Ukanyi Private Luxury Villa

Attention to detail, personalised service, incredible wildlife and amazing staff make this a wonderful place to stay and experience.

It's hard to imagine this as a problem, but we actually had too much food provided for us; there were times that it felt really difficult to get through everything that was being provided to us. It was terrific, but sometimes just too much!

What can I see about this perfect place. First, the house is amazing and decorated with taste. You will enjoy the confort of your own house with a full service ! And then the staff : incredible. Thank you for your good company and all your help. I definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a quiet and relaxed stay, but still enjoying private safaris. Thank you again Ukanyi !

I liked everything

This property was immaculate in all aspects. The villa was beautiful and functional but the staff is what really put Ukanyi over the top! we cant thank them enough for making our trip so special. I booked this trip for my parents (in their 60s) as their Christmas gift and traveled with my boyfriend (28) as well. We all have different interests/activity levels / food preferences and we ALL could not say a bad thing. The food was INCREDIBLE, the game drives were out of this world (saw the big 5 plus cheetah, lion cubs and even a goat!). staying in the bush was just truly something special. The staff even had a special birthday breakfast performance for my dad and other birthday guests at the main lodge which was awesome. When we do return we will most definitely be staying at Ukanyi again.

That we had to leave!!!!

This place is paradise. There is nothing one could want for. They take care of you, and its truly the most relaxing place I have been to in South Africa. The Villa is perfectly situated in the bush, with a watering hole to observe animals, a beautiful boma and luxury rooms. The Team is super helpful and exceptionally friendly. The food is out of this world. Truly a gem in South Africa.

There is nothing the Hosts didnt think of. Everything is perfect.

We loved everything about Ukanyi Luxury Villa. Great atmosphere! Wonderful people - Chef Rems, Thuli and our guide Never. They all went an extra mile to make sure we had the BEST experience and we enjoyed to the fullest. The rooms are so clean, even the wardrobe smell so fresh. The food was delicious, and what is nice you have your own Chef preparing your fresh scrumptious meals. The place is great for a small group of family x 6 - you bond at the Villa and even on the daily morning/afternoon drives, you have your allocated guide looking after you. And YES, we saw the Big 5 at close range, a family of Lions was the highlight of the day! Ukanyi Luxury Villa is definitely a bucket list tick for everyone! Definition of Luxury and Wildlife experience in one.

Great service starts right from the moment you walk in. The butler greeted us at the door with drinks, which was just wonderful. Be ready for surprises at any moment here! The three days we spent here are truly memorable! Let's talk about the villa itself first. The facilities are very complete. The name Ukannyi comes from a Marula tree next to our house, which drops fruits onto the floor every day, making a fascinating sound! Get used to living with local wildlife. One day, we encountered a family of warthogs coming to graze. They stayed in our front and back yards for a long time while we were reading and swimming, and they were leisurely grazing. Giraffes also came near our house; I was really looking forward to a giraffe poking its head into our outdoor shower, haha! The villa has a large beautiful living room, dining room, and kitchen. A chef comes to our room to cook three meals a day for us. Sometimes we eat inside, sometimes outside, and every meal is different and very delicious. On the last evening, to bid us farewell, the butler dressed in beautiful local attire, giving us a huge surprise. Be ready for surprises at any moment here, but I won't spoil too much! The room has 3 bedrooms, each large and comfortable, and we slept very well. There is also a swimming pool, which the 2 children especially liked to play and swim in. The twice-daily safari activities are the most exciting part. Although it takes 3 hours each morning and evening to look for animals, we were not tired at all. Apart from the leopard, we saw all of the Big Five multiple times, and as a consolation, we were very fortunate to see cheetahs. The feeling of returning to nature is just too wonderful! I'm really looking forward to coming back! Many thanks to our butler, trackers,guides, chefs, and all the staff for bringing us such wonderful memories!

Just stunning!!

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Clean, amazing interior design, amazing staff, amazing location for wildlife

Absolutely nothing

From the moment we arrived we knew this was going to be a special place. Last year we also stayed in a game reserve very close to Ukanyi and thought this would take some beating but Ukanyi certainly did. The Villa was sensational and words or photos can never show you what it’s really like. From the pick up at the airport to the short drive to the game reserve we knew then we were in for a spectacular treat. On arrival to the Villa we was greeted by the manager Junce who introduced us the our chef Riaan, our waiter Jim and our housekeeper whose name escapes me and proceeded to show us around this spectacular Villa. All I say is this place is an incredible experience and one we will never forget. The food prepared by our chef Riaan was sensational and he described every dish that he cooked like he was on Masterchef having to explain it to his peers, Jim our waiter also left nothing out in his presentation and service and of course the Villa was spotless clean every day apart from the odd bug that chose to come in during the day which of course is hard to avoid living in the bush. As for the game drives they too didn’t disappoint with seeing all of the big 5 and much more. With it being our 31 year old son first every Safari he was blown away by it all, for him to see in abundance Lions, Elephants, Buffalo, Leopard, Rhinos, Giraffe, Warrhog, Cheetah, Hippo, Nyala, Waterbuck & many many more on his very first visit was amazing. The information given by our game drive team of Coswell & Jika was second to none, their knowledge of this area(16,500 hectares) was incredible. The highlight of the game drive was the spotting of a male Leopard just as the sun was going down will live with us all forever.

I didn’t like that we had to leave so soon after arriving.