Ezulwini Game Lodges

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. A graduation trip including myself, my husband, and our 3 teenage daughters. I highly recommend the Ezulwini River Lodge for a safari vacation. The staff was fabulous, food and accommodations were 5 star, and the safari drives and animal encounters were amazing. I am recommending this trip for anyone interested in a South African safari. Planning was seamless and every want or need was met. The entire stay surpassed my expectations in every way.

Ezulwini River Lodge and it’s staff absolutely made our trip to South Africa. The property is beautiful, very well maintained, and the entire lodge is superb. The food was fantastic, with good variety and had our specific dietary needs met perfectly. Glory looked after us to ensure a very comfortable stay, no matter how fussy we were, and she left us feeling that our every need was met. The guides, Hector and Richard, did an excellent job of informing our game drives and did their utmost to ensure we were able to spot whatever wildlife we sought - leopard, lion, rhino, buffalo, elephant, zebra, giraffe and much, much more. Ang and Craig, who were managing the site, were extremely welcoming. Their passion and enthusiasm for the animals, nature, and history of the region shone through and left us more knowledgeable and also more intrigued than ever. If we could give more stars than 5, we would. This place feels warm, friendly, and so comfortable. I would recommend Ezulwini River Lodge to anyone looking for a thoroughly enjoyable stay at Kruger.

My daughter and I had the absolute privilege of staying at Ezulwini in August 2024. I first want to acknowledge the amazing and knowledgeable staff who absolutely made our stay. Ange and Craig make quite the team! Glory was accommodating, caring, and personable. While in the Bush, Craig and Shads combined their seemingly unlimited knowledge to answer all our non-stop questions. Even when the animals were feeling shy, Craig was able to teach us about something else within the ecosystem, and usually by the end of the lesson, Shads was able to use his eagle-eyes to track another animal. What really made this lodge stand out was the fact that their approach was respectful to the land on which they live, never exploitative. Each night before an absolutely delicious dinner, we were able to sit down with Ange and Craig who crafted a lesson about local history, the law of the reserves, or about the country of South Africa. The meaningful conversations absolutely made us feel like welcomed friends, rather than simple guests. Of course, it should go without saying, that the accommodations of the resort itself were stunning. The resort’s small number of guest rooms makes the experience feel personal and uniquely tailored to each guest, and the property, which often welcomes many four-legged guests, feels more like an extension of the bush rather than a separate space. I simply cannot recommend this lodge, this team, and this trip enough!

When you visit a place as a tourist and do not want to leave even though a new place awaits for you in your itinerary, then you know the place is a hit. Ezulwini River Lodge was an experience that you will carry throughout your life. The setup , the drives, the friendliness of the staff , everything was great. Nothing seemed over indulgent, but just perfect. Everyone tries hard to make you feel happy. I do not know if I will have an opportunity to be back. But if I do, I will not hesitate to come back.

Insgesamt lässt sich sagen, dass die Lodge etwas wenig gepflegt/gewartet ist. Das Grundstück ist naturbelassen, was sich einerseits sehr schön anhört aber in Realität nur ein verwildertes Grundstück ist und der Ausblick zum Fluss dadurch eher eingeschränkt ist. Hier fehlt einfach ein Gärtner, der eine gute Balance zwischen Gartenpflege und Natur findet. Die Pools waren verdreckt und trüb. Die Auflagen der Liegen waren schwarz vor Dreck, die Toiletten spülen einen Haufen meist nicht weg, die Lounge-Sessel im Foyer sind verschlissen und es gibt nichts blühendes fürs Auge. Man könnte der Meinung sein, dass diese Details nicht wichtig sind, da man vornehmlich zum Tiere anschauen die Game-Drives nutzen möchte, die 2x täglich um 05:30 und 16:00 Uhr stattfinden. Aber in der Zeit von 10:00 bis 16 Uhr ist man in der Lodge und ärgert sich über die ungepflegte Anlage und nicht existenten Service. Zu den Game-Drives würde ich sagen, dass diese durchweg gut waren und wir alle Big Five in 2 Tagen gesehen haben. Wirklich enttäuschend ist die Gastronomie und Service eher die Qualität einer südafrikanischen Bergwerkskantine. Fisch und Gemüse waren tiefgefroren, das Fleisch zäh und mit Fertigsauce und Mittags gab es Fertigpizza. Die meisten Gäste der Lodge kamen aus den USA, die den Aufenthalt bei Auktionen quasi Blind ersteigert haben und das Essen aus den Fastfood-Restaurants gewöhnt waren. Mein Tipp: Es gibt deutlich bessere Lodges zum halben Preis die bessere Gastgeber sind.

Only had time for a 3 day (2 night) safari trip but Ezulwini made it completely worthwhile. They bent over backwards to accommodate any request and took care of every detail. The game driver and tracker were very friendly but also professional, we would recommend this lodge to anyone from kids to seniors.

The friendliness and warmth of the staff was the highlight. They went out of their way to ensure a pleasant stay

Hard to get there on your own... but when you manage to reach the place... wow, Exceptional environment!

It was a great place to stay staff was professional and made our stay that much better.

Très belle situation dans réserve privée. Chalet moderne, bien aménagé et propre. Ranger et Tracker très professionnel et passionné (le point fort). Repas ne correspondent pas à la catégorie Luxe : midi pas de choix et soir deux offres. Personnel à professionnaliser (tenue vestimentaire) pour justifier le prix. Comparé à d'autres lodges en réserve privée, ne justifie pas le prix demandé.