Simbavati Cederberg Ridge Wilderness Lodge — Hotel in Cederberg Local Municipality

We are at the lodge now for a three night stay. I had high hopes but unfortunately, it does not live up to expectations of a luxury resort in terms of the activities and a few other points.T. There are a good number of pluses so I gave it a 4, particularly Bc the lead staff and David the guide are so friendly and knowledgeable and they have great small touches like water bottles and cookies every couple of days along with beautiful decor and for those who like cocktails in the room - great mini bar complete with a french press for coffee, lemons, local guns and tonics. I also really appreciate most of the conservation measures and the use of locally made products from table mats to bath products. I’d give it 3.5 truthfully for the activities and a 4 for the rest but that isn’t an option. There are two rate plans: partial board and full board. Full board includes (or so they advertise) a large range of activities. This is my real issue as we expected top class excursions that compare with similarly rated and priced lodges we have been at. Two of the four activities we participated in were abbreviated or fell short. A fifth was also abbreviated but that could have been because some of the guests were doing early and late activities before and after the lunch at the beach. For example, having stopped in clan William before arriving at the resort I was quite familiar with the rooibos tour options and times (we missed them ourselves arriving after 1pm on Saturday and checking the hours posted for other days on our stay at one place and with the checkout girl in another location). So today’s afternoon tour was a jail, a rooibos tasting and a shoe factory. Two of three places were closed. I mentioned the rooibos hours issue to the front office staff when they told us the tour departed at 3. It is not difficult to call ahead and check times. Super annoying as was the response from staff when we returned: oh! We assumed it would be open. Call and check. You are billing these tours as part of your services. Update: they did refund us for this tour which was a nice gesture and offered wine with dinner which we didn’t take them up on but appreciated the offer. Another point: Some tours had drinks (water at least(‘g, some didn’t. It is 40 plus degrees outside). Every tour should have drinks even if just water. Especially the walks/ hikes and especially if you bill yourself as a luxury resort. We did two walks/ hikes and one was almost 8km. We had to bring our own water for that one. The second had water after we returned which we didn’t expect since the first didn’t offer any during or after. thank god we brought our own Bc it was blazing hot. They did have fruit for both hikes which was great. The boat tour: it’s a small motorboat and on our day the sun canopy was broken. Again, blazing hot and two of the tourists turned around and left after seeing the boat size and no canopy. Probably a good thing as there were 8 of us and a driver and that is a lot for the boat even if theoretically they can all fit. The beach lunch description includes a stop at a bird island and/ or wine tours. We did our tour on a Sunday so wine tour was not an option but we also didn’t see the bird island. The lunch was a fun experience but Note on the lunch: they don’t tell you that the lunch place doesn’t provide tableware:) if you don’t like to eat with oyster shells as your tool for bringing food to mouth, consider bringing your own utensils. They also don’t provide drinks as part of the experience but there is a cash bar/ soda stand. Other Good parts: stunning views and an amazing decorator. Outdoor showers and lovely patios for every room. very friendly staff and David the tour guide for the San Art hike is fantastic: he was trained by professors and knows so much about the local tea, flora and fauna. The salt water pool is lovely. But expect your meals to take 2-3 hours for three courses. But it is service...

We stayed two nights for our honeymoon. The second evening and the morning of our departure we did not have hot water, so we could not bathe or shower. We were not upset with the situation, but the response we had from the manager was shocking and left a bitter taste.

On the second evening, the bath was filled (by a staff member) just before our return from the restaurant, a very sweet gesture. Unfortunately, the water in the bath was already ice cold. When we opened the hot water tap, the water was luke warm, so we assumed all the hot water was already used (due to the bath being filled earlier by a staff member). At this point we did not suspect that the geyser was faulty, and we also did not want to mention anything to the staff as we did not want to cause any disappointment (since it was a really nice gesture to prefill the bath for us).

The next morning (our departure) we left quite early as we had a busy schedule in our itenary (for this reason we did not even stay for the breakfast). The hot water was still not working, and we could not shower or bath.

At the reception we saw the manager by coincidence. We informed her of the situation in a friendly manner - our intention was not to complain, but merely to inform her of the problem. Her response was dismissive and she insinuated that our assertion about the cold water was incorrect. She said that our suite was kitted with a large geyser and heat pump, implying that we could not have experienced cold water. She then left us without greeting, without thanking us that we brought the problem to her attention, without any apology for the inconvenience, and without offering us an alternative means to shower or bath. In essence it felt like we were a burden to her.

While another friendly staff member assisted us with settling our bill, we could hear the manager in her office having a conversation over the phone. She (quite unprofessionally and indiscreetly) told someone that the kitchen staff were unhappy about a particular issue and laughed loudly about it.

All the staff (except for the manager) at Simbavati Cederberg Ridge were exceptional - friendly, helpful and professional. We also gave R900 in total as tips to the staff for their good service. The cost of our two nights stay excluding the tips and fridge purchases was R17600.

Considering the substantial cost of our two nights stay, we feel that the manager was disrespectful and rude, and that she could have at least shown interest and apologised for the inconvenience. She left a bitter taste to our otherwise exceptional stay at the Cederberg...

The service at Simbavati Cederberg Ridge Lodge was truly exceptional from arrival to departure. We received a warm welcome that immediately made us feel at home, and the staff consistently demonstrated outstanding professionalism throughout our stay. They anticipated our every need with impressive efficiency while maintaining a genuinely friendly demeanour. Our guide David, deserves special recognition as his expertise on the Sevilla Rock Art trail was remarkable, sharing fascinating insights about ancient rock art and regional history that made the experience both educational and captivating.||||Our room was comfortable and well-appointed, providing the perfect retreat after days of exploration. The accommodation perfectly complemented the lodge's focus on creating a welcoming, home-like atmosphere while maintaining high standards of comfort and cleanliness.||||The lodge's location in the breathtaking Cederberg region is simply stunning. We enjoyed late-afternoon sunset walks that showcased the dramatic landscape, and the Rooibos Farm tour provided fascinating insights into this iconic South African tea. The setting offers the perfect blend of tranquillity and adventure, with easy access to rock art trails and scenic walking routes.||||The absolute highlight of our stay was the romantic candlelight dinner prepared by staff on our final night, set in a private location that created a magical, intimate atmosphere we'll never forget. ||||David's passionate knowledge transfer and engaging company also stood out as exceptional; his expertise significantly enriched our understanding and enjoyment of the Cederberg. Honestly, it's difficult to identify anything we didn't enjoy about our stay, as every aspect exceeded our expectations.||||Simbavati Cederberg Ridge Lodge offers an unparalleled combination of comfort, adventure, and genuine hospitality. We left completely refreshed and are already planning our...