Tau Game Lodge ★★★★★

"We were a family of 6 of all ages grandparents to children. We loved this lodge. The rooms were beautiful, clean and amazing views. Loved the outdoor showers. Food was delicious and plentiful. Our guide Tania was simply amazing she went out of her way to find as many animals as possible. Her knowledge led us to follow a lioness with blood on her chest back to her cubs eating their kill of a young zebra, we were so close! Another highlight was watching the 5 cheetah brothers, so incredibly beautiful. We enjoyed her company at dinner and had fun with her whilst learning a lot. It was all perfect but the main reason was the wonderful staff, so helpful and smiley, from the warm welcome to the waving goodbye. Perfect!"

Last Word Madikwe ★★★★

"We absolutely loved our stay at Last Word, Madikwe. The staff were all friendly, professional, knowledgeable and patient (we had 5 children in our group aged between 3-9). Jodi, Roxan, Max & John looked after all our needs in the lodge and were always discretely on hand. All our meals were delicious, a full section of cold and hot breakfasts, varied and tasty lunches and some very special dinners, especially the bbq overlooking the watering hole. Thank you to the chef! The lodge was spotless at all times, thank you to the cleaning staff too. The children were well looked after with child friendly food, a playroom, swimming pool and plenty of space to play and run around. They enjoyed meeting Steve the resident snake! They were experiencing nature in a way that is so rare nowadays and they were in their element. We all really enjoyed the nature trails we could navigate on our own (within the grounds of the lodge). We cannot fault the game drives - Nick & Damian were brilliant. They shared such interesting information with us about the history of the reserve and the animals. We saw an incredible variety of animals including rhinos, a lion kill, cheetah and two leopards! We spent such special time watching the elephants, giraffe, baboons, lion and zebra go about their day to day lives, it was truly memorable. The trucks were very comfy and we really enjoyed the stops for a breakfast snack and sundowners. The lodge is beautiful, decorated in such style and comfort. There were so many places to relax and watch the animals only a stone’s throw away in the watering hole right next to the lodge. We were blown away every day going into the hide where we could watch the animals even closer. It is nothing like any other safari we have ever experienced. We left Last Word so incredibly grateful for such a wonderful few days. Thank you to everyone who made it such a special holiday for our family."

Rhulani Safari Lodge ★★★★

"Our first visit to this incredible and truly unique place was a holiday we will never forget, and we’re already hoping to return very soon. Words simply can’t describe how amazing it was my partner and I genuinely had the best trip ever. There was a sense of comfort, warmth, and belonging that is so hard to find, yet it came so naturally here. Every moment felt effortless and memorable, and it’s the kind of place that makes you wish you could press pause and stay forever.It’s not just somewhere you visit it’s somewhere you feel, and it will stay with us for a very long time. From the moment we arrived, we were surrounded by wonderful people. Every single member of staff was exceptional so friendly, welcoming, and genuinely caring and it was an absolute pleasure to meet such wonderful people. They are a real credit to Rhulani we’d love to give a special mention to Portia and Albert, who went above and beyond to look after us. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and they always made time to check in and make sure we were okay. Michael also looked after us and assisted us back to our room when it was dark. We really enjoyed his company and his friendly personality. A huge highlight of our trip was Thato, our ranger. He wasn’t just a guide he was the heart of our trip. We seen everything and more than we could have hoped for and the game drives were thrilling and entertaining with something different each time. His dedication, personality , and ability to create such magical moments made our holiday truly unforgettable.His knowledge and skill were clear, but what made him truly special was his friendly nature and genuine connection with us. We loved every conversation we shared he was engaging, interesting, and that made each experience so enjoyable. Quite simply, he was incredible the star of our entire experience and we will always be grateful for everything he did to make our time so special. Tom was exceptional throughout our stay and played a significant role in making our experience so enjoyable. From the moment we arrived, he made us feel genuinely welcome and at ease, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere. He was consistently approachable and more than happy to engage in conversation, which added a personal touch to our visit. It was a pleasure getting to know him, and my partner especially enjoyed sharing interest with him ,his friendliness, professionalism, and thoughtful approach greatly enhanced our experience. Thanks Tom We also loved the thoughtful touch of being greeted after drives with cold drinks it added to the magical experience. The food was outstanding throughout our stay, and the chefs were just as lovely as everyone else we met. Thank you so much for such a special and unforgettable stay. We’re already planning our return visit next year and can’t wait to see you all again. Leaving was incredibly difficult this extraordinary place truly touched our hearts."

Tuningi Safari Lodge ★★★★★

"I actually don’t know where to start with this review. There are so many amazing things to say about Tuningi that I need to decide what I should write first. So let’s start with the first impressions on arrival. With a delayed arrival, due to a stressful journey (nothing to do with the reserve or lodge) we were met by Gavin at the airstrip and he drove us to the lodge. With the sight of zebra and other game on the way our stresses were already abating but then arriving at the lodge any residual stress was soon seen off. A lovely friendly welcome and lunch ready for us (with a glass of wine for me) and we immediately felt relaxed and excited for our days ahead. The lodge itself is stunning. Recently refurbished it has kept the essence of a game lodge but with those luxurious touches we all crave. Heidi, Gavin’s wife, has been in charge and has done a brilliant job. Our room was also one of the newly refurbished ones and far exceeded our expectations. We are lucky enough to have stayed at many beautiful 5 star hotels and this was one of my favourite rooms ever. I videoed a walk through to wind up our gown up children.. So the reason for going… the wildlife! Well we lucked out and Gavin was our driver. We had amazing drives seeing everything from leopards, to cheetahs, lions, lion cubs and the hard to pin down wild dogs. Gavin was also great company and we enjoyed catching up over what we had seen during the day at the lodge bar in the evening. Then one final thing to mention and that’s the food! WOW, the food is incredible. Not something I was expecting and wouldn’t have worried about as wasn’t there for a culinary experience but the chef was very talented. There is so much more I could add (all positive) but these comments will hopefully persuade anyone on the fence to book Tuningi. We will definitely go back. Thank you Gavin & Heidi. Top job xx"

Madikwe Safari Lodge ★★★★★

"What a week! This is the best safari experience we have ever had in South Africa. The people, the comfort, the food, the game, the waterholes from the lodge - everything is just incredible. This is a first class experience that we highly recommend."

Motswiri Private Safari Lodge ★★★★★

"We had an incredible stay at Motswiri. The rooms overlook the watering hole, so when you are not out on game drives, you can still see the wildlife up close and watch their natural behaviour. The elephants and giraffes were really entertaining while we sat with a glass of wine watching. With two 3 hour game drives each day, there are lots of opportunities to see the wildlife in it’s own habitat and the guides are very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the morning coffee stops and the sundowner gin and tonics while out on the game drives. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We requested if one of our rooms could have something special for my daughter and son in law who were just married, the effort the staff made was incredible and added to the precious memories for the couple. Not much else to say really apart from AMAZING! Would highly recommend and hope to return soon."

Impodimo Game Lodge ★★★★★

"We went here especially to see the painted dogs (African wild dogs) and we were lucky to see them on our first game drive, we also got to see a great number of lions , also elephants, and cheetahs and other animals and birds, our guide Maria was exceptional, this was our 5th safari and would say she was one of the best guides we have had. Accommodation was excellent, large comfy bed, inside and outside showers, hot tub and overlooking the water hole, we saw impala, hyena and jackel from our balcony. Food was excellen, high tea not to be missed, quality was exceptional. Staff great, wonderful stay Would certainly recommend and visit again"

Rockfig Lodge Madikwe ★★★★★

Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge

"Excellent bush guide Joseph. Room was lovely and had a great view. All the staff were friendly and helpful. Food was good in the main. One night I just didn't like the menu but my wife was happy with it. So just me on the night. Really excellent way to see the animals in the bush."