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All reviews game drives watering hole other guests an amazing experience wild dogs different locations exceeded our expectations three days timbavati reserve whole experience elusive leopard the entire staff every evening made us feel at home high tea our honeymoon great sightings
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Reviewed 8 March 2017 via mobile

It is hard to write down just how completely amazing our stay and experience at Kambaku Safari Lodge was! I have worked in hotels for 15 years and everything about our stay completely blew me away!

This was down to the fantastic service by the whole team lead by Catherine the manager. The genuine interest in guests and total love for what they do shone through right from the wake up call at 4.30am (it's totally worth it) through to dinner with the team at the end of the day.

We had the best welcome from Catherine on arrival and she was waiting for us on return from every game drive and genuinely interested to hear about what we had seen and done.
The dedicated team of staff here were like a family and that really made our stay such a personal experience, they all worked so hard and long hours yet they were always happy and interested and genuinely love what they do!

There are only 8 lodges and this gives a really intimate and personal experience. Each day we dined family style In a different area of the lodge and it's beautiful grounds which include outdoor pool and watering hole with regular visits from a family of warthogs. All of which adds to the most authentic experience and reminds you that you are right in the middle of the wild bush!

The lodges themselves were absolutely lovely and much more luxurious and spacious than I expected. The attention detail was very impressive with turn down service including bedroom stories about some of the animals and personalise welcome and thank you cards along with lovely amenities in the room too. The full Mosquitos nets were a nice and useful touch too.

The food quality, variety and quality was also very impressive with extensive brunch daily after the morning game drive and a three course nightly dinner. I was particularly impressed with the quality and variety of the vegetarian options which were always available and served to us. I also enjoyed the family style dining with the management, rangers and other safari guests and it gave chance to discuss what you had seen on the drive and learn more.

Finally the safari drive themselves were simply amazing!!! We did 4 drives and saw all the big 5 plus many other unexpected and exciting experiences! We could not have asked for a better team to look after us than The two Mikes!!! They were both absolutely brilliant every second off every drive. They took complete ownership of making sure we saw the big 5 and everything we wanted to see. Ranger Mike in particular really made our whole experience so memorable. His genuine love and passion for nature, the reserve and the animals was so lovely to see and his knowledge is encyclopaedic! He knows everything!! And is so much fun to be around too.

We were very lucky to see so many lions and had an experience I will never forget of watching a leopard for 15 minutes on a tree at sunset, incredible!! He also made it his mission to find as an elephant when The Big Grey things were trying to allude us! Tracker Mike was also excellent and was totally on it all the time ensuring we saw as much as we possibly could. The two Mikes were a fantastic team and definitely made our experience so memorable (and were also super fast at changing tyres!!)

Thank you so so much to all the team at Kambuku and we really hope to come back one day!!

Date of stay: February 2017
Trip type: Travelled with friends
1  Thank Anna8204
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KambakuOwners, Owner at Kambaku Safari Lodge, responded to this reviewResponded 27 March 2017

I think this is the kid of review every owner smiles about - we have the right staff in place ! Their passion, dedication and true love of their work shines through on so many levels and ensure that guests have a fantastic time ! We really hope that you will be back one day.. and that most of the staff will be there to welcome you back !

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Reviewed 3 March 2017 via mobile

From the moment we arrived all the staff went above and beyond for us especially Ryno our tour guide for the 3 days. He is so knowledgeable, friendly and good fun. Eric our tracker was also unbelievable.
The set up is really homely with all guests sharing communal breakfast and dinner which normally wouldn't be my bag but it seemed really genuine.
The rooms were lovely and attention to detail was cool with a mosquito net turn down service every afternoon.
Ryno and Eric made our safari trip with lots of nuggets of information, local knowledge and above all great laughs.

Date of stay: February 2017
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Thank Livingddream
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KambakuOwners, Owner at Kambaku Safari Lodge, responded to this reviewResponded 27 March 2017

Thank you so much for the review - Eric is amazing and has been with us for over 15 years now.. so knows the bush like the back of his hand. Very glad that you appreciate the attention to detail too..

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Reviewed 1 March 2017

We were recommended to stay here and since it was not one of the most expensive lodges, we were a little unsure of what to find. Our transfer from the airport was late and we were the last to be collected, but once we arrived at Kambaku itself we were greeted warmly and with consideration regarding the distance travelled. Lodges are placed so that there is privacy and we had a terrace to sit on and a comfortable bed and bathroom. The shower was a challenge since there rarely seemed to be sufficient water for two short showers and when we reported it we were told that it was OK. For three days we managed with luke warm water - but considering where we were staying that was not a hardship and we appreciate the challenges. One night it rained and we were woken by water dripping onto the bed. We coped until morning with towels to mop up and reported it the next day. Staff were concerned and said that it had not happened before, but when I mentioned this to someone who knows the camp they said "You weren't in number 6, were you?@, implying that this was a known issue.

Food was excellent, if anything rather too much, and the bush brai was a fantastic idea and one of the highlights, apart from the animals.

Our first game drive was only OK since the ranger was coming to the end of his shift and was fairly disinterested and lacking in any enthusiasm. He was replaced the following morning by Drees Jordaan who was the exact opposite, caring, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. He was infectious and we saw most of the available animals and birds during a drought and also learned bits of bushcraft. He was wacky and funny and also respectful of his charges - us. Thank you.

Maybe not the most luxurious of safari lodges but good value for money and with excellent staff and food.

Date of stay: September 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Sleep Quality
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Thank Skippy50
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KambakuOwners, Owner at Kambaku Safari Lodge, responded to this reviewResponded 27 March 2017

Thank you for the review and highlighting some of the problems you encountered during your stay. We have since attended to them all including the management and guide.
We thank you for your valued feedback, we are continuously looking for ways in which we can improve and enhance our guests stay with us.
Hope to see you again in the near future..

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Reviewed 24 February 2017

We spent three nights at this fantastic lodge. We are a family of six with kids aged 5, 8, 11 and 13 and we all absolutely loved our stay. The welcoming when we arrived was amazing and very personal and the high level of service from all the staff members remained the same throughout our stay. The rooms were beautiful, authentic and spacious and we didn't miss anything. The safaris were of course the highlight and Ryno and Moses were very knowledgeable and passionated about the animals. We got to see all the animals we had longed for and the Big Five were covered quickly. We were amazed by how close we could get to all the animals and it was a big plus that we got to see the wild dogs. Another highlight was the Bush dinner which was a great surprise to us. We loved staying at this small lodge and the ambiance between the guests and the staff was very warm and friendly. It felt as if we were all a family and we couldn't have asked for more. Can't wait to come back! Go here and you won't go home disappointed.

Date of stay: February 2017
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Value
    • Location
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Thank Lars N
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KambakuOwners, Owner at Kambaku Safari Lodge, responded to this reviewResponded 31 March 2017

Hi there and thanks for the lovely review - as we are a family friendly lodge we are always happy to hear that you felt like family. Next time you come back the kids can join the Kambaku Kubs and be a junior ranger!

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Reviewed 23 February 2017

After some trials and tribulations concerning our flight from Johannesburg, a flight that was cancelled after a wait of over 7 hours we teamed up with three American couples and completed our journey by hired mini bus, another six hours, we arrived to start our safari. The staff at Kambaku reserve were fantastic. In our five drives we saw and photographed ALL the big five, plus untold other details nterestimg animals.
One minus! If you are expecting fancy food, forget it. This area needs attention., however, if, like me you can eat well anytime then don't let this put you off.

Room tip: Get a room near the main lodge. All rooms are individual bungalows.
Date of stay: February 2017
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Value
    • Sleep Quality
    • Service
Thank Cliff F
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KambakuOwners, Owner at Kambaku Safari Lodge, responded to this reviewResponded 31 March 2017

Thank you fro taking the time to review your stay - glad that you got all the animals that you were looking for ! Thank you for the comments on the food - we have taken it up with the staff concerned and it will be address and improved on.

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