Singita

I agree with u/Mike_on_Safari at r/FatSafari that Singita is the way to go here. I like Lembombo over Sweni. MalaMala has amazing wildlife but the overall experience will be better at Singita and you will still see all the things.

If you go to Singita, whether that's Ebony/Boulders (which are very close to MalaMala and perhaps more what you're looking for with the classic hotel?) or Lebombo/Sweni which are in the Greater Kruger, for a first safari, it is going to be astonishing.

If we had gone the Singita route, we would likely be looking at closer to $65K.

South Africa, especially Singita, is almost the opposite: everything is more condensed. ... Add in Singita’s food, wine, wellness, and service, and it’s as polished as safari gets.

I'd never recommend it for people who want Singita-level perfection, but Sanctuary, Clouds Mountain, and Volcanoes Bwindi are all lovely

So in my mind, again, I’d rather save/spend that extra money to stay at top tier lodges like Singita.

Singita and i wouldn't spend a second questioning it. It's not even *that* much more expensive than the &Beyond property which is kind of surprising to me.

But overall service and experience at Singita was just on another level.

Singita – is on the edge of the forest and the view is pure nature and a beautiful view of Mount Sabyinyo. It’s conveniently located close to Park HQ. Each room has a heated plunge pool, and ours had a very curious buffalo! We even had a visit from a genet while we were outside. The main area is very inviting, and the food was very good, as you would expect from Singita.