Barefoot Addo Elephant Lodge

We spent 2 nights here in a tented and very clean room/cabin/tent with a very comfortable king size bed. We were in room 10 which was the farthest room in the complex and a bit of a work out to get to, especially with the suitcases (the staff will help you with these), as slightly up hill but had the best view, in the morning you could lie in bed with your binoculars and see giraffe, zebra and sometimes their 3 rescue elephants in the distance. They have a wood burning stove for the evening and a heated blanket on the bed as it can get very cold at night and we used them both evenings during our stay in early November. No air con but a ceiling fan. Not sure how I would feel sleeping with windows and doors open on a hot night as quite alot of small animals out there, baboons and mice, also the odd snake (although we did not see any). We did get a mouse in the room at night as did some other people which opened a sealed packet of crisps and nuts which we had stored inside a cupboard so I would strongly advise anyone with any food whatsoever to put it in the fridge. I think it would also be an idea for the lodge to recommend this as common practice. I would also make sure all doors are closed when not in the room and most definitely at night when asleep. The room also had tea and coffee making and gave you a large bottle of water for every day of your stay. It is a family friendly lodge and there were several small children staying whilst we were there. There is a small swimming pool which is in a nice area with sun beds and the deck at the lodge overlooking the water hole was a lovely, breezy spot to sit on and have a drink. The lounge area inside was also very comfortable. The food was very good and nicely presented, it is a set menu in the evening although there is a vegetarian choice. The bar area offers coffee and alcohol, they also do lunch in the dining room. I would recommend a 2 night stay, one night is not enough, 2 nights are just right to get the feel of the place, the staff are very friendly and you get to chat with the other guests easily. It is a small reserve so you should not make comparisons with any large or 5* lodges you have stayed at, these lodges all have their own vibe and this felt very homey and more intimate. It is a very peaceful and restful place to stay although those birds can get quite noisy between 4-6am, might want to take ear plugs if you are a light sleeper! James, who took us on the safari tours is really really good at his job and knows his stuff and we thoroughly enjoyed the drives and our botany walk with him. The lodge, like most of this type of lodge say that you can get to them easily in a normal car. Having done a couple with a normal car, I would strongly recommend that if you are driving in Africa you should get a high chassis base car with decent wheels, a 4 wheel drive is not necessary but a normal compact car is not suitable, if you get away in you are very lucky. Pot holes can be found on

This is a wonderful place to stay that cannot be praised highly enough. We had an awe-inspiring visit. The lodges are beautiful, and the view from the veranda was incredible with wild animals and birds everywhere. The restaurant is also beautiful with open fires and very comfortable sofas to relax and enjoy a cocktail. The food was also delicious and our dietary needs were catered for very well. We also did a two hour game drive around the property which was fantastic! To top it off, the staff were wonderful without exception and we were attended to very well throughout our stay.

We can't thank the Barefoot team enough for creating the most magical experience for us. The bush braai was the icing on the cake and the team went to extraordinary lengths to make it special and personal. We highly recommend this 5 star experience - thank you to the Barefoot team! From Hannah & Matt