Vuyani Safari Lodge

Just to confirm I have visited this lodge several times. And each time I feel compelled to leave another review because it simply is THAT good. The game drives and wildlife sightings are excellent - and even on the odd quieter drives (these are rare!) it feels like such a privilege to be spending time in such a truly beautiful place. This time round we were treated to the Big 5 and cheetah and wild dogs. As well as plenty of non headline but still really interesting animals/birds/flora. Guide and tracker on this visit were John and Peace - absolutely brilliant at their jobs - fun, informative and getting you very close to the animals but without stressing the animals and making you still feel safe at all times. The hospitality side is also always top notch. It always surprises me just how good value this place is when you think that the price includes everything, including the mini bar in the room. Nothing is too much trouble, and everyone works so hard to make sure you have a fabulous time. Book it. You will not regret it.

My wife and I spent five nights here. Although we enjoyed many aspects, such as the exceptional food and the amazing game drives led by Solly and Steven, we encountered several issues that greatly detracted from the experience and where the management did not meet the standards expected given the rates: We had problems with the maintenance of the rooms, for example: a wall-mounted toilet paper holder was loose and falling to the floor; a water tap was loose and tilted and an insect was peeping out of the hole at the base; the AC remote control was broken and you couldn't tell which mode it was in (we used it in the wrong mode for a while); the pillows were poor quality and worn (lumpy); and the hairdryer had no adaptor so didn't work. The cleaning was also poor. We had candy wrappers on the floor from the previous guest, some towels were musty throughout our stay, a bathrobe was visibly dirty and the outside shower was never cleaned and had lots of hair from previous visitors. In addition, our few requests (to fix the water tap, to get an adapter or a hairdryer, to change the AC remote control) were not responded to well, and the booking of activities seemed confusing as we were sometimes given contradictory information. Incidentally, after doing the Panorama Route and hearing from other guests, we think the best you can do is stick to the Game Rides, which are great. Another aspect that affected us was the staff's poor handling of a guest's bad behaviour. Finally, the method of payment - taking credit card details over the phone - is inadequate and raised our security concerns. While the warm hospitality, the delicious food, the other guests we met, and the game drives were great positives, the issues I mentioned significantly affected our overall experience. I emailed my review to the management on the day of my departure a week ago, but haven't received a reply.

Booked Vuyani for our honeymoon, a lodge I have been dreaming of going to for over 5 years and it exceeded my expectations! Even more beautiful in person and the food was delicious! We were not expecting a 3 course meal each night and the lunches and dinners plus snacks and drinks all throughout the day and on the game drives were amazing. The game drives were incredible and also exceeded expectations, we saw the big 5 and plenty more animals during our 5 night stay! We were so happy to be on a private game reserve where we could be out for sunrises and sunsets. A particular shout out to our guide and tracker for the whole duration, Solly and Stephen. They made the game drives even more. We learned so much about the flora and fauna and felt at ease to ask as many complex or silly questions while making it fun and hsving a joke or 10. We ended up being like a little family by the end. The only feedback to take on for improvement would be the communication of extra activities booked as a number or us were unsure if we got a booking or surprised with an activity scheduled on a different day to what was requested or finding out we have an activity on the day of. Availability you can't control, but a little bit clearer communication would be wonderful. Overall the stay was 10/10 and we hope to be back in the not so distant future!

Having just returned from Vuyani’s Marula Lodge for 7 nights, I thought I would review the amazing holiday in stages. We went on 2 game drives per day, an early morning and late afternoon. We managed to see so much variety of game both close up and afar and the tracker (Stephen) and the guide (David) were both knowledgeable and entertaining, each day managing to find animals to tick off our wish list, ‘The big 5’ and even the ‘ugly 5’ , and so much more. Finding places to stop in amazing locations for early morning coffee or evening ‘sundowner gins’. Marula Lodge was an absolute delight… the villa is traditional , with beautifully decorated and spacious rooms. It is set in its own very generous plot giving the feeling of being in your own private game park. The lounge was perfectly comfortable for relaxing after the evening game drive. The bedrooms overlook the bush so game walking past your windows became our normal. The pool area gave us perfect down time and enough shade for an afternoon nap. The food was of restaurant quality and the Chef surprised us each day with exquisite foods often adapting it for myself. Each day we were offered a variety of choices with the menu changing each day. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff, from serving us drinks when we got back to making up the beds at night. I can honestly highly recommend this Lodge if you are looking for a quality, luxurious and exciting holiday…….

Where do I start ! Excellent accommodation, staff all friendly and fun ! Devine was professional and so helpful ! Rose - amazing chef and delicious food ! Put on an amazing birthday celebration for my brother in law , with BBQ , African singing and dancing and cake ! Finally - the best guide and tracker - John & Peace ! Always fun , informative and found the best places to go ! Thank you to EVERYONE!! We’ve met friends for life ! We can’t wait to come back !!

Marula Lodge was perfect the most comfortable beds and pillows were very welcome after long days . Food outstanding . Staff always on hand and treated us like we were very special . Trackers Gillie and Steve were just brilliant . We got to see the big 5 several times and lots of the other animals birds and insects as well as learning about tracking animals . I cannot rate the holiday high enough and will never ever forget the experience . I would go as far as to say it’s the best adventure we have had and we have visited many countries in the world . We can’t wait to come back . A huge thank you to everyone that made the holiday special.

It's been said many times on other reviews but we found our experience at Vuyani to be outstanding. Every single member of staff goes out of their way to provide exceptional service in a warm and natural manner and we will miss seeing them everyday. Chris is such a credit to the team and remembered everybody personally from day one. The whole place is run unbelievable efficiently, from the game drives to the housekeeping to the catering. Solly and Stephen were our guide and tracker for the twice daily game drives and their incredible knowledge combined with sense of fun made us engaged and excited for every drive, and I am not a morning person! They were a fantastic duo. Lastly, the food, OH MY GOODNESS! Rose brings flavours to every dish and the three of us loved every meal. I am vegetarian and was very well catered for too. We travelled as three friends and found the honeymooon suite worked well for us as we each had our own bed and there was still plenty of space. We hope to be lucky enough to come back one day, very special memories made. Thank you Vuyani.

The rating when I booked this holiday had dropped by the time we got there and the holiday did not live up to my expectations. One bed side light was dodgy with its connection so we didn’t use it and the other one didn’t have a lead long enough to reach the socket! Asked on arrival for this to be fixed, 4 nights later no difference. Drink service whilst friendly was slow. Cold drinks are collected by the staff from a fridge not in the bar area. The coffee machine is very slow, especially for that much needed boost before the 5.30 am Safari, we didn’t bother in the end. Asking for simple information re pick up and when we had to be out of our room was like a closely guarded secret. Only on my 3rd request was I informed. Loved the game drives but it was luck of the draw if your driver was more communicative or not. Tripped on my way back from dinner as at the top of the stairs the decking had been cut away, with no light in this area, I fell on all fours and have badly grazed knees and shin. Staff very kindly cleaned and dressed my wound. Another guest also fell on the same spot and hurt her hand. Perhaps this could be addressed quickly before a broken limb occurs. No mention was made of a trip to their sister hotel re a gift shop. I would have loved to have been offered this.

From our arrival and free transfer from Hoedspruit Airport to our departure the experience at Vuyani has been excellent. The whole team are well trained at looking after their guests. Great service, great food and great drinks. But that will most probably not be the reason for your visit. We had the pleasure of spending 5 days, 10 game drives with Jannie and Aggy our driver guide and tracker. They were dedicated and verging in obsessed to make sure all of their guests got to see all of the wildlife they wanted to see - and more. Their level of knowledge is astounding and they were motivated to share as much of this as they could with us in a lighthearted but truly educational way. In the first day we had seen 3 of the big 5, 4 by the second day with a sighting of a leopard - a rare and beautiful thing. The size of the lodge meant that there was great interaction between the guest and we had a great time and have met some people who will remain friends. No hesitation in recommending Vuyani and hope that you will have the chance to see their smiling faces and let them work their service magic on you.