Highlight of our Trip to South Africa

My daughter and I had the absolute privilege of staying at Ezulwini in August 2024. I first want to acknowledge the amazing and knowledgeable staff who absolutely made our stay. Ange and Craig make quite the team! Glory was accommodating, caring, and personable. While in the Bush, Craig and Shads combined their seemingly unlimited knowledge to answer all our non-stop questions. Even when the animals were feeling shy, Craig was able to teach us about something else within the ecosystem, and usually by the end of the lesson, Shads was able to use his eagle-eyes to track another animal. What really made this lodge stand out was the fact that their approach was respectful to the land on which they live, never exploitative. Each night before an absolutely delicious dinner, we were able to sit down with Ange and Craig who crafted a lesson about local history, the law of the reserves, or about the country of South Africa. The meaningful conversations absolutely made us feel like welcomed friends, rather than simple guests. Of course, it should go without saying, that the accommodations of the resort itself were stunning. The resort’s small number of guest rooms makes the experience feel personal and uniquely tailored to each guest, and the property, which often welcomes many four-legged guests, feels more like an extension of the bush rather than a separate space. I simply cannot recommend this lodge, this team, and this trip enough!

When you visit a place as a tourist and do not want to leave even though a new place awaits for you in your itinerary, then you know the place is a hit. Ezulwini River Lodge was an experience that you will carry throughout your life. The setup , the drives, the friendliness of the staff , everything was great. Nothing seemed over indulgent, but just perfect. Everyone tries hard to make you feel happy. I do not know if I will have an opportunity to be back. But if I do, I will not hesitate to come back.

Short Safari Trip

Only had time for a 3 day (2 night) safari trip but Ezulwini made it completely worthwhile. They bent over backwards to accommodate any request and took care of every detail. The game driver and tracker were very friendly but also professional, we would recommend this lodge to anyone from kids to seniors.

Very good safari option

The friendliness and warmth of the staff was the highlight. They went out of their way to ensure a pleasant stay

Hard to get there on your own... but when you manage to reach the place... wow, Exceptional environment!

Great Lodge

It was a great place to stay staff was professional and made our stay that much better.

Best hotel in its class

I enjoyed my stay at Ezulwini very much. While it may not be an ultra luxury resort, it is very nice and well kept and provides a feel like you are among family (albeit in the middle of the bush). I went solo on a business trip and was treated great. Food was still brought for about ten people and it was fresh and very good. Sean, the manager, hung out having beers with me and discussed south Africa, and on another night showed us the beautiful wine cellar. That same night, a full barbecue with African song and dance was given by the employees and it seemed authentic and was great. Finally, the driver and tracker Lawrence and Conrad were unbelievable and really made the experience. They went above and beyond and I actually saw all big 5 on my first tour out. I stayed at the more modern and larger Billy's lodge but also took a ride over to River and you can't go wrong either way. I highly recommend Ezulwini for the value offered in that price range and would definitely return.

Fabulous Safari!

The 2x daily safari drives were incredible! The Guides, Tracker and Hostess made the stay extra special.

do not recommend

The Lodge is very untaken care off, needs some restoration, way over prized. the best thing were Laurens the driver and Richard the tracker and Ruth and Glory who work in the restaurant. The whole experience of the lodge was very disappointing. I have been travelling around South Africa, Namibia and Botswana the last 7 years, and this was one of the worst places. Way too overpriced for how run down the place is. There are many places close bye that offer so much more. The photos are very misleading.

Best Hotel I have ever stayed at

Lawrence, Lauren, Rex and Frans gave first class service 24/7. It is a luxury boutique safari experience with the needed rustic appeal.

Planned a safari and experienced MUCH more

Ezulwini was a wonderful experience. We stayed at both the River Lodge and Billy's Lodge -service and staff at both locations was outstanding, staff were attentive and genuinely pleasant. We planned our safari to enjoy the wonders of the Bush and ended being as delighted by ournLodge experience as we were the incredible surroundings.

Gute Safaris, ungepflegte Anlage, grausames Essen

Insgesamt lässt sich sagen, dass die Lodge etwas wenig gepflegt/gewartet ist. Das Grundstück ist naturbelassen, was sich einerseits sehr schön anhört aber in Realität nur ein verwildertes Grundstück ist und der Ausblick zum Fluss dadurch eher eingeschränkt ist. Hier fehlt einfach ein Gärtner, der eine gute Balance zwischen Gartenpflege und Natur findet. Die Pools waren verdreckt und trüb. Die Auflagen der Liegen waren schwarz vor Dreck, die Toiletten spülen einen Haufen meist nicht weg, die Lounge-Sessel im Foyer sind verschlissen und es gibt nichts blühendes fürs Auge. Man könnte der Meinung sein, dass diese Details nicht wichtig sind, da man vornehmlich zum Tiere anschauen die Game-Drives nutzen möchte, die 2x täglich um 05:30 und 16:00 Uhr stattfinden. Aber in der Zeit von 10:00 bis 16 Uhr ist man in der Lodge und ärgert sich über die ungepflegte Anlage und nicht existenten Service. Zu den Game-Drives würde ich sagen, dass diese durchweg gut waren und wir alle Big Five in 2 Tagen gesehen haben. Wirklich enttäuschend ist die Gastronomie und Service eher die Qualität einer südafrikanischen Bergwerkskantine. Fisch und Gemüse waren tiefgefroren, das Fleisch zäh und mit Fertigsauce und Mittags gab es Fertigpizza. Die meisten Gäste der Lodge kamen aus den USA, die den Aufenthalt bei Auktionen quasi Blind ersteigert haben und das Essen aus den Fastfood-Restaurants gewöhnt waren. Mein Tipp: Es gibt deutlich bessere Lodges zum halben Preis die bessere Gastgeber sind.

GAME DRIVE SUPERBE

Très belle situation dans réserve privée. Chalet moderne, bien aménagé et propre. Ranger et Tracker très professionnel et passionné (le point fort). Repas ne correspondent pas à la catégorie Luxe : midi pas de choix et soir deux offres. Personnel à professionnaliser (tenue vestimentaire) pour justifier le prix. Comparé à d'autres lodges en réserve privée, ne justifie pas le prix demandé.

Dricks viktigt

Personal "krävde" dricks och de var inte nöjda även om de fick flera hundra kronor i dricks.