Indlovu River Lodge  Verified Listing

Very relaxing weekend in the bush, beautiful setting, world class bird and animal hides for exciting photography opportunities .
Highly recommended.

Our family of three had a wonderful experience at the Karongwe Game Reserve at the Indlovu River Lodge last May 9-13,2018. We were only expecting to find the Big 5 during our game drives which was easily accomplished in just 2 out of 5 game drives we had during our stay. Our game driver Jonty & his tracker John & Billy are simply the best at what they do and make the drives so much fun! After a long drive, Alesha the lodge cook extraordinaire whiffs up the best meals that keep us craving for more each day! Louisa the lodge manager makes sure we always have everything we need. Indlovu River Lodge is so much more than the Big 5 because we left it feeling that we needed to come back to it someday. It was our home away from home! This special place will surely exceed all your expectations. Can’t wait to get back one day to our little haven in the middle of the Karongwe jungle.

I am not surprised to see that 90% of the ratings for Indlovu were 5 star excellent.
Everyone was so friendly, efficient and accommodating. The food was cooked to perfection and just perfect; a decent breakfast, delicious light lunches and superb dinners in the boma. We are from the winelands and we enjoy our wines and were nicely surprised to find good quality wines were served as part of the all inclusive selection.
Jonty and Billy worked hard to track the illusive leopards and cheetahs for us. We were fortunate to see all of the Big 5 in one day. The evening hide is amazing and we had close up action with 7 giraffe.
The reserve is 9 000 HAs and is big enough for the animals to be considered wild. They were hard enough to find so that it was a good challenge with no guaranteed sightings, yet not so hard that you are likely to drive around all day and see nothing. Just perfect for photographers who want good subjects but don't want to feel that they are in a zoo. The animals were all beautiful and healthy looking.
Thanks to everyone who worked hard to give us a wonderful experience. Special thanks to Louisa, Jonty, Billy, Serena and Tiny.

We were at a want for nothing during the entire duration of our stay. Stefan, Billy and the rest of the staff at Indlovu ensured that our safari and lodging experience were top-notch from arrival to departure. In only two days, we made heaps of sightings (buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippo, elephant, lion, cheetah, rhino, wildebeest, etc) in the preserve, while our time spent between drives at the lodge was extremely relaxing and comfortable. Heaping servings of delicious food (excellent and varying salads!) were provided to us for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as the Elisa and the kitchen staff do an excellent job of matching the efforts made everywhere else at the lodge. The chalet was very large, and impeccably designed with excellent comfortable views available of the river bed. The outdoor shower was an amazing touch that we were happy to utilize.

On the whole, the experience couldn't have been better from the facilities, to the safari to the food or the service, and we can only hope to be back one day. Also, if you like photography, this is an excellent lodge that will help assist you to get the shots your desiring.

Indlovu is a secret little gem where we had the most wonderful time a few weeks ago. Our host, Louisa, made our stay as smooth as possible, organizing everything for us. Our lodge was impeccable: beautiful, stylish, comfortable, huge with the most stunning view onto the river. The food was spectacular and service was impeccable. The safaris were the most exciting experience of our trip: we saw the big five and so many more animals and we were so close to them that it was a very intimate experience. We were lucky to have a drive just for our family which made it extra special. The reserve is huge with only a few lodges which make the safari experience quite unique because there are only a few jeeps at a time. One of my favourite moment was when we stopped for early evening snacks next to the hippos: one of the best G&T of my life! I also loved experiencing the hide where you can see animals coming for a drink while you are hiding at water level: a beautiful and serene experience. All in all, we had a wonderful 4 days at Indlovu. We experienced so much (including zip lining and hot air balloon) that everyday felt like a new adventure. We felt extremely welcomed, as if we had come to visit some friends who were lending us their beautiful house. Our stay at Indlovu was so much more than just staying in a safari lodge, it was the experience of a lifetime. I highly, highly recommend this wonderful place!

The experience was marvelous. We did good safari with the rangers. In the evening dinner outside with barbecue and optimum food. From the lodge you can see many animals in the other side of the river. No mosquitoes. WiFi very well.