Singita Ebony Lodge is a high-end 5 star luxury lodge in the central/western area of Sabi Sands Game Reserve, with access to a huge 45,000 acres of prime traversing. It’s part of the larger Singita brand, which has 5 lodges in the Greater Kruger area of South Africa (and even two within Kruger National Park itself). This is the most fancy and luxurious lodge we have stayed in yet, and we will go into detail below about what you get for the extra $$! Singita Ebony Lodge accepts children of all ages, though you have to hire a private vehicle if you want to take your small child out on drive. We had Isla with us, who had just turned one, but opted not to take her on drive (even though we were lucky enough to have a private vehicle so they did offer us the choice). Incidentally this was our second trip with Isla – check out why we recommended going on safari with a baby from our trip when she was just 5 months!
Singita Ebony Lodge is a luxury 5 star lodge, but definitely in a different league to most other 5 star places around! However this next level of luxury and flexibility is definitely reflected in the price. They can accommodate 24 people when full across 12 suites and two of their suites can even be used as a private villa with private entrance so the rich and famous (or anyone who wants ultimate privacy) can stay without being seen by other guests. The lodge is very popular and as a result has a very high occupancy rate, although we ended up staying during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant that it was just us and one other family (hence why we also managed to get a private vehicle).
The cost is not cheap, starting at 29,370 rand per person per night (approx AUD$2,550 or USD$1,660) however we do get access to some great specials!
Singita Ebony Lodge’s Accommodation, Food & Service
The rooms
As you can imagine when you are paying a few thousand dollars per person per night, the rooms at Singita Ebony Lodge leave you wanting for nothing. They are large, open plan suites with their own private plunge pools and huge glass walls providing a stunning view over the Sand River. The suites are decorated in a classic ‘out of Africa’ style safari theme, which really adds to your authentic safari experience. Infants can be accommodated in a cot that they provide free of charge.
The suite includes a king-size bed, a study area, fireplace, air conditioning, mini bar and tea/coffee station, large dressing room, bathroom and separate toilet along with a sizeable outdoor deck and plunge pool. There are two suites next to each other that make a perfect family area as well as the exclusive-use villa (two family suites) already mentioned that can provide complete privacy. There are some really nice added touches in the room that we haven’t seen elsewhere like watercolour paints and paper, safari hats and fashionable ponchos and even a lovely safari bag (all to borrow, not to take).
The lodge
The lodge has a great layout, with rooms spaced enough apart to enjoy privacy (excepting the two next to each other to accommodate families), and the main area in between. The main area is stunning in its own right and includes various places to eat that are outside, inside and semi-indoor – all with great views over the riverbed. The lodge also has an ‘open’ kitchen where you can walk in and watch the food being prepared (or even in some cases assist with the cooking) – this is obviously a hit with kids and foodies alike. On top of this there is also a large swimming pool, a spa and a gym with workout machines and weights.
The Service
As you would expect at such a high-end place, the service at Singita Ebony Lodge was absolute top notch. Not only is someone always around to help with whatever you need, there is a clear openness here for total flexibility and customisation to the experience you want to have. This means there are opportunities to tailor safari activities along with your food and drink preferences. You can take your dinner in your room or at the lodge and choose what time you would like to have it. These are the little bits and pieces that set Singita apart from other five star places that are not quite as pricey.
The Food
We had high expectations about the food at Singita and we were not left disappointed! Meals are ala carte and you choose from a number of options in each daily menu, though you can always request something different and they will do their very best to accommodate your craving. Each Singita lodge has a theme to their food and Singita Ebony lodge food is inspired by Northern Africa, so there are a lot of spices involved – much to the excitement of Van!
Here you enjoy a good selection of small breakfast options before going out on drive and a larger cooked breakfast when you return. They also serve a cooked three course lunch (chosen from a menu), then some tasty treats before afternoon game drive and of course a three course meal for dinner. You definitely don’t go hungry while staying at Singita, but what I actually appreciated was smaller portion sizes at each meal (in line with your usual fancy restaurant experience). This meant that you were less likely to really over-eat or waste lots of food which can be a problem staying at game lodges (and of course you can ask for more food at any time if you do happen to get hungry or want more)!
On top of the delicious food, Singita prides itself on their wine selection. They have a sizeable wine cellar and a dedicated sommelier who pairs the perfect wine with each meal based on a short interview on your particular tastes. Fancy! Virtually all drinks are included in your rate (there may be a couple of fancy champagnes that are not).
Breakfast is served. 
Pancakes… yum. 
So many wines! 
Delicious lunch 
Some tasty treats before game drive
Game viewing at Singita Ebony Lodge
The wildlife sightings
Being located in Sabi Sands Game Reserve is already a guarantee that you will have excellent game viewing at Ebony Lodge, however what really sets this lodge apart is the size of its traversing area. Having 45,000 acres is a significant area to drive, and with much of it being exclusive it means that you tend to have a higher quality of sightings. This is because you don’t see many other vehicles while out (in fact you could potentially see none) and when you do see something you don’t have to leave in a rush after 10 minutes so the next car can come in. This is particuarly beneficial for people who are looking for quality over quantity and/or are avid photographers!
While staying here over the course of our 4 drives we managed to find the whole Big 5 without engaging in any ferrari safari antics. This was also during perhaps one of the quietest times in years as there were only a couple of cars in the area due to many guests delaying their travel due to COVID-19. It also meant we were able to enjoy a private vehicle, which made the experience even more special. Most of our sightings were enjoyed alone (with no other cars) except on our final drive where we joined up with another vehicle to track down a leopard, who we eventually found in a tree with what we think was another leopard’s kill!
The Experience
Another positive aspect of the game viewing at Singita is the fact they limit the number people to a vehicle to a maximum of 6, and they are one of the few lodges who will also send a car out to where you are to either drop off or pick up guests (if they arrive late, need to leave early or simply want to go back to the lodge etc). While this seems like a small thing, a couple of drives at other places have been really negatively impacted due to many lodges not being staffed adequately to facilitate this service!
It is also one of the most diverse and prettiest areas of Sabi Sands, with a much, much lesser density of man-made structures that you find in the north east. We loved our drives while staying here because of the stunning beauty and the real ‘wilderness’ feeling while being out – surprisingly this can be difficult to get these days as game reserves become busier and more lodges pop up around the place.
Going on safari with your baby or children at Ebony Lodge
Singita Ebony Lodge is definitely a great choice to visit with children of all ages. As mentioned, you can take an infant under 2 years for free, and children aged 10-16 years are charged 50% of the adult rate. What makes it a great lodge to take kids to are things like tailored food options (they ask you what you want for your small children), the heated plunge pool and large rooms – which make it a lot more comfortable to spend your days either in your room or in the main areas of the lodge, and the great service they provide. We took advantage of babysitting services and one of the housekeepers looked after Isla for our four drives. She definitely lived up to her name and Isla was always happy when we came back.
Here’s a short(ish) video we put together of some of our sightings (and a walkthrough of our room) while at Singita Ebony Lodge. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YT channel as well!
What we love about Singita Ebony Lodge
- Virtually everything is included in your price – even most of their fancy wines from a very extensive wine cellar
- They offer more of a nature experience rather than traditional ‘game drive’, where you feel much more like you are in the wilderness rather than racing between sightings like many other lodges
- The game viewing is excellent as they have a great (and very large) traversing area
- The concession they drive on is also spectacularly beautiful with great diversity of areas, from some lovely open areas to beautiful river beds and lots of gorgeous bush
- Very low density of vehicles – you can go a full drive without seeing another vehicle and you are able to spend quality time at sightings rather than getting 5-10 minutes before having to leave to let the next vehicle in
- Flexibility and total tailoring of your end-to-end experience – this is what really sets it apart from other 5* places
- The quality of guiding was very good
- The staff were very friendly and helpful – excellent level of service across the board
- Exceptionally luxurious rooms, large with various areas and an amazing view throughout the entire place.
- Some lovely extra touches in the rooms to make things even more convenient – things like watercolour paints and paper, game drive hats, warm ponchos and even a game drive bag.
- Every room has its own plunge pool that is even HEATED so usable at any time of the year, plus there is a shared pool too
- The lodge and rooms overlook a lovely riverbed, where you can often see animals
- It’s a great place to go with babies or young children (or older kids as well)
- Much less density of other vehicles on their traversing area. We had almost all of our sightings to ourselves at least for part of the time and barely saw other cars while out driving
- The food is very tasty, is all ala carte (choice from a menu) and you are able to request different food or meals outside standard meal times (though you are very well fed so unlikely you would need it)
- They have an open kitchen, so you are able to watch the chefs in action (great for kids)
- The lodge is decorated in a contemporary African theme, giving an ‘Out of Africa’ feel
- There is more flexibility in terms of game drive times, particularly if you are in a private vehicle compared to many lodges that have more strict times
- Maximum of 6 to a vehicle and more comfortable game vehicles
- They offer some great pay/stay deals that make your stay better value
Considerations…
- With great luxury and the ability to tailor your safari also comes a hefty price tag
- We don’t recommend staying here if you are after the ‘ferrari safari’ style of experience, where you race from sighting to sighting focusing on quantity over quantity. Singita is a place to visit if you want high quality animal sightings (while still enjoying a fantastic amount of game viewing)
- Very minor but we found our toilet a bit finnicky – nothing that really bothered us but perhaps to people who are paying top dollar it may be a slight annoyance
So, should you stay at Singita Ebony Lodge?
This is a lodge you will struggle to find fault with, the only question is whether your budget extends far enough. If you are looking for somewhere truly special, or your once-in-a-lifetime authentic safari experience, or perhaps somewhere amazing for your honeymoon, this is definitely a fantastic option. Equally, if you’re someone who values fine food, exceptional service and the flexibility to tailor your safari experience, there will be few places more suited than Singita. Last but certainly not least, the huge traversing area in a prime productive Sabi Sands location means you will not only get fantastic wildlife sightings but avoid the traffic and hustle and bustle of other lodges in the reserve. Every aspect of Singita Ebony Lodge was amazing, the only thing that may disappoint is the price, however they do offer great specials (including free nights) – so make sure you get in touch if you’re interested in booking a once in a lifetime African safari!