Ulusaba Safari Lodge

If you want to be pleasantly surprised no need to read more than this paragraph - just know this is the best vacation we've ever had and you should absolutely come here if you can. The other reviews gushing over this place are accurate. If you're a researcher like me and you want every single detail this is the post for you - I hope this helps. Stayed 6 nights mid April, ended up being rainier than anticipated. Rained 4.5/6 nights, felt about 70 degrees F on average. Had one warmer day that was up to 85 or so. ***Getting there Arriving: Flew through US West Coast -> US East Coast -> JNB -> Night at Intercontinental Jorurg Airport -> Federal Air bush plane Departing: Federal Air bush plane -> JNB -> FRA -> US West Coast It was about 30 hours or so each way total. Staying the night at the Intercontinental Joburg Airport was 1000% worth it, great hotel and was nice to have a night to sleep before going to Ulusaba. I felt safe the whole time and enjoyed the staff and the food. The biggest source of anxiety was absolutely the bush plane and it was pretty much as terrifying as I thought, even with prescription anti-anxiety medication. Ulusaba set up the Federal Air transfer for me and it was nice to fly right into their airstrip. Everyone else we ran into went to an airport about an hour drive away and I'm not sure how they arranged it but I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that. Once you arrive on the strip, someone from Ulusaba picks you up and drives you to your lodge. This ends up being your Tracker and Ranger for your stay there. They'll also carry your bags to your room while the lodge manager gives you a tour of the grounds. We were the only guests we ran into who flew here just for the week. Everyone else had this be a stop as part of a longer African vacation. We weren't in a position to do that, and it was still very much worth the travel and short time of PTO to come straight to Ulusaba and back. We were able to do 6 nights taking 8 days of PTO + weekends. We also took advantage of their "Pack with a Purpose" program and packed some school supplies. ***The Accommodations There's a main lodge where the bar is and where you eat. There are also general gathering places to relax. Chances are you will see animals (including big 5!) while you're hanging out here. There is also a communal pool which was too cold for us to use while we were there, it looked nice. The spa - there are two spas, one at Safari Lodge (where we stayed) and one at Rock Lodge. We got a spa treatment at Rock Lodge so we could see the views and it did not disappoint. Ulusaba Safari Rooms: I spent a lot of time agonizing over the rooms so if you're like me here's more info (they are all great by the way you really can't go wrong, truly.) We stayed in River Room 4. River 4 had the advantage of the plunge pool, closest to the treehouse, plus it felt very, if not the most, secluded. This room has a plunge pool and it was great. They heat the pools in the winter. If you want a lot of time in the pool, it was worth getting one attached to the room as it’s a decent walk, including swinging bridges, from the River Rooms to the public pool. If you stayed in the of the rooms closer to the main lodge, you could get away with walking to the pool as you're much closer. The room itself was great - well furnished, stocked, plenty of towels, comfy bed and pillows etc. River room 4 animal sightings: It's close to a hyena den, we heard them one night. We also saw a giraffe, elephant, baboons, water bucks and impalas from here. If I could do it again, I would have chosen River 2, 3, Safari Room, Safari Suite, Elephant 2, 3 or the Treehouse. They’re facing a very active side of the riverbed. If you have any sort of mobility concerns don't stay in River Rooms 2-4 as you have to walk over a swinging bridge to get to them! Stay in the rooms closer to the lodge. The treehouse is a special place at Safari Lodge where you can walk and observe the animals around their watering hole. There's a bathroom and mini fridge here as well, and it's also attached to the Treehouse Room. While I didn't stay in the Treehouse room, I would have loved to! I was able to get a sneak peak of this room. The bed faces a giant window to an active watering hole/pond which is so cool. If you are a light sleeper you may not like it as you can hear the hippos grunting at each other all night. It's also a long walk to the main lodge, about 10-15 minutes and you are going up/down stairs, on swinging bridges etc. There is a gift shop with local items and tchotchkes - there is nothing functional like toiletries or medications so anything like that definitely pack it. Perhaps they have some on hand if you ask. ***What I packed: Duffel - Had to get a soft duffel because of strict rules on the bush plane. I wouldn't rebuy this, it was heavy and a drag to carry around. If I had to do it again, I'd do a big travel backpack and use some sort of smaller duffel as my personal item. What I put in it: Camera - the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 camera recommended by Wirecutter was awesome. I did a lot of research and ended up loving it. Laptop - while not necessary, I dumped my SDCard onto my laptop every night as a backup and to clear the card for the next day. It was nice to have for movies on the flights as well. Binoculars - another Wirecutter find, Athlon Optics Midas ED. Sunglasses Small crossbody - I got one that fit my binoculars, camera, sunglasses, chapstick, was nice to have on the drives and there was a pocket in the land rover to store it in. Clothing I looked up the weather ahead of time and saw a lot of rain and wide range of temps, so I packed accordingly They do your laundry daily, so you can pack light. I could have packed even lighter but that's not my stong suit. Tops: long sleeve x 2, short sleeve x 2, and tank top x 2 Jacket: Fleece x 1, light anorak/windbreaker x 1, wax jacket x 1 - I really hemmed and hawed over packing this, ended up being an incredibly good decision to bring it as it rained a ton and was quite chilly on the am and pm game drives If you end up not bringing a warm enough layer, they have nice waterproof/fleece ponchos on the vehicles you can use to keep warm and dry. Leggings x 3 Joggers x 1 Sneakers x 1 Hiking boots x 1 (Could have gotten away with one pair of hiking shoes instead of sneakers and boots) Sandals x 1 Toiletries: Sunscreen, bug repellant wipes, face moisturizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, light makeup Medication: Daily immunity vitamins, antimalarial, traveler's diarrhea (didn't need - yay) Hats x 3: I ended up using all three of these, they were packable and different versions came in handy for different things Bathing suit ***Schedule 5:30 wake up call 5:45-6:00 - Light coffee/pre-drive snacks 6:00-9:00- AM safari drive 9:00-10:00ish - Breakfast 10:00-3:30 - Free time 3:30-4:00 Afternoon tea 4:00 - 7:00 PM Safari drive 7:00-8:00 Get ready for dinner/drinks at the bar 8:00-9:30ish - Dinner ***Food They wine and dine you here! Was never hungry. The mini fridge in the room is complimentary and gets restocked 2x/day. You get snacks in the room and at the lodge, the meals are great. They are conscientious of accommodating dietary restrictions. Was very happy with the food - I felt full without having that disgusting feeling of eating too much fast food. You can eat healthy, indulge, or somewhere in the middle, whatever's clever. Was also impressed at the lengths the lodge goes to to be plastic free, nothing involving the food had plastic containers or cutlery it was great. ***Staff The staff is the absolute star of this place. I have never been treated so well by the staff anywhere I have ever been. Truly magical. You get to know your Tracker and Ranger, especially if you're here for a bit longer than average like we were. The Tracker sits at the front of the vehicle and looks for animals, while the Ranger drives and gives you information on the animals. The Ranger is also with you for breakfast and PM drinks after the Safari before dinner. The staff at the lodge were attentive and always asking how we were doing, 5+ star service. The staff freshened up our room 2x/day while we were out on the drive. They set up special/private experiences for us as well, all you have to do is ask and they will set it up. They arrange it all once you're there as it depends on what surprises they already have in store/the weather. I felt safe the whole time, safety is #1 to them. At night you have an escort walk you to your room as you are in the bush and you're in the animals' home! ***Game Drives The drives lived up to and exceeded expectations, even in the rain. We of course wanted to see the Big 5 and did so within two game drives/6 hours. I went with my husband, and they had two other couples in the car with us. We ended up getting on with them quite well and would chat about what we wanted to see. The Ranger and Tracker are clearly listening into these conversations, and then work together to find what you are looking for. We didn't even have to ask, that's how good they are. The other neat thing is they are working together with other vehicles, and even other lodges, to try and find specific animals people want to see. In our case, the Ranger and Tracker would speak to each other/on the radio in Tsonga, the local language, which would make for even more of a surprise because we couldn't understand what their plan was. 3 hours goes by quick - even when you're driving around for 30 minutes not seeing anything, you can drink in the fresh air and sites while you anticipate what's in store next. I can't emphasize enough how wonderful these drives are, how close the animals get, how much you learn about them and feel like you are part of their world. It's really hard to describe - feels like an out of body experience. ***What I would do differently/misc thoughts. Not much, really. Bring my own shampoo and conditioner! I would also pack an entire extra duffel or two and pay the extra fees on the bush plane to bring more Pack with a Purpose items. We got lucky on how well we got on with the rest of the people in our vehicle - it's up to chance who they pair you with. They make an effort to keep things consistent so you have the same Tracker, Ranger, and typically have the same people in your vehicle depending on turnover. We spoke to a lot of guests and many of them were well traveled - it was inspiring as we are not quite there yet. What was validating was how highly they spoke of Ulusaba in comparison to other Safaris/vacations they had been on - so again, another endorsement if you're still on the fence. ***Final thoughts As we were leaving, we were holding back tears saying goodbye to Ulusaba. I did so much research and prepping as this is of course an investment. I felt a lot of self-induced pressure as "the planner" to be sure it went well. It was emotional because the trip went better than expected, even though I thought I knew exactly what to expect because of all the research! We were overcome with emotion after experiencing this indescribable, once-in-a-lifetime privilege of being in the Bush and seeing these magnificent creatures. We weren't just having the feels because of the beautiful location and the animals. What makes Ulusaba feel like it's the 8th Wonder of the World is the hospitality and friendship of the staff. I wish I could put into words how special they made us feel and how genuine it felt. So much so, that after holding off our tears during the last safari, packing, and saying goodbye to the staff and our Tracker and Ranger, just as we were leaving they had one last trick up their sleeve that was so touching it ended up breaking the floodgates behind our eyes - it was lekker! Anyways, thank you *everyone*, particularly Brogan, Sipho, Jeanine, and Patience - the work you do and the memories you're a part of means more than you'll ever know - it's power. If you're reading this and you end up going, I wish you all the best on your travels and perhaps we will run into each other when (when, not if!) we return. Read less

Truly truly magical. I really don’t know where to start with this review for all the best possible reasons. There just aren’t enough superlatives. I wanted to visit Sabi Sands purely for the leopards. For various reasons Ulusaba was what I decided upon and Safari Lodge over Rock Lodge as I wanted to be closer to the animals. Views from Rock Lodge are stunning. But I made the right decision for me. The lodge is run beautifully, top level service on all counts without being obvious/in your face. A lovely relaxing place to be with top notch food and wine. You will gain a few lbs and will be happy to do so. Genene and her team are to be hugely congratulated for all of their hard work. However saving the best until last. The game drives. I was lucky enough to be with James and Orange and despite the weather not being our friend for a lot of the time we saw some truly truly spectacular things. And I’m saying this as a regular on safaris. They both made me feel at home straight away and made the 4 days so much fun. They skills and knowledge were impeccable. I was not ready to leave and am planning my next visit already. Read less

Our stay at Ulusaba Safari Lodge was the highlight of our honeymoon trip. Everyone at Ulusaba was so kind and helpful throughout our stay. Every single one of our game drives was outstanding. Big thanks to both Peter and Respect who made the drives so spectacular. In addition, the accommodations and food were top notch. We cannot wait to return one day! Read less