Shayamoya Tiger Fishing and Game Lodge

Shayamoya Lodge is surprisingly lovely. The initial slightly rough driveway leads you to a beautiful wooden lodge with pool and several gorgeous Rondavels. The staff were great and always helpful. Restaurant and food were very good. The Rondavals have no aircon but all buildings are set on a ridge and catch any wind which helps cool everything down. It was high 30’s when we visited last month but we slept ok. Love the outdoor shower and four poster bed with mosquito nets which are recommended September to May as location is low risk for Malaria. Pool was clean and not too cold. The view from all buildings is fabulous especially at sunrise and probably the most spectacular we saw in three weeks touring from Cape Town to Jo’burg.

Beautiful place, so peaceful. Rooms are rustic but very comfortable, loved the outdoor shower. Lots of birdlife all around. There was chance to socialise with a few sundowners at the bar/restaurant or just sit on the comfy chairs, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the incredible views.

We made a gamedrive and a boat cruise withe the excellent rangers Fred and Max. The food in the restaurant is very good.

We stayed in a standard room, although judging by the high spec of everything in it , there would be little need to upgrade. The room itself was certainly spacious enough, erected in the African rondavel style, with a decked viewing platform outside it overlooked the spectacular Phongola river/lake and the Lembomba mountain range. Utterly breathtaking. so much so, that my partner shed a tear on first arriving ! The rooms were spotless, with nice little touches like the kettle always being refilled by housekeeping. Beautiful large bathroom with quality fittings and and wonderful outside shower made our stay feel even more unique. The bar and restaurant have the same fantastic view over the lake and mountains, with a good selection of wines, beers and spirits. The service throughout our stay was excellent, friendly and attentive with nothing being too much trouble. After travelling from Kruger we took advantage of the laundry service at Shayamoya and it was incredibly fast.....and cheap ! Special mention goes to Miriam who was delightful and virtually omnl present during our visit even performing the massage my partner booked (apparently the best she's had)!. We booked a river cruise and the guide., "Lucky" , took us out at 8am, he was extremely knowledgeable, passionate and great fun. His passion for the environment is obvious and infectious, we saw a great deal and I highly recommend it. One last mention should go to the gardening team, the grounds are like a botanical gardens, stunning! So if you are planning to be in the Pongola area then I would heartily recommend Shayamoya.

Fantastic view on the dam, outside shower very nice, Chalet comfortable and clean, enormous bed. Breakfast and dinner of very high quality. Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Game viewing boat trip on the dam (am) highly recommended, saw lots of animals and birds. On the down side: Traffic noise can be a bit disturbing and the swimming pool was not usable, dirty and green

We had a lovely stay at Shayamoya. The staff was friendly and the food was really good. The scenery is breathtaking and is complimented by the structure. Too bad we couldn't stay longer but will definitely be back.