Zimanga Private Game Reserve
Zimanga Private Game Reserve
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53 reviews
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49
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2
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1
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1
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0
beverley508
Aberdeen, UK17 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
Just back from a trip to Zimanga with some friends and a group led by Tracey Lund and Garry Jones.
Zimanga was all I dreamt of. The place is absolutely amazing.
The staff make you feel so welcome and you actually feel part of a family. Thank you to them all and in particular Patricia, Alice and Happiness, who would have done anything to make us feel at home. The place is spotlessly clean and the food is amazing, you have to try the ostrich steaks! five star and more!
The game drives were absolutely perfect. Some times it was enough to just put down the camera and sit, watch and listen to Jono as he imparted his knowledge and showed his love of the animals. To have the privilege of walking with cheetahs as he looked on and seeing the big five is something I will never forget.
The whole team went above and beyond to ensure we saw every species on the reserve. Mat, Henry, Calvin but especially our Jono who gave us many a laugh as he drove us places we never knew were possible to access!
The hides are amazing with so many different animal and bird to see.
One of my highlights was meeting the beautiful Cooper! He made my day when he came to visit.
If you are looking to go on Safari then you will find it hard to choose better. With only three vehicles allowed out on the reserve at a time you feel like you are the only people there. Alone with only the calls of the birds and wildlife.
What would I change, nothing.. It really is perfect.
Zimanga a massive thank you, I really hope I will have the opportunity to return some day.
Zimanga was all I dreamt of. The place is absolutely amazing.
The staff make you feel so welcome and you actually feel part of a family. Thank you to them all and in particular Patricia, Alice and Happiness, who would have done anything to make us feel at home. The place is spotlessly clean and the food is amazing, you have to try the ostrich steaks! five star and more!
The game drives were absolutely perfect. Some times it was enough to just put down the camera and sit, watch and listen to Jono as he imparted his knowledge and showed his love of the animals. To have the privilege of walking with cheetahs as he looked on and seeing the big five is something I will never forget.
The whole team went above and beyond to ensure we saw every species on the reserve. Mat, Henry, Calvin but especially our Jono who gave us many a laugh as he drove us places we never knew were possible to access!
The hides are amazing with so many different animal and bird to see.
One of my highlights was meeting the beautiful Cooper! He made my day when he came to visit.
If you are looking to go on Safari then you will find it hard to choose better. With only three vehicles allowed out on the reserve at a time you feel like you are the only people there. Alone with only the calls of the birds and wildlife.
What would I change, nothing.. It really is perfect.
Zimanga a massive thank you, I really hope I will have the opportunity to return some day.
Written 5 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter G
Zurich, Switzerland153 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Located inside the private game reserve by the same name. Built especially for wildlife photography with photo hides both for daytime and night photography. Excellent service and super friendly staff. They strive to make guests happy and to fulfil individual wishes. The food was super, and you can eat a lot...We had excellent ostrich steak, for instance. The safari drivers are carefully selected and know everything about wildlife and photography.
The local weather is, due to the proximity of the Indian Ocean, not as sunny as it is farther north in South Africa. Also, it was not always easy to see some species of big game. Access is by charter flight to Mkuze airport or by car from Durban.
The local weather is, due to the proximity of the Indian Ocean, not as sunny as it is farther north in South Africa. Also, it was not always easy to see some species of big game. Access is by charter flight to Mkuze airport or by car from Durban.
Written 9 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Peter, thank you so much for the positive review of Zimanga and especially the kind words about our excellent staff and guides. We are so glad that you enjoyed your stay. Out of interest, Mkuze is said to have approximately 300 sunny days a year but we wholeheartedly agree that we did have more overcast skies this year than most, and I see that we are in for another cloudy few days to come. Nonetheless, we are still happy that you enjoyed your visit even if the weather did not play along. Kind regards from Zimanga
Written 9 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gillian E
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Friends
Fabulous opportunities here for photography. The lodge is excellent. Accommodation was extremely comfortable, beautifully maintained and the food prepared by the chef was simply delicious. The gardens surrounding the lodge are stunning and while we were there home to dozens of sunbirds feeding on the aloes. Night hides are excellent for photography. So well set up. Opportunities to get very close to a number of cheetahs on game drives and lucky enough to find female with a kill on our last day. Only downside was being in a fenced reserve. We normally go on safari in unfenced areas in Kenya, South Africa, Botswana - so it felt a bit enclosed. That said - this is a beautiful place and perfect to get some different low angle shots.
Written 6 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Gilliane, thank you for the positive review and we are very happy that you enjoyed what we had to offer. The gardens around the Lodge is my mother's doing and I'll be sure to forward your compliments to her! The cheetah population has been doing well and it makes us really proud to be contributing animals for translocation towards other reserves in order to boost their numbers and genetic diversity. I agree that fences are an eyesore, and despite having in excess of 70km2 of range for wildlife fences are never a nice thing to see, but sadly very necessary in this area nowadays to keep humans and wildlife apart especially considering the ever present threat of poaching that has plagued Africa for the last decade. Thank you again and kind regards, Charl
Written 9 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
twinkiebgood
Tampa, FL49 contributions
Jul 2023
I stayed at Doornhoek Homestead with the Toons, who are an awesome couple. It was an incredible experience despite the cold weather and unseasonal rains, which slowed the animal activity. I can only imagine the possibilities later in the dry season.
I LOVED photographing from the hides, especially at night. The walks with the cheetahs were unbelievable ❤️. The game drives, after being in Tanzania, were so-so, but I appreciate and admire the wildlife conservation efforts among the private reserves like Zimanga (and Mongena, where I went first) to manage populations and promote genetic diversity.
All the staff at Doornhoek were stellar and made us feel welcome and at home. Calvin did a phenomenal job and clearly has a passion for wildlife and photography.
A sincere thank you to Charl and the family for creating the magic that is Zimanga.
I LOVED photographing from the hides, especially at night. The walks with the cheetahs were unbelievable ❤️. The game drives, after being in Tanzania, were so-so, but I appreciate and admire the wildlife conservation efforts among the private reserves like Zimanga (and Mongena, where I went first) to manage populations and promote genetic diversity.
All the staff at Doornhoek were stellar and made us feel welcome and at home. Calvin did a phenomenal job and clearly has a passion for wildlife and photography.
A sincere thank you to Charl and the family for creating the magic that is Zimanga.
Written 29 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HI Twinkiebgood, thank you for the positive review about your recent visit. The Toons really are an awesome couple and we are proud to host them and their guests every year. We are so sorry about the weather and the influence it had on your visit, as weather no doubt has a tremendous effect on wildlife photography. Our seasons were well and truly mixed up this year but still very happy that you had a great time despite this. Our cheetahs have really been doing great and we hope that the good fortune that followed them up to this point continues so that we can continue contributing to the larger Southern African population and help insure their future. Thank you for taking the time to visit and we really hope that the weather will play along should you ever choose to visit again. Kind regards from Zimanga, Charl
Written 9 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andyfarrow
15 contributions
Aug 2022
I have recently returned from a 10 night stay at Zimanga. What an experience, the chance to walk with Cheetahs, use the excellent day & night hides as well as see the variety of animals on game drives.
I have been on several safaris before but nothing comes close to matching the close up experience and the professionalism of our guide Calvin (spotting a leopard in tree from 400m - awesome).
The accommodation was very comfortable and the staff extremely attentive and flexible.
I can't recommend Zimanga enough, if you are into wildlife photography and only go on one safari then this is the location. I went with Steve & Ann Toon as our professional photo guides and their experience, knowledge & guidance combined with Calvin's expertise was outstanding.
I have been on several safaris before but nothing comes close to matching the close up experience and the professionalism of our guide Calvin (spotting a leopard in tree from 400m - awesome).
The accommodation was very comfortable and the staff extremely attentive and flexible.
I can't recommend Zimanga enough, if you are into wildlife photography and only go on one safari then this is the location. I went with Steve & Ann Toon as our professional photo guides and their experience, knowledge & guidance combined with Calvin's expertise was outstanding.
Written 1 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Andy
Thank you very much for the positive review and putting your faith into visiting us for 10 days. The photos that you took are simply magnificent and it warms our hearts that you enjoyed our home as much as we do. It was a privilege to meet your positive group and you truly made us feel welcome every time we came around to say hello!
Kind regards from the Zimanga team and hope to see you here again
Written 2 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Robert F
Oxfordshire, UK66 contributions
Aug 2022
zimangThis was my first safari and zimanga simply exceeded all my expectations.
I visited Zimanga joining a small amateur photography group staying at the homestead.
Our trip was led by Ann & Steve Toon, wildlife photography of whom I can’t speak highly enough, their professionalism, hospitality and friendliness helped our group very quickly gel.
Back to Zimange review.
we were greeted at the main gate by kelvin who would turn out to be our designated driver for our 10 nights , Kelvin was great company with a great sense of humour, warning don’t believe everything he tells you!
on arrival at zimanga . Just the trip from the main gate to the homestead was enough to convince me this was a special place; Game is in abundance and much closer than I had expected. `I did say this was my first safari.’
The homestead was comfortable and well stocked with beverages, the food was delicious full credit to the chef’s, housekeeping was very helpful if anyone needed anything, the icing on the cake for me was the daily laundry service no washing when I got home. The only very minor thing was the pool isn’t heated and the loungers by the pool could be improved but this in no way spoilt my experience of zimanga.
The Game drive and hides.
We were a party of five plus Ann and steve Toon. We were split into two groups a party of three with either Ann or Steve and the remaining couple.
Each group would either be on a game drive or in a hide.
The game drives consisted of a long wheelbase 4x4 with three rows of seats plus the driver Kelvin and in our case a photography guide Ann or steve. We all had a full row to ourselves giving a clear view out of both sides of the vehicle.
We would set out early before dawn if we were dropping off a group in a hide or at dawn if they were in an overnight hide.
we would usually go in search of the one of the big five that they had a good idea of the area they would be in from sightings the day before. This quiet often changed with spotting others along the way, we stopped briefly to get back lit pictures of a herd of zebra only for a black rhino to walk through them.
Our sightings were many and varied from the abundance of game animals to close views of lions, giraffe, cheetah, rhino and two very good sightings of leopards.
The hides were varied from the lagoon hide with our friendly malachite kingfisher parading up and down the windowsill, the scavenger hides with the jackals stealing the food from the vultures, the reflection hides with the colorful birds. then there’s the overnight hides,
18hours of anticipation from 3pm till 9am, the hides are comfortable with office style chairs and tripods with gimble heads, bunkbeds for those who wanted to get some rest, a well-equipped kitchen and bathroom, one hid having a table and chairs we could work at. the other a shelf with stool only usable to eat at. Both hides had good sized viewing window and well setup lighting. we had some great visitors from the elephants, giraffe, rhino, buffalo, a glimpse of a leopard and a serval!
I could go on and on about zimanga,
it’s a place and experience that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.
Thank you to all who made my trip so special and a big thank you to kelvin, Ann and Steve for giving me and the rest of the group such and incredible experience.
On a what would I change note.
This should not be read as criticism just icing on the cake.
Add shelves or pouches under the windows in the night hides, it can be difficult to find things in the dark.
Heat the pools everyone likes a dip in a warm pool, sola is a cost-effective way to heat he pools.
Invest in sun loungers we old people can get off without resorting to rolling onto the floor.
See if you can get a table into the night hide where people can use laptops.
Keep up the good work Zimanga
I visited Zimanga joining a small amateur photography group staying at the homestead.
Our trip was led by Ann & Steve Toon, wildlife photography of whom I can’t speak highly enough, their professionalism, hospitality and friendliness helped our group very quickly gel.
Back to Zimange review.
we were greeted at the main gate by kelvin who would turn out to be our designated driver for our 10 nights , Kelvin was great company with a great sense of humour, warning don’t believe everything he tells you!
on arrival at zimanga . Just the trip from the main gate to the homestead was enough to convince me this was a special place; Game is in abundance and much closer than I had expected. `I did say this was my first safari.’
The homestead was comfortable and well stocked with beverages, the food was delicious full credit to the chef’s, housekeeping was very helpful if anyone needed anything, the icing on the cake for me was the daily laundry service no washing when I got home. The only very minor thing was the pool isn’t heated and the loungers by the pool could be improved but this in no way spoilt my experience of zimanga.
The Game drive and hides.
We were a party of five plus Ann and steve Toon. We were split into two groups a party of three with either Ann or Steve and the remaining couple.
Each group would either be on a game drive or in a hide.
The game drives consisted of a long wheelbase 4x4 with three rows of seats plus the driver Kelvin and in our case a photography guide Ann or steve. We all had a full row to ourselves giving a clear view out of both sides of the vehicle.
We would set out early before dawn if we were dropping off a group in a hide or at dawn if they were in an overnight hide.
we would usually go in search of the one of the big five that they had a good idea of the area they would be in from sightings the day before. This quiet often changed with spotting others along the way, we stopped briefly to get back lit pictures of a herd of zebra only for a black rhino to walk through them.
Our sightings were many and varied from the abundance of game animals to close views of lions, giraffe, cheetah, rhino and two very good sightings of leopards.
The hides were varied from the lagoon hide with our friendly malachite kingfisher parading up and down the windowsill, the scavenger hides with the jackals stealing the food from the vultures, the reflection hides with the colorful birds. then there’s the overnight hides,
18hours of anticipation from 3pm till 9am, the hides are comfortable with office style chairs and tripods with gimble heads, bunkbeds for those who wanted to get some rest, a well-equipped kitchen and bathroom, one hid having a table and chairs we could work at. the other a shelf with stool only usable to eat at. Both hides had good sized viewing window and well setup lighting. we had some great visitors from the elephants, giraffe, rhino, buffalo, a glimpse of a leopard and a serval!
I could go on and on about zimanga,
it’s a place and experience that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.
Thank you to all who made my trip so special and a big thank you to kelvin, Ann and Steve for giving me and the rest of the group such and incredible experience.
On a what would I change note.
This should not be read as criticism just icing on the cake.
Add shelves or pouches under the windows in the night hides, it can be difficult to find things in the dark.
Heat the pools everyone likes a dip in a warm pool, sola is a cost-effective way to heat he pools.
Invest in sun loungers we old people can get off without resorting to rolling onto the floor.
See if you can get a table into the night hide where people can use laptops.
Keep up the good work Zimanga
Written 31 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Rob
We truly appreciate your positive review and always love to see the beautiful images taken by our guests. Congratulations on a stunning portfolio you took whilst here! We loved hosting your group and really hope that we will meet again sometime in future.
Shelving in the Overnight hides are very likely our most oft-heared request, though unfortunately these interfere with tripods and are very limiting when trying to use any lens wider than 24mm as we occasionally like to do. When these wide lenses stand further back one starts introducing hide elements into the photo which need to be cropped, but getting the lens closer to the window allows usage of ultra-wides, hence shelving will likely never be introduced. Pouches are a great idea and we will see if we can have some canvas units sewn up by the company that are rebuilding our game viewers as they do super work.
The dining tables are at this point the best places to set up laptops, as this we cannot do upfront as light shining off a screen illuminates the occupants at night and has the potential to scare off shy animals on approach to the water, which is the last thing we want to risk!
Whilst I did not rate you as that old as we are probably the same age ;) I will have a look at the sun loungers around the Homestead pool and at replacing these in the long-run with higher units that will assist in getting up and down far easier
Kind regards from Zimanga and it will be great to see everyone in your group again soon
Charl
Written 2 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeremyabingdon
Crewe, UK10 contributions
Aug 2022
Zimanga may have some excellent photography opportunities, but in my view the lodge operation is poorly run and disorganised. This ultimately made my stay here stressful rather than the relaxing experience I had hoped for. Note that I was a single traveller: the majority of guests appear to stay as part of a group, and these may well receive better treatment than individuals.
Even before my stay, issues with locating my payment (which has to be made in full before arrival) made for some stress. In my six nights at Zimanga, I ended up moving between three different rooms, due to complaints about insects in the bed. This may have been the result of my northern European squeamishness, but I didn’t have this issue elsewhere in South Africa, and neither did I have any other reason to complain elsewhere on this trip.
The management were always apologetic, but it sometimes took excessive complaining to get the issues resolved, and ultimately I would have preferred them to resolve them at the outset. On one occasion, my possessions were removed from my room whilst I was out on a game drive, without my knowledge or consent. I regard this as a gross invasion of my privacy: clothes and personal items were taken out of the wardrobe, for example, and delicate electronics unplugged.
Compared to the other two Safari Lodges I stayed on this trip, the service was somewhat erratic, and the food quality, though often good, was inconsistent, for example being served cold on some occasions, and it was never as outstanding as the cost might lead you to expect. The service could be also erratic: I didn’t always get what I ordered, for example. Having said that, the waiting staff were invariably friendly.
The main reason I was drawn to Zimanga was for the photography. My guide Jono was passionate about the wildlife, and I will remember the interaction with their cheetahs fondly for a long time to come. I’d suggest though that the most of the hides are will be of greatest interest to keen birders. My success with the two overnight hides was mixed. If your main interest is in game drives, the value for money of Zimanga is more questionable.
Overall, I consider Zimanga to be overpriced, and the guest experience for me left a lot to be desired.
Even before my stay, issues with locating my payment (which has to be made in full before arrival) made for some stress. In my six nights at Zimanga, I ended up moving between three different rooms, due to complaints about insects in the bed. This may have been the result of my northern European squeamishness, but I didn’t have this issue elsewhere in South Africa, and neither did I have any other reason to complain elsewhere on this trip.
The management were always apologetic, but it sometimes took excessive complaining to get the issues resolved, and ultimately I would have preferred them to resolve them at the outset. On one occasion, my possessions were removed from my room whilst I was out on a game drive, without my knowledge or consent. I regard this as a gross invasion of my privacy: clothes and personal items were taken out of the wardrobe, for example, and delicate electronics unplugged.
Compared to the other two Safari Lodges I stayed on this trip, the service was somewhat erratic, and the food quality, though often good, was inconsistent, for example being served cold on some occasions, and it was never as outstanding as the cost might lead you to expect. The service could be also erratic: I didn’t always get what I ordered, for example. Having said that, the waiting staff were invariably friendly.
The main reason I was drawn to Zimanga was for the photography. My guide Jono was passionate about the wildlife, and I will remember the interaction with their cheetahs fondly for a long time to come. I’d suggest though that the most of the hides are will be of greatest interest to keen birders. My success with the two overnight hides was mixed. If your main interest is in game drives, the value for money of Zimanga is more questionable.
Overall, I consider Zimanga to be overpriced, and the guest experience for me left a lot to be desired.
Written 19 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review Jeremy.
It is with regret that I notice you only rated us 2 out of 5 stars, which is a tad below the average 2.1 stars per establishment which you've given in your Tripadvisor ratings for the first 10 establishments you've reviewed to date, including this review of Zimanga.
I took the time to find out about your concerns as they seem to be myriad and really concerning to all of us.
I will try respond in sequence with your concerns raised. Firstly regarding the lack of notification of incoming payment which for whatever reason did not appear as an incoming deposit on our online banking. In extremely infrequent and unusual circumstances it can happen that these have to be cleared manually, as was the case here. We can imagine your stress in this regard and I guarantee the stress was similar from our side as we also prefer bookings to run like clockwork as they should. Luckily this was manually cleared well in advance before your stay, and as soon as we became aware of the holdup.
A big problem undoubtedly stemmed from sugar ants you encountered during your first night's stay in the single room you booked. We appreciate you making us aware of these, which really posed a problem as there is likely a colony that have moved into the vicinity of that particular single room as can sometimes happens in the middle of the bush. We've found that, especially on days before rainy weather like you experienced, these ants evacuate their nests to seek shelter on higher ground, including up walls as we've seen so many times after 24 years of living here. Upon your mention of ants your room was immediately tended to to remove them, and again upon later mention to your ranger that there were still ants present, we understand our guest relations manager moved and upgraded you to a luxury double suite to give us time to sort out the ant problem in said initially booked single room.
As it turned out, despite treatment, ants were still present a few days later, though fortunately you were unaware of it as you were moved to a larger room. It was actually due to newly arriving guests (and not ants) you were moved from your first upgraded double suite into an adjacent double suite, as we all agree we could not place you back in the single room with ants still present despite it having been treated.
We assume here the mention of the upgrade to the luxury double suites for the remainder of your stay and on the other side of the pathway was simply an omission on your part in the above review. We apologise for the inconvenience this rooming movements and upgrades caused.
I have to add that from your review it can appear to an uninformed reader that you had to be moved to three rooms due to insects, whereas only the first single room you were in contained said ants. We are therefore at this point very confident that you enjoyed the additional space the upgrade to the larger double suites provided you despite the two-star rating but feel it important to clarify this point.
Despite Zimanga being "fully" booked during your stay, we actually view it as a feather in our caps (as opposed to being used in a negative manner against us) that during emergencies like these we have the capacity to move guests between rooms if needed, including upgrading guests to larger rooms if need be as the Lodge was designed and built with unforeseen emergencies top of our expectations list. We never fully book the reserve exactly due to the curveballs mother nature can and will throw at us.
That being said, the movement of your personal belongings is definitely of concern, as you were initially asked if you required help and rightfully declined. Unfortunately the housekeeper responsible for the second room you stayed did not enquire if you required assistance and took it upon herself to move your belongings, which I guarantee you was done in nothing but good faith and with your convenience in mind. We all agree she should have asked and we will be having a training session with all our staff to emphasise always enquiring first before attempting to help with a move. We unreservedly apologise for this misplaced attempt to assist, especially considering your first declination of the offer.
We are happy to hear you had good service at the other lodges you stayed at, and you will at least have some positive memories to take home from there. Sadly, according to our Lodge Manager, Head Chef, and your Ranger, no mention was made to them regarding the above mentioned levels of service during your stay, which could have at least offered us an opportunity to rectify any shortcomings immediately, but we will simply take the feedback from this post-visit Tripadvisor review and counsel our service staff about the standards that management and our guests expect of our service levels. It is a tad more vague and difficult but I am sure can be done.
At this point there is no clear explanation of misplaced orders and right now we are at a loss, but we will be enquiring with all of this week's service staff as to cold meals and misplaced orders that the Head Chef who was on duty every night until after guests left, was unaware of.
Your suggestion that most of the hides are focused on birds is spot-on, seven out of nine hides to be exact focus on birds (as per our website). We are proud that your memories of the cheetahs on game drives will be remembered so fondly. We truly hope the cheetah kill, the leopard sightings on game drives, plus the lion and rhino amongst other members of the Big 5 plus plains animals (also on game drive) could maybe in the log run also count on that list, as the photographs we saw from other occupants you shared the vehicle with were simply magnificent in our opinion...
Any lodge's pricing is always a minefield of subjectivity, as the feedback I personally got yesterday (and from many other recent and historical guests) was how affordable we were, especially considering the variety of activities and photographic opportunities on offer. This being extremely subjective we simply are what we are, and carry our heads high through our variety of legs from hospitality, conservation work, reserve security, ecological management and community support projects to sustain a significant tract of land to be kept under conservation.
Lastly, we truly do hope and trust that you might one day have an enjoyable holiday somewhere, and apologise unreservedly for the stress this ordeal has caused. Nonetheless we would like to thank you for your support and the unfortunate realization that Zimanga was perhaps not the place for you. We will nonetheless keep fighting the good fight and attempt to keep improving on everything we do
Kind regards, Charl
Written 20 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Moira G
Burntisland, UK109 contributions
Jul 2022
This is a fantastic place for photographers and non photographers. There is a mix of game drives and sitting in hides including, overnight hides where the animals come to floodlit waterholes. The latter being a very special experience. There are plenty of birds and animals to see.
Staff are helpful, friendly and aim to please with many learning your name. I was lucky enough to upgraded to one of the luxury larger rooms. It was stunning and with a king sized bed, very comfortable. Rangers are very knowledgeable and helpful.
Thsepo, the chef supplies you with high quality, very tasty meals. He speaks to everyone to ensure you are satisfied with the food and will do requests. I have food intolerances and this was no problem. Vegetarians also have a great choice of food.
This is a very special place where all staff make you feel welcome.
I intend to return.
Staff are helpful, friendly and aim to please with many learning your name. I was lucky enough to upgraded to one of the luxury larger rooms. It was stunning and with a king sized bed, very comfortable. Rangers are very knowledgeable and helpful.
Thsepo, the chef supplies you with high quality, very tasty meals. He speaks to everyone to ensure you are satisfied with the food and will do requests. I have food intolerances and this was no problem. Vegetarians also have a great choice of food.
This is a very special place where all staff make you feel welcome.
I intend to return.
Written 22 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much Moira, we appreciate you taking the time to write such a positive review and we would love to see you here again! Kind regards from Zimanga
Written 26 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter Jones
Bilsthorpe, UK6 contributions
Jun 2022
We enjoyed all the hides most of all, re the game drives to much time was spent looking for Black Rhino, Cheetah, Leopard and Lion which are on the short side.
The night hides were very interesting and we were able to get some excellent photographs, and the day hides were the same. If you enjoy staying in hides it's one of the best places to stay. The lodge and staff are the best one could get.
Overall we can recommend Zimamga is the place to stay and has the best photographic hides in Africa.
The night hides were very interesting and we were able to get some excellent photographs, and the day hides were the same. If you enjoy staying in hides it's one of the best places to stay. The lodge and staff are the best one could get.
Overall we can recommend Zimamga is the place to stay and has the best photographic hides in Africa.
Written 12 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Peter, thank you so much for the fantastic review! Game drives can always be hit and miss as sometimes you stumble upon animals by chance and early on the drive, and at other times they can make us work very hard for sightings when they disappear somewhere within thousands of hectares of African bush. For us it is part of the allure that you never know what you are going to get.
We will carry your positive message across to our staff, and thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review! Hope to see you here again soon and for better luck on drives next time!
Kind regards from Zimanga
Written 26 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
VilliersSteyn
Hoedspruit, South Africa89 contributions
Mar 2022
I recently visited Zimanga Main Lodge for four nights and have to admit, this was one of the best safaris I've had in years! Zimanga obviously understands wildlife photographers - everything, from the design of the rooms and lodge, to the way that drives are conducted, has wildlife photographers' needs in mind. Not to mention their incredible underground hides! I spent an afternoon at Lagoon Hide and a night at Tamboti Overnight Hide and was able to take some photos that I've only ever dreamed of taking...
Last but not least, thanks to Charl, Mariska, Elizabeth, Amy and Jono, along with all the other staff, for your friendliness and flexibility - you made our stay extra special!
Last but not least, thanks to Charl, Mariska, Elizabeth, Amy and Jono, along with all the other staff, for your friendliness and flexibility - you made our stay extra special!
Written 11 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I will be flying from the UK. Any flight and transfer recommendations would be welcome.
When is the best time of year to visit to see game and enjoy good weather please?
Robert F
Oxfordshire, UK66 contributions
April till October went in August the
weather was lovely mid 20ts one morning of showers .
I cannot tolerate spicy food. What is on your menu, please?
Robert F
Oxfordshire, UK66 contributions
There is a varied choice , fish is popular ,you pick what you want of the breakfast menu. lunch is usually a buffet style . we did have a guest who couldn't eat cheese , They made him a separate meal without cheese, I'm sure if you inform them you don't want spicy food they will give you and alternative if its on the menu .
They are very customer orientated.
Susan B
Hampshire, UK6 contributions
Do you need malaria tablets for our stay in July?
Charl S
3 contributions
It is in all likelihood not necessary as the area was declared malaria free several years ago. The areas to the east of Zimanga are still deemed low risk areas, but if you feel safer to take some then please do
Berend d
Amsterdam, The Netherlands276 contributions
Looks really beautiful, how many game drives are offered and when?
Charl S
3 contributions
Thank you Berend. We offer activities twice daily, in the early mornings and then late afternoons. Guests have a choice between game drives or hide sessions, and on average do both a game drive or hide session per day. It is also possible to do only game drives if you so choose
Darryll B
1 contribution
Please explain the accommodation arrangements. Do you stay inside the game reserve or outside and if you stay outside what are the rules for self drive entrance each day and visits to the various hides.
Robert F
Oxfordshire, UK66 contributions
The game reserve is 30 square miles , you stay inside the reserve in either the main lodge The lodge can sleep up to 12 guests in six separate air-conditioned luxury double suites. or the home stead where i stayed is for (groups only) and can sleep up to 7 guests in 3 air-conditioned, en-suite Twin or Kind bed rooms, and 1 en-suite single room/guide room. Zamanga provide an itinerary that usually consist of a game drive and a hide , this works out if your in an overnight hide 3pm till 9am you would do a morning game drive followed by afternoon game drive the next day . or possible scavenger hide dawn till around 9am them game drive .
if you contact them they with give you a better idea of options . its well thought out.
Burkhard S
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa45 contributions
The hides used for bird watching and photography does one have to photograph through glass or are there windows that can open to get better images? Regards Willy.
Robert F
Oxfordshire, UK66 contributions
all my hide pictures were taken through the glass that I'm tole is specially made for that purpose . apart for some minor reflections that was easily controlled with dark clothing . the glass wasn't an issue .
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