Umkumbe Bush Lodge - Luxury Tented Camp

The hotel environment is excellent, with beautiful decor and layout. The staff’s service attitude is very good—they always wear smiles and handle various receptions and explanations quite well. We were very satisfied with the accommodation.

Our friends recommended Sabi Sands to us, praising its excellent wildlife resources. This is indeed true, as we were fortunate enough to spot leopards, lion prides, and some herbivores within just a day and a half. What we were dissatisfied with was the guide and driver’s poor ability to track animals. Shortly after setting off, a leopard was crouching just two meters away from the vehicle, yet the driver and guide completely missed it and nearly drove right past. It was us who spotted it first and alerted the driver. This should be unheard of in any country’s safari experience. This minor mishap was nothing, but what followed was the beginning of a nightmare. The guide’s animal-tracking skills only improved on the afternoon of the final day. The driver kept chatting with the passenger in the front seat, never bothering to look around. During the morning safari, there was no guide assigned—only the driver. Yet the driver continued chatting with passengers, without even glancing around to look for animals. During the precious morning hours, we only managed to see a few animals like giraffes and antelopes in very obvious locations. In the afternoon, we deliberately asked a friend to sit in the front passenger seat, which finally made the driver stop chatting. Only that afternoon did they seriously look for animals. We deeply regret spending more time in Sabi Sands instead of Kruger. Later, when we went to Kruger, the drivers were much better. The drivers and guides in Sabi Sands basically only spotted animals that came right to them, while the guides in Kruger could detect animals from a kilometer away. We were very happy—such skills are truly deserving of tips. The hotel also made a mistake in the billing, overcharging us by 300 rand. It was only after carefully checking the bill that I noticed the error. The front desk staff suggested we buy something to offset the amount.

Me pareció un lugar precioso y los safaris muy recomendables.Añadir la profesionalidad y conocimientos de nuestro guía y chófer Stephen. Maravilloso y con grandes conocimientos.

Stunning tented accommodation with a wonderful outdoor rainforest shower and patio. We couldn’t feel more closer to nature than we did. Simply gorgeous setting.

Nothing

Nous avons adoré cet endroit. Personnel attentionné, parties communes magnifiques, chambres confortables, et safaris magiques. Merci

Everything was just perfect. The tents, the staff, the guides, the game drives, dinner, breakfast, the pool. 10/10

Wir wurden sehr freundlich empfangen, als wir mit unserem Auto angekommen sind. Das Zelt hatte alles was man braucht, es wurde sogar eine Wärmflasche abends ins Bett gelegt, damit es schon vorgewärmt ist. (Was nach den abendlichen Game Drives und dem Abendessen draußen sehr angenehm war) Das Essen war gut und das Personal sehr freundlich. Die Terrasse mit Pool und Blick auf die Tiere sind ein Traum. Unser Guide Charlie war super, er hat unsere Game Drives mit viel Freude und Fachwissen unvergesslich gemacht. Wir hatten Glück fast alle der Big 5 zu sehen, nur die Löwen wollten sich uns nicht zeigen, was unser Erlebnis in keinster Weise geschmälert hat. Es sind immer noch frei lebende Tiere und es ist nichts garantiert. Dafür hatten wir das unglaubliche Glück die Kombination Pangolin, Leopard & Hyäne zu sehen. Wir können die Ukumbe Lodge zu 100% empfehlen!

Die Unterkunft war super! Die Straße zur Lodge war mit unserem gemieteten Polo gut machbar, aber mit einem SUV wäre die Fahrt bestimmt etwas angenehmer gewesen.

Wonderful tree deck to sit & watch the wild animals come & drink water, frolicking, etc. Last night the elephants came by to say goodbye! The staff were amazing, went out of their way to accommodate our needs! Loved bumping into the wildlife in & around the lodge!

No issues whatsoever.

Our guide Charlie, deeply liking his job, made the big part of our stay a success. A big 11/10 for him. Great tent experience stay and staff were always kind and attentive. Standard tents are a bit small but overall we were well installed. The food was very good at every time. The lodge itself offer a great terrasse with a superb view point in the bush. We also had a nice bush walk with Peter their lead guide which is really knowledgeable.

I would definitely expect them to have a tracker for morning drive too. Our guide was great but would probably enjoy a little extra help. A lot of exclusion that needs to be added to the bill. Nothing incorrect but they could easily offer a more inclusive price.