Shimungwe Lodge
If you’re like us and you prioritise authenticity, comfort, and most importantly wildlife when choosing a safari lodge, then Shimungwe Lodge must be a consideration for your next safari. With little to no bells or whistles, Shimungwe has created an exceedingly serene and relaxing environment where one can focus on what really matters, the wildlife and natural environment you’re here to visit and enjoy. It’s little wonder that the lodge was previously a family holiday home as the homely, warm and welcoming atmosphere has continued as the lodge was commercialised and opened to host avid safari goers from around the world.
So, what makes this lodge so special?
We’ve put together 5 aspects to give you an understanding of why we felt immediately at home at Shimungwe and never wanted to leave!
We had the pleasure of visiting Shimungwe with our colleague and good friend Bea who has also written a wonderfully informative blog about Shimungwe Lodge if you’d like to read that too - https://bea-adventurous.com/shimungwe-lodge/
1. The location
Firstly, Shimungwe Lodge is located a very convenient 45min drive from Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport in the Thornybush Private Game Reserve. This has to be one of the easiest lodges to access in the area and cutting down on road transfer times and costs is always a win! And that doesn’t mean that the location of the lodge itself isn’t in a wild area, away from civilization, and surrounded by nothing but wide open, natural spaces. It is!
Thornybush Game Reserve is 14 000 hectares of some of the best wildlife viewing available in South Africa. It is unfenced towards the Timbavati Game Reserve (it’s neighbour to the East) and therefore The Kruger National Park itself as well. This means that animals can move freely throughout this over 20 000 square kilometre absolute mammoth (or perhaps elephant?) of a reserve – The Greater Kruger. This is undoubtedly the premier safari destination in South Africa.
Shimungwe’s immediate environment is too stunning. Light filters through the trees that blanket the main area and viewing deck, with spectacular views of the wide riverbed below. One can simply curl up in one of the swing chairs with a book and binoculars and wait to see what wildlife ambles on by right in front of camp. Spoiler – it’s usually elephants and the ever-present nyalas, but a whole host of other animals visit from time to time too, and you never know what you may see.
This beautiful location creates a very tranquil environment to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect with yourself and loved ones in.
2. The wildlife
We’ve been on hundreds of game drives all over South Africa and yet our drives at Shimungwe stood out as a favorite that we’d never forget! And it wasn’t that we saw the best wildlife ever (this area is renowned for outstanding wildlife however). So, what made the drives so special? In short it was our guide and tracker, Lucan & Daniel. In a pretty beaten-up game viewer and with over 25 years of experience in the area, their authentic and raw guiding style was incredibly impressive. There was less style, pleasantries and stringent social etiquette that you often find with luxury lodges, and more relaxed, down to earth, genuine warmth and expertise. We found that this actually wrang true with the lodge and the entire experience at Shimungwe too. There was no ice that needed breaking as we felt immediately at home and welcome.
Watching these legends of the Thornybush in action was fascinating and enlightening! A guide can take your game drives to another level. On our morning drive we tracked lions for hours, watching these masters at work, before finally finding the huge buffalo herd that the pride of lions was tailing, waiting for a chance to attack. We found this style of drive extremely immersive and entertaining.
We did also have fantastic sightings of 3 of the Black Dam male lions right next to the vehicle, wild dogs, rhinos at sunset, lots of elephant, spotted hyena, giraffe, zebra, and many antelope species as well. We only just missed a leopard that we were tracking but decided to leave it to have a sundowners break which is always such a treat.
This area is phenomenal for big cat sightings especially and at the time of writing there are a few exciting changes happening with the lion dynamics in the area. This is why we love the Greater Kruger so much. It is as wild as it gets and you never know when an unknown lion coalition could move into the area and disrupt everything! Every single drive out is different and the variety of this vast wilderness is sensational!
3. The hospitality
Arriving at Shimungwe the welcome from the friendly staff and a refreshing welcome drink makes you feel immediately at home which is in keeping with the homely mood of the lodge. It’s time to put your feet up and relax as the amazing staff take care of everything you need. It’s attentive service that is always there when you need it, but not in your face all the time. A balance which we really love. The other aspect we love is the beautiful, open kitchen which is quite central in the main area and again creates such a homely atmosphere as the staff prepare all of your scrumptious meals.
The meals themselves are quite varied and very hearty. If you’re worried about your own specific dietary requirements then you can be rest assured, they’ll be taken care of at Shimungwe. We had both carnivores and vegans in camp and everyone was very well fed and grinning in satisfaction after every meal.
You’ll leave feeling like you’ve made lifelong friends with some of the staff members, including your guide who will share some fascinating stories with you around the campfire at night.
We have personally stayed in touch with our guide and other staff members at Shimungwe which is really a testament to the friendly and down to earth nature of the hospitality there.
4. The atmosphere
Only having 4 suites makes Shimungwe a very small and intimate camp. We love how quiet and tranquil the camp is as it makes it such a relaxing experience. Even the colours of the lodge building itself, a warm mustard colour, exudes serenity as guests rock back and forth in the swing chairs overlooking the stunning riverbed.
There are no bells & whistles at Shimungwe, nothing fancy, just good old down to earth beauty, comfort and relaxation. And when you take away all the sometimes unnecessary frills you are left with a very authentic safari experience. Without the distraction of fancy facilities, you also have no choice but to completely unwind and focus on the staggering beauty and wildlife around you.
The setting is incredibly pretty, and the real African ambiance kicks in at dinner time where guests and their guide are seated around a crackling fire in the boma, chit chatting about the sightings of the day and past, and every other subject under the sun (or moon in this instance). It’s absolutely magical!
5. Camp life
As mentioned before, there aren’t many facilities at Shimungwe, and this could be a deal breaker for some or a benefit for others who enjoy a quieter camp life. We are not the pampering type and so for us a communal swimming pool is more than enough to keep us entertained between game drives as most of our time will be spent keeping a watchful eye on the riverbed below or reading a book. A nap is also quite a popular choice of activity for guests after all the excitement on drive and all the fresh air.
Your day does start quite early on safari, around 5am in Summer and 5:30am in Winter, with a wake-up call before having a quick tea or coffee and heading out on your morning game drive (around 3 hours long including a coffee break). On returning to the lodge breakfast is served on the deck (continental and cooked-to-order) and then the day is yours to fill up as you please. Lunch consists of light bites and treats and at about 3pm guests and guide start congregating to once again venture out on a much-anticipated afternoon and into the evening game drive. Your boma dinner awaits as you return and is a 3-course menu delight in an atmospheric setting. Your specific dietary requirements are sent to the lodge before your arrival to ensure they can cater to your needs.
One last thing to mention is that although the suites at Shimungwe are probably on the lower end of the 4-star rating they hold (in keeping with their no fancy frills ethos), they are very comfortable and private and have everything you need from an indoor/outdoor shower and bathtub, to a viewing deck overlooking the riverbed and air conditioners to keep you cool. Needless to say, we slept very well at Shimungwe despite being woken up rudely one night by an elephant picking apart a bush right outside our room. Not the worst type of intruder admittedly!
Priced at R10 500 per person per night for 2025, we feel Shimungwe Lodge is good value for money especially for its location in Thornybush Private Game Reserve.
It would suit families, friends, or even couples whose priorities lie more in wildlife viewing, rest and relaxation, and friendly hospitality, rather than a lux lodge with all the facilities and frills that ultimately bump the price up.
If you’d like some more information about Shimungwe Lodge or a safari in South Africa, please don’t hesitate to email us on info@nalaafrica.com.
And if you’d like a few more lodge options in the Greater Kruger then check out our blog post on our 12 favorite Timbavati Safari Lodges - https://www.nalaafrica.com/blog-1/12besttimbavatilodges
Please also check out our YouTube video on Shimungwe Lodge and let us know what you think:
Until next time…
