Woodbury Lodge – Amakhala Game Reserve

5 stars what a fantastic trip You see all the big 5 we came into contact on our first day with a lion in our car on the way into Woodbury Lodge (bit scary ) The staff at the resort are excellent and the food is delicious The guides make a real effort for you to see as much as possible.Thanks Roxy The reserve is vast and expanding .This was our first African Safari and we couldn’t have asked for more

The highlight of our holiday to South Africa! A beautiful lodge with comfortable air con and tranquility (and yes a few necessary spiders) but providing the most incredible authentic experience of the wildlife, animals, birds, flora and fauna of this game reserve. Food and wine were excellent and plentiful, the service was superb, including gin and tonics during our afternoon game drive! We had an excellent guide, Greg, with such a knowledge and passion for his work as a guide, and he led us to observe over 60 species over the course of 2 days and 4 game drives, starting with a wake up call at 5.30am for the pre-dawn game drive til 9.30am, then a second at 4pm lasting til nearly 8pm. He drove us through a fantastic storm, thunder and lightning and an impressive downpour which had us soaked but we saw so much! Listening to him explaining the habits of turtles, giraffes, buffalo and rhinos was an education, and will stay with us for life.The memories of elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, lions, ostriches fighting a jackal, a spotted eagle owl capturing a frog at night, secretary birds stalking their prey, a brown hyena and a family of bat-eared foxes… and the white rhinos and hippo, it was all simply wonderful! Many many thanks for the best experience ever. We hope very much to return one day.

Great lodges and safari drives. The Woodberry was in a tranquil location in the reservation. The safari drives were good with knowledgeable trackers and the apres safari drinks around the fire was a nice touch. The lodges were spacious and comfortable and the staff were friendly. It's a shame wifi is not available in the lodges. The only disappointment for us was the food. Breakfast was fine though you need to order it the night before. Lunch was a buffet and dinner needed to be ordered too but with a very limited choice and no choice of starter, it was just put in front of you and my wife hates asparagus. The dining area was one large table where all guests sat at set times for all meals. This was quite a nice idea as it was a social event too. We met some lovely people so all in all a satisfactory experience.

We stayed for three nights at this lodge in the Amakhala Game Reserve and enjoyed our time tremendously. We were the only guests for part of the time and were treated superbly. Food is very good and meals are eaten together with other guests and rangers. Alcohol is available at all times too and there is a pleasant indoor lounge for when the weather is inclement. Our room was comfortable and well maintained by the staff and the views from the lodge meant that you could often spot wildlife. We had six game drives with JP and enjoyed each of them. His knowledge and insight was amazing. We saw all the animals that we hoped to despite the cold, sometimes wet, weather. The three hours for each drive means that you are never in a rush to move on from one location to another. Excellent, and no need for malaria tablets either!!

We had an amazing time at Woodbury. You feel so comfortable and welcomed and they go above with the little details. We had one very rainy and windy night but it made for an exciting experience in the tent. They had a cozy fire to warm up to, yummy food and beautiful views. Our guide Nico was so perceptive, and made you appreciate every piece of wildlife from the plants to the birds to the lions. We will miss him, and the entire team, they are what make the visit special. And most importantly, it was SO FUN!

There are just not enough words to say how fabulous Woodbury Lodge is from the minute you arrive. A warm welcome with fruit juices and got to meet our guide Rob who immediately took us out for a drive even thought it was 4pm. We were a group of three adults staying in a family lodge which was beautiful. The electric blankets and underfloor heating in the bathroom was very appreciated as it was chilly at night. Rob was our guide who went above and beyond to make sure we saw everything on our wish list. We saw lions, porcupine, caracal, elephants, cheetah, giraffes, hippos, rhino, warthogs, zebras and many varieties of deers. The reserve is ethical - you will never see large numbers of trucks surrounding the animals - I believe its a maximum of two at any one time. The staff wake you 30 minutes before your drive in the morning, you then have tea/coffee and a biscuit (whilst ordering your cooked breakfast for later) before your early morning drive. There is a high end coffee machine which was just amazing! mid morning you stop and have a hot drink and a breakfast snack. I highly recommend the hot chocolate its just sublime! You return to the lodge for breakfast; the cheese bread is very special! There is around 3 -4 hrs before lunch and the afternoon drive. Halfway through the drive you stop for snacks and a drink - alcoholic or non alcoholic your Rop always took our order before we left for the afternoon drive. Then it's back to the lodge to freshen up and dinner. There was always a choice of two meals at dinner. Dinner is communal with all lodge guests together and a member of the team always eats with you which is also nice. All the meals were delicious and cooked to order, there was some repetition of desserts in our 4 night stay but we were at the end of season so I understand the need to minimise waste. The bar room also has a small collection of games and reading material with good wifi access. There is a self-serve bar - which is an honesty bar if you are not all inclusive. The rooms are well furnished, with a viewing platform. The bathroom has a good shower and a bath that looks out over the plains. There is a fridge with a kettle and the team will bring you milk for your cuppa if you ask for it. If you are staying in June like we did bring plenty of layers, a hat and gloves as its chilly in the mornings. The pool area is beautiful but is was just too cold to use whilst we were there. One thing that struck me at Woodbury is how all the staff mingle with each other and genuinely seem to love their work. There was always laughter and smiles all around the Lodge. I was incredibly nervous about spiders as a huge arachnophobe but it was all good. There is a little gift shop at the lodge and they also sell hats/ gloves and sweatshirts in case you need them. If you go at this time I would suggest taking a rain poncho of some description, they do provide but in heavy rain they leaked quite a lot. If you are not self driving I would recommen