Vuyani River Lodge

Absolutely fantastic all round experience. We saw the big 5 at close quarters - truly breathtaking. I'll particularly remember our elephant encounter, where the driver parked the jeep in the path of a 25 strong herd, who then passed both sides of us literally within touching distance! The food was fantastic, rooms very clean and consistently great and friendly service. Highly recommended.

Simply the best place on earth This is without a doubt the best place I have ever stayed. Cannot fault the accommodation, staff , food or facilities. Absolutely fantastic. This place and the staff are truly exceptional. On the first day we said we would return again and without a doubt we will.it was like one big happy family. The game drives totally blew your mind and our driver / tracker spotter were first class. Cannot wait to return.

Myself and a friend visited in early Feb 2025, and Vuyani truly surpassed ALL of our expectations. Firstly, the transfer (organised by Vuyani) was efficient and pleasant, and we learned a lot about South Africa whilst travelling with our friendly driver Johan. We were then greeted at the lodge by the very friendly lodge staff and a cold drink, before the staff kindly explained how our stay would work (meal times, game drives etc). The accommodation (safari tents on wooden platforms) was outstanding - with the outdoor shower being a favourite feature of ours for watching the stars at nighttime. Alongside that, the room had a comfy bed and a mini fridge with a generous supply of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. The housekeepers took good care of us throughout our stay. The food and drinks were delicious everyday, with the staff going above and beyond to ensure every meal was delicious. The game drives themselves were outstanding! We were lucky enough to be paired with Krest and Thomas for our first few days at the resort, before later being paired with David and Direct. Both pairs of guides ensured we made lasting memories and taught us various interesting things about not only big game animals, but smaller animals, insects, and plants too. This was a surprising but welcome part of our trip. We would love to return to Vuyani in future and would recommend it to anyone considering a South African safari!

Firstly, a MASSIVE thank you to all the staff at the Vuyani River Lodge, who each made our stay as special as possible. We will try and come back as soon as possible! We visited the lodge in the middle of February, as a special trip for my wife's 40th birthday, and special was exactly what it was. After 2 long flights we were provided transfers, arranged by lodge, from Jo'burg airport. An incredibly friendly chap named Danie gave us some wonderful insight into his beautiful country during a 5 hour drive to the lodge. Airport transfers are a reasonable cheap option but with a driver like Danie, the drive was a pleasure and much more rewarding and informative than more airport time. Upon arrival to the lodge we were given a refreshing drink and shown to our beautiful 'skylodge' (basically a tree house with power and running water). The bed, as can be seen in many pictures, was large and comfortable, the room has plenty of storage, the aircon works fantastically well and the outdoor spaces were great (shower and balcony). The daily routine during our stay was fairly consistent and could be broken up by a variety of excursions (we only chose the boat ride, due mostly to the weather), and goes something like the following: Wake up call and (30 mins later) Collection from the room (an escort with torch was required/provided during the dark). Following a brief opportunity for coffee (could have been 5 mins longer) we left for the first game drive of the day. This is a wonderful experience in a LWB open top Landrover with an incredibly informative driver (Philip - Thank you!) and an equally knowledgeable tracker (Mpilo - Thank you!). Both of these guys were incredible both in spotting the vast variety of animals on offer and also in giving a running commentary of what they were looking for and other titbits of information about the wildlife (who knew we could have such an interesting 10 mins watching a beetle roll dung!). During this morning drive, there was also an opportunity to stop for coffee (weather permitting) and have a short leg stretch after a long stint sat in the car. Breakfast! The first of three unbelievable meal times. Beginning with a table spread with cereals, fruits, yoghurts and treats, hot drinks and top ups are provided regularly and there is a full hot menu to choose from, which is cooked to order. Any type of eggs, accompanied with all the hot side dishes you could want (bacon, sausage etc). A fantastic meal to set you up for the day and, for us, to send us to sleep happily for a quick mid morning nap after the early rise! After an opportunity to spend some time in the room, in the pool under the sun or on one of the excursions, lunch was served. Every day this was delicious and presented warmly by the chef of the day. Again, more than enough food, and the drinks (and top ups! ) flow regularly.. this time, usually of the colder variety! The food at this place really was a highlight and I can't remember ever feeling so

This was our second time at Vuyani River Lodge, and the best safari experience so far. We stayed in the "sister" Vuyani Safari Lodge a couple of years ago, which was a perfect 10 as well, but this time the River Lodge atmosphere and the animal sightings raised the whole experience to another level. It all added up - from the company of other tourists who felt like family, to the staff and incredible dinners. I have written a full review in my blog (you can find the link in my bio), in case you want to see more photos and find out about other things to do in the area. Hats down, Vuyani team! ＜3

I visited Vuyani River Lodge for 7 nights to celebrate my mum's birthday. Pre arrival information was clear, and staff were so helpful in setting up a birthday surprise for my mum. It's a long drive from Johannesburg airport, so we decided to fly back which I'd definitely recommend. The lodge was clean and comfortable. Food was delicious and vegetarians were well catered for. Huge range of drinks to choose from and all very good quality. The house keeping team worked incredibly hard, and were in the rooms at least 2-3 times daily. The 2x daily safari drives were amazing. This was my fourth safari and this is the closest I've ever been to the animals, and the first time I've witnessed a kill. We saw everything we could have hoped for plus more. Huge shout out to our spotter Creist and driver Thomas who made this a really special experience for us. It did feel a bit odd driving around electric fences and felt a bit like a zoo in comparison to previous safaris in larger national parks but can understand the need for the fences to protect the animals. It was lovely sitting by the pool and watching the animals walk by, or listening to a bull elephant pulling down trees in the camp! All of the staff we met were very friendly and attentive, it was a very personalised service and this really made our trip. Things I wish I'd known before I travelled: - Bring warm / waterproof clothes. When we travelled it was forecast to be 40 degrees and sunshine every day. We took layers just in case, but unfortunately ended up being less than 20 degrees with rain 5 out of the 7 days, and when in an open top jeep it was really wet and chilly (although they do have ponchos). - There isn't really any time to get dressed up for dinner. Some days we'd return back from the evening game drive, and would only have 15 minutes in the room before being collected by the night guard. Although I didn't take anything overly dressy, most days two of us didn't have time to shower or change before dinner. It's pretty casual. We booked our trip through Secret Escapes and everything was perfect, but I would definitely opt to book direct with the lodge in the future.