I purchased a steeply-discounted voucher from Travel Zoo for six days at Bukela Game Lodge. I was pleased with the price, because I believe a stay at Bukela can run anywhere from 600 USD to close to $1000 per night. I did not have a great experience with reservations at Lion Roars (parent company) when trying to secure the days for my visit (slow responses, and polite but unhelpful), but Travel Zoo was helpful. That said, I had a fabulous time at Bukela. I stayed during the third week of October, and the weather had surprising temperature fluctuations. The day of my arrival was cool and rainy. Two days later, it was 94°F at the height of the afternoon. Pro tip: pack so you can dress in layers. Clothing color doesn’t much matter because you are almost never out of the game drive vehicle. But you might want to avoid red, because evidently the animals don’t like it. Avoid white because of the dust, and I was told that it attracts ticks. When it was warm, I wore shorts and a tank top — and sunscreen! When it was cold, I had boots, leggings, a tunic, a cropped sweatshirt, and a linen hoodie. The lodge will give you a fleece-lined, hooded rain poncho, which is wonderful for windy or early morning and late night drives. At this time of year, a long scarf is also a great idea, as the drives can be windy.
Be prepared to have a light breakfast at 5:30, and be on the road for your three-hour game drive by 6 AM. Return to the lodge at 9 AM for a hearty breakfast, and then most folks take a nap, or sit by the pools, or in the lounge area for water-hole viewing. There is a light lunch at 2 PM. My husband, who is a carnivore, wasn’t that jazzed by the lunch options. I am a pescatarian, and I thought the vegetarian options were outstanding. The second game drive of the day is from 4 to 7 PM. It is generally warm at 4pm, but it can get chilly at the end of the ride. Some folks go straight from the game drive to the bar or dining room for a pre-dinner cocktail. Dinner, which was a rather slow affair when I was there, can last for an hour and a half — or longer, if you get talking to the folks at the tables around you. The food is plentiful, as is the liquor. (No children under 12 at this lodge.)
I stayed in a tent with the equivalent of a thatched roof. It had a combination heating and air conditioning unit, as well as a small wood stove, which I didn’t use, but I’m sure would’ve been lovely. The tent was glamping in every sense of the word: coffee/tea station, stocked beverage fridge, porch with chaise longes, comfy seating area inside, huge bathroom with a soaking tub, shower with sliding glass doors opening on to nature, and housekeeping service twice daily. The staff were wonderful and so friendly. My only two complaints: unbelievably hard bed and no portable fan.
Tipping was suggested at ZAR 150 per person per day for the general staff (an envelope will be provided at your checkout to leave that tip). For the ranger — who drives and shares knowledge on the two daily game drives — R150 per person per day is also suggested, and we tipped our ranger at the end of our last drive. I scheduled a deep-tissue massage — it was great. Book early, so you are not disappointed; Americans will find the price reasonable. You can also purchase from a limited selection of books, clothing, and jewelry at reception.
To get ti the lodge, we flew Safair from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth (close airport to the lodge). I think most folks scheduled their transportation from Port Elizabeth to Bukela through the lodge. The charge was US$123 each way, which is expensive — but convenient. We used the Uber driver who drove us around Port Elizabeth during our short stay, and we paid him R1300 to take us to the lodge, and R1500 to return us to the airport. We communicated via WhatsApp, so it was convenient — and about half the price of the lodge-scheduled transportation.
Our game drives were marvelous. We saw water buffalo, cheetahs, lions, warthogs, ostriches, zebras, elephants, rhinos, monkeys, hippos, birds, tortoises, and all manner of antelope and similar species. In a word, spectacular. I could have been satisfied with two days of game drives, and it was a real treat to have five days. Though, I will say that getting jostled around on the bumpy roads started to get a bit old at the end. The third row of the game drive vehicle at the back is a bouncy ride if you are on bumpy trails. If you have a bad back, ask to sit beside your ranger. In the last 45 minutes of a drive, we stopped for a small snack and a beverage. There are options for teetotalers, and my preference was coffee in the morning with Amarula, and gin and tonic in the afternoon.
All in all, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I recommend Bukela without hesitation.
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