Imbali Safari Lodge

Best game drives with wonderful sightings. Morning “bush coffee “ and sundowners in the afternoon are the perfect way to end off your game drive. Beautiful rooms and gourmet food awaits you at Imbali. Always a pleasure to book through Dolan @Safari. com

Imbali is one of three lodges and is sister to Hamilton’s Tented Camp and Hoyo Hoyo. All three of the lodges offer something special. Hamilton’s is very colonial. Hoyo Hoyo is African with its layout and Imbali has a more modern feel and set up. All reside on the same concession, so game viewing is good from any of the camps. Our stay at Imbali was a mid week break with really good weather, if not a tad chilly on the early morning game drives. The rooms are spacious enough and the beds are divine to sleep in being so comfy. The staff are very friendly and attentive and nothing is too big to do or a problem. Smiles all around. The food is plentiful and of a very high standard. You won’t go hungry or want for anything. Pile on those kilo’s and worry about the diet after your vacation. The game drives and the Rangers are fun, educational and worth every minute. The Rangers knowledge is so diverse and they answer all your questions without any hesitation. Note, the one game drive you don’t go on, is the one where you miss your favourite animal. Ursula is the GM and is always about should you need her. She is very approachable, friendly and loves to chat. She also runs a tight ship, which shows in the overall experience whichever of the lodges you stay in. We have been going to Hamilton’s and Co for over 10 years and have never been dissatisfied. Such a pleasure to go there.

Whilst the game drives and our guide were amazing, that's where the magic ended. The lodge itself is extremely overpriced for what it offers. The reception and restaurant staff are poorly trained, do not listen to any requests outside of their normal routine, the food is mediocre especially the breakfast. The drinks on offer were pathetic and there were only 3 different local beers to choose from, and no international brands at all. There was no option of a non-alcoholic beer even when we asked on arrival if it could possibly be arranged. This request was seemingly dismissed. The few wines on offer were on more than one occasion not even put in a fridge before lunch or dinner and an alternative wine would often need to be ordered so as to get a chilled wine. The staff would push you to put in your lunch or dinner order before you had even finished your starter of your current meal - only interested in completing their required tasks as fast as possible rather than concentrating on guest service, enjoyment experience. On arrival the staff were not expecting us, there was nobody to welcome us and the room was not ready for us and we had to wait for it to be prepared. After the game drives there were no staff to meet you on your return as in other lodges and the refresher clothes offered were simply left on the reception desk along with the tray of liqueurs which remained uncovered - seemingly hidden for the guests to find and serve themselves. This was not a single occasion but observed each and every time. On leaving there were no staff to see us off, help with bags or bid us farewell. We were constantly reminded of remembering to leave a tip by any staff we encountered on our last morning - seemingly that was all they cared about, and whilst we did leave a tip, we feel it was definitely undeserved. The lodge itself is in disrepair and seems tired and old. The decking and the pool need urgent maintenance with missing wood panels, exposed nails and screws, rotting and warped wood. The pool itself was a milky green and the bottom of it which could not be seen was littered with branches which was not pleasant to discover whilst attempting to take a swim. The lounge furniture was constantly dusty and all the lodge windows and glass were milky and had not been cleaned in weeks. The electricity was constantly going off with the back up generator not working as it should. Even when electricity was on the air conditioner did not cool the room and merely acted as a fan - definitely in need of a service. Even when electricity was on, the WiFi signal would fluctuate from nothing to a very slow and weak signal at best making any online activity almost impossible. The game walks advertised (and what we were most interested in) were only available on one of the days as the guide had to be brought in from another camp as their own bush walk guide was unavailable. The same applied to the massage treatments with the lady being there on the first day of our stay, b

Had a great holiday at Imbali Safari Lodge. The accommodation was lovely, rooms are a great size. Restaurant serves amazing food. Staff extremely friendly. Would definitely stay again.

My family and I traveled to the Kruger National Park game reserve in July and spent several nights at Imbali. I was born in South Africa and grew up going to Kruger, but I had never stayed at Imbali. Well, without question, I’ll be back! The lodge and accommodations were wonderful - you feel immersed in the park, but enjoy great luxury and comfort. What most stood out about our experience were the people. First, our guide, Charl, took us on multiple safari drives a day, and he was exceptional. His passion and enthusiasm for his work was infectious and the way he engaged with us throughout our time there made for a very special experience. But it was all the staff, including the chef, Matilda, who went above and beyond to always make us feel welcome and to accommodate any special dietary needs. I have always known there is something remarkably special about Kruger, and now, having stayed at Imbali, I can say, it is a perfect compliment to this experience.

Excellent!!! The runs to the Safari were amazing. We seen the top 5 animals up close and it was unreal! The accommodations are great. We had our own cabin which was comfortable. The staff are welcoming and very nice - especially Mary. She went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. I will go back for sure.