Amalinda Lodge
Highlights
- Nine thatched rooms built into the granite boulders of the Matobo Hills
- Infinity pool and viewing deck overlooking a busy waterhole
- Guided rhino walks and game drives into Matobo National Park
- San rock art in one of southern Africa's richest rock art landscapes
- Sunset hike to Cecil John Rhodes' grave at World's View
- Set within the Matobo Hills UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Spa treatments out among the boulders or in the privacy of your room
Information
- Lodge type: Safari Lodge
- Location: Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe
- Lodge size: 9 Safari Lodge Rooms, plus a three-bedroom Private Villa
- Recommended stay: 2–3 nights
- Malaria risk: Low — the Matobo Hills are a low-risk malaria area, not malaria-free
- Getting there: 45 km south of Bulawayo, about 45 minutes by road; about 1 hour by road from Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ)
Surrounded By Granite Domes And Balancing Rocks, Amalinda Offers A Wide Range Of Safari Lodge Activities
Amalinda Lodge is a privately owned, family-run safari lodge built into the granite boulders of the Matobo Hills, 45 kilometres south of Bulawayo in south-western Zimbabwe. The Matobo Hills have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003, famed for rhino conservation, one of the highest concentrations of San rock art in southern Africa, and a skyline of granite domes and balancing rocks that looks as though giants abandoned a game of marbles halfway through.
Amalinda Lodge is, in our view, the finest of the Matobo accommodation options for travellers who want more than game viewing. From one base you can walk after rhino in Matobo National Park, stand in front of San paintings thousands of years old, climb to Cecil John Rhodes' grave at World's View for sunset, and still be back in time for a swim in the infinity pool. Few lodges in Zimbabwe pack wildlife, history and sheer landscape into a two- or three-night stay quite so generously.
Rooms and Suites
Amalinda Lodge has nine rooms, in double and twin configurations, each set within the granite boulders so that no two share the same look and feel. Every room has a large bedroom, a small lounge and an en-suite bathroom with both a bath and a shower. In-room comforts include:
- Pure cotton linen and dressing gowns
- Minibar and tea and coffee facilities
- In-room safe
- Fan for summer afternoons and a heater for cold Matobo winter nights
- Mosquito nets
The Amalinda Lodge Private Villa has three en-suite bedrooms and is ideal for families or a small group of friends. The villa comes with its own private guide, host or hostess and chef, and guests have full access to the main lodge's facilities.
Cuisine and Wine
Amalinda Lodge serves three meals a day: a buffet and cooked breakfast, a two-course lunch and a three-course dinner in the early evening. Depending on the weather, meals are served in the main dining room or outside under the African sky, with the night sounds of the Matobo Hills for company. Two bars pour a range of local and imported drinks, and local beverages are included in the rate.
Facilities
Amalinda Lodge's social hub is its central guest area, which holds the dining room, a large lounge with a small library, and two bars. Outdoors, a viewing deck, an infinity pool with loungers and an outdoor dining area all overlook a waterhole, so there is always something wandering down to drink while you do nothing at all. Lodge amenities include:
- 24-hour security
- Battery charging facilities
- Internet access (paid)
- Mobile phone connectivity
- Laundry, included in the rate
Activities
Amalinda Lodge's activities are led by professional guides who know the Matobo Hills intimately, and two activities a day are included in the rate. Your choice of activities includes:
- Historic trek to Cecil John Rhodes' grave at World's View (Malindidzimu)
- Sunset hikes to the tops of the granite dwalas (koppies)
- Guided walks to world-renowned caves and San rock art sites
- Game drives into Matobo National Park
- Rhino walks (on request, additional cost)
Child Friendly
Amalinda Lodge welcomes families with children of all ages. Three family rooms are available, along with activities and meals suited to younger guests. The three-bedroom Private Villa, with its own guide and chef, gives larger families space and privacy.
Spa and Wellness
Amalinda Lodge's spa and wellness centre offers treatments out in the open among the boulders of the Matobo Hills, or in the complete privacy of your own room. The treatment menu includes:
- Full body massage
- Back and neck massage
- Hot stone massage
- Manicure and pedicure
Amalinda Lodge FAQs
Where is Amalinda Lodge?
Amalinda Lodge is in the Matobo Hills of south-western Zimbabwe, about 45 km south of Bulawayo. The lodge sits within the Matobo Hills UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2003, close to Matobo National Park. The area is a landscape of granite domes, balancing rocks and wooded valleys known for San rock art and rhino conservation. Amalinda Lodge's nine thatched rooms are built directly into the granite boulders.
How do you get to Amalinda Lodge?
Amalinda Lodge is reached by road from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city, about 45 km to the north. Most guests fly into Bulawayo's Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport and transfer by road in roughly an hour. The drive from Bulawayo city takes about 45 minutes, on tar all the way except the final kilometre of dirt. Hwange National Park is around four hours from Amalinda Lodge by road.
Is there malaria at Amalinda Lodge?
Amalinda Lodge is in a low-risk malaria area, but it is not malaria-free. Zimbabwe's high-risk zones are the low-lying areas below 1,200 metres, including the Zambezi Valley and Victoria Falls. The Matobo Hills and nearby Bulawayo are rated low risk. Rooms at Amalinda Lodge have mosquito nets. Use repellent after dark, and ask a travel clinic whether antimalarial tablets suit your full Zimbabwe itinerary.
Is Amalinda Lodge suitable for children?
Amalinda Lodge welcomes children of all ages. The lodge has three family rooms and offers activities and meals suited to younger guests. Its three-bedroom Private Villa comes with a private guide, host and chef, giving families privacy while still sharing the main lodge's pool, bars and dining areas. The low malaria risk in the Matobo Hills also makes Amalinda Lodge an easier family choice than Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley.
Can you track rhino at Amalinda Lodge?
Amalinda Lodge offers guided rhino walks in the Matobo Hills on request, at an additional cost. Matobo National Park protects both black and white rhino, and tracking them on foot among the granite outcrops is the signature wildlife experience of a stay. Amalinda Lodge's standard activities are game drives, San rock art walks and sunset hikes, and two of them each day are included in the rate.
How many nights should you spend at Amalinda Lodge?
Amalinda Lodge is best enjoyed over two to three nights. Two nights covers a game drive into Matobo National Park, a San rock art walk and the hike to Cecil John Rhodes' grave at World's View. A third night adds a rhino walk and unhurried time at the spa or infinity pool. Amalinda Lodge pairs naturally with Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls on a longer Zimbabwe safari.
In Conclusion
Amalinda Lodge is one of the most rewarding stays in Zimbabwe: a lodge where wildlife, deep history and one of Africa's most extraordinary landscapes all sit within an easy walk or drive of your room. The reasons to go are hard to match anywhere else in the country:
- Rhino tracked on foot among the granite outcrops
- San paintings in caves the lodge's guides know by heart
- Sunset from World's View
- An infinity pool above a waterhole to end the day
- Nine rooms built into the rock, so every one is different
Getting there is simple: fly into Bulawayo, and Amalinda Lodge is about an hour away by road. Stay two or three nights, then carry on to Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls to round off a classic western Zimbabwe safari. For timing, the dry months from May to October bring clear skies, cool mornings and cold nights, while the summer rains from November turn the Matobo Hills a vivid green.
Uyaphi.com has been planning tailor-made African safaris since 1999, and 27 years of arranging Zimbabwe itineraries means we know how to fit Amalinda Lodge into a route that flows. Tell us your dates and what you would like to see, and we will build the whole trip around you, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges.
Rates from US$ 447.00 Per person per night
Amalinda Lodge Rates
Per person per night sharing
Rates are in US Dollar
*Rates may vary according to season
- Accommodation
- All local beverages
- Three meals per day
- Two activities per day
- Laundry
- All flights
- All transfers
- Premium drinks
- Optional activities
- Gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance
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