Bush Lodge – Amakhala Game Reserve

Amazing food and service from the staff. Despite highly unusual weather and rain, they did the best to make the most of the experience and were able to accommodate an earlier game drive on our last day to squeeze as much as we could out of the safari.

Everything!!!

Lovely lodges, really in the heart of the bush!

None

Some friendly staff and generally kept very clean.

Nowhere near a five star safari experience. Not enough animals so it felt like a large zoo with a few animals scattered around. Food (other than breakfast) very basic. Accommodation comfortable enough but dated. Felt badly managed. Staff very mixed; some good, some not so.

Nous avons passé un séjour incroyable à Amakhala Bush Lodge. Le lieu est exceptionnel : la décoration, le confort du lodge et la vue sur la nature et les animaux rendent l’expérience vraiment unique. Le service était également remarquable. J’étais enceinte pendant notre séjour et toute l’équipe a été extrêmement attentionnée, en adaptant les repas pour moi et en veillant toujours à mon confort. Ils se sont aussi montrés très flexibles lorsque nous avons dû ajuster la durée de notre séjour, ce que nous avons beaucoup apprécié. Une très belle expérience que nous recommandons sans hésiter.

Accueil emplacement découvertes de le nature soin pris à ce que chaque jour diffère le parcours et les animaux

Schöne Lodge und die Unterkünfte haben private Pools auf der Terrasse und Blick auf ein Wasserloch, von wo man Tiere sehen kann. Wir wurden sehr herzlich von allen Mitarbeitern der Lodge empfangen und haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt. Wir hatten All Inclusive und waren mit Frühstück sehr zufrieden. Auch das Mittag und Abendessen war gut aber wir hatten in dieser Preisklasse noch etwas mehr erwartet. Unser Highlight waren die Safarifahrten auch Game Drives genannt. Unser Fahrer Wonga ging 2x pro Tag mit uns auf Pischfahrt und hat diese durch sein gutes Gespür wo die Tiere sind und seine sehr angenehme Art und unendliches Wissen über die Tiere für uns unvergesslich gemacht. Das war für uns die Krönung unseres Südafrika Urlaubs und wir können das nur weiter empfehlen.

Bei uns war das Wasserloch aufgrund von Regenmangel trocken und es kamen keine Tiere zum Wasserloch. Man muss sich auch darauf einstellen, dass man relativ weit von den Tieren weg ist und nicht solche unvergesslichen Erlebnisse wie bei den Game Drives zu erwarten sind.

Location staff food lodges were all superb absolutely excellent

Nothing it was faultless from the start to the finish .

Exzellentes Essen, Big 5, naja fast, bis auf den Leoparden. Dafür gab es Geparden zu sehen. Wunderschönes Familienzelt, traumhafte Aussicht und super nettes Personal!

Das wir leider nur 1 Nacht gebucht haben, das nächste Mal werden es mindestens 2 Nächte … Aber das war ja unser Problem … Uns hat alles super gefallen in dieser Lodge.

The facilities were excellent. The restaurant area overlooked a watering hole which provided great viewing of wildlife over dinner. We received brilliant service from all staff throughout our stay, special shout out to Kayla for making us feel so welcome and going out of her way for us. The tents were great, especially liked the outdoor shower, air con and private pool/terrace. The safari’s were brilliant, we stayed for three nights which included 6 drives and we saw everything we had hoped to see including lions, cheetah, rhino, elephants, hippos, buffalo and so on. Adel was our guide and she was excellent throughout, really looked after us and had extensive knowledge.

N/a

We stayed at Amakhala Bush Lodge for 3 nights to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in December 2025. All the staff could not have been more welcoming. From the moment we arrived everyone was so friendly and made our stay so special. In particular, Kayla and Bianca who made us feel like old friends. Our ranger, Roan, was absolutely amazing and ensured that we saw all animals by Day 2. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about his job. We were very impressed with the accommodation (luxury thatched tent) and the main lodge where we were served with three delicious meals per day. We would definitely want to return some time in the future. Thank you to everyone.

Nothing - It was fantastic!

Jono was a fabulous ranger who was knowledgeable, personable, and engaging. The decor of the tent and lodge was very nice, and the staff was attentive and accommodating. Good variety of animals.

It would be nice if the bathtub had a rinsing hose.

Es war unfassbar schön. Tolle Unterkunft, sehr sauber, sehr gepflegt, leckeres Essen, das Personal super freundlich. Es hat uns an nichts gefehlt. Die Pirschfahrten waren das absolute Highlight unserer Reise. Adel war für uns die perfekte Rangerin :)

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Die Game Drives waren super

Die Unterkunft ist leider ziemlich in die Jahre gekommen. In unseren Bettlagen waren Löcher und generell ist die Ausstattung im Zelt sehr abgelebt. Das Abendessen ist durchschnittlich aber kein 5 Sterne Niveau. Hier stimmt das Preis-Leistungsverhältnis in vielen Bereichen leider nicht.

OMG....just amazing! Stayed 3 nights & was top class.

Lovely lodge with great African feel. Top class food and service and excellent game drives.

Super freundliches und hilfsbereites Personal Unser Ranger (Jono) war mit sehr viel Leidenschaft und Wissen einfach top! Konnten dadurch alle Tiere sehen, die man sehen wollte!

Fabulous location and views. Large lodge beautifully fitted out and extremely comfortable. Lovely communal area for meals and drinks and the food was fantastic. All of the staff were amazing, so polite, helpful , fun and knowledgable. Particular mention to Brett our absolutely fantastic ranger who was a real credit to Amakhala, knowledgable, polite, helpful , professional and exceptional at his job. It was a real pleasure to go on the drives with him. 100% recommend Bush Lodge.

Nothing

Sehr schöne Lodge - mega nettes Personal. Grosse Auswahl an Getränken und Essen. Warmes Bad wurde eingelassen nach der Safari.

Nichts!

Wonderful accommodation- clean, had character and spacious with pots of lovely extra touches

Nothing

The staff, lodges, location, food and, above all, the safaris were all excellent. You were made to feel part of the Bush Lodge family from the start of our stay until the end. Thanks especially to Roan, our ranger, for an amazing 5 game drives. He made sure we saw everything. Our elephant encounter was so special and the final sunset was 1 in a million!

Nothing!

Everything...awesome staff, awesome accomodation, awesome food, awesome ranger. Highly recommend.

Nothing, it was an amazing all-round experience.

Wirklich alles :) das Personal ist wirklich sehr nett & es war eine Freude hier Gast gewesen zu sein.

Da gab es nichts.

Ons verblijf in de Bush Lodge in Amakhala was op alle vlakken een onvergetelijke ervaring. De game drives waren fantastisch én leerrijk. De locatie is uniek, de lodges zijn voorzien van alle comfort, het restaurant is heel gezellig en sfeervol en de service is excellent. Een absolute aanrader als je wil genieten van een paar dagen safari.

Alles was perfect !

Wir wurden überaus herzlich willkommen geheissen, das ganze Team arbeitet überaus Service orientiert und die Stimmung untereinander ist ausgezeichnet, was sich auch auf den Gast überträgt. Wir haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt. Unser Ranger Roan war exzellent, er hat alles gegeben, er hat ein super gutes Auge für Details.

Die Aussenduschen im afrikanischen Winter leider sehr kalt und sie werden auch gerne von den Affen aufgesucht.

Just wow! Great game reserve, wonderful set up, friendly staff, great game drives with Brett, lovely food and wine

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Great game drives and knowledgeable guides Polite and helpful staff Tasty food (plenty of it!) Lovely chalet/tent, nice and private too

Bed was slightly hard, but fairly minor point, everything else was great.

The staff and service are second to none. They can’t do enough for you!

Service from everyone was great from the moment I arrived to when I left - I was looked after so well. Loved all the food on offer - all very tasty with a great selection to choose from for the evening main meals (all-inclusive). But I particularly loved the game drives. Roan was a great guide, giving us great exposure to the animals but also being very mindful of their wellbeing, which I appreciated as they are still wild animals, even if it is on a private game reserve. Before going I'd read another review about the lack of animals, and granted I didn't see a leopard, but we did see up close rhinos (both black and white), elephants, lions, buffalo, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, all sorts of antelope/deer and and from further afield a hippo, cheetahs, and no doubt others I've forgotten. I guess my top tip would be to bring a pair of binoculars and an actual camera with a zoom (mobile phone won't be enough), and stay at least a couple of nights to get the best chance of seeing the wildlife (there's 2 game drives per full 33day, but only 1 on day of check-in, and 1 on day of check-out).

I guess perhaps some more explanation about the birds we also saw could have been nice, but that's being picky - if we'd have asked I'm sure we'd have been given answers. I'm just finding something to write in this section! Personally it took a while not to be self-conscious about the bath in full visibility of the nearby watering hole, and the outside shower - but it was clear from the radio chatter that it really is private (e.g. vehicles only go around the front when they have confirmed no guests are staying behind in the accommodation), and there are blinds that can be pulled down.

Everything about Bush Lodge is marvellous. The staff are wonderful, accommodation is luxuriously comfortable, food is plentiful and then there are safari drives too.

We spent three amazing nights at The Bush Lodge for our honeymoon, and it was unforgettable. The staff, especially Athi and Gunther, were incredibly helpful and attentive. They even baked a cake for my 30th birthday and provided a bottle of wine to celebrate our honeymoon. The safari was the highlight of our stay, with our guide Bret offering amazing insights as we saw lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and more. The lodge itself was beautiful, surrounded by the beautiful nature and we loved the pool overlooking the waterhole where we could spot animals drinking. Overall, The Bush Lodge made our honeymoon truly special, offering luxury, great service, and unforgettable wildlife experiences. Highly recommend

I want to come back. 💕 We had the most amazing stay as part of a 2 week trip for my 50th. From the minute we arrived we were so spoilt and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. The lodge was breathtaking and the 6 game drives out of this world - seeing everything. Brett our ranger was fantastic and lodge hosts Tatum, Kayla, Sisi and Atih were brilliant. Food was so delicious If you are looking for a safari - this place is the one to book xx

Game drives each morning and afternoon - with expert guides who added to our interest in all forms of wildlife. Full marks to 'Roan' and 'Jonno'. Other staff in the lodge were also very friendly

Would have preferred communal dining with others who shared our game drives. We're not really inclined to socialising around the bar, but casual conversation around the meal tables would have been a bonus. A couple of tables were set out with overlook to the outside for wlldlife, but with backs to other guests. Choice at mealtimes was a little limited.

Staff - Rowen our ranger in particular! Quality of safari Food Location

One staff member was overly intrusive and would not get the hint to leave our group be when we were trying to relax

Everything about our experience here was fantastic.

The welcome at the Lodge was exceptional, the staff members & family were on hand throughout and made us very welcome. The lodge was wonderful with a very large & comfortable bed, lovely bath, huge room, good toiletries with a distant view of the animals at the water point, magical. We were shortly out on our first safari, led by Jono, he was so knowledgeable & enthusiastic and made the four game drives so special seeing lions, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, white & black rhino & buffalo, elephants ... amazing! And so up close but thanks to Jono I didn't feel at all vulnerable in the jeep, his rapport with the animals made me relax into it, which was great. There were only a few of us on each trip, making it more intimate and any environmental concerns were addressed here too, they care very much about their land. Food was great at breakfast & fine at lunch & dinner, plentiful - nothing all that special but that was fine, we ate superbly elsewhere in S Africa, it wasn't an issue here and we appreciated the wine with dinner too plus the dining room & lounge were spectacular it's really a lovely space and the staff were very attentive. A definite trip of a lifetime and we would recommend Bush Lodge to anyone for the safari experience & wonderful lodge.

Very authentic , very comfortable

Nothing , it was fabulous

The staff were exceptional, so friendly and welcoming. They took care of our every need, even running a bubble bath for us to come back to after our evening safari. The food was excellent and the lodge was beautifully furnished and very comfortable. Our rooms were also very comfortable and spacious, having our own completely private deck and plunge pool was a bonus. We could watch all the animals at the watering whole from our room. Our guide Adel was super knowledgeable and went out of her way to find the animals we wanted to see, as well as pointing out lots of other interesting things.

Nothing

It has that real African bush feel The game drives were exciting & we got to see a lot of animals. Roan our ranger/guide went out of his way to make sure we had the best experience, we came across a heard of elephants in a watering hole, it was pure magic The outside shower was fun on a warm day

Loved everything

The animals were plentiful and the accommodation and the way we were looked after excellent

We had an amazing 2 nights at Bush Lodge. We arrived at the lodge after spending 3 nights in Addo at a lovely game lodge, so it our expectations were pretty high. Bush Lodge surpassed everything we had experienced in Addo. The quality of accommodation, deliciousness of breakfast, lunch & dinner and amazing game drives. We saw 4 of the big 5, plus countless other herds of animals on our 4 drives in their beautiful reserve. Our guide (Jono) really made our trip special, he was everything we could ever want from a safari guide!

No complaints - wish we had spent more time here.

Where do I start !! The room was amazing, the staff and service is the best I have ever experienced. The game drives are excellent and informative. The food was superb. Coming in from a very wet game drive to be given hot towels and hot chocolate and to find the staff had run us a bubble bath is probably the highlight of my whole holiday. From our deck we managed to see so many animals and had 2 little birds that kept coming to visit

The rain coats in the game drive vehicles need to be replaced - they were very ineffective. Also it would be nice to put your drink of choice in the mini bar for when you return from the afternoon game drive so you don’t need to return to the bar before dinner.

The location and setting of Bush Lodge was outstanding. We loved the whole experience (we were there for 3 nights) and Brett our guide/driver was sooo good. We had some amazing wildlife sightings which were certainly beyond our expectations.

The food - whilst plentiful, it was not as good as we had hoped it would be.

Absolutely everything, accommodation amazing and staff so friendly and helpful

Leaving - was so sad to leave

The location, the accommodation and lodge, the staff were fantastic

While the food is good its not high end which some people might expect given the $$$$

The entire stay from, the moment we arrived to the moment we departed, was a joy. The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Jono was a fabulous safari ranger - we enjoyed three wonderful excursions with him- he's a wealth of information, is extremely enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge, is friendly and a joy to spend time with. Kayla welcomed us and ensured we were well taken care of our entire trip. The food was good, the rooms were fabulous! My favorite luxury was the hot bath which was drawn and awaiting us after each safari.... if I could only train my family to do this at home... ha ha! I would highly recommend Bush Lodge - and would love to return someday!

The conservation of animals is their love and focus. The lodge was clean and beautiful. The service was outstanding. The staff were so friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. I can’t fault anything.

The staff, location and attention to detail.

Nothing

Everything !!! It’s was fabulous and the staff are wonderful !!!

The room was beautiful and luxurious and we appreciated the little touches like lighting the wood burning stove when it was cold and running a bath to be waiting when we got back from the game drives. The staff were (with one exception) so lovely and helpful and friendly. The game drives were amazing with just 6 people in each vehicle, and our ranger was fantastic. The location is gorgeous and very special.

The food was of mixed quality. When it was good it was very good, but the poor meals were awful and inedible. And we didn't appreciate being told by one of the more inexperienced staff members that our palates just weren't used to the South African fish - the hake was completely tough and disgusting. And if beetroot is on the menu, avoid it at all costs - we will never be able to face it again!

This was our first time on safari and we really enjoyed our stay - Amakhala has a great story to tell. Only established in the 1990’s by a group of farmers who diversified into managing their land as a reserve. The land is now rich in wildlife and we had a great stay seeing big game animals with our fantastic ranger Jonny whose passion for his job was inspiring. The Lodge was relaxing and comfortable and the food excellent. I would recommend staying for 3 days to ensure, as we did over our 6 drives, that you have the opportunity to see the full range of wildlife and get the best experience.

Had a fantastic stay and great safari trips with Roan

From the moment we arrived the staff could not do enough to help end entertain. The communal areas were wonderful and and our room was even better. The safari drives with our guide Roan were superb and he never stopped pointing out the huge variety of wildlife and telling us as much as he could about them and the history of the park. The food was excellent and varied and allowed us to try the local specialities too.

It was a bit cold setting out at 6am for the safari drives but it was unseasonably cold while we were there.

Happy friendly comfortable lodge. Welcoming staff. Good food. Excellent rangers and game viewing.

The included wine is poor. There aren’t many vegetables in the meals. It is pricey for what you get.

Everything was great; the Safaris with Jonathan were exceptional !

Everything

Thank you for the unforgettable days at the bush Lodge. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and can only say it was fantastic. The staff was super attentive and listened to our every need. The food was very good and we enjoyed the view of the bush and its animals during dinner. Unforgettably beautiful. Our ranger Brad was able to introduce us to his bush and the animals during our days there and we were thrilled to meet the Big Five. Up close and very informative. We don't want to miss a minute of it. Our thanks to Brad for these unforgettable moments! We would be happy to come back at any time. The only negative point we encountered was the very bad coffee. Our conclusion: We can only recommend the Bush Lodge.

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no loepard in the reserve at that moment while it is a big 5 reserve

The game drives, the knowledge and enthusiasm of our ranger Jono. Seeing a huge range of animals in the wild. The care that is taken in relation to the animals and safari park generally. Breakfasts were great. Staff were helpful and friendly. There was a nice atmosphere, meeting other guests.

Food was good but not 5 star. Food generally in South Africa was very good but not as good in Bush lodge. However the game drives were brilliant.

We had the most amazing time at Bush Lodge. Beautiful location and amazing private viewing deck of the watering hole from our room. Our guide AJ looked after us so well on safari, very knowledgeable and we had some amazing sightings especially the rhinos and lions. All the staff were so helpful and welcoming, with a special shout out to Kristi and Kayla who really went the extra mile!

The location and remoteness brilliant for the animals. The staff excellent and so accommodating. The ranger Johno was simply incredible. Knowledge, manner, information and simply his passion was infectious. We love animals but Jo Jo ( Johno) is an encyclopedia and should write a book This boy is in a different league and a true asset to the property. We were out in rain and dry. As a result of rain saw lion at jeeps length seeking cover and giraffe, buffalo, cheetah, rhino, elephant as well as so many kudo, zebra, impala, water buck, water buck, hoopoe, eagles,the list goes on. One highlight the cheetah kill of a kudo and 3 brothers feeding off him. Thank you Johno, Kristi Jordan and all staff for a wonderful 2 nights. We hope to come back with our children and grand children

Weather and Wind although the rain benefited us on our 3rd drive in the afternoon with full rain and in the morning with also moderate rain. The second day was much colder and the fire extinguished due to wind. All natural phenomena 😂

Fantastic property. Wonderful game drives and brilliant staff Delicious food and wine through the day. Comfortable and spotlessly clean.

That we did not book for longer !!!!!

Breakfast was pleasant lots of choice . Staff were pleasant and AJ did his best to find what animals we did see. Nice touch fire being lit in tent and bath ran when returned after drive.

Toilets in main lodge stained didn’t look clean . The tent toilets again were very dirty and tired desperately needed new seats . The tent felt very tired difficulty opening and closing concertina doors warped. Tent desperately in need of refurbishment. Expected to see more animals didn’t go on morning drive as I was ill but did ask other couple on same one and stated they only saw one rhino and wart hogs.

The setting was great, food was lovely, room was large and had a private plunge pool where you could watch for wildlife. Felt very peaceful.

Dinner would have been better served a bit later - the turnaround between getting in from a game drive and being ready for dinner was sometimes about 30mins, which wasn't really enough time to get ready/make full use of the room facilities. The outdoor shower was nice but had nesting birds and sometimes monkeys playing around in it - part of the fun I guess but meant it wasn't always that useable!

Our stay of 48 hours at Bush Lodge in the Amakhala Game Reserve was memorable for all the right reasons. All staff, including our two rangers, were first class. Food was copious and delicious. All arrangements worked smoothly. Game viewings were excellent. Strongly recommended.

It would be helpful if directions to the property strongly advised guests (many of whom will be foreigners unfamiliar with the area) against taking the minor road down to the N2 from Paterson. This is an unpaved, un-signed road with many ruts and deep potholes. Although this route looks OK on the map and is favoured by in-car GPS systems, this 10 km stretch of road is unsuitable for ordinary vehicles (ie cars without 4WD)

Unfortunately, we only spent one night at the Bush Lodge. Despite the short time, we saw a lot of animals during the two game drives thanks to our fantastic and very experienced ranger Jona and got especially very close to the herd of elephants. The whole team at Bush Lodge was incredibly friendly and helpful and we received a very warm welcome. Due to the limited number of accommodations, the atmosphere is very relaxed and personal, which we really liked. Great breakfast and lots of nice little things (e.g. heated fireplace in your own tent after returning from the game drive and much more). Thanks a lot to everyone for this great experience!

Nothing

Outstanding service and atmosphere. Knowledge of the game guides

The only criticism would be almost too much food. The lunch menu could be much lighter eg salad selection as breakfast is late and the evening meal is 3 course. Also a fish selection rather than 2 meat in the evening. There was a vegetarian alternative but not fish. Light or skimming milk would be preferable too.

This is a superb place to stay in every way, we cannot recommend it highly enough. Over the years we have stayed in many game parks & reserves in Africa and on leaving Amakhala, we felt we could never again experience any such wonderful encounters with a wide range of amazing animals! On the game drives, we were in the safe hands of the excellent Chief Ranger Jono who was so informative and completely tuned into whole environment. Back at the Bush Lodge our every need, whim & wish was catered for by the friendly, well-trained staff. Treat yourselves!

One small comment, our evening host Athi was obviously hard-pressed to man both the bar and to serve wine to guests at their tables. An extra member of staff would have helped!

Everything - our entire stay was perfect. The lodge is beautiful, our tent was spacious and comfortable with a gorgeous view out to the watering hole. The bath and outdoor shower were great. Staff could not do enough for you - so friendly and kind. Our ranger was fantastic, very experienced and knowledgable about the area and the animals and we got some great sightings. The lodge is all inclusive and luxury and worth every penny - we would love to go back! If you are considering Amakhala reserve you need to stay here!

NA

Everything here is incredible, you'll be blown away by the set up, the staff, the food, the safari, the rooms, the scheduling, the drinks options, it's all spot on. The reserve itself is great, so big it feels like a lot of effort to see the animals but still small enough that we saw all of the animals we could have asked to see. The guides were incredible, so helpful, chatty and accommodating and all of the time spent at the lodge is exceptional - chill/drink/eat/coffee/swim, do what you want its all there!

Nothing not to like, everything was amazing. Before coming my only hesitation was price, but once you factor in the fact of the safari and the all-inclusive nature, its absolutely worth every penny.

No negative aspects at all. Great tents (maybe needed to be updated shortly) but nothing serious. Service is next level. Game drives were superb and very informative. Stay here for a perfect safari

Nothing

Perfect location, excellent service. Exceeded our expectations in terms of game drives, saw lots and the ranger was excellent.

Staff were amazing,

Wonderful waterhole in front of lounge area. Beautiful lodge and deck. Probably the best food we have ever had at a bush lodge. Very friendly and capable staff. They went the extra mile to ensure that we had a great experience.

The outside showers are lovely but not when the weather is cold.

Everything!

Nothing

The place is amazing. The safari drives are awesome. The rangers are all very friendly, going out of their meat to speak to you when not on a drive and are all very knowledgeable. Food is amazing, better than many of the restaurants we have eaten in during our visit to South Africa.

Cleanliness issue with the room, stained bedding, asked for it to be changed and nothing was done about it. The meals in the evening feel very rushed, like the staff want you out as quickly as possible so they can finish. On a number of evenings we were given hints to finish are drinks and leave at it was only 9pm.

Everything, amazing lodge, rooms. The food was fantastic, the staff were wonderful, the safari was wow !! I saw all the animals. Had to pinch myself....they made me a beautiful cake for my birthday 🎂 Highly recommended 👌

The only thing I didn't like was they put me in a room which was furthest away from the main lodge (not ideal for solo female) because after dinner the walk back in the dark was scary !! a small oversight.

The Safari rides were amazing with nice guides explaining everything to us.

The Room service was good but overall the cleanliness of the tent had a couple of down sides like stained bedsheets and a lot of stains and dead flies on the mosquito curtains which felt a bit uncomfortable as this was the first thing you would see when waking up. The food variety could have been a bit bigger.