Woodbury Lodge – Amakhala Game Reserve

The highlight of our holiday to South Africa! A beautiful lodge with comfortable air con and tranquility (and yes a few necessary spiders) but providing the most incredible authentic experience of the wildlife, animals, birds, flora and fauna of this game reserve. Food and wine were excellent and plentiful, the service was superb, including gin and tonics during our afternoon game drive! We had an excellent guide, Greg, with such a knowledge and passion for his work as a guide, and he led us to observe over 60 species over the course of 2 days and 4 game drives, starting with a wake up call at 5.30am for the pre-dawn game drive til 9.30am, then a second at 4pm lasting til nearly 8pm. He drove us through a fantastic storm, thunder and lightning and an impressive downpour which had us soaked but we saw so much! Listening to him explaining the habits of turtles, giraffes, buffalo and rhinos was an education, and will stay with us for life.The memories of elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, lions, ostriches fighting a jackal, a spotted eagle owl capturing a frog at night, secretary birds stalking their prey, a brown hyena and a family of bat-eared foxes… and the white rhinos and hippo, it was all simply wonderful! Many many thanks for the best experience ever. We hope very much to return one day.

5 stars what a fantastic trip You see all the big 5 we came into contact on our first day with a lion in our car on the way into Woodbury Lodge (bit scary ) The staff at the resort are excellent and the food is delicious The guides make a real effort for you to see as much as possible.Thanks Roxy The reserve is vast and expanding .This was our first African Safari and we couldn’t have asked for more

A lovely lodge with welcoming hosts. The game drives at 5 am and 4 pm are very good and our guides Nico and Greg were excellent. We got to see all the animals and the reserve is very nice. This being our first safari (with 2 kids we didn’t want to go to a place with malaria or travel to Johannesburg) I couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t the real deal in terms of safari experience. The guides constantly talked about controlling the environment and only allowing certain number of animals at given times due to the limited size of the reserve. The vision of boundary fences and driving across highways also gave it a less genuine experience for me (Again I reiterate I have nothing to compare this with other safari experiences). The food in the lodge is very good and we were looked after extremely well.

Our stay at Woodbury Lodge was nothing short of spectacular. The lodge offers breathtaking views and a serene atmosphere that truly immerses you in the beauty of the Eastern Cape. From the moment we arrived, the staff’s warm hospitality made us feel right at home. You can tell the staff take great pride in ensuring every guest has a memorable experience. Our stone-and-thatch suite was incredibly comfortable, with private deck where we could enjoy the stunning scenery and wildlife. The game drives were the highlight of our trip... JP, our guide, was so knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife and entire environment, making each drive an exciting adventure. We were fortunate enough to see four of the Big Five, plus a ton of other amazing animals. The all-inclusive meals were delicious, with a variety of options that catered to all tastes. Dining on the expansive deck overlooking the plains was a delightful experience, especially during sunrise and sunset. We can’t wait to return!

We stayed for three nights at this lodge in the Amakhala Game Reserve and enjoyed our time tremendously. We were the only guests for part of the time and were treated superbly. Food is very good and meals are eaten together with other guests and rangers. Alcohol is available at all times too and there is a pleasant indoor lounge for when the weather is inclement. Our room was comfortable and well maintained by the staff and the views from the lodge meant that you could often spot wildlife. We had six game drives with JP and enjoyed each of them. His knowledge and insight was amazing. We saw all the animals that we hoped to despite the cold, sometimes wet, weather. The three hours for each drive means that you are never in a rush to move on from one location to another. Excellent, and no need for malaria tablets either!!

We had an amazing time at Woodbury. You feel so comfortable and welcomed and they go above with the little details. We had one very rainy and windy night but it made for an exciting experience in the tent. They had a cozy fire to warm up to, yummy food and beautiful views. Our guide Nico was so perceptive, and made you appreciate every piece of wildlife from the plants to the birds to the lions. We will miss him, and the entire team, they are what make the visit special. And most importantly, it was SO FUN!