Kariega Game Reserve

The Ukhozi Lodge was stunning on every count possible, beautiful scenery, idyllic and calm, mixed with pure comfort and amazing food and drink. But all of that is nothing compared to the wonderful team who look after you. Oh my gosh, the service, the kindness, and constant warm smiles are truly what make this hotel the best I have ever stayed in. The individual lodges provide a scenic delight across part of the reserve as well as provide ultimate comfort. Then, after all that, you get assigned a Ranger who remains your ranger for your stay, I had not read anything before we went.. but I can tell you from a very biased perspective we had the best... Melissa. She was amazing, so knowledgeable and for sure the best driver I have ever seen!! Her superb reversing skills are a must for those moments when the track is only wide enough for you and the Bull Elephant!!! Melissa knows that Reserve like the back of her hand and was relentless in ensuring that we saw every animal possible from cheetahs to Rhino's to the pack of teenage Lions and mum fresh with their kill. The hippos, the birds, every type of antelope, and the stealers of our hearts the crazy warthogs.. finally, on our last day, she rearranged the morning drive so we could attend and be back for our 9.00 am pick up.. and to top it off with minutes to spare, she managed to show us elusive male pair of Lions. Honestly, Kariega is more than your average safari.. the landscape alone sets it apart from many others. We will defo return and will be bringing our tribe to share the beauty with our friends and family.. and maybe we will get lucky and get Mellisa as our Ranger Guide again Read less

… a bucket list trip filled with big expectations and Kariega more than delivered !!! Nic our guide/ranger was not only extremely knowledgeable in all animals, wildlife and birds, but a pleasure to hang out with. This trip was respectful of all animals, even tho you might sometimes get very close - but isn’t that part of the experience? Two treks a day, with each day being better than the previous. Lodge staff very friendly and attentive. Can’t say enough about this place other than run, don’t walk and book a few days. Absolutely worth it. Thanks Nic, you made the trip. Read less

The Ukhozi lodge at the Kariega game reserve is awesome. We were only there for two nights and had the most amazing stay. Due to it being their winter we were the only two guests at the lodge and the staff could not do enough for us, their attention to detail was fantastic. Our guide on our four trips was Matthew, his knowledge of the reserve is second to none. He knew of all the places to go so that we saw as much animals as possible. It was mind blowing seeing them all walking about and close up too. The lodges are wonderful and have their own plunge pool amazing views. If anyone is thinking of going on a safari I would definitely recommend coming here, you won't be disappointed. Read less

It was our second time visiting Kariega (thanks to an Instagram competition win!) - last time we stayed and Settlers Drift and this time we were at the Ukhozi Lodge… and it was just as spectacular as our first stay! The staff and service was great and the food was exceptional. We particularly enjoyed the braai night - fab food (and atmosphere with the singing also). The accommodation was incredibly clean and the decor is great. Huge comfy beds! Unfortunately the weather wasn’t warm enough for us to brave the plunge pool on our balcony or the communal pool. We had an issue with our shower one night but it was fixed within 15 mins of reporting the problem to reception. The cleaning of the room while you are on the morning drive and the turn down service when you are on the evening drive are lovely touches. Obviously a very special mention is needed for our guide - Melissa. She had it all - amazing knowledge of the animals (and plants and stars!), great chatting away with us all, fab bartender / barrista(!), lovely to spend time with at breakfast/dinner, not to mention the driving skills. Her determination was second to none in ensuring we saw the lions - not only did we find the 2 male lions, but also the female lion with her 3 cubs - wow. Also, the rain was pretty epic one day - hats off to her to keep smiling, driving & talking! She also took us on a walking guided tour one day in-between both safari drives. Feeling very lucky to have had so many amazing encounters with the animals. I feel so lucky to have experienced Kariega twice now and would love to make it three! Read less

Ukhozi (= eagle in one of the local languages) is a lodge perched on a hill that gives you a bird's eye view of the plains and green hills below. It includes a beautiful main lodge/dining area with rustic décor and roaring fireplaces in the evening. It gives off a sense of coziness and rustic luxury. There are several chalets, in groups of 2 so if you're travelling with more than 1 person, you can be close to each other yet have your own rooms. Each chalet is a large, clean, beautiful room with African style décor that blends seamlessly with the bathroom. The toilet is separated by a door. Each chalet has its own plunge pool. There is a fully stocked mini fridge, which you can use at no additional cost. The staff, service, and attention to detail are wonderful. The food is excellent and equivalent to dining at a fine restaurant. There is a main infinity pool, a spa, and a curio (gift) shop that are shared with the Main Lodge. Now for the safari... The lodge offers guided safaris only in open 4x4 jeeps that seat up to 10 people, not including the driver. There are 2 safaris per day: 6 to 9 am, but usually ending close to 10am, and 3 to 6 pm, but usually ending closer to 7 pm. Breakfast and dinner are after the safari drives. I don't recommend this type of safari to those who cannot adhere to the schedule, or who have major back, knee, and/or hip issues that limits their mobility. You have to be able to climb in and out of the jeep, and tolerate being exposed to sun, wind, and/or possibly rain for 6 to 8 hrs a day. The rides can get veery bumpy as you go over up and down valleys and steep hills on the gravel/dirt roads. Please hold on to the thick metal bars in front of you, and watch out for thorny bushes. Sometimes you have to duck to dodge these bushes. Make sure you bring a good pair of binoculars so you can see animals that are further away and to observe those around the watering hole that can be seen from the balcony of some of the chalets. If you come in the shoulder seasons esp. early spring and fall, bring winter clothing unless you want to be like us- frozen icicles! Definitely bring a winter hat. The game drives can be freezing! A safari at Kariega in the Eastern Cape is very different than a safari at a massive, national wilderness reserve such as Kruger, Etosha, or the Serengeti to name a few. The Cape is very green and very hilly, with a lot of thick bushes/vegetation. A reserve the size of Kariega, about 12 000 hectares or over 100 square km or so cannot support large prides of lions, massive herds of grazing animals, large clans of hyenas etc. What you see on National Geographic or Animal Planet is not what your safari will be like. I don't know why so many people can't understand that. Sightings of the big five, like anywhere on safari, are not guaranteed, but if you stay for 3 nights and have 6 game drives, you will most likely see 4 out of the big 5 and have a wonderful safari. If you're really looking forward to seeing a leopard, this is not the reserve for you. Leopard sightings here are extremely rare, and some of the rangers who have worked here for years have never seen one. The guides are wonderful and will do their best to track the animals that you want to see, especially popular ones like elephants, rhinos, and buffalo. You will come across many grazing animals such as giraffes, zebra, impala, nyala, wildebeest, bush buck, water buck, kudu, eland, ostrich, warthogs etc. We were lucky to see hippos out of the water (from a distance), a couple of jackals, and got a glimpse of a cerval. The reserve has 2 male lions, a lioness and her 3 almost grown cubs, and 2 male cheetahs. There are decent sized herds of elephants and buffalo, and several rhinos. There are only a few hyenas, which are rarely seen. There are no African painted dogs or some of the antelope that prefer more arid environments such as the oryx. During each game drive, there will be time for a hot drink in the morning, or sundowner drinks in the evening at sunset. I loved after coming from the 4 hr game drive, freezing, with my hair all over the place, to be greeted by the smiling staff with a warm face cloth and a refreshing or hot drink. I felt so spoiled! I wish I would be treated like this every day. This lodge does not disappoint, and I'd love to return in the future. A special shout out to our wonderful guide Amber for making our safari so memorable! Thanks Amber! Read less