Amakhala Game Reserve - Bush Lodge

We had the pleasure of staying at 3 of the Amakala Collection Properties, but hands down this was the most well run and beautiful lodge. The staff very extremely attentive and always there to assist. Of course, our most favorite person was our bartender and wine connoisseur. He made the best cocktails, and his wine pairing suggestions for dinner were right on point. The view of the waterhole from the deck at the main lodge was amazing, and we already saw so many animals before even going on a game drive. All the meals were served in the main dining lodge. The food was delicious and very appealing to the eye. It defenetly please the "foodie" in me. We stayed in one of their luxury tents and LUXURIOUSE it was. Our deck overlooked the plains and we could see the animals grase in the moring and come for a drink in the late afternoon..... The bed was so comfortable and the outdoor shower was any campers dream. We saw plenty of animals on our game drives and the sundowners were a fantastic. If you are thinking of visiting the Eastern Cape for a 5 star safari, this is the place. Read less

Oh My God what an amazing lodge. We had such a good time and the staff were so good to deal with and an eye for detail that suited a much more expensive lodge. We had a great guide, Jono, who was very knowledgable about the animals and their husbandry and seemed to have a real affinity with them. I particularly enjoyed watching him interact with the elephants and they seemed to know and respect him in return. We were lucky enough to be within a few metres of some cheetahs taking down a zebra and appreciated watching the circle of life happening in front of us. The group on the drives all agreed we had seen all of the animals that we wanted and failed to come up with anything that we had not seen. Some were unexpected such as the cheetahs, and the Giant Land Snail. The lodge is well positioned on the property around a waterhole that is lit at night for viewing the buffalo and other wild life although we had arrived during a short few days of rain but there was still plenty of other Wild life to be seen a short drive away. The food was beautiful presented and very flavoursome and plentiful but they only had game on the menu for dinner every second night which was slightly disappointing as beef and chicken (cooked beautifully I might add) were no consolation for trying the wide varied of South African Game that is available.. One of my most memorable parts of the stay apart from the way that we were pampered was when returning to the lodge after the late afternoon drive to find a bubble bath already drawn, a fire lit and a glass of red wine awaiting beside the bath. .... Although not forgetting the girls greeting us with a hot chocolate and hot facecloth and the biggest smiles in Africa after a game drive or the staff within the lodge....oh heck...every part of our three day stay was memorable and I envy them for working in an environment which makes life long memories. I will always remember them and the lodge. The tents outdoor pool also provided a great opportunity for a quick skinny dip.... Don't knock it till you have tried it under a starlit African sky full of the milky way and the constellations. I wold love to return. Read less

We have just returned from an excellent trip to Bush Lodge. Everything exceeded our expectations and it was such a wonderful and relaxing treat. The rooms with private plunge pools overlooking the waterhole where animals came to drink throughout the day and night were absolutely amazing. Our guide was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to give us an excellent game viewing experience with a little Tyre change on the way😊 we got up close and personal with the wildlife and it was amazing thank you James. The lodge it’s self if stunning and the service was excellent. The hot bath waiting for you after your evening game drive, hot water bottles given to you for your early morning game drive, everything had been taken care of. The meals were delicious with creative menu options. The food was excellent and all the staff are amazing and so kind! I would recommend Bush lodge highly for a bespoke and personal bush experience. Kim, Allison, Jordan & Kristi made our holiday extra special. Read less

We had a wonderful stay at the reserve. The setting is lovely. We had a tent/lodge with plunge pool which was spacious and extremely comfortable. The staff could not do enough to ensure we had everything we needed. The highlight has to be Johnno our game guide. We saw the big 5 but the close proximity to some was amazing ( we had a family of elephants within touching distance). Johnno’s knowledge and relationship with the animals and nature was outstanding. It was the highlight of our 3 week trip along the Garden route. If I had any suggestions it would be to reconsider lunch options. There was almost too much food and have a fish option instead of 2 meat in the evening. The quality of food was very good but a lighter lunch would have been ideal. Read less