Sibuya Game Reserve and Lodge

Our stay at Sibuya Bush Lodge in February was absolutely wonderful. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and taken care of. The lodge itself is beautiful, peaceful, and perfectly immersed in nature — a true bush escape. The staff were exceptional: friendly, attentive, and genuinely passionate about what they do. Every interaction felt personal, and they went out of their way to make our stay special and comfortable. The game drives were unforgettable, the food was excellent, and the overall atmosphere was relaxed yet professional. We left with amazing memories and would highly recommend Sibuya Bush Lodge to anyone looking for an unforgettable safari experience. We can’t wait to return!

Sibuya Game Reserve Forest Lodge is set in beautiful surroundings, with a scenic boat transfer along a lush river. We paid 36,000 NOK (approx. €3,100) for two nights including game drives, and at this price level we had high expectations. Unfortunately, basic standards were not met. There appeared to be a lack of experienced management. Service staff were clearly untrained and inexperienced, which showed in both the bar and dining service. The food quality was very disappointing, aside from the homemade bread, meals lacked flavor and quality, and even breakfast basics like real juice were missing. On the positive side, the tents were stunning, with exceptional wooden craftsmanship and fantastic beds. The safari experience itself was outstanding. The guides were kind and dedicated, and Mike in particular stood out for his skill, knowledge, and intuition. The game drives were thrilling and deeply immersive, and we truly fell in love with the wildlife and nature. With better-trained staff and a skilled chef, this lodge could easily live up to its price. But for this price I would choose something else.

We spend one night to celebrate my wife birthday. The service was awesome. My wife even got a birthday day cake and a bottle of bubbly. The guides when out of the way to find the lions resulting in a great sighting. We also saw a baby giraffe and many other game including zebra with lion scars, duikers and kudu. . We saw three of the big five. The guide is very knowledgeable and a great entertainer. The damage suffer by the floods was scary. The staff at bush lodge provide fabulous service.

Sibuya Game Reserve is, to me, the most beautiful place on earth. Every safari is unique, and you can truly feel how deeply everyone cares for the well-being of the animals while still doing everything possible to show guests the incredible wildlife that lives here. I want to give a very special thank-you to Sivi, who turned every drive into an unforgettable experience. The guides are full of passion for nature and wildlife, possess extraordinary knowledge, and are genuinely kind and welcoming. This has already been our second stay, and this time we slept in the Bush Lodge. The camp lies right in the heart of lion territory—you can actually hear the animals at night. Yet you always feel completely safe while still being wonderfully connected to nature. The accommodation, including the pool area, garden, and main lodge, is exceptionally beautiful and well maintained. The food is fantastic and leaves nothing to be desired. The entire staff is incredibly attentive, friendly, warm, and simply charming. Every guest is taken care of, yet the atmosphere remains wonderfully familiar and personal. I am absolutely thrilled and truly hope to return one day. Thank you to everyone at Sibuya for another unforgettable stay.

It was a good relaxing time even though the weather was so bad. This meant that we were not able to do all the game drives. Our main aim was to get away to celebrate our 42 wedding anniversary, what other better place than Sibuya. Milly went out of her way to make our stay and celebration at Sibuya very special.

This was one of our most beautifull stays ever. Our tenthouse was great, the staff marvelous and we had Mike, a superb ranger. I would anyone advise to go there. We stayed for 2 nights. The food is very good. The nice thing of Sibuya is that they take care of really everything.

If you're only interested in wildlife and scenery, Sibuya delivers. But if you're expecting a well-rounded 4-star experience—including food, hospitality, and comfort—you may want to look elsewhere. I'm originally from South Africa and planned a 4-star safari as the highlight of our trip to visit family. After comparing multiple game reserves, we chose Sibuya based on glowing reviews and recommendations. The bush lodge was 'booked' (later discovered it was under renovation), so we opted for the forest camp, trusting that the price would reflect the quality. Unfortunately, while our ranger and game drives exceeded expectations, nearly every other aspect of our stay was a disappointment—and ultimately led us to leave a day early. What Went Well Our ranger, CJ, was phenomenal. Knowledgeable, passionate, and engaging, he made each drive memorable. We saw four of the Big Five in their natural habitat. Game drives were intimate and personal, especially on the first day and a half when we were the only guests. Forest camp cabins were cozy and bug-free during the winter season. What Undermined the Entire Experience Food & Beverage Failures The “complimentary” bar was never staffed. Getting a drink often felt like an intrusion rather than an amenity. Morning coffee was a self-service station with dirty pots, old grounds, and missing essentials like sugar. Staff were absent, so we cleaned it ourselves. Our request to take a wine bottle to the table was denied for unclear reasons—yet no quantity limit was enforced. Meals were abundant but uninspired: burnt meats, repetitive dishes, and a bizarre absence of local staples like mielie pap. Even the milktart felt like a failed imitation. To our disgust, the same salad that was swarmed by flies on Day 1 appeared again on Day 2. Substandard Service The staff—especially our host—were often missing or glued to their phones. Reasonable requests (like lighting the cabin fireplace in winter) felt like too much to ask. Our room was superficially cleaned (the bed was made) but lacked fresh drinking water and a clean bathroom. When we reported a leaky kayak to management, it was met with a chuckle instead of concern. Ambience Undermined Sibuya marketed itself as an immersive wilderness escape, but the illusion was shattered by the sound of chainsaws, hammering, and loud chatter from ongoing construction. Piles of renovation debris surrounded the lodge. One stack of wire fencing sat exactly where guests disembarked from game trucks—unsafe and unsightly. Departure & Aftermath The contrast was jarring when new guests arrived: suddenly, the coffee station was clean and stocked, cereal appeared before the game drive, and a new host was introduced. It was clear standards could be met—but we were already too fatigued, hungry, and frustrated to continue. When we voiced our concerns to the manager (Chris), he offered no resolution beyond saying he’d speak to the team. We were refunded for our shortened stay, but t

terrible, go somewhere else instead as this place is always under construction and the service is very bad, terrible, go somewhere else instead as this place is always under construction and the service is very bad