Indlovu River Lodge

Comentarios destacados

• debjanim2016

  26 noviembre 2018
  Animal sighting at its best!

  Spent two nights in this beautiful lodge and would rate it as the best experience we have had staying in a game lodge. The property is very beautiful and one can see animals while sitting on the deck and sipping a drink. The rooms are very comfortable and the staff extremely courteous. Our guide Jonty was very knowledgeable and we were thrilled to see all of the BIG FIVE! The food was excellent and we loved sitting around the braai in the evenings while hearing all the animal noises around us. Would love to go back again and spend more time in this outstanding place.

  

• sidraphotography

  04 enero 2019
  A must for the photography hides, otherwise just ok

  We enjoyed a lovely stay at Indlovu River Lodge in early November, with a few complaints. The primary reason for our visit was the two photography hides, and they did not disappoint! This opportunity to get ground-level shots from the comfort of a hide is very unique, and there are only several properties around Africa that offer this. As such, I highly recommend a visit here for photographers! It really is worth it and I would recommend visiting the hide every morning and evening. My only qualms with the hides were that the chairs provided are incredibly squeaky and it is difficult not to frighten the wildlife away with the slightest movement. I would highly suggest that these be replaced. I also wish that the sides of the reflecting pool looked a bit more natural, rather than having visible cement. That being said, I would definitely return to Indlovu in order to visit these hides. We were blessed with an abundance of fun birdlife, including a flock of green pigeons, hornbills, helmeted guinea fowl, waxbills, ox peckers, as well as wildebeest, nyala, impala, and a herd of zebra beautifully reflected. One day when we opted for a game drive instead, we missed a lion near the hide! Don't make our mistake :) The property and rooms were nice, if nothing terribly special. The room was very big and well laid out- the kind of place you could be comfortable settling into for a while. However, our room was absolutely infested with giant spiders. We've stayed all over southern Africa at a variety of lodges, including many that are more rugged than Indlovu & we are not at all fussy or jumpy people, however I have never encountered this number of spiders. If this is a regular issue, I would suggest that the property add mosquito netting to the beds for ease of sleep, as I found it quite difficult. The food was absolutely delicious, especially the night we ate outdoors in the boma, and I was very pleased with the vegetarian options I was provided. Service was not particularly great, and lunch felt a little desolate. It would be nice to have some kind of greeting upon arriving to lunch, rather than entering a room with no food or staff and not quite knowing what to do on your first day. We had several good sightings on our game drives, including 5 young male lions and a rhino mom with her young baby, however the game drives for me were sub par compared to what I've experienced at almost every other lodge, which is the primary reason for my 3 star rating. I felt that the guides were so focused on getting guests to see the Big Five that they *completely* ignored all of the other life in the bush. We've thankfully been on several safaris, but I felt badly for our fellow guests on the vehicle whose first time it was in Africa who didn't even know what they were missing. The best thing about game drives for me (at other lodges) is the level of detail provided by knowledgeable, enthusiastic guidesinformation on the land, the vegetation, the little animals, the birds, and also about the every day animals like impala. While I understand that some visitors to Africa do only care about checking the Big 5 off their list, I think it is the guide's job to show visitors all of the other wonders of the bush beyond this. The guide and driver spent so much time on their radios communicating with other vehicles in order to get us to elephants and lions, that this narrative was completely missing and I left our game drives feeling quite let down, especially for the sake of the other guests who received no interesting information about this wonderful place. I do want to call out a couple of people who provided excellent service. First, the manager was very nice and friendly, and I really enjoyed chatting with her on our drives out to the photography hide. Second, the chef who prepared our outdoor meal in the boma really made some exceptional food! In summary, we loved Indlovu for the photography hides, but hope the lodge will take in our suggestions for improvements. This place really has potential to be special!

  

• jasmhouston

  26 noviembre 2019
  The Perfect Bush Experience!

  I spent months researching lodges for the safari part of our South African vacation and we couldn't have been happier than choosing Indlovu. From the moment we got off the plane in Hoedspruit, we were cheerfully welcomed by Stefan, our game drive ranger for our stay. He started immediately telling us about the area and the game reserve on our way to the lodge. He is very knowledgeable and definitely got us excited. Upon arrival at Indlovu, it was nice to be greeted by Lousia who runs the lodge with her husband Craig. I had been conversing with her while booking and planning our stay. We stayed in Villa Shingwedzi which was a great place for the three of us with a nice kitchen and living area and our own private pool and boma. The fun began right away as Stefan and Billy (our tracker) took us out for our first game drive the afternoon of our arrival. The game reserve is 21,000 acres and this the bush, so sightings are never guaranteed. We had some great luck though and saw all the big five by the end of our three days. We were also lucky to see the 3 cheetah brothers all together (which Billy tracked on foot for 30 mins), a 10 day baby elephant, the elusive leopard and a great sight, the lion pride walking together on our last day. Stefan's knowledge and time he spent with us made the game drives even more interesting and interactive. One of my favorite things about the lodge is the way it makes you feel like family. There is never more than 20ish guests and it make the experience more personal. I came to the bush for a safari, not a spa and this place has a bush experience while also being updated and a provides a great and educational safari vacation. I would highly recommend anyone going on their first safari and worried about traveling across the world, Indlovu for sure will not disappoint!

  

• DeeR S

  18 diciembre 2020
  Truly Exceptional!

  A spectacular stay with the most wonderful people & in the most beautiful place! Thank you so much Louisa & Craig for your exceptional hospitality, generosity & kindness afforded Gavin & I, something rare in this day & age. Please thank both of your lovely ladies, Zelina & Elisha for the unbelievable meals & snacks. Thank you again to both yourself & Billy for keeping the photography hides so immaculate! To all the behind the scenes team for the stunning accommodation & amazing grounds, truly food for the soul. It was wonderful to finally get to meet & stay with you & we cannot wait to return in 2021! For anyone that is keen on bird & wildlife photography, this incredible place HAS to be on your "to do" list! For those not really into the photography side it still HAS to be on your "to do list" as it is such a special restorative & peaceful place it can only do your soul good! My advice, book your stay now for when you are in the area!

  

• masegom2020

  05 enero 2021
  Excellent visit during the covid period

  2020 had been a weird year, and we were very happy to have had the opportunity to visit South Africa and stay in this amazing lodge. Louisa welcomed our party and escorted us to our lodge which did not disappoint! Lovely views of the river and animals. She also provided us with great recommendations of places to go within the area. Overall a great stay!