Lion Sands Ivory Lodge

The best vacation experience of our lifetime to date! Lions Sands and the staff exude enthusiasm and meet every early morning drive with warm smiles, tremendous field knowledge and professionalism second to none. We visited with our UK besties and we intend to return for my 60th in 2026.

Our experience at Ivory Lodge exceeded our expectations. From the moment of our arrival at Skukuza Airport, staff ensured our experience was unparalleled! After check in and on our first safari drive we saw 4 of the Big 5! We saw our leopard mother and cub on the second drive! The amenities, food and service were outstanding! Our butler Solly attended to every detail including having fresh coffee and muffins dropped at our room each morning before our early drive. One night staff arranged a surprise outdoor dinner party with local entertainment for the guests! Another day they arranged a full breakfast for us mid morning out on our drive on a platform overlooking the river. No detail was overlooked and while luxurious the service was never stuffy or pretentious and staff was always warm and genuine. We can't wait to go back!

There are no words to describe our experience at this lodge. From the moment that we were picked up at Skukuza Airport by Gus, we immediately felt welcome. On our drive from the airport to the lodge, we already began seeing animals. Ty warmly welcomed us, and introduced us to the amazing staff. We were given lemon-grass scented hand towels. Our room was stunning and contained a private pool, outdoor shower, sitting area, and more. After a delicious lunch served by the amazing Solley, we were taken on our first official game drive by Gus and our tracker, Tony. They could not have been more knowledgeable and hospitable. Three days of complete tranquility and bliss. We watched endless animals make their way to the Sabie River as we plunged in our pool. Herds of elephants, a giant African buffalo, giraffes, zebra, and more appeared right on the river. The staff surprised us with an amazing boma dinner, where we watched a performance by the staff followed by an exquisite meal featuring local Africa cuisine. The food was second to none. We got zero mosquito bites and there were almost no bugs! It was heavenly. Besender walked us to our rooms every night, and could not have been more friendly. He constantly repeated how much he loved his job. The staff all seemed so happy to be there, and their happiness was so obvious. I’m pretty sure we will go the rest of our lives and not be able to replicate this experience, unless we are lucky enough to return to the Ivory Lodge. This is truly a once in a lifetime destination!

My husband and I spend 4 glorious days at this fabulous private lodge. We were treated with the utmost care in every way. It was our first safari trip, and first time on the African continent and this place did not disappoint. Each day we had the very best meals and service by our personal butler Torrence. We did a morning and afternoon game viewing drive with top rated safari guide Kim and her tracker/detective and sleuth, Culture. These two are like Yen and Yang, and through their expertise we were able to see lions, elephants, zebra, kudu, giraffes, monkeys, buffalo, various birds, and on our last day even a leopard! We spend one evening in an open air tree house and watched sunsets on the range while sipping bourbon and gin and tonics each evening with our wonderful guides who have now become dear friends. To say this was memorable is an understatement. This one goes down in the books as the best birthday trip a girl could ask for. I’m sad to leave but the memories will live on…

Our experience at this lodge was a 10 out of 10. The lodge is in the perfect setting, the food is excellent and the all staff members are extremely friendly and go over and above to accommodate each guest. The game drives are amazing as you get extremely close to the animals. Your driver and tracker are also extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this lodge.