Laluka Safari Lodge

|-----------------------------------| | Park ***** | Accomodation ***** | Food & drinks ***** | Staff ***** | Management ***** | Rangers ***** | Big five : CHECK | :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) | ＜3 ＜3 ＜3 ＜3 ＜3 |------------------------------------|

I could write a book about Laluka, but I’ll try to keep it brief. Family of 4 visiting S Africa from USA for the first time- 2 senior citizens and 2 Millenial travelers, all very seasoned and frequent travelers. We went to Laluka after a hectic time in Cape Town (lost a phone in an Uber), and a disheartening look at the massive inequality of Johannesburg. We weren’t having the best vacation and we weren’t sure what to expect when arriving at Laluka, though the prompt responses and caring service throughout the booking and planning process was easy and seamless. When we arrived at Laluka we realized that this place is a dream come true. The entire place is luxury from start to finish. The welcome reception, the safari trucks, the lodge, heck even the front gate was elegant and sophisticated while also perfectly situated among its wilderness surroundings. The rooms are enormous luxury cabins with every amenity and feature carefully thought out. We are picky and very specific travelers, and everything from the lighting to the soap to the hot water was perfect. On top of the property, every staff member treats us like we’re their family, visiting after a long journey away from home. They immediately met us at our transfer van and started helping us retrieve our lost phone (they actually achieved the impossible by actually coordinating and arranging the phone rescue from the Uber Driver 950 miles away! And Laluka did that for us without batting an eye- they literally took care of the whole thing). At every turn, it seemed like every staff member was an expert at their job, and always eager to show us the absolute best of their talents, whether it was a game drive, a chat at the bar, a truly world class spa treatment, or the owners dropping in every day to help manage everything and keeping 4 very different people 100% satisfied every minute of our trip. Some final notes: the game drives are incredible (you’ll see a ton and you’ll be as comfortable as possible- many other lodge safari-goers seemed to look at us in envy as we had more space, more blankets, better seats, and a shaded canopy for all our drives. We did drives and safari walks, and the Laluka guides are truly truly the best the Reserve has to offer. The spa therapists are so good that their treatments are truly a physical and spiritual experience all at once. You will be lucky to be touched by their healing hands. You will surely be impressed by the food throughout your stay- ingredients are the highest quality (and often straight from the Laluka Farm). Even though we are particularly picky eaters, we really enjoyed our overall dining experience and we all agreed that most people would love the dining experience here. We doubt there’s anything better in the entire Reserve when it comes to food. All 4 of us were thrilled with our stay, and we were all so incredibly sad to leave. We departed with hugs, tears, and hopes of seeing each other again. Before staying at Laluka we had

Me and my husband have just enjoyed a wonderful 3 night stay at Laluka. The lodge itself is elegant and relaxed, with attentive staff and a lovely vibe. It’s nestled in the heart of the bush, with wonderful views out over the surrounding forest. There is a little watering hole and hide, we saw zebras and wildebeest drinking from our room! The rooms are just gorgeous, with a modern African design. The little plunge pools in the rooms are perfect, with an outdoor shower that leads into the bathroom, it’s all so well designed. Big wardrobe area to keep your bags and clothes tucked away so the room doesn’t feel messy. The food was wonderful, really special with a real fine dining feel. We had something different every day, including a fun braai on one evening. I’m not vegetarian but the veggie food was delicious as well as the usual excellent meat, including a delicious wildebeest steak. We also had lunch alone by the pool one day, and a private boma dinner on another evening. The drinks were good value and the staff were so friendly. Something I loved was that we could buy a bottle of wine and drink it over several nights which was good value. Now onto the experiences: wow! Our guide Tish was fantastic, always getting us to interesting areas of the reserve and keeping up with the radio for good sightings. We saw the Big 5 on one day, which was very lucky, and actually saw 2 leopards! Tish was knowledgable and professional as well as really fun, so we had a great time exploring Welgevonden with her. The hospitality was just above and beyond, we had lovely sundowners out with Tish on the safari, but also a special sundowners with all the guests and delicious canapés and wine when we watched the sunset. Didier was always there to welcome us back from our game drives, excited to hear what we’d seen and recommend a Belgian beer or a glass of wine. We also visited Laluka Farm, where they grow almost all the food eaten at the lodge. It was so brilliant, endless herbs, salad leaves, chillies and every other vegetable under the sun! As well as cows, pigs and chickens. Guilia and Simon have created something so special here, you really have to visit and experience it for yourself. Huge thanks to both of them for such a wonderful stay.

Our stay at Laluka was just AMAZING. Not only the lodge, the food and safaris were outstanding, but also the staff and owners. I booked Laluka as a surprise to propose to my girlfriend, told this upfront to the team and they made it an unforgettable moment. My girlfriend was completely surprised. The whole team was involved and made the surprise complete. The setting, the story our guide Tiaan made up, the pictures taken, the way our room was decorated coming back, …. We will be back for our honeymoon A big thank you to Simon, Gullia, Didier, Tiaan, Obi and the rest of the team. 🙏🙏

A wonderful, intimate and luxurious lodge designed and executed with a very personal client experience in mind. The experience started with an introductory whatsapp message received from Phillip our ranger the day before we arrived. That continued at our pick-up point, which was not at the Welgevonden main gate, but at the Laluka farm located across the road. A lively selection of flute juices, with some freshly baked goodies and fruits served by Khomotso was a very different experience before being transferred by Phillip to the lodge. At the lodge we were met by Giulia the co-founder and Manager and Khitso and Ranny - both of whom played fantastic roles in delivering this intimate service experience over the duration of the stay. The central area is tastefully appointed as are the suites. It’s a modern contemporary feel with comfortable furnishings and beautiful African artefacts and wildlife photographs. There’s a wonderful open fireplace that took the edge off the winter chill and made the central main area really cozy in the evenings. The suites are super comfortable; the beds are large, with crisp linen, comfortable and large pillows that make waking up for the morning drive that much harder. The suites all have plunge pools which can be heated on request! And, motion sensitive floor lights for when you need to use the bathroom at night. Such a thoughtful little touch which says it all about this lodge. The spa treatments were great, the food really good and the service outstanding. Phillip on the game drives was incredibly knowledgeable, with a great sense of humour and wonderful interpersonal skills. On our first drive we got to see four of the big five! My family - wife and teenage daughter were joined by a good friend’s 20yr old daughter. We have been to another modern and nice lodge at Welgevonden before and really enjoyed it. Laluka, though, is next level and a place that God-willing, we would like to return to.

My husband and I visited as the last stop on our South African honeymoon and what a way to end the trip of a lifetime. We were blown away starting with the exceptional hospitality and flexibility picking us up from Johannesburg. The lodge itself was incredible, from the private villa/pool to the dining area with the fire and outside deck but most importantly, the private Laluka watering hole where we saw a few different animals stop by for a drink. But beyond that incredible lodge, the staff was even better. The chef was very nice and extremely talented, Ranny never failed to greet us with a smile that could brighten anyone's day and the owner, Didier, even checked in with us each day to make sure we were enjoying our stay. However, the highlight was, our guide, Ricardo. Ricardo was extremely knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic. He transformed our game rides into an incredibly exciting experience each time and was able to show us more animals than we could count, including lions, giraffes, hyenas, aardvark, tons of zebras, elephants and so much more. He has a very bright future ahead of him. The Laluka team did an incredible job making us feel like family and a few days there was simply not enough. We cannot wait to return.