Nyala Safari Lodge

Joan and I had a fantastic week at Nyala Safari Lodge. From the moment Christelle our guide, picked us up at the gate to the private game reserve adjacent to Kruger National Park and the greeting at the Lodge by managers David and Nikki and staff, until we left (with not a few tears) a week later, we were treated as beloved guests. The accommodations are delightful, with views of an ephemeral river bed and permanent waterhole frequented by wild game including elephants, rhinos, antelope, and the occasional lion and leopard. The cottage was immaculately clean, large and comfortable with A/C, indoor and outdoor showers and an African veld charm (including a traditional thatched roof). The food was excellent and prepared by well trained and charming staff. And then there were the animals! Driving from the entrance gate to the Lodge we saw the first of our 5 lepards. Not only did Christelle bring us close to the beautiful animal she was able to tell us about her, how many babies she has had and a great deal about lepard’s natural history. This was typical of Christelle who is not only a great guide and tracker (in addition to being kind and very funny) but is also a knowledgeable naturalist. I am an avid amateur wildlife photographer, and never had to request that Christelle position me for a better shot - she just did it. During our week at Nyala, we not only saw the Big Five once, but two separate times. Equally exciting was seeing and photographing an incredible variety of wildlife and birds. Truly a remarkable experience. Joan and I cannot thank David, Nikki, Christelle and the Staff enough for one of the most enjoyable and exciting experiences of our many travels. While Joan and I are in our late 70’s we are already planning to return to Nyala next year.

This lodge gives an unforgettable experience. The hosts Nikki and Dave are welcoming and give attention to detail. The meals are excellent and tapered to individual preferences. The kitchen staff are friendly and professional. The rondavels are spacious, comfortable and very clean. Our laundry was serviced everyday. We saw the big five and much more on the drives. The guide was very knowledgeable and considerate. We had a wonderful stay and can’t recommend this place enough if you want to experience the bush naturally and in comfort. Five star !

We had the best holiday ever in Nyala Safari Lodge. I would definitely love to return there someday and I absolutely recommend this place. The accomodation is very nice, spacious, internal and external bathroom (perfect!), very comfy bed, nice patio. Dave and Nikki are great managers, they were doing everything to make our stay absolutely incredible and they suceeded. Girls from the kitchen and room service were also amazing, always smiling and the meals were excellent. We definitely gained some weight there, the food was delicious. And the best of all that? Our guide Cristelle. She was amazing. I was almost crying when saying bye the last day at the gate. You can see that she loves the bush and she has a lot of experience. She gave us plenty of information about big animals, small animals including birds or insects and even flowers. We saw so much during the games (twice a day, sometimes even third ride in the night). The experience was amazing and way beyond my expectations. If I ever return (I hope so!), I want only Cristelle as a guide!

Amazing experience and everyone involved in Nyala looked after us so well. The food, guides, rooms, all of it was excellent. Dave and Nikki are excellent hosts and Cristal is a fantastic guide, so knowledgeable about the animals, birds and scenery.

We had a wonderful 2 night stay at Nyala Safari Lodge in October 2024. The camp has a very relaxed and homely feel and we were made to feel right at home from the minute we were met by our safari guide Krystal at the reserve entrance. In terms of the camp itself it is so comfortable. The rooms are lovely and spacious and well furnished. The outdoor seating areas overlooking the waterhole are second to none. Even if the camp is full and everyone is out at the main area you could find a quiet spot to yourself. There is a small pool for cooling off and large gardens for wandering about or throwing the ball to Maple the dog! Having dinner done by the waterhole with table lamps on the deck was magical. Dave and Nicki who run the camp were so nice and made sure we had everything we need. Shylet and Kutso in the kitchen did a wonderful job and the food was fantastic with great service. The rest of the staff were great and kept the camp looking so nice. Our game drives were lots of fun. Krystal our guide was excellent, knowledgeable and funny and made for entertaining drives. We were lucky and had some incredible encounters with leopard, wild dogs and elephants. We also saw a lioness with cubs and plenty buffalo. As a family of four we all loved Nyala Safari lodge and hope to return one day - it was amazing.

Truly blown away.. every person we encountered couldn’t have done more to ensure we had an absolutely Fulfilling experience at this place. The game drives were educational and Nick our Ranger was one of the best.. Dave Nicki shylet Kutso and Francine Went out of the way to Preserve their high standards in hospitality. If you’re going to the Kruger and would like a five star experience Look no further In between the game drives we had such a wonderful time soaking in the pool sitting around reading and taking in the sights and sounds and watching the various birds and animals come and go to and from the watering hole. Dave’s homemade chilli sauce was to die for