The Riverine Lodge

The food was arguably the best we've ever had. Chef Kamo was very attentive and his food presentations were a great touch. The staff is very friendly and the ranger (Petrus) is very knowledgeable about wildlife. The place is small and intimate.

We had an absolutely fantastic stay at The Riverine Lodge. The setting is beautiful, peaceful and incredibly special, and the lodge itself is comfortable, welcoming and perfectly suited to the surroundings. The staff were warm, attentive and made us feel genuinely looked after throughout our stay. The food was excellent, the game drives were unforgettable, and every detail contributed to a truly memorable experience. We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better few days and would return in a heartbeat.

Nothing worth mentioning, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay from beginning to end.

Eine geschmackvolle und toll eingerichtete Unterkunft mit sehr zuvorkommenden Personal- Vielen Dank für den angenehmen Aufenthalt- wir haben die Tage genossen und waren vom Essen und Service als vom Gamedrive begeistert- Vielen Dank auch liebe Noma- wenn wir nochmal nach Welgevonden kommen würden- es wäre die Riverine ♥️

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The lodge was once a home and still retains than feel. It's well designed and very comfortable. At the moment it only offers 4 rooms which means we had exclusive use as a family which was very relaxing .This also enabled us to modify the times of game drives and mealtimes. The food was excellent, some of the best I have ever had in a lodge. The chef happily tailored menus and the meals were beautifully presented. We felt it was excellent value for money and would happily return. Thd staff were friendly and accommodating.

No waterhole to watch game whilst in the lodge but the location doesn't lend itself to this.

Everything was perfect and most enjoyable!

Service, care, exceptional food

Nothing to mention

Todo extraordinario. Atención de primer nivel, el personal muy cordial y la comida inigualable. Lo recomiendo a ojos cerrados. Fuimos con un niño de 2 años y resultó perfecto.

Todo excelente.

The staff are really friendly and welcoming they go out of thier way to make your stay as comfortable as possible it was my husband's birthday and they even baked him a cake 🎂 it was very special our guide was also very good and knowledgeable rooms are spacious and have fire place and electric blankets for cold weather and the view is incredible a huge rocky mountain its spectacular. Great stay would recommend

The place is beautiful, well looked after, quiet and peaceful. This is the place to visit to unwind and unhinge. The staff is very friendly with a personalised warm welcome each time you return from the game drives. Simon The Guide was excellent; the chef/s raised the bar with each of their meals. The team worked very well together…

Nothing.

Wonderful staff, amazing food. tranquil environment with lovely relaxing comunal spaces. Excellent safari guide with more than two decades of experience.

Everything was perfect!

Quel séjour absolument inoubliable ! Nous avons tout adoré du début à la fin, séjour de 5 jours. Pendant deux jours, nous avons eu la chance d’être les seuls hôtes du lodge, ce qui nous a offert une expérience incroyablement exclusive et privilégiée. La cuisine était tout simplement exceptionnelle, digne d’un véritable restaurant gastronomique. Chaque repas était un régal et une merveilleuse surprise. Un immense merci à toute l’équipe pour son professionnalisme et sa gentillesse. Norma, à l’accueil, nous a reçus avec beaucoup de chaleur et d’attention. Joséphine, au housekeeping, a pris soin de nous avec une grande discrétion et une efficacité remarquable. Quant à Simon, notre guide de safari, il a rendu notre séjour magique. Nous l’avons même surnommé « Santa Claus » tant il semblait exaucer tous nos souhaits : grâce à lui, nous avons eu la chance d’observer les Big Five ! (J’espère que Joséphine a pu voir un lion depuis notre départ… ;)) Les safaris étaient parfaitement organisés, avec de délicates attentions qui faisaient toute la différence : café au lever du soleil, apéritif en plein cœur de la brousse, plaids et ponchos pour nous protéger du froid… Chaque détail était pensé pour notre confort. Nous remercions également les cuisiniers et l’ensemble du personnel, qui ont contribué à rendre cette expérience exceptionnelle. La larme nous est venue en les quittant. Nous aurions aimé prolonger notre séjour d'au moins 2/3 nuits. Tout était parfait. Nous repartons avec des souvenirs merveilleux et une seule envie : revenir au plus vite !

Rien

We had a great time at The Riverine. The staff was amazing and did everything to make our stay perfect. The lodge is situated in a beautiful location. The food was outstanding and the chefs did a great job to accomodate our dietary reqs. Games drives were exeptional. Superb rooms.

nothing.

Posizione spettacolare, affacciato sul fiume e sulla montagna. La cucina è ottima, curata e di alto livello. Personale accogliente, professionale e simpatico, servizio top!

Absolutamente tudo foi perfeito. Nos sentimos como reis do início ao fim da estadia, o nível de atenção, cuidado e hospitalidade é realmente digno de um hotel 5 estrelas. Os game drives com o Simon foram simplesmente excepcionais. Dá para ver o quanto ele se dedica para proporcionar a melhor experiência possível e encontrar a maior quantidade de animais durante os safáris. Todo o staff é impecável e faz você se sentir especial o tempo inteiro. Sempre voltávamos dos game drives e éramos recebidos com welcome drinks e um atendimento extremamente caloroso. E a comida merece um destaque à parte: os cozinheiros são maravilhosos. Honestamente, foi uma das comidas mais deliciosas que já comemos na vida.

Sinceramente, não houve absolutamente nada de que não gostamos no hotel em si, tudo foi incrível do início ao fim. Se pudéssemos deixar apenas uma sugestão para o futuro, seria incluir alguma atividade ou estrutura voltada para o inverno no período entre os game drives, já que durante os meses mais frios não dá para aproveitar muito a área da piscina. Algo como uma piscina aquecida ou jacuzzi deixaria a experiência ainda mais perfeita. Para nós isso não impactou, porque ficamos apenas 3 noites e aproveitamos cada segundo, mas acreditamos que para hóspedes que passam uma semana inteira no inverno pode acabar ficando um pouco repetitivo entre os safáris. Outro ponto, e isso não é culpa do hotel em si, mas sim uma característica da reserva privada, é que a quantidade de animais acaba sendo mais limitada do que imaginávamos. Conseguimos ver 4 dos Big Five (e quase o 5º) graças ao excelente trabalho do Simon, mas é importante alinhar as expectativas: quando você encontra os animais, normalmente vê apenas um ou poucos indivíduos, diferente de outras reservas onde é comum encontrar grupos maiores. Além disso, os avistamentos podem ser mais difíceis justamente pelo tamanho gigantesco da área comparado à quantidade de animais. Por exemplo, existem apenas cerca de 6 ou 7 leões em uma área de 80 mil hectares. Nós não sabíamos disso antes de ir e acabamos ficando um pouco frustrados no início. Mesmo assim, toda a experiência, a recepção, o serviço impecável e a qualidade do hotel compensam muito. No fim, esse ponto acabou não afetando nossa viagem, porque a experiência geral foi simplesmente perfeita.

Ein traumhafter Ort, sehr zuvorkommendes Personal und unser Guide Petros war der Beste - er hat viel Erfahrung und umfangreiches Wissen. Unser Aufenthalt dort war perfekt & wir wären gerne noch länger geblieben

Incredible staff, exceptional food and beautiful facilities.

Everything: the staff, location, food, cleanliness and attention to detail at this intimate lodge in the heart of the park were exceptional. We would like to thank each and every staff member for making us feel so welcome and cared for. The game drives were informative and fun (thank you Simon) and we savoured every single meal, snack and drink. Now we need to lose a few kilos! This was the perfect location for our honeymoon and our experience was unforgettable.

Nothing

The location by the river is beautiful and peaceful. All staff were very friendly and professional. The guide, Simon, was fantastic. He is very knowledgeable about animal behaviour and always selected the best spots for morning coffee and afternoon drinks! We also loved the food - everything the chef cooked was delicious.

Nothing to change!

Everything. I must say it’s everything in combination. You feel at home with people that care for and about you. From Maria who managed our booking to the handing of warm towels when arriving. The food is so good and I mean really good. What is served is sensational. Then there is Simon, the guide that drives with you twice a day through the park explaining everything to you and the best driver ever. Then the nights in the lodge are peaceful with Baboons in the nearby mountains. We will be returning. We spent 3 nights there and could of stayed longer if it was possible.

Nothing everything was perfect

De service, het eten en de bedden zijn erg goed.

It was peaceful and lovely to relax there. The food was excellent and staff were very friendly and helpful

Increíble lugar, súper recomendable

Nada

Good communication and engagement from the Lodge reception in advance of our visit. The service and facilities were very good, and the fine dining was high quality, to quite an exceptional standard. The small team of excellent staff go out of their way to make the stay and experience as memorable and perfect as possible. Simon the Lodge ranger is very knowledgeable and skilled and knows the reserve and animals like the back of his hand, and he also possesses a very good sense of humour!

Not a 'what didn't you like', just an advisory for others; 1. The east gate meeting point is actually some distance from the road entrance, and takes a minimum of 40mins to get there. If you are being dropped off or picked up, make sure the car is a 4x4 and capable of dealing with some challenging tracks. 2. I have been on several safari/game reserves, but it was my wife's first experience. Whilst she very much enjoyed the game drives, she found it quite tough at times because of mobility issues. Be mindful that Welgevonden reserve is very rugged and hilly terrain, with some very bumpy, uneven and jolting trails. In hindsight, for my wife's first game experience I might have taken her to a more open prairie type reserve like Pilanesberg, nevertheless, Welgevonden offers an up close experience with the wildlife that is hard to match.

De totale beleving, de gastvrijheid, verzorging, het heerlijke eten en de super mooie game drives.

Ik kan niets verzinnen, alles was top!

Don’t hesitate to book this lodge – it is truly a hidden gem. The staff are incredibly kind and welcoming, making you feel at home from the very first moment. The food is absolutely superb, and the chef is not only talented but also wonderfully friendly. Our room was simply stunning – beautifully designed and extremely comfortable. But the absolute highlight of our stay were the long game drives, often lasting around four hours, with our guide Simon. His knowledge, passion, and warm personality made every drive unforgettable. He has truly earned a special place in our hearts. We sincerely hope to return to this magical place one day. Thank you for all the excellent care and hospitality.

Wat een prachtige accommodatie. Grote kamer met balkon rondom. Eten is perfect. Personeel heel vriendelijk en de gamedrive geweldig. Wij verbleven hier twee nachten maar hadden nog wel langer willen verblijven

Niets

This place is amazing, the location is in the middle of the park and across a mountain with monkeys. The game drives are really nice and Simon did a great job driving us through throat, we were able to see many animals. The staff is really friendly and helpful, the accommodations are really nice and clean and you can make use of the swimming pool. The cook does an amazing job - sorry, I forgot your name :-), we enjoyed great food and really fresh.

Nothing to mention

We genoten van de prachtige inrichting van de lodge met zeer ruime kamers en voldoende privacy. Zeker ook een speciale vermelding voor het heerlijke eten en de aanpassingen op vraag door de kok. Game drives door Petrus waren heel informatief, jammer genoeg hebben wij in de twee dagen dat we er waren geen katachtigen gezien, wel veel neushoorns en olifanten, ook buffels.

De lodge ligt vrij diep in het park, de weg er naartoe is niet in goede staat, hierdoor is mijn bejaarde moeder (gekend met rugklachten) niet op elke game drive kunnen meegaan. Voor onszelf was er geen probleem.

I can’t say enough times how much we enjoyed our stay. The staff was beyond words, and the food… 5 stars.

Absolutely nothing.

Este lodge é fantástico. A acomodação é excelente e os funcionários maravilhosos. O ranger Simon foi excepcional mas não podemos deixar de parabenizar toda a equipe. O local é maravilhoso. O safari, idem! O café da manhã e as refeições foram maravilhosas. Super recomendo.

Gostamos de tudo!!!

Exclusividade, experiência! Tudo impecável.

De ter ficado poucos dias (3)

Beautiful lodge. Super friendly staff. Excellent chef. Fantastic ranger

Absolutely everything Food was excellent. 5 star cuisine!!!! Staff soooooo friendly, warm and welcoming Exceeded expectations

Absolutely nothing Everything was perfect We feel there 3 star rating is worthy of 5 stars

We had a fabulous stay with a beautiful view. The staff were friendly and attentive, and they made us feel welcome and special. The chalet was spacious and comfortable, with great attention to detail, and it offered a stunning view of the rock face and cliffs. You could also hear the river, which made the experience even more relaxing. The cook, Kamo, prepared a wonderful variety of dishes that were delicious and beautifully presented. He is truly a talented cook, and we enjoyed every single meal. The road leading to the lodge was in very poor condition, and most of the game-driving roads were closed due to the rain. Petrus, our game ranger, was very knowledgeable and did his best to make the drives as comfortable as possible. Rita, the booking agent, was extremely helpful. We loved this lodge and will return after the rainy season.

The road leading to the lodge was in very poor condition, and most of the game-driving roads were closed due to the rain.

Absolut alles!!! Herausragende Küche, herausragendes Personal, wundervolles afrikanisches Design, bester Guide ever!

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Stunning location . Beautiful lodge. Staff very friendly and helpful. The food was excellent 10/10.

The scenery is breathtaking, staff attentive and professional with a personal touch. Chef Mandla prepares the most delicious meals catering to even the most pickiest tastes. Each dish was a flavour feast! Simon’s knowledge of the bush and the animals are amazing and the sunrise and sundowner drinks are memorable. He is a wise man. Tumi and her team tended to our every need and made sure our rooms were always clean.

Some of the roads in the reserve are very bumpy but that is not the Lodge’s fault. Simon navigates them with ease.

Welgevonden had dit jaar wat meer regen dan normaal. Maar door onze ervaren safarigids/driver Simon hebben we veel dieren gezien. Hij is ervaren, professioneel en humoristisch. De lodge heeft 4 mooie kamers, is klassiek luxe afrikaans ingericht en de maaltijden leken op private dining, beter dan een restaurant. Het eten was heerlijk. Het personeel probeert het met alles naar je zin te maken en zijn heel spontaan en aardig. Hun welkom was heel warm en gastvrij. We hebben 2 mooie dagen gehad in de Riverine Lodge.

Our stay at the Riverine Lodge exceeded all our expectations. When we booked, we were like "surely, this looks too good to be true?", but it was all we could ever wish for! The food was amazing, the staff was super friendly and our room and lodge were truly an oasis. However, our guide was what made our trip unforgettable. If you have the pleasure and honour to be guided through Welgevonden by Simon, you are really really lucky and I'm quite jealous of you! He is the kindest, most knowledgeable and friendliest guide we've ever came across. Please show him all the love! Long story short, whenever you get the chance; book this stay ASAP!

Nothing at all!

Alles, de kamer, het personeel, de safari en guide. Allemaal even goed.

Om eerlijk te zijn de rekening die je achteraf moet betalen aan een of andere tax. Das best veel voor 2 dagen, zo'n €75. Oh ja, er mag ook wel beter vermeld worden dat er geen alcohol verkocht wordt dus dat je die zelf mee moet nemen.

Everything🤍🤍🤍

Nothing at All

Alles was 5 ***** waard. De game drives, de locatie, de staff, het excellente eten.. alles🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Niets

Alles was extreem goed en leuk... simon de gids, de chefs, alle dames die er waren en de lodge netjes houden.. het eten is fenomenaal..

Niets

The food was incredible! The whole staff from the chef, to the check in, to the safari drives were so kind and knowledgeable and welcoming. We were so blown away by this experience and would have stayed longer if we could have.

What an incredible stay at Riverine Lodge, we had amazing adventurous sightings we saw the big 5 in 1 day, Petrus is such a wonderful kind and amazing person we enjoyed our game drives with him so much. The food at this lodge is incredible, the chefs are really talented and serve beautiful dishes, the boma night was such a lovely highlight to our three days. Tumi and Josephine are so lovely and sweet, they really made us feel welcome and were always there to welcome us back from game drives. Tumi gives absolutely incredible massages too, she sets up in your room with her mobile spa and it was such a great highlight to our trip! The view from the rooms is awesome!

We loved everything, the lodge is quite hidden and quite far east of the reserve, it can take a little while to get back to the lodge but it just means more time in the bushveld, the roads in welgevonden are super bumpy and adventurous sometimes you are climbing up mountainous paths so prepare yourselves to embrace the adventure!

Heel mooie lodge, vriendelijke ontvangst, chic, mooie zitruimte, kleinschalig, elk heeft een apart huisje met zicht op de rotsen, met bad en douche, zelfs open haard en elektrische dekens en een heerlijk groot bed. Heel lekkere verzorgde lichte lunch. Avondeten in de boma, wordt geserveerd en je heel verzorgd en Lekker Ontbijt voor ons matig, geen keuze over welke eieren, geen granola of cereals, geen brood bij het eitje. 2de de dag kregen we een Turks ontbijt, wel heel verzorgd maar te speciaal als ontbijt, niet ons ding. De gamedrives waren spectaculair qua omgeving en natuur en we hebben veel wilde dieren gezien, de Big Five! Bellelise geeft veel uitleg onderweg, ook over de planten en bomen en is een geweldige chauffeur!

Niks. Enkel ontbijt mag voor ons minder speciaal zijn. Wel opletten: deze gamereserve is niet voor mensen met rug-of gewrichtsklachten, je wordt helemaal door elkaar geschud tijdens de safari!

This lodge is AMAZING! Both common room and private rooms are so lovely. It’s very open and with a lot of windows so you can enjoy the beautiful view at all time. All the staff did so much effort to make our stay as nice as possible. The food was also sooo good. We enjoyed the game drives a lot and even managed to see the full big 5 during our 2 nights at this lodge.

Nothing

Het personeel was geweldig Dank jullie wel groeten Lizet, Bas, Lynn en Sem

Niks

Each meal was prepared to look beautiful and was also delicious. Personal attention from the friendly staff was noteworthy. The room was comfortable and decorated to perfection; healthy live plants being part of it.

EVERYTHING. If possible, I would gave them 10 stars

Riverine Lodge is a paradise in the Welgevonden game reserve. We loved every minute of our stay. Tumi, Petrus, Josephine and chefs Mandla and Ashton made us feel at home. We must also mention the incredible vegetarian food prepared by Chef Mandla - undoubtedly the best food we have had at any bush lodge.

We had an amazing experience during our two-night stay , it was truly unforgettable. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by incredibly kind and attentive team. The hospitality was outstanding. The chefs prepared delicious meals, served in a beautiful location. We were truly spoiled with excellent service in a cosy, homey atmosphere. The lodge and the rooms itself was beautifully decorated, stylish yet authentic, and the view on the rock formation finished it. To the new owner, please keep it this way :)) The ambiance throughout our stay was intimate and personal. Our guide went above and beyond during the game drives, and we were lucky to see many incredible animals. Along the way, we made lovely stops for coffee or a drink, with a gorgeous view. They say African hospitality is special, and our stay here absolutely proved it!
A heartfelt thank you to Tumi, Pedris, Josefien, Ashton, Mantis and tumero (sorry if we got any names wrong!), you made our stay truly wonderful.

Warm ontvangst. Zeer vriendelijk personeel, heel gastvrij. We werden in de watten gelegd. Wij hadden 3 huisjes naast elkaar. De huisjes zijn luxe en het ontbreekt aan niks. Een elektrische deken is aanwezig. De koks maken heerlijke maaltijden en konden rekening houden met onze voedsel-intoleranties. De gamedrives waren top. De rangers konden veel vertellen over de dieren. We kregen dekens en poncho's tegen de kou.

Om bij het ontmoetingspunt en bij de huisjes te komen is een rit over een hobbelige weg nodig; het eerste deel met de eigen auto, het laatste deel met de rangers.

Fantastic property with the incredible staff. In particular, Ashton the chef, where nothing was too much trouble and his food way up there with the best.

I know they are starting to update the lodge but it needs some TLC, especially the lighting with awful over-bright white 4000k bulbs all over the place.