Bushbuckridge Hotels

"Our stay at Lion Sands River Lodge was excellent! From the time we arrived at the Skukuza airport to the time we departed, our expectations were far exceeded. The Lion Sands River Lodge was amazingly decorated with thatch roofs. Dining and sitting areas overlook the river with spectacular views. The lodge also had a well equipped gym with treadmills, bikes and weights. The staff were friendly and customer service was excellent. Our every need was taken care of promptly. Our villa was beautiful and overlooked the river with stunning views. While sitting on our porch, we watched hippos, elephants, crocodiles and nyala. The food was delicious with healthy options as well as comfort foods. The game drives were spectacular. Our safari guide Mendrew, and tracker, Brian were excellent at their skill. We stayed for 4 days and saw leopards each day on the game drives. We saw the big 5 as well as many other animals and birds. Overall, everything about Lion Sands River Lodge is exceptional and we will be back. Many thanks to Mello and the River Lodge team "

"Unbelievable experience fantastic staff they were great no issues at all Game driver went above and beyond to help us view all the animals Great food and value for money "

"Spectacular stay this time. Warm welcome, welcome wine and sweet and savoury platter in our room. Personalised treatment for dinner and the game drive amazing. "

"Yes"

"Incredible staff. Loved the room. An overall wonderful experience!!!!"

"We had the most amazing time at Motswari — truly unforgettable! Every moment was special. All the meals were excellent, with breakfast and dinner set in different beautiful locations each day, which kept things exciting. Our guide and tracker, Owen and George, were outstanding — incredibly knowledgeable and made sure each drive felt unique. We were lucky enough to see the Big 5 within our first two drives, and got incredibly close to the animals. Elephants and giraffes even wandered right past our room, which was surreal. I’d recommend at least 3 nights to really soak it all in. The lodge’s location is also a big plus — close to Hoedspruit airport, so no need for a private plane. The only small downside is that there’s no phone in the rooms. Once escorted back at night, there’s no way to call staff for something simple like water. On our first night, a short circuit knocked out the lights and hot water, and while it wasn’t serious enough to blow the emergency whistle, it would’ve been nice to contact staff more easily. That aside, Motswari is an incredible place, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience."

"The service here was unbelievable… WOW ! Such a wonderful stay !!! Should have stayed here longer. "

"Do you want to see the big five while being treated as a royalty? Book the Elephant Plains Game Lodge. Their facility is excellent, location is great, and the level of service is awesome. They will be waiting for you when you arrive because they know that you’re coming and they will pamper you on every step of the way: from the room personalized for your visit to the dining options tailored to your diet to sundowners and welcome back drinks. They make you feel like a family and you would not want to leave. Ever. "

"The minute we arrived we were greeted by lovely staff and elephants at the pool. What followed was a once in a lifetime experience. The positives - Beds are super comfy with electric blankets for those cold nights and a fan for the warm days. The food was AMAZING. I LOVED being seated with fellow safari mates and getting to know people from across the world even though we are total introverts. Our guide Leighton was brilliant, knowledgeable and an excellent driver. And the wildlife…. Wow. I still can’t believe we saw so many lions, leopards and cheetahs, not to mention everything else. Being birders we were worried that we would be ignored and never get a moment to identify a bird but Leighton balanced the needs of the guests so well and had an excellent knowledge of all animals. The only downsides… when we arrived we were so hungry but because our flight was delayed we missed the afternoon safari and had to wait until everyone returned before we could access any food - a wait of 2 hours was really tough and no one explained what was happening. Highly recommend explaining the daily itinerary to people on arrival and having snacks available for purchase. Loved the Couples shower but unfortunately not enough hot water for 2 people. "