Buffelsdrift Game Lodge

I recently stayed a night here, and while the accommodation was absolutely incredible, the wildlife experience left much to be desired. Our room was nothing short of breathtaking, beautifully designed, spacious, and set in a truly serene location. One of the highlights of our stay was waking up to the sight of hippos right outside in the morning. Sitting on the deck with a cup of tea, watching them in their natural habitat, was a moment I will never forget. However, I was quite disappointed to find that the game experience felt more like a zoo than a true safari. The main animals are kept in separate enclosures, and you have to pay at least R745 to see each of them. They are not wild but rather fed, which completely changes the experience. If you are looking for a true safari, I would strongly recommend Addo instead, where the animals roam freely and you get to witness their real interactions in the wild. That being said, if luxury accommodation and a peaceful setting are what you are after, this lodge delivers. The stay itself was wonderful, but for an actual wildlife experience, there are far better options.

This lodge is set in a beautiful area, it is outstanding and so relaxing. This was our second visit.

Beautiful lodge on a big lake. Nyala wandering around the tents, noisy birds at night. We could see hippos in the lake and deer the other side. Fun trip to see the meerkats - we had to be patient, but six of the eventually appeared. Nice to see Springbok and Gnus too

The staff were really friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. The safari experiences were amazing, especially the cheetahs.

It was a true luxury African experience The tented rooms were big and luxuries with wild wildlife all around. Friendly staff and great food

The tents are very luxurious. Heated blankets and warm showers. It feels like you're camping in luxury. Food was also great at the restaurant although you have to walk back in the dark.

The location of Buffelsdrift is beautiful which made the safari experience even more wonderful. Staff were warm, welcoming and the tent was gorgeous. A truly magical stay.

Great lodge! We booked the room that's near the water, had a great view straight at the hippos, very satisfied with that. The staff was amazing, had help with anything we asked right away, the dinner is the best! The tent is air-conditioned and has a ceiling-fan, all the "walls" have openings to the view of the dam, there's an outdoor shower and an indoor bath which are clean and nice. We were very happy with our stay, very recommended.

Incredible experiences with wildlife. Staff were very knowledgeable. Service was great

Very large private game reserve with most animals living wild. Tent was very comfortable with bedroom, bathroom, and private outdoor shower, and the tent overlooked the lagoon where the hippos kept cool during the day, while turtles, ducks, geese and other birds gathered. Great safari experiences.

Awesome place!!

Beautiful accommodation and excellent staff

We loved our tent. Seeing the wildlife around, especially in the morning was amazing.

The tent accommodation is novel and unique - but the noise definitely travels so expect early morning bird calls. The WiFi in our tent and in the resort was poor and the service at dinner was a bit chaotic. All that said, however, we enjoyed our few days here and there’s lots to see and do in the surrounding area.

We truly enjoyed our stay at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge. The staff is amazing - the waiters, animal handlers, guides, they all made us feel welcome and special. The luxury tent we stayed in was spacious and the view was beautiful. The a-la-carte menu at the restaurant was great and the food was excellent. We've stayed at another game lodge on the Garden Route, which was nice, but Buffelsdrift really is a first class experience - High quality service, food, accomodation and perfect location. 5***** STARS experience!!

Buffelsdrift is great place especially for kids. We were disappointed that the water level in the pond was so low that they had removed some of the hippos. The dinners were great.The staff seemed to try hard and were very friendly.

We did a night game drive which was really informative and the ranger was fab.

Excellent place to stay.The rooms are made from high quality canvas. A kind of tent ,yes. But the wooden floors and quality furniture and fully equipped bathroom dispose any idea of a tented " concentration camp" It is a well maintained de luxe room. The restaurant is beautiful and the food out of the top drawer. Everything ,including fast and friendly staff leaves nothing to complain about. We've been there in the middle of July. High winter. And boy,was it cold! Fortunately we had enough quality blankets. Would highly recommend this place to anybody looking for top class accommodation.

Tented rooms were excellent with a/c and heat if needed Outdoor shower super Restaurant food delicious and plentiful to say the least!!

It’s a tent but in no way is it roughing it. Electricity, constant hot water, free WiFi, loo (and bath) with a view. Hippos in the lake (difficult to spot, but they are there!) and antelope munching away at bushes and grass round the accommodation. 2 day package was great value - included all meals, safaris drives, 2 external (self drive) excursions. Only thing to be paid for was drinks. Can opt for additional (chargeable) activities - one of which is the only way to see their ‘tame’ (not free ranging) lions. 2 x 2hr Land Rover safaris. Could be cynical and claim they were a bit contrived, but still a million times better than seeing animals in a zoo.