Kariega Game Reserve Ukhozi Lodge

It was our second time visiting Kariega (thanks to an Instagram competition win!) - last time we stayed and Settlers Drift and this time we were at the Ukhozi Lodge… and it was just as spectacular as our first stay! The staff and service was great and the food was exceptional. We particularly enjoyed the braai night - fab food (and atmosphere with the singing also). The accommodation was incredibly clean and the decor is great. Huge comfy beds! Unfortunately the weather wasn’t warm enough for us to brave the plunge pool on our balcony or the communal pool. We had an issue with our shower one night but it was fixed within 15 mins of reporting the problem to reception. The cleaning of the room while you are on the morning drive and the turn down service when you are on the evening drive are lovely touches. Obviously a very special mention is needed for our guide - Melissa. She had it all - amazing knowledge of the animals (and plants and stars!), great chatting away with us all, fab bartender / barrista(!), lovely to spend time with at breakfast/dinner, not to mention the driving skills. Her determination was second to none in ensuring we saw the lions - not only did we find the 2 male lions, but also the female lion with her 3 cubs - wow. Also, the rain was pretty epic one day - hats off to her to keep smiling, driving & talking! She also took us on a walking guided tour one day in-between both safari drives. Feeling very lucky to have had so many amazing encounters with the animals. I feel so lucky to have experienced Kariega twice now and would love to make it three!

From arrival to departure the staff were wonderful, the luxury room was clean and beautiful. The view itself stunning. Food excellent, room and surroundings spectacular. A special thanks to JJ our safari guide who was amazing. Very knowledgable and great safari experience.

Wow Wow Wow If you are looking for a truly wonderful experience look no further, There will be a similar review posted for the River Lodge as we also spent several nights there. I'll begin by saying that Ukhozi lodge was stunning, the room was so well appointed and the renovations made this stand out from the River Lodge. We were gutted we only had 2 nights here. The reserve itself is incredible. We were fortunate to have 8 nights in total across the two lodges which afford us the opportunity to experience the big five and avoided us feeling like we had to see everything on one game drive - although within our two nights here we had seen the majority of the big 5 with the first day and a half! The food was truly exceptional here and we were blown away by it - if anything there was too much! The drinks were also of an impeccable standard with a great selection of International drinks and an array of South African wines that were all amazing. As mentioned our suite was well appointed and designed so well with really useful details (Like a glass fronted fridge so you could see the contents without opening the fridge and hooks by the doors, a coffee machine in the room to name but a few. There was no screen in the rooms which was actually quite refreshing. Our guide JJ was top drawer and made tracking look easy, and happy to impart how he was able to follow the tracks, whether it was spotting Elephants, Birds, Lions, Rhinos or finding the Hippos. He was also happy sharing information and setting up our breakfast coffees and Sundowners. The Staff were fantastic and nothing was too much trouble. I don't recall my glass ever getting empty at dinner! I have already recommended this too everyone I know and words can't ever express how wonderful Kariega is. We originally wanted to spend the whole time in the river lodge but found that due to the renovations Ukhozi was actually nicer (While we preferred the vibe at River Lodge being slightly more laid back and on the river!) We absolutely loved our time across both stays and would put this is in top experiences we have had!

An absolutely fabulous few days at Kariega. Stunning location immaculate public areas and beautiful rooms/suites. Zukos and her team could not do enough for us and ensured our every need was catered for. The whole staff were exceptional helpful, efficient and extremely good at their jobs. Tandos looked after us at meal teams and ensured we were looked after from the moment we walked through the door. Mabhuti & Pam entertained us with traditional songs and dance which was throughly entertaining. Then they both reverted back to their front of house jobs. The game runs with JJ our ranger were outstanding and he went the extra mile to ensure we were safe, & well informed on the different aspects of the landscape and the animals roaming on it. One not to forget

This lodge is more adult themed as no children under 12 are permitted. Exceptional service (you are met after each drive with warm towels and a drink) The food and wine are up a notch from Main Lodge and the bar, dining room are superb with open fires roaring in the evenings. Ben, our guide was great. Fantastically knowledgable, skilful and with a great sense of humour. Kariega has such varied topography so it is a pleasure to drive around.

This place is a dream. We had 3 nights at this beautiful resort as part of our honeymoon. The individual lodges are stunning with their views over the reserve and individual plunge pools. Staff and food are amazing! The main lodge is beautifully decorated and cosy in the evenings. Our guide JJ was fabulous - so knowledgeable and made our game drives so much fun. This place is phenomenal and if you get the chance I urge you to go! Thanks for having us Ukhozi lodge :)

Wow, what an experience me and my partner had, from the moment we arrived to the day we left. We did three nights at Ukhozi lodge, which is a beautiful building. The communal area is cosy with sofas and a fire place, as well as a bar and a viewing platform. There is also an area to sit and have breakfast, lunch and dinner. All the food we had was lovely and was different everyday. My partner is gluten free and they catered perfectly to his dietary needs. Breakfast was a continental buffet with cooked breakfast orders. Lunch was a set menu and dinner was usually a sit down three course meal with different options. For this, me and my partner sat on a table together but on our final night we sat as our game drive group and guide which was lovely. One night was also a buffet bbq style. All the staff are attentive, welcoming and friendly and they really helped ukhozi have a relaxed, fun 5* experiance. We had a game drive very morning and late afternoon which were amazing, and our guide Ben was great. He focused on what we wanted to see and was always looking for tracks to see where the animals were. His knowledge was great and he answered all our questions. At the end of every drive, staff would welcome us with a drink. Our room had a plunge pool and view over the valley. Make sure you pack your binoculars to see the animals from the balcony. The main pool is pure luxury and we enjoyed relaxing there most afternoons. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my 30th birthday. They left me a bottle of wine, baked me a cake and sang me happy birthday, really making my experience so special.

You cannot miss a visit to this lodge when visiting the Eastern Cape. We have visited several lodges in the area and were not disappointed. The lodge and accommodation are exceptional and Matt, our ranger made our visit one of our favourites. Be sure to not miss this 'gem'.

Spent 3 nights celebrating a special birthday with the family. Absolutely Beautiful Lodge, staff were so friendly and accommodating, the food was delicious, our accommodation exceeded 5* and our ranger JJ was so informative & enthusiastic