Karongwe River Lodge

Reviews

"It was an excellent stay with great guides which help us to see the big five. The whole Environment could not be better in this park. Accommodation and Service is also very good. The River Lodge is absolutely great."

- Michael

"Outstanding service right from meeting all the staff (including the chef) when we were getting out of our vehicles with cool vanilla scented towels to the most spectacular game drives with both a driver and a tracker in his seat on the bumper at the front of the vehicle. We had two safaris a day for two days and we saw all big five within one and a half safaris. The food was outstanding and plentiful including a high tea between lunch and dinner. We even stopped half way in the evening safaris and had drinks and appetizers."

- Howard

"This lodge is a pleasure to stay in. The staff and accommodations are high quality and the safaris were outstanding! The safari tracker and guide were very determined for us to see all the animals and we did! Good job! We were taken care of at every turn. Definitely would recommend staying here."

- Susan

"The best thing about the Karongwe River Lodge is the attention to detail. From the Zulu stories left on your pillow at night to the glass of sherry at the end of a game drive - it is a truly memorable place to stay. The accommodation is beautiful, the food is excellent and the staff are welcoming and keen to see that you have the best safari experience possible at the Karongwe River Lodge."

- Samantha

"From first arrival with warm towels to clean the dust of your face to the the opulent chalets on the river to the sublime fine dining to the personlised game drives with Gilbert and Johannes, it was all marvellous. We stayed for three days and it was way too short. The game drive highlights were the leopard, civet, lion, rhino and large bull elephants and his harem of ladies. My wife also really enjoyed her massage at the spa."

- Antonio

"our recent stay here was amazing.. just too short!! the food was fabulous and the staff run it like clockwork. the beds are to die for and the grounds are kept in tip top condition. the game drives are fabulous with our first experience of true big wildlife.. up close and personal! thank you, to you all we will be back!!"

- Narla

"We arrived one day late but it was no problem and everything was handled so friendly and smoothly by them, top service. Excellent rangers who were not only well educated but also very customer oriented."

- Pat

"Having been relaxing in Mauritius for a week prior to this we thought that it would be a short flight over to South Africa to end our honeymoon with some adventure. We were instantly surprised having seen a Giraffe, warthogs and Impala meters from our taxi when entering the reserve and hadn’t even got to the complex yet. Upon arrival we were greeted by one of the management staff baring drinks and welcome information about the lodge complex. The head chef also explained what was on the menu and asked for our choice. Our lodge overlooked a great section of the river with a nice clearing in the trees to see the wildlife. The lodge included air conditioning, fans and a large double bed and welcome note with daily story. The shower area had a large window pointing towards the river, which was a nice touch and a huge bath the other side of the curtain. The toilet area was in my opinion a bit strange (coming complete with air freshener) because it was not completely closed off by the wall joining the bedroom area. So as you can imagine if you have not been together long with your partner you might find it uncomfortable (especially if you are suffering from any side effects of the malaria tablets…) anyway we had been together for nearly nine years so were fine! Due to our arrival time being at approximately 13:00pm we were late for lunch but this was postponed until 14:00pm to account for this. I couldn’t believe the quality of the food on our first day, it was unreal. There was a great mixture of 2-3 starters, mains and deserts in a buffet style, including a lot of local ingredients. We ate this, went back to our room and got ready for our afternoon game drive. We met our fellow safari guests and also our tracker Thomas and ranger Solomon who were incredibly welcoming and very professional as well as being knowledgeable with an excellent sense of humour. We already felt that we were lucky enough to have some of the best in the country as everything was explained in such great detail we were already having an excellent experience with over 9000 hectares worth of animals. The drive consisted of us seeing a variety of antelopes, zebras, giraffe, warthog and some cheetahs. The cheetahs were a big step for us because we were able to get off the landrover and walk on foot to see these and at no point did we feel unsafe with this the staff had such good control and work ethic it gave us a great opportunity to see the animals up close. It did get a little cold towards the end of the drive but blankets were provided as well as a stop off in the bush for some snacks and a pre chosen drink. We then continued our drive in the night making our way back to the lodge. We were greeted with a hot towel and either a choice of juice or a warm sherry to perk you up. We made our way back to the lodge only to find out the staff prepared your lodge twice, once for morning and once for evening and as we were on our honeymoon a nice surprise of wine and chocolates. We went on to find that our evening meal was set on the edge of the main walkway overlooking the river and had a nice romantic feel sitting by a garden heater to keep us warm. Once again the food was of such a high quality we felt spoilt. The next day our morning wake up call was a 05:30am but didn’t feel out of sorts as it was such a pleasant place to sleep and the excitement of what was about to come soon woke us up. It was incredibly cold, especially with the breeze of being on the back of a jeep so would suggest that a coat, hat and winter clothing would be worn but be aware the towards the later half of the drive will get a lot warmer stopping during the middle of the drive for some hot drinks and muffins. We managed to see our first of the big five, the only male lion in the region which was an impressive sight, eventually making our way back only to be informed that our first breakfast was not going to be at the lodge but at an open area of the bush. The breakfast spread was very impressive with a wide variety of hot and cold food, fresh fruit and drinks. The middle of the day was left to ourselves to do with what we pleased but a bush walk was available with the ranger if pre arranged. We chose to relax on the veranda outside our lodge and read until it became to hot or we wanted a quick nap before lunch. Without going into great detail about everyday we spent here I would like to say that overall the facilities were incredible, food was exceptionally good to which the setting of our meals were unbelievable. We ate in the heart of the bush, on the walkway over looking the river and also by a huge fire where the food was prepared and cooked. All the staff were very welcoming and pleasant to talk to. The tracker and ranger helped us see all the big five in 3 days! This was unbelievable and they put in a huge amount of work to help us get a fantastic experience. I Would 100% recommend this to anyone looking at going on a safari and had not a single issue with our stay here."

- Kimberley Crispe

"My wife and I stayed at Karongwe River Lodge for 3 spectacular nights. Everything about the lodge was first class. The service, game drives, accommodations, and especially the food! Our driver Rifos and tracker Obvius went above and beyond to give us the safari experience of a lifetime! Altus, the head chef prepared meals with local ingredients to provide gourmet food with an authentic flair. The views from your balcony as well as the bar area are breathtaking! I hope to visit Karongwe again in the future as this ranks up there as one of our favorite destinations!"

- Paul

"Hard to believe! Staff, food, service and amenities, all to European standard. Competent and enthusiastic rangers and trackers. Accommodations, though not luxurious, are very comfortable, clean and well serviced. All "big-five" in residence - though certainly not tame. Only two hours from the airport over 'mostly' paved roads."

- Raymond