Amakhala Game Reserve - Bush Lodge

Wow! The Bush Lodge was the highlight of our African safari experiences. When you arrive at Amakhala, you check in at a small historic house just off the road and we were a bit worried because it looked nothing like the pictures online. After we signed the paperwork, we were introduced to our guide AJ who ushered us to a safari vehicle for the 10 minute drive to the beautiful Bush Lodge. The main lodge is comfortable and inviting and overlooks a watering hole where we saw zebras, warthogs and even lions during our stay. We stayed for four days which was long enough to get a feel for the ecosystem of the reserve and see tons of animals. Unlike some of the national parks, we never went more than a few minutes on safari without seeing animals and we saw lions everyday during our stay. Highlights of the Bush Lodge included the food, the service and our incredible ranger AJ. AJ was so knowledgeable and clearly loves his job and the animals in the reserve. Every drive we had a goal to find a certain animal and AJ was successful every time! AJ was so considerate of our group and the animals. Although there are several lodges at Amakhala, it never felt crowded and we were usually the only vehicle in sight. There were never more than two vehicles viewing the same animal(s) which reduced stress on the animals and made for a much better viewing experience than the National Parks where you tend to encounter crazy traffic jams as guides jockey to view the predators. The food was the best we encountered on our entire trip to Africa and service was on point. The lodge is small with just 8 rooms so the service was very personalized. Bush Lodge is a great value as well offering better service, food and safari experiences than other lodges charging 3x the price. The only thing to be aware of is that the rooms are tents and offer very little insulation from temperature changes and wildlife noises. The lodge staff does its best to keep you warm with fireplaces and lots of blankets, but the mornings were chilly! It was also a bit unnerving (but unique) to hear the lions during the night. Even though the lodge is fenced, they sounded like they were right outside! The only hiccup we had was that our tent was visited by a bat every evening. We discovered the tiniest crack in the tent seam where the bat would slip in, circle around the ceiling and fly out without bothering us. Not a big deal and after the second time, we looked forward to the visit! We highly recommend the Bush Lodge and Ranger AJ and can’t wait to return. Read less

WOW. An experience of a lifetime. We stayed here for 4 nights as part of our honeymoon. Its AMAZING! Our lodge was beautiful. Very clean and included a lovely role top bath, outdoor shower and plunge pool. We purposely visited in May when its abit cooler/sometimes rain as we knew we'd have a better chance of seeing all the animals and babies so didn't use the pool, although I imagine it would be lovely in the summer. The lodges are very private and when we checked in we could see Rhinos at the watering hole outside our lodge. The staff are brilliant. So friendly, fun and kind. Special mention to front of house team Kristi and Jordan who became friends. Rowan our ranger was amazing. We saw Elephants, Cheetahs, Lions, Rhinos, Hippos to name just a few + their babies!!!! He knew so much about all the animals and their behaviours. You could tell he was so knowledgeable and passionate. I have heard horror stories about cars on safari surrounding animals but there was never more than us around any animal and I felt safe at all times. The Amakhala Game reserve invest heavily in anti poaching which is something I feel really passionate about. I'd highly recommend a rangers breakfast drink, its delicious! There are some super lovely touches like the kind ladies who are waiting when you return from safari with a mug of hot chocolate and a warm towel. Hot water bottles and blankets provided on the morning game drives, a warm bubble bath waiting for you after the evening game drive! The food was incredible, complements to the chef. My husband said he ate the best meal he's ever had there. They catered for my dietary requirements very well. We saw elephants at the watering hole one evening whilst eating our dinner which was certainly a pinch me moment. This place really is heaven and we haven't stopped speaking about it since we have returned. Thankyou team Bush Lodge for making our honeymoon incredible. Read less

Oh what an absolute pleasure it was to celebrate my Birthday at Bush Lodge-AMAKHALA. We were welcomed by the incredible staff with the sweetest smiles and good vibes, and I could I’ve certainly made the right choice coming to this lodge – A GEM! No entreaty was too much to handle by the Staff and they are so gracious and attentive, yet not on-top of you all the time. This gives you room to relax within a five-star environment. The lodge is modern, and the rooms are beautiful and spacious, and it boast impeccable views (the Sunset, the Game roaming close by the rooms etc). The food was spectacular, and they cater to whatever your requirements – what a beautiful surprise by the inhouse Chef that made a Birthday Cake for me, that was cherry on top of our amazing stay. Ranger Rowan located the Lions by spooring pug marks, and we got to experience a beautiful sight of Lions , with one devouring on a Bush Pig whilst the big ones were just playing around relaxing. Also, the views where we saw the Babar “King of the Elephants”, the task breaker was absolutely amazing. The Bush Lodge proved to be a place we want to tell everyone about, but also no one at all so that we can keep it as our little secret. We had the most amazing stay, relaxed, fun time and can’t wait to return to one of the other Lodges within the AMAKHALA FAMILY! Date of stay: MAY 2024 Zandi Siyongwana Read less

I have never experienced such high quality service like I received at Bush Lodge. They were attentive to small details that went above and beyond and made the experience - from knowing our names upon arrival, making up a bath after our evening game drives, to proactively checking in. The people were incredibly friendly and kind, I miss them terribly! Our ranger Jono was superb and made the experience top notch - he was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, funny, and personable. From the people, to the rooms, to the amenities, to the curated experience Bush lodge created - they created an amazing once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget! I can’t wait to come back! Read less