Kariega Game Reserve - River Lodge

The food was excellent. The bed was comfortable. The game drives were brilliant. Our guide, Ozzie, was very knowledgeable about all the animals and plants. He made sure everyone understood and could hear him well. Really nice guy too.

The room was a bit dark.

A luxury small hotel located in a stunning private game reserve. In a beautiful location by the river you can relax on the deck and soak up the scenery. Two game drives per day (6:00 am (ouch) and 4:00 pm) where you can see the Big Five and many other species up close in their natural habitat. Our guide, Lee, was very knowledgeable and did an excellent job. You can also watch animals coming to the watering hole at the rear of the Lodge and there is a boat trip to the sea. The staff were fantastic and entertained us with traditional songs and dancing. An all-round wonderful experience.

This was our second stay and we thought the food, although good, was not as good as our first visit.

Fantastic experience, Leigh was the perfect guide, (and maker of hot chocolate!)showing us the big 5 and the ugly 5! We had exciting drives especially when a young female elephant decided to join us for our afternoon G&T stop! The baby Rhino was another high point. The staff at the lodge can’t do enough for you, providing endless delicious meals and hot towels when you get back from the drives. Very spoiling and a magical experience. Thank you everyone at River Lodge!

No wifi in our room

Absolutely wonderful stay. Our driver Leigh was excellent - thank you! The whole team are brilliant, the location on the river is stunning and we went via boat for part of one drive. Saw heaps of animals on safari. An unforgettable experience.

Our stay at River Lodge was truly magical. From the moment we arrived, until the final goodbye nothing was too much trouble. All the staff were superb, especially our safari guide Kyran. We were treated to some of the best that Kariega has to offer, newly born impalas, very young elephants and white rhinos. The chance to see a trio of young lions hunting zebra, moon-lit giraffes and so many experiences that will stay with us for ever, made our time at the River Lodge the highlight of our garden route adventure.

Amazing game reserve with very knowledgeable rangers. Very bespoke and special. Facilities were luxurious and hospitality was amazing.,highly recommend .

Superb safari experience, with a very knowledgeable guide. Room was exceptionally comfortable, very clean and with a fabulous view. Delicious food, served by a friendly & helpful team. Good extra facilities too.

The BBQ night (our last evening) was a bit disappointing - food not up to the high standards of the previous few days, it was cold outside & too dark. Minor point, but the plastic desk chair in the room was not in keeping with the style & other furniture items!

Very comfortable and staff very good

Lodge is excellently located on the river edge. The animal viewing was second to none. The ranger guide was extremely knowledgeable and obviously loving his job which was infectious.

Nothing. Everything exceeded our expectations.