Game lodge South Africa

[maureeng]

We go to South Africa every year on safari with friends. Always luxury game lodges. Suggest you check out some of our favorite
lodges. Non of them more than 6 people per vehicle so everyone has a 'window' seat!

Mala Mala Rattrays - 8 villas only 4 people per vehicle

Royal Malewane - 6 villas

Lion Sands and River Lodge superior luxury villas.

Leopard Hills - 8 villas

Jamala Madikwe - 5 rooms

Tswalu - green Kalahari for something very different.

Happy to answer any questions. We love South Africa.

A couple of amazing places to stay if you get down to Cape Town for a few days - Birkenhead House at Hermanus and La Residence at Franshoek.

Thanks for that. We will be spending some time in Cape Town so I will look at those places also. Are they near golf courses as we love golf . Where would you recommend to stay at Victoria Falls. We were looking at Elephant Hills as it has a golf course and doing the Zambezi River dinner cruise. Have you tried this? Also doing Sun City and looking to stay at the Palace. In Johannesburg looking at The Michelangelo Hotel for overnight. Have you stayed in any of these hotels?

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

This might not be quite the right thread, but anyone looking to book a chalet/room in Kruger NP itself through SANS for winter 2018, today's the day bookings go live.

 

[sanne]

Thanks for that. We will be spending some time in Cape Town so I will look at those places also. Are they near golf courses as we love golf . Where would you recommend to stay at Victoria Falls. We were looking at Elephant Hills as it has a golf course and doing the Zambezi River dinner cruise. Have you tried this? Also doing Sun City and looking to stay at the Palace. In Johannesburg looking at The Michelangelo Hotel for overnight. Have you stayed in any of these hotels?

Sorry I don't know about golf courses or Victoria Falls. We have stayed at the Michaelangelo Hotel, it was very good. It was recommended to us. These days we just stay at the Intercontinental at the airport. It's only a few steps from the terminal so very convenient for overnight after the flight from SYD which arrives about 4pm. The restaurant is good too for a quick meal before crashing. Or if you fancy some seafood, Ocean Basket is a great place to eat in the terminal.

Hermanus us is a wonderful place for whale watching and the hotel is right on the cliff. It is full board and the most magical place to stay for a special Occassion.

Please ask away, I'll help with your plans if I can.

 

[N860CR]

Thanks for that. We will be spending some time in Cape Town so I will look at those places also. Are they near golf courses as we love golf . Where would you recommend to stay at Victoria Falls. We were looking at Elephant Hills as it has a golf course and doing the Zambezi River dinner cruise. Have you tried this? Also doing Sun City and looking to stay at the Palace. In Johannesburg looking at The Michelangelo Hotel for overnight. Have you stayed in any of these hotels?

Zambezi river cruise if worth doing. I did one with an open bar and it was nice to relax watching the sunset with a G&T. Took some of the best sunset photos I've ever taken.

Royal Livingstone is a good choice for Vic Falls (on the Zam side) or the sister hotel which is a little closer. Zambezi Sun I think. Allows free access to the Falls as it's in the park, and it's an easy walk across the Zim border. Make sure you get the KAZA visa which allows multiple entries to both countrie

 

[Milboo]

We stayed at the Victoria Falls River Lodge - https://www.victoriafallsriverlodge.com/

It was amazing. We were right on the river, hippos in front.

Saves doing a river cruise as they do morning and night cruises in their own small boats. You can also do game drives.

They will transfer you to the Falls area/ town by boat or jeep without issue.

Accomodation itself was just lovely. Food good too.

In JNB we stayed at The Residence and it was outstanding. Room 2 from memory is very small in the bathroom.

In Franschhoek we stayed in La Petite Dauphine - Franschhoek Wine ValleyLa Petite Dauphine - Franschhoek Wine Valley - which was perfect too.

 

[Assassin]

One other option around Vic Falls is Matetsi River Lodge. We just stayed there in July. It's 30km upstream of Vic Falls, right on the Zambezi River and the location is spectacular. They have a private concession so also do game drives and boat cruises on the Zambezi. It's definitely a 5* experience with luxurious accommodation and great service. However, the game viewing is not yet quite at the same standard as the Sabi Sands or Botswana. They also include a tour of Vic Falls if you stay for at least 2 nights.

I would also add my support for the suggestion of Ngala. There are two camps in the concession - Ngala Safari Lodge which is a bit larger and Ngala Tented Camp which is a bit smaller and more exclusive. We have stayed at both. The Safari Lodge is better if travelling in a family group while the tented camp is probably better for couples.

We have also stayed at Singita a few times - at Ebony Lodge and at Castleton. You can't go wrong with these. Castleton requires you to book the whole camp (minimum of 8 people I think) and is a good option for a group.

 

[maureeng]

Birkenhead House is definitely on the list now

 

[maureeng]

Zambezi river cruise if worth doing. I did one with an open bar and it was nice to relax watching the sunset with a G&T. Took some of the best sunset photos I've ever taken.

Royal Livingstone is a good choice for Vic Falls (on the Zam side) or the sister hotel which is a little closer. Zambezi Sun I think. Allows free access to the Falls as it's in the park, and it's an easy walk across the Zim border. Make sure you get the KAZA visa which allows multiple entries to both countrie

I have booked the Zambesi signature deck sunset and dinner cruise. It has an open bar. Is this the one you did. Zambesi Explorer?

 

[maureeng]

We are looking for somewhere beachfront in Camps Bay as well.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I have booked the Zambesi signature deck sunset and dinner cruise. It has an open bar. Is this the one you did. Zambesi Explorer?

I was on the Lady Livingstone.

The Zambesi is wide, the sunsets orange and you should see some game.


It is nice....but like most sunset river cruises it is not a "must" activity but it is enjoyable, and much more so if you do with others and enjoy the alcohol, food and views with them.

 

[love_the_life]

I have booked the Zambesi signature deck sunset and dinner cruise. It has an open bar. Is this the one you did. Zambesi Explorer?

I have a feeling we did this. How the memory goes after only a couple of years (or is that G&Ts?). It was quite pleasant and the sunset was nice. I have an idea that the nibbles were things like friend spring rolls, nuts etc though may well be mistaken.

 

[love_the_life]

We were at Zambezi Sun (now something else) a 3* place which was OK. We had been tossing up with the sister property which was 5* and very nice but in the end for some reason did the cheaper option. We were only there a few nights as we caught the Rovos Rail train from Victoria Falls to Pretoria which was excellent and I would recommend it highly as something different.

In our train cabin.

 

[vetrade]

Thanks for that. We will be spending some time in Cape Town so I will look at those places also. Are they near golf courses as we love golf . Where would you recommend to stay at Victoria Falls. We were looking at Elephant Hills as it has a golf course and doing the Zambezi River dinner cruise. Have you tried this? Also doing Sun City and looking to stay at the Palace. In Johannesburg looking at The Michelangelo Hotel for overnight. Have you stayed in any of these hotels?

Elephant Hills is dated and less personalised - from your comments I think you would want somewhere nicer to stay such as the Royal Livingstone. You can still play golf at EH as a visitor if you need your "fix". In January at VF we did a chopper flight and the Devil's Pool tour where you take a boat ride to a pool on the very edge of the Falls - both highly recommended. Take $UDS to Vic Falls - it's the only accepted currency and they charge an exorbitant extra 5% surcharge on CC transactions.

I know you are inclined to do a game lodge in SA (Londolosi in Sabi Sand is another good one) but we found Imbabala, an hour's drive from Vic Falls on the Zimbabwe / Botswana border was great - small number of mainly 2 person lodges (20 people max I think but one night we were there we had the place to ourselves). Fully inclusive; cost us $US1400 /n (for 3 of us) and we were very well looked after. Their exclusive concession has 12km of frontage to the Zambezi and covered a huge area. We found the vegetation was different from what we had experienced at Sabi Sands - bigger trees but generally more open vegetation which made the game drives excellent with big herds of giraffe, buffalo and elephants etc. but few big cats. At Sabi Sands the vegetation tended to be more dense thicket type bushes which made the game viewing harder and we saw much smaller groups of game. Both were excellent but different, if you know what I mean.

Camps Bay has a lot of excellent modern private homes / apartments you can rent overlooking the beach / sea. It's a trendy holiday destination for cashed up South Africans and an excellent choice of place to stay. With a hire car you can get around the area easily and self driving to the Stellenbosch area is easy too. Hotel options along the Camps Bay section of coast aren't that numerous so I think you'd find a home or apartment better. Lots of nice restaurants overlooking the water and a beautiful backdrop of Table Mountain.

Re: JNB. We find the Melrose Arch area (a bit south of the Sandton area where the Michaelangelo Hotel is) is nicer - it has an excellent choice and variety of dining options. Worth going for a meal even if you don't stay there.

 

[drron]

As you are looking for high end camps why don't you consider Botswana.It is one of the least corrupt countries in Africa.It has concentrated on high end tourism particularly in the Okavango delta.The wildlife is spectactular.They take poaching very seriously.130000 elephants in Chobe NP but virtually zero just across the border in Namibia.We came across an army anti poaching patrol in our time there.
We went to Sanctuary Cheif's camp-very highly rated as well as Baines and Chobe.Only a short flight from Chobe to Vic Falls.
This is the page for Cheifs camp-
Chief's Camp, Okavango Delta | Botswana | Sanctuary Retreats

 

[lovetravellingoz]

.Only a short flight from Chobe to Vic Falls.

It is also very easy and cheap to go from Chobe to Vic Falls with speed boat to cross the Zambezi River at Kazungula and then taxi. Note that you take the speed boat as the Kazungula Ferry has a huge queue.

We did the reverse on our trip to Africa. Very quick border crossing too. Though we had to walk through some sterilisation fluid in our shoes!


Crossing the Zambesi River into Botswana

 

[turtlemichael]

I stayed there (Monwana at Thornybush) a couple of years ago too. Wonderful experience. I was most impressed with the guides and how caring they were of their environment.

 

[amaroo]

Subscribing....

 

[Assassin]

I would add my recommendation for Botswana. It has much more of a remote wilderness feel than the South African game reserves bordering Kruger. We have just come back from a trip to Camp Moremi and Camp Xakanaxa in the Moremi game reserve and Savute under Canvas, a luxury camping option in the Savute area of Chobe. We have also previously been to a few lodges in the Okavango Delta.
Prices tend to be higher in Botswana than in neighbouring countries but IMHO, it's generally worth it.

 

[Guvner]

I stayed at Thanda a few years back with my kids. Loved it, already planning a return trip.

 

[love_the_life]

I would add my recommendation for Botswana. It has much more of a remote wilderness feel than the South African game reserves bordering Kruger. We have just come back from a trip to Camp Moremi and Camp Xakanaxa in the Moremi game reserve and Savute under Canvas, a luxury camping option in the Savute area of Chobe. We have also previously been to a few lodges in the Okavango Delta.
Prices tend to be higher in Botswana than in neighbouring countries but IMHO, it's generally worth it.

Was that with &Beyond? There has been criticism that they can have up to 9 per jeep though when we used them in Timbavati and Sabi Sand there was only every 4 or 5 on each drive.