For our trip to Zimbabwe, our final destination was Singita Pamushana Lodge. Singita is known for offering some of Africa’s highest quality safari experiences. We took our first safari several years back, when we stayed at two of the brand’s South Africa properties — Singita Boulders Lodge Sabi Sands and Singita Lebombo Lodge Kruger Park.
Continue reading: Review: Singita Pamushana Lodge, Zimbabwe
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
“ In the interest of full disclosure, Ford received a travel advisor rate for the stay at this property. It was still far from free, but a discount over the published rate.”
I don’t think it counts as a full disclose without knowing your discount 😉
How many nights did you stay, and at what point would you say it starts to become repetitive? It's so far away, and while it would be an amazing experience, I would probably be bored on the third day, or the fourth. But of course one could combine this with an urban holiday in Pretoria.
Also, I suppose tipping is expected at the end of the stay. How many people do you need to tip, and how much do you need to give them?
“I think that’s largely because Zimbabwe just isn’t as mainstream of a safari destination as South Africa, Tanzania, Rwanda, etc.”
Huh. One wonders why that is.
Very happy to experience this vicariously through your pictures and words. While this type of trip is not for me, it is amazing to see real luxury surrounded by jaw dropping beauty. As an aside I am grateful that it was not a _hunting_ safari, which _really_ is not for me.
Depends on lodge. I would say 3 nights is a perfect amount of time. The only part I get bored of is the animals, it’s amazing in the beginning but over 6+ nights even at different camps it gets boring.
Very well done review. Having experienced a number of safari camps I feel you covered important aspects of the experience. And your review really makes me want to visit this camp.
Anyone wanting to experience a safari with hippos, rhinos etc without paying well over the country's annual per capita GDP for one night's accommodation should give Zimbabwe a miss and check out the national parks in nearby Eswarini. Unfortunately those safaris aren't an 'exercise in restraint' as they don't include food or alcoholic drinks.
fully agree. Whilst I find it great that Ford and by extension you Ben, can get access to these hotels, I find the amount of 1000+ USD stays reviews to be quite strongly correlated with Fords "discounts". I understand giving a precise figure may go against the hospitality guidelines of the offering party, but as my poster colleague said, 10% is not 90%. One is a gesture, the other basically a free stay which makes neutrality difficult.
"For one, Signita hires great, kind, outgoing people"
That should be "Singita"
I am also interested in the percentage off that Ford was able to get, and also how much you tipped.
Appreciate the details please.
Safari can actually be tiring believe it or not. Typically you leave the lodge by 6:00-6:30AM as most animals are active in early mornings and late afternoons. After a morning of chasing after big five, you come back to have a late breakfast or lunch depending when you come back. In the afternoon you lounge a bit uploading photos from your camera onto your computer or cellphone. Check few emails. When 4:00-4:30 rolls around, you are off to another game drive. You come back around 8pm to have dinner so by the time you finish, go back to your lodge, wash up for bed, it’s easily 10:30-11pm. Then you rinse and repeat. Because it’s unpredictable where/when you will see a cheetah or a lion, etc. so everyday is different. Most people stay at same lodge for two to three nights and they move onto a different lodge because next area may have more leopards or other animals that the previous lodge area lacks.
In terms of boredom, I think it really depends on the person. Personally I like to do three nights of same camp, then fly back to Joburg, stay couple nights at Saxon, then fly out again to another camp. I know people who fly from camp to camp to camp…
Everyone is different, but I did a four day safari (not here but somewhere similarly remote) and was not bored at all. Each game drive is different, and even after four days we didn’t see everything we wanted (the leopards eluded us!). I could have easily done 2 or more days and not been bored, but I’m also a fan of slower paced vacations every once in a while.
I'd probably rather combine this with a trip to Cape Town rather than Pretoria/Joburg.
I have to say not sure I could afford this nor is it the type of thing I would normally do, but it does look stunning and I love the idea of how private it is.
It is really important to spend any downtime on a safari uploading photos and checking emails. That is how one gets the most out of being in the African bush. It’s so tedious when some of these lodges don’t provide high-speed WiFi throughout the property.
Surprised to see a game tracker’s chair on the front of the game vehicle in several of the photos. These are notoriously dangerous and not allowed anymore in many private game reserves. Although these ones do seem to have seatbelts, which would make them safer, I wonder if the trackers ever wear them…
You mention that the rate doesn't include gratuities - did you tip the staff is so how much? And was it encouraged/prompted or did they borderline turn it down?
Personally (and I'm not form America so don't understand tipping culture) if I am paying over $5,000 USD a night for two people I would expect myself to just about be tipped.
We've been on a couple of wildlife focus vacations .....
Seeing the outdoor space, poolside, bushside, lakeside,
I'm missing the author's experience with an important detail:
- mosquitos during dusk till night till dawn
- insects/gnats of the stinging kind during daytime
@Ben: You mention that booking through a travel advisor „ they can add extra perks for your stay.“ We travel with Singita often (once every two years on average) but always book direct as I haven’t been seen a value add by booking through a travel agent. What perks could they add specifically?
Thanks for clarifying!
This is what I would like to know too. I am afraid the tipping system might be something like 100 USD per day per guy or something equally ridiculous. It would really be great to get some info about it.
Considering the salaries in Zimbabwe those guys working at the lodge make a fortune.
Pretoria would be close... And Jo'burg is probably mostly a no-go zone these days. But yeah, I would probably need to plan something more exciting.
It would be great if Ben read these comments and questions. Several readers have asked about tipping etc.
Thanks for the indepth review and so many pictures. I've been to a few other Singita resorts and look forward to visiting this one.
It's not outrageous and it's actually preferable to stay reasonable to avoid creating unwanted incentives.
I would generally tip in USD:
Guide: 10.- per guest per day
Tracker: 5.- to 10.- per guest per day
Banakili/Butler: 5.- to 10.- per guest per day
General lodge staff: 10.- per guest per day
So overall you look at an additional 30.- USD per person per day.