Kariega Game Reserve Ukhozi Lodge

Amazing place the game drives were fantastic, we saw everything except a leopard and our guide was lovely. Would recommend this lodge to everyone, from the lodge to the suites everything was designed to help you enjoy your stay, The staff couldn’t do enough for us nothing was to much trouble - what a lovely way to end our holiday!

The game reserve / lodge is about 1 hour 30 minutes drive from Port Elizabeth. The accommodation is set in the grounds a few minutes away for the main reception / dining area. Our room was a large open plan suite / bathroom with a private plunge pool and terrace. Personally I prefer a door to the bathroom but most SA hotels seem to favour open plan with just an enclosed toilet. The room was nicely decorated and the air conditioning efficient and quiet. It was keep spotless by housekeeping which come in twice a day. Meals are taken in the main area. Breakfast is usually communal with other occupants of your safari jeep plus the guide. Likewise some dinners. How well this works depends on your fellow travellers. In our case a party of young Germans had little in common with us middle aged Brits! The food was very good and they kindly took account of my food allergies and intolerances when preparing meals. The main area also has a terrace and bar which was fairly well stocked but sadly no local gin! There is a small swimming pool with sun loungers but little shade. I got bitten round the pool so insect repellent is needed. Melissa was our excellent guide. The game viewing can be a challenge due to the dense hillside vegetation, but much easier on the plains. Some of the game drives were very bumpy and arduous due to the steep terrain. We also had a trip down the river which was very relaxing. The game drives left at 6am and 4pm both for about 3 hours with a pit stop for loo break (behind a bush), coffee etc. We had a great 3 nights and have some wonderful memories.

This was one of the most amazing experiences I had in my life and I would highly recommend. One piece of information I wish we had known before arriving. 1) Checkin time is 2 pm and this is exactly the tone they serve lunch . We had eaten before we arrived- but they were expecting us to eat . 2. We did our first game drive at 3:30 pm on the day we arrived. I only had a light Hoodie we stayed out till the sunset then drove back in the dark It was much cooler than we expected. They do offer blankets and ponchos which is helpful, but the next day I took my raincoat as a second layer as well as my Hoodie and I felt so much better 3. You you have a set routine for your stay which includes times of the game drives and meals. There are two game drives a day one in the morning and one in the afternoon. You have the same guide throughout your stay and the same group of people which is quite nice as a camaraderie builds up. We had a variety of nationalities from German swish Australian and us from the UK. The staff are exceptional from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave you feel welcome and very looked after. Our game host was called Melissa. She was an exceptionally safe driver also very confident and decisive in every situation. We saw lots of animals everything that you’d want to. She asked us what we wanted to see. We also did River Cruise as part of one of our game drives. The Lodge itself was incredibly luxurious and beautiful with an amazing view.

From the minute we arrived until we left - everything was perfect. Welcome drinks, friendly and efficient staff, stunning lodge and gorgeous bedroom cabins with plunge pool (too cold for me!). As we absolutely love our food, we were very pleasantly surprised with delicious meals 3 x a day - see photos!! Not forgetting the main event: the fabulous game drives. One at 6am for 3 hours and another at 4pm for 3 hours. Our guide JJ was super knowledgeable and showed us the maximum amount of animals - he just found them every day!! Thanks very much for an amazing stay xx

We stayed at the Ukhozi Lodge for three nights and what an incredible place it is, we simply could not fault it. A great deal of thought has gone into making guests feel welcome and to showcase local culture and the wildlife. The communal area had relaxing log fires and the rooms were spacious and comfortable. We really were made to feel like part of the Ukhozi family with breakfast and the evening meal had with our dedicated guides. We spent three days with Melissa who was fantastic. We enjoyed twice daily drives (early morning and mid-afternoon) and one river cruise with her. A lot of thought went into these…staff really had thought of everything! We will forever remember the amazing time we had at Kariega. We never stopped smiling…