Nambiti Hills | Visitors to Africa

For a group travelling together, Nambiti Hills gives you the Big Five by day and a fire under the stars by night, with room for everyone.

The suites hang off the hillside above the valley, the main lodge looks out over the reserve through walls of glass, and evenings end around the fire pit on the deck. It is five-star in every way that matters, and it never feels formal.

John Sparks

The place

A lodge in the hills

Nambiti Hills sits on a prime stretch of the Nambiti Private Game Reserve, a malaria-free Big Five reserve near Ladysmith. The main lodge is a long thatched house, glass-fronted, so the lounge, the bar and the dining room all look out over the rolling hills and bushveld.

Outside there is a wide deck for the stars, a heated pool, and a bar of its own beside the water.

The thatched main lodge from the air, with the reserve stretching away behind — The main lodge, and the reserve beyond.

The lounge under the thatch, with the fireplace and the bar — The lounge, the fireplace and the bar.

The dining room at night, candlelit, with a fire in the hearth — The dining room, by firelight.

The table

Brunch, high tea, and dinner by the fire

Every day brings brunch, afternoon tea and dinner, all included. Game meats are on the dinner menu, with plenty for anyone less adventurous, and there is an à la carte menu at lunchtime.

Welcome drinks, teas and coffees, and the drinks and snacks out on the game drives are all part of the stay.

Breakfast of fruit, a croissant and a muffin — From the Nambiti Hills kitchen. Menus change, so these are a taste rather than a promise.

Afternoon tea of savoury tartlets, cheeses and filled rolls — From the Nambiti Hills kitchen. Menus change, so these are a taste rather than a promise.

Where you'll sleep

Suites suspended from the hillside

Each suite stands on its own above the valley, with a private deck, and an interior that mixes contemporary design with African craft.

Luxury suites

A king or twin bed under a canopy, a fireplace, and a large stone bath looking out into the bushveld.

The honeymoon suite

Completely private, with its own lounge, indoor and outdoor showers, a freestanding bath and a veranda over the hills.

Every comfort

Air-conditioning and heating, a minibar and a coffee station, and a deck for watching the bush.

A suite with a netted canopy bed, a freestanding bath and doors open to the deck — A suite, open to the bush.

A canopy bed in a suite, with the fireplace beside it — The bed, the fire, the light.

The sitting room of a suite, with a fireplace and views to the hills — Your own sitting room and fireplace.

A private suite deck looking over the valley at sunset — Your own deck over the valley.

The honeymoon suite outdoor shower among the trees — The honeymoon suite's outdoor shower.

A thatched suite standing on stilts above the valley — The suites stand out over the valley.

Your days here

The Big Five, and the rest of the story

Two game drives a day, at sunrise and sunset, go out with an expert guide in search of lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. The animals keep their own diary, but Nambiti is a reserve where the odds are good.