Hlosi Game Lodge - Amakhala Game Reserve

We stayed 3 nights here and what an experience we had. The ‘tent’ was amazing, spacious and comfortable, with lots of heat options, a fab balcony point with a great view and a lovely bath next to a window overlooking the park. The staff were fantastic from the cleaning staff, the restaurant staff, the managers and the rangers, everyone was so friendly and looked after us both so well. The food was stunning, I have Coeliacs disease and the the gluten free food I have eaten over the last few day has been fantastic. We were really lucky on our drives and saw so many animals and birds on our 6 drives as can be seen in the pictures. Great new touches since the last time I visited with the game drive tick sheet, the spa (partner had a great massage one afternoon), the singing and the the bedtime stories in our room. As we left the park today, we agreed we will be coming back. Amakhala stole our hearts and the memories we have made will last a life time.

For our first safari experience, Bukela Lodge was beyond any expectations we had! We finished our South Africa trip at the Bukela Game Lodge for 3 nights. From the moment we checked in, we were made feel very welcome and at home. The staff were very attentive, kind and helpful from our morning drive to bed time. The food was so tasty and plentiful! I also have to mention the incredible and fun morning singing and dancing to get us ready for the day! We feel very grateful and blessed to have met our ranger, Mr. B. Bonokele is extremely knowledgeable, funny and talented at his work. Within our first ten minutes in the truck we were off on an adventure to a “meeting” of lions and elephants! Each drive continued to wow us, from tracking paw prints to find cheetahs, close up encounters with lots of different animals while learning lots of interesting information about them too. We really loved the opportunities for a safari break, a lovely chance to chat about our drives with a snack and beer. We really appreciate how all of the staff contributed to making our honeymoon and safari experience a special and memorable one. Thank you! :)

My husband and I spent a full week at this fantastic lodge. Every single day was magical, exciting and unique. First, the staff - kudos to the wonderful management team. Every staff member was kind, friendly and sincerely cared about our comfort and enjoyment. We were well taken care of. They went out of their way numerous times to make sure our experince was fantastic. We will never forget the hospitality! The lodge itself is just a lovely enviornment to be in. Our tent was exceptional and had everything needed. Housekeeping was unobtrusive and kept us well stocked. The food and drink was delicious. We really loved the fresh breads and soups at dinner. And we were pleasantly suprised at the skill of the masseuse's at the spa. They were well trained and really helped us recover from our marathon plane flights from Southern California. Between my husband and me, we visited 5 seperate times. We went on 11 different game drives. Just amazing! Something incredible happened on every drive. We were fortunate to have both Lucky and Mundi as our drivers. Learned a lot and are grateful for their knowledge, patience and humor. Fantastic gentlemen! And YES! You will be astounded at how close you get to the wild life! Everything was so incredible about our stay...but the best thing was, as we termed it, our "Deck Safaris". Our tent was close to the water hole on the property, as well as a game trail. We spent hours sitting on our deck, having an amazing time watching the animals come and go. On the last evening of our stay the elephant family came to visit. Or perhaps say good bye? ;) We will never forget that magical experience... One last thing. In my opinion, Bukela was FANTASTIC value for money. Our previous safari was in Tanzania, and while incredible, it was also extremely expensive. Bukela was their match in most ways, without the price tag. Keep up the exceptional service Bukela! If you were not on the other side of the planet from us, we would have already returned! :)

It was a fantastic stay at Amakhala Bukela Game Lodge Resort. The resort is beautifully situated in the middle of nature. The lodges are superbly equipped and the service and friendliness are simply excellent. Every wish is made possible, nothing is missing. We felt completely at ease. The safaris were also very good. Our guide took us close to all the animals and had a lot of knowledge. Thank you for this special experience.

This was an adventure of a lifetime! Bukela and their staff went above and beyond all expectations! From the welcome dances and drinks, to the gourmet meals, friendly staff, amazing rangers and beautiful accommodations and amenities, this vacation was what people spend their whole lives looking for. My wife and I came here for 5 days on our honeymoon and lived the life of luxury at an extremely reasonable price! Our tent was incredible and kept us warm enough during the cold nights. Our Ranger Mr. B (Bonokele) was absolutely incredible. He was funny, knowledgeable, and genuinely cared about our experience. We got to see so many amazing animals in crazy close proximity all thanks to his hard work and teamwork with the other rangers. Our staff at the lodge was also amazing! Jerry, V.J., Luvuyo, and our other waiters were so fun to talk with and made our experience great! Very attentive and kind! I would recommend this lodge to anyone looking for a romantic getaway or just a luxurious vacation.

Our safari here was incredible!! Animals. We saw elephants, giraffes, lions, hippos, rhinos, ostrich’s, cheetahs, various antelope, various birds, water-buffalo, monkeys, water hogs, wilder-beast, zebras, and meerkats. We were incredibly lucky and they all came up really close to the vehicle. Lodge. Our lodge was amazing. Our bed was really comfy. Our room was clean. Had hot running water. The WiFi was really good. We had our own terrace and was extremely private. We had a wood burner which was very much needed. When it was dark they had a ranger walk us to and from our rooms. Which made us feel safe. Staff and facilities. There is a bar, two pools, a restaurant and seating areas. One of which looks over a watering hole where we saw elephants and lions come and drink. The staff were amazing! They were attentive and friendly. They could not do enough for you. They even put on a show after every morning drive singing and dancing. They offer archery, bird watching and night drives. We did not do any of these as we were always too knackered. It was so intimate as we went out of season and there was only a few of us there. We were on our honeymoon. So on our last night they set up a table for us in the area that looked over the watering hole. So we had a private meal together. Which was lovely. Food The food was lovely. Before our morning drive they would put on scones tea and coffee. When we got back we had the choice of cold and hot breakfast. Lunch were things like skewers and burgers. We then choose from a various array of options for dinner. They had appetisers, soup, starters, mains and a desert. They catered well for vegans and gluten free. Ranger Our ranger Monty was brilliant. He knew where all the animals would be and found every animal we asked for. He was great at following animal tracks and scents. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. Top tips. If you go when we did , at the end of June onward it is South Africans winter. The morning drives were freezing. There are no windows on the vehicles so the cold air really hits you. They give you ponchos. Which is helpful. But i got really cold. I would have taken a beanie hat and a winter coat if I had been told. Also if you are a fussy eater there is no where to buy crisps or chocolate. So take snacks if you think you might need them.