12 Suites – 24 Guests
Imbali Safari Lodge (Mluwati KNP) is nestled discreetly amidst a canopy of impressive Jackalberry and Tamboti trees in the iconic Kruger National Park. The lodge is within a 10 000 hectare Mluwati private concession.
Guest do not need to leave the comfort of Imbali Safari Lodge’s deck to see Kruger National Park’s creatures as the camp is within known animal movement paths.
As such the lodge has the pleasure of a constant parade of elephant, buffalo, antelope, lion, leopard and wild dogs walking past the lodge.
Sheltered in a riverine forest overlooking the seasonal Nwaswitsontso river, Imbali Safari Lodge is on the site of a 400-year-old African settlement that has yielded such evidence of an ancient culture as clay pots, bone tools, and grinding stones.
Activities
Imbali Safari Lodge is within a private concession within the Kruger National Park comprising three lodges: Imbali Safari Lodge, Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge, and Hamilton’s Tented Camp. Mluwati Concession was born out of a spirit of ensuring the future sustainability of the national park.
Two daily safaris are included in all rates at Imbali Safari Lodge optional bush walks can be arranged in advance, at an additional charge.
Game Drives
Guest will enjoy open Land Cruisers for all game drives. All guided safaris are led by qualified field guides to help you understand the smaller intricacies of the bush. Game viewing at Imbali Safari Lodge is an opportunity to experience all a safari adventure can offer.
Experience a morning and evening safari during your stay at Imbali Safari Lodge. Witness the excitement of the first rains, the terrapins playing in river pools, the call of the Pied Kingfisher, and the steady chirping of sociable tree frogs.
As one of the first private concessions in the Kruger National Park, Mluwati works to maintain the sustainability of this pristine wilderness. This concession is home to 114 reptiles, 34 amphibians, and 147 mammal species, including Africa’s Big Five.
Game drives accommodate a maximum of six guests and include refreshment stops along the way to allow guests to stretch their legs.
Keen birders will delight in the over 500 bird species that call Kruger National Park home. Most within the Mluwati Concession.
Morning Game Drives: The morning game drive leaves between 5:30 am and 6 am. Your guide will select a place to enjoy the bush while enjoying a morning refreshment.
Afternoon Game Drives: The afternoon game drive leaves between 4 and 5 pm. After sundowners and snacks, your guide will use a spotlight to find nocturnal animals before returning to the lodge for dinner.
Guided Bush Walks (additional charge)
Skip the game vehicle and opt for a one-and-a-half-hour walk in the Private Concession. In these situations, guests can smell, touch and feel the natural surroundings. Get to know the smaller intricacies of nature.
Your guide will spend time teaching you more about the tracks and signs of the bush and the smaller animals, often overlooked in pursuit of the Big Five.
Reasons we love Imbali Safari Lodge:
- Kiddies Safari
Children from the age of 8 years are welcome and will enjoy a unique kiddies safari. - Suites
Luxurious suites with a private plunge pool - Waterhole
A well-situated waterhole attracts a great variety of animals
Accommodation
The lodge consists of twelve spacious suites. Each is decorated in neutral colors with elements of African tradition, including ornate wall lamps and comfortable textured pillows.
Large French doors run the length of each suite to allow the open, clean bushveld air to enter. In addition, each suite boasts an expansive deck overlooking the N’waswitsontso River or savannah grasslands, and an outdoor pool completes your luxury bush experience.
Relax on the sunbed with a book or let those bubbles soothe your weary muscles; the chattering of weavers, thrushes and kingfishers provide a magical bush playlist for your relaxation.
The bathrooms are spacious and feature a Victorian-style bathtub and walk-in shower. All the signature bath amenities & bathrobes are included.
The king-size bed is ideal for an afternoon siesta or a night’s rest after your safari. A mosquito net envelops the entire bed in the evening, ensuring you are surrounded in comfort. Expect a bedtime story on your pillow or a sweet treat to enjoy before retiring for the night.
Dining
Breakfast is served in a magnificent dining room, complete with a 100-year-old Jackalberry tree through the wooden deck or, weather permitting, outside in the shade of bushveld trees. Guests can choose between an extensive buffet breakfast or a hot plated breakfast, A perfect indulgence following the morning safari.
Lunch is a light and informal affair served in open-air bush surrounds. Following lunch, guests cannot afford to miss out on High Tea with a delicious selection of cakes and pastries freshly baked at the lodge before embarking on the afternoon safari.
Evening mealtimes are spectacular at Imbali Safari Lodge. Share a three-course menu under the stars with sounds of the surrounding bush supporting conversations. The outdoor boma is used on Tuesday and Friday evenings and is hosted by the Safari Guides.
*Although both lunch and dinner are served at the main lodge, guests can arrange for a private meal on their deck or in-suite on request
Getting to Imbali Safari Lodge
Reaching Imbali Safari Lodge by road is a comfortable drive and will be accomplished in any regular sedan vehicle.
- 558 km from Johannesburg
- 160 km from Nelspruit (Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport)
- 114 km from Hoedspruit
- 63 km from Skukuza Airport
- 46 km from the Orpen Gate and 78 km from the Paul Kruger Gate
BY AIR:
Daily scheduled flights into Skukuza Airport and HoedspruitAirport. Federal flights to the Manyeleti airstrip.
Gate entry fees of R110 per person per stay. This fee is paid at the gate entry to Kruger National Park.
Kruger Gate Times:
- 05h30–18h30–January, February, November & December
- 05h30–18h00–March & October
- 06h00–18h00–April, August & September
- 06h00–17h30–May, June & July
Itinerary
A typical summer day at Imbali Safari Lodge:
(Kindly note, times may vary slightly, and winter timings are different)
| 05h00 | Wake-up time and morning tea |
| 05h30 | Morning safari departs |
| 08h30 | Return for breakfast |
| 13h30 | Lunch |
| 16h00 | High Tea |
| 16h30 | Afternoon safari departs |
| 19h30 | Return from safari & dinner is served |
Image Gallery
Rates at Imbali Safari Lodge
Luxury Suite
R8707.00 PPS
Fully inclusive of:
- Accommodation
- Three meals daily
- Selected soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, and refreshments on game drives
- Safari activities
- One-hour nature walks accompanied by experienced armed trackers (subject to availability)
- VAT
Rates exclude:
- Administration fee
- Telephone calls
- Safari shop purchases
- Gratuities
- All items of a personal nature
- Champagne, cognacs, fine wines, premium brand spirits, and cigars
- Government bed levy
- Conservancy or park fees
- Transfers
- Landing fees
Extra Info
Child Policy:
- Children from the age of 8 years are welcome at the lodge. However, at management discretion, 8 – 12 years are only permitted on safari. We recommend that families book a private vehicle, subject to availability at an additional charge of R 6 600.00 per day. The lodge can accommodate three children at any time.
- 8 – 11 years of age
Pay published child rate when sharing with two full-paying adults. Full adult rate is applicable if they occupy their own room or share with one full paying adult. A maximum of two children under 12 years can share with parents. - 12 years and older
They are considered as adults and accommodated in their rooms. Pay full adult rates.
- 8 – 11 years of age
The camp is not fenced off, and we request that guests be highly vigilant. Security guards accompany guests at all times while walking around the camp at night.
Passports:
Everyone traveling to South Africa must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of travel.
No inoculations are required for entry. However, you may want to check with your local immunization and inoculation clinic for their recommendations on health precautions for travel to South Africa.
Imbali Safari Lodge is in a malaria area, and necessary precautions should be taken.
