games, cards, a small library (lots of Africa books), satellite TV and DVD’s (in the “Village”), working out at the gym, steam room, spa treatments, gazing in the African Art Gallery shopping and tasting wine at the vintner's. A computer with a high speed Internet connection was available in a corner of the Long Bar.

Game viewing: Boasting one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the Park, Singita offered early morning and afternoon bush drives. In the morning we were collected in the early dawn hours from our rooms and escorted to the reception area where we had hot warm coffee or tea before setting out in search of animals.

We had breakfast when we returned to the lodge. Evening drives set off in the early afternoon after refreshments and snacks. Dinner was served on our return. During the drives, six of us (guests), a ranger and tracker drove around in the winter chill in open Land Rovers, which offered unimpeded views of the fauna and flora. There was usually a break during the drives when we could enjoy a warm drink in the mornings or a cocktail in the afternoons. Private Land Rovers were available with advance notice for guests who requested it. We saw: Klipspringer, rhino, leopard, giraffe, zebra, impala, monitor lizard, hyena and water buffalo.

Service: Singita staff were welcoming, helpful, always at the ready though never obtrusive.

Spa: We chose a combination of salt scrub, massage, facial and pedicure treatments. The two beauticians Elysa and Lisa, were good humored and efficient. They combined efforts and skipped lunch to ensure we finished the series of treatments in time for the afternoon game drive. Without rushing us, they provided the three-and-a half-hour treatment session in two hours. The treatment rooms were spotless; products included in-house essential oil blends and selections from the American Dermatologica skin care line. Our only disappointment was that in spite of the winter chill, there were no warm blankets on the treatment tables.

Art Gallery and Curio shop: The Art Gallery stocked museum quality African artifacts including sculptures by award winning artist Dylan Lewis and paintings by Kevin Joubert. There was an attractive line of Safari oriented Singita brand clothing, furniture, high end souvenirs, batteries, sunscreen, leather goods, and glassware.

Other: When we visited Singita Lebombo, a member of the Relais & Chateaux, it was the only lodge accessible by air within Kruger National Park . The exercise and steam rooms, wine cellar, art gallery/souvenir shop and spa were all located in an area named “The Village". While still within the Singita area, it was necessary for guests to be driven there. This meant we had to request a vehicle and driver to work out, participate in a wine tasting, have a steam bath, receive a spa treatment at the spa (many of the treatments were offered in guest rooms) or purchase a souvenir. Though parts of the property had a somewhat worn appearance, we are confident minor maintenance issues will be resolved.

The lodge was named Tatler Travel Guide 2004 Hotel of the Year and top choice in Africa in the 2004 Conde Nast Traveler “Gold List.”

Length of stay: Two nights

Date of last visit: May 2004 / Nay 2008

Would you stay again? Yes

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