Amalinda Lodge

Amalinda Lodge is very unique and charming. The lodge is actually set right in the granite hills. Our room had a large boulder right in the middle separating the bathroom and bedroom. The room itself was spacious with a comfortable king bed. The staff and service are top notch. This is also true of the delicious food served in the restaurant. My travel agent had told the lodge I had an aversion to onions, and without any prompting from myself, the staff made sure every meal was onion free. It was this attention to detail that made the lodge standout. As for our guide, Kevin, he was very knowledgeable with eyes sharp enough to pick out a small, spotted owl in a tree that gave my wife a great photo. Other than rhinos( which you are almost guaranteed to see in the park), the wildlife is not abundant in this area. However, this is not the main reason to come here. You come to Amalinda Lodge for the spectacular scenery of the granite hills, the history, the culture, and yes, the rhinos. We started our 2 week safari with 3 nights at Amalinda, and it was a great way to be introduced to the culture and history of Zimbabwe( the animals came later). It was also one of the most unique lodges we have ever stayed in. What a treat!

We had an incredible stay here. Our only regret is that we could not be here longer. Billy knew that I had a special interest in rock art, and he was able to give us room 8, which has its own pictograph in the room. The rooms are built into the natural rocks, so every place in the lodge was beautiful. Our guide Edward went beyond the call of duty to make sure we could see a lot in a short period of time. During the first evening he took us to watch an incredible sunset from a rocky hill, and took us to see a granary that had been used during an uprising against colonialism in the 1890s. Both the rock art and the rocks he showed us in the park were incredible, worthy of its world heritage status. There were white rhinos — but I also should mention the zonkey at the lodge. I appreciate that the lodge works with the community through a nonprofit. If you stay here you should expect ti walk up and down steps, but the exercise is great after all the fine meals. The staff were all very attentive and made sure the stay was memorable. .

I cannot commend Amalinda and their wonderful, friendly staff enough. From the truly stunning architecture built in to the boulders, the fauna and stunning views. I genuinely had a lump in my throat as we were helped to our accomodation, it was spectacular, including a chain bridge to a separate balcony area. Everything was handled brilliantly by the staff in terms of your room. Food was fantastic and had a real communal vibe, with staff and holidayers socialising by the fire in the evening. What was an amazing touch was having your guide sit with you for meals, it was really lovely to know them better and learn of their fascinating amount of knowledge. Onto the guides, they really are the best in the world in Zimbabwe. Not only are they your incredibly educated guide for the bush but also your waiter, helper, protector and friend all in one. Our guide "Brightwell'." Truly is an amazing person and felt blessed to meet him, let alone be guided around the amazing places of Matopos. Honestly cannot recommend Amalinda enough for any possible reason you can think of. They really made us feel special and made our dream holiday come true.

What an amazing place - all of the staff were so friendly and considerate. The accommodation is stunning, food was amazing ( we had 2 teenagers in tow and they were very happy). Our guide Howard was super cool and really knowledgeable from the history of Matobo, to finding the wildlife (rhino a huge highlight). Nothing was too much trouble and the warmth and hospitality was really first class - we would recommend for a different safari and culture based experience

First Class. A++. This place gets my highest absolute highest rating. Beautiful location. Elegant design in a natural setting. Food was delicious. Staff was friendly and helpful. Safari guides were incredibly professional and knowledgeable. Look no further, this is the best safari lodge in the area.

We stayed two nights at the Amalinda and plan to return. The setting is absolutely wonderful, the food delicious, and the staff fantastic. We spent a lovely time exploring the park and relaxing by the pool.

We loved our stay here. The rock face of the majestic Matopos seamlessly flow into the room and cloister a lovely shower. The magnificent atmosphere of the place itself is complemented by the calm but warm welcome of the staff. Everything was as it should be, and the magic of the lodge surpassed expectation - photos barely do it justice! Thank you for a wonderful stay. We wished we could have stayed longer!

A rather interesting drive brings you up to Amalinda Lodge . Met by Billy and staff in reception who took us up the main dining area for a welcome then off to our rooms. Well, what completely unique rooms using the the local rock formations and thatch absolutely stunning. We found ourselves in room 10 with a huge sleeping area , very comfortable bed and storage for clothing . Lovely views and then the bathroom, so quirky, beautiful, and no problem with hot water you could bath alfresco if that's your thing!! A rather special addition to this room is a beautiful resting, reading spot accessed via a slatted bridge , loved it Mostly getting around was straight forward with paths lit up at night . Ammalinda is a beautiful place and a fabulous start to our three week trip to Zim , the only slight down side being the catering, plenty of food and good choice and although very tasty we just felt there was something missing . Our trips out into the national park were fantastic. Our guide Kevin an absolute fountain of knowledge showed us everything from Rhino with very small calf , bird life and butterflies, big plants and small plants all incredible. Beautiful walks and cave paintings he very much made our stay , thank you Kevin. Following our activities a relaxing swim in an amazing pool , perfect. Ammalinda is a fabulous lodge , for anyone thinking of visiting Matopos this place must be on the list, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, thanks to Billy and all the great staff for making it so. Best wishes

From start to finish we had the most unbelievable experience. We were a family party returning to our childhood haunts, and the Amalinda homestead team were outstanding. Blessed and his wonderful wife looked after us so well, everything was sorted and pristine. The food we were continuously fed was fab, and we were thoroughly spoilt. It’s such a special location and environment. One afternoon I spied my 28yr old ‘city-chick’ daughter, wandering out to see the zebras which were grazing close by, magic! Kevin our guide carefully took us through the park pointing out the most wonderful sights - flora, fauna and of course the rhinos. Oh my, very very privileged to see these incredible creatures; game wardens please keep up your wonderful work. In addition to all of this, a highlight was the daily exquisite turndown service - including an electric blanket, such a lovely treat!! Such a happy stay, thank you to the wonderful homestead team - you were wonderful.