Highlights

• Private two-suite villa taken on exclusive use for up to four guests
• Custom waterfall pool overlooking an active waterhole
• Dedicated private safari vehicle for twice-daily game drives
• Big Five traversing in the Timbavati, with strong leopard and wild dog sightings
• In-room spa treatments and boma dinners under the stars

You Should Know

• Sold on an exclusive-use basis only, for up to four guests
• Guests meet at Simbavati Hilltop Lodge and transfer to the villa by open safari vehicle
• Hilltop is roughly 90 minutes from Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport via gravel roads
• Timbavati conservation fees are payable at the Enkhulu Control Gate

The Details

River Sands Villa sits alongside the Sohebele River in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger ecosystem. The villa is positioned so that a waterhole anchors the view from the deck and pool, drawing wildlife throughout the day.

The Timbavati shares unfenced boundaries with the Kruger National Park, so the full cast of southern African game moves through the reserve. The area has built a reputation for big-cat sightings, with leopard particularly well represented, alongside regular wild dog encounters.

Accommodation

The villa has two spacious en-suite bedrooms connected by the main lodge area. Both have king-sized beds, with one convertible to twin. One suite opens onto a private deck, the other onto an outdoor seating area.

Rooms are fitted with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, double vanity bathrooms with bath and shower, coffee and tea facilities, hair-dryer, mini-safe, electric blankets for winter and an electronic eco-friendly insect deterrent. The main lodge area runs to a fully equipped kitchen, a bar, a large fireplace, a spacious patio and the custom waterfall pool overlooking the waterhole. Wi-Fi is complimentary throughout.

Game Drives

Game drives run twice daily, in the early morning and late afternoon, on the villa's own private safari vehicle. The exclusive vehicle means the pace and route are dictated by guests rather than shared with other parties, with time to linger on sightings of both larger predators and smaller bush detail.

Spa

Spa treatments are offered in the privacy of the suite during the quieter hours between morning and afternoon drives, subject to availability.

Dining

All meals are included. Several evenings a week, dinner is served boma-style around the fire under the stars, in keeping with traditional safari camp dining. Other meals move between the main lodge area, the patio and the deck.

Price Includes

• Exclusive use of the two-bedroom villa for up to four guests
• All meals
• Two safari activities per day on a private vehicle
• Beverages, excluding premium brands and cellar wines
• Return road transfers from Simbavati Hilltop Lodge