Singita Ebony Lodge

This Lodge is fantastic, we didn't want to leave! The staff were all wonderful and felt like family. The guides were all extremely knowledgeable and went out of their way to help us see all the wildlife possible during our stay. The villas are beautiful, well furnished and equipped and...

This Lodge is fantastic, we didn't want to leave! The staff were all wonderful and felt like family. The guides were all extremely knowledgeable and went out of their way to help us see all the wildlife possible during our stay. The villas are beautiful, well furnished and equipped and very private. We watched herds of elephant and cape buffalo from our deck. Food was great. This was our favorite safari lodge of our whole trip.

My partner and I had the best, most incredible experience at Singita Ebony Lodge in November 2023. I highly recommend this lodge and strongly believe it is worth every penny - and all the hype. Overview: We stayed for 3 nights/ 4 days, which included six (6) game drives, one...

My partner and I had the best, most incredible experience at Singita Ebony Lodge in November 2023. I highly recommend this lodge and strongly believe it is worth every penny - and all the hype. Overview: We stayed for 3 nights/ 4 days, which included six (6) game drives, one the afternoon we arrived, and 2 each on both full days, and then a final game drive on our departure morning. For those unsure of how long to stay- I would say that this is the very minimum number of nights/days you should book for. We both wished we had baked in another full day/night, but I felt like we got the perfect amount of safari adventure and still got adequate use of the amenities of the facility and plenty of relaxation time. FYI: we almost stayed at Boulders (Singita's property about .35 miles down the Sands river). We did a tour of that property one day, and it has a more modern, contemporary African vibe if that's your thing. I don't think you can go wrong with either place, though I did appreciate the charm of Ebony Lodge, the "original" Singita property. About us: We are working professionals who live in Washington DC and planned a special trip to celebrate an anniversary. We spent several days in Cape Town before flying to Singita for my first safari. My partner had been on 3 other safaris in Sabi Sands and surrounding game reserves and said that this was "by far" the best. Here's what I loved about our stay. Doing my best to keep it as pithy as possible: Accommodation: The property is stunning and retains a classic British-colonial safari aesthetic in a beautiful setting overlooking the Sands River. There are 12 lodges of varying sizes. Our suite was incredible. Very spacious with an unbelievable outdoor area with a plunge pool and sweeping views of animals drinking water daily. We loved doing yoga on our porch each morning before lunch. I did not see inside any of the other suites, but I would imagine they are all equally fabulous. They come fully stocked with everything you could possibly want: Binoculars, safari hats, sunscreen, art sets, games, candles, bath salts, yoga mats, BOSE blue tooth surround sound system, and a VERY impressive mini-fridge bar situation. All of the safari-oriented stuff is also available in their supped-up game vehicles, so there's no need to remember to bring anything with you when you're out of the room. F&B: The food is incredible and you will not be wanting for anything. The high-caliber wine and spirit options each night impressed my partner. We're talking super high end stuff here. Michelin restaurant quality everything without the pretense. You can eat wearing your safari or workout clothes or get dressed up, whatever, a more relaxed atmosphere than I expected. They did a special private dinner for us in doors one night but we mostly ate outside in gorgeous dining areas overlooking the Sands River. I also enjoyed all of their snack-type nibbles and craft Kombuchas that were available at all times. The menu changed daily with very few repeat items (unless you want something you had on a previous day and they'll still get it for you!). The staff: I have never experienced a more personalized/better customer service experience anywhere. I also learned so much from all of the staff at Ebony Lodge and appreciated our waitress/ everyone who assisted us (I feel badly I can't get all of their names down) but here goes: Vicky was phenomenal and so, so, so helpful. Her husband Mike works at Boulders and he was wonderful too. Vicky guided us around upon arrival and consistently spoke to us throughout our stay. So personable, fun, and she has an interesting background as a guide with significant knowledge of the property. The staff goes above and beyond for its guests. Here are some examples: one day I was lounging by the pool with some other guests I met at the airport and she let us know that a family of elephants was bathing in the river. We all ran to check out the sights and other Singita staff members stayed behind to guard the food we left by the pool from other animals. This example seems minor, but the staff thought ahead and goes above and beyond in every little way. They had a personalized menu for me who doesn't drink alcohol with a different assortment of mocktails and they stocked my fridge accordingly with zero proof spirits and other NA options. Our guides, Andreis, and tracker, Howard, were the ultimate duo. They drove us to and from the airport and led us out on all the game drives. I appreciated having the same guides each day and they could not have been more knowledgeable and creative in taking us out for walking safaris, showing incredible sightings each day, and answering my myriad questions. They got us up close and personal to the "big 5" daily and found some other rarities for us, cheetahs, among many, many other animals. Singita has access to such a beautiful situation in Sabi Sands and they frequently radio each other to get you to see all the right animals without any "crowding". The game drives: I kept a running list of animals but eventually could not keep up. You will not be disappointed in the animal viewing. I tried not to go in with high expectations less I be disappointed and each game drive was better than the last. Andreis and Howard ended each game drive by finding a gorgeous, shaded backdrop for coffee and nibbles in the AM or happy hour drinks in the PM. Other things I loved: beyond the staff, the people we met at the property were wonderful. We met another family from DC, a lovely couple from SA that rode with us that we became fast friends with on some of the game drives (we were solo for the last 2). The laundry service was awesome. The complimentary laundry-service was fantastic and I also appreciated their cleaning the room 3 x per day. Suggestions for improvement: Sometimes I skim all these reviews to find out the negative, and I really can't think of one thing here. Definitely worth the price.

We just returned from 4 days at Singita Ebony Lodge and were blown away. Singita was just over the top with luxury, service and had everting you could ask for or imagine. Our guide, George, and tracker, Israel, were great. Pat also make sure we had everyone we needed or...

We just returned from 4 days at Singita Ebony Lodge and were blown away. Singita was just over the top with luxury, service and had everting you could ask for or imagine. Our guide, George, and tracker, Israel, were great. Pat also make sure we had everyone we needed or could possibly want. The entire staff was amazing. The room was simply fabulous, from the comfortable sitting areas, the great outdoor space and plunge pool and the lovely fireplace that we certainly took advantage of. The food was amazing and if you didn’t see something you liked in the menu all you had to do was ask and they brought us anything we wanted. This trip (coupled with a 4 day stay in Botswana before arriving at Singita) was our first safari and we are so happy we were able to spend part of it at Singita. We felt so spoiled and it was hard to leave. Thank you to the entire staff at Singita!!

We stayed for 5 nights. A short summary ... 7* Gareth (ranger) and Martin (tracker) as well as all the staff. Any request was immediately met. Appreciate putting us close to the main area. You were all amazing! 7* Sightings and more 5* Wines and drinks 5* SPA treatments! 3*...

We stayed for 5 nights. A short summary ... 7* Gareth (ranger) and Martin (tracker) as well as all the staff. Any request was immediately met. Appreciate putting us close to the main area. You were all amazing! 7* Sightings and more 5* Wines and drinks 5* SPA treatments! 3* for the Food. Felt it was too fancy for the bush. Would have appreciated more South African food? 2* for the Main pool area - loungers and pool dirty 5* for the bush dinner effort, 3* for food and 0* bushtoilet - broken, dirty and poor condition. 3* Waterpressure in room was poor to zero. BUT, the few "less than 5* issues" were overshadowed by the wonderful staff, amazing wildlife and bush. Can't wait to bring our family!!

From the moment we walked onto the property we were cherished. The room, the bed, the deck, the plunge pool...just wow! The food and service were impeccable and never pretentious. Our guide Coleman and tracker Tembo were fun and learned “camp counselors”. They greeted us every morning and evening and...

From the moment we walked onto the property we were cherished. The room, the bed, the deck, the plunge pool...just wow! The food and service were impeccable and never pretentious. Our guide Coleman and tracker Tembo were fun and learned “camp counselors”. They greeted us every morning and evening and came to the airstrip to send us off. We felt the love for what they do. We were the beneficiaries of that love. We will always be grateful for the memory and experience of a lifetime.