Hlosi Game Lodge - Amakhala Game Reserve

Only arrived yesterday but already impressed by what we've seen. Trucks are great and tracks are rough. Our guide 'Evans' has got us up close, so even with just the phone to take the photos we've got great pictures so far of the animals. The tents are great. Nothing like camping I've done before. The lodge only houses 28 so adequate space for all in the dining room and food is great.

The most amazing staff work here. You are looked after from the second you get there. Couldn’t rate them higher…they may have spoiled other places as they were so good and have set the bar high! A shout out to Yolisa as a top notch bar man. The game drives were also top notch…an adventure on them and off as the animals come close to the lodge often. Brian was our driver and loved his enthusiasm for the drives and tracking. Got us as close as safely possible to a lot of animals!

My husband and I spent a full week at this fantastic lodge. Every single day was magical, exciting and unique. First, the staff - kudos to the wonderful management team. Every staff member was kind, friendly and sincerely cared about our comfort and enjoyment. We were well taken care of. They went out of their way numerous times to make sure our experince was fantastic. We will never forget the hospitality! The lodge itself is just a lovely enviornment to be in. Our tent was exceptional and had everything needed. Housekeeping was unobtrusive and kept us well stocked. The food and drink was delicious. We really loved the fresh breads and soups at dinner. And we were pleasantly suprised at the skill of the masseuse's at the spa. They were well trained and really helped us recover from our marathon plane flights from Southern California. Between my husband and me, we visited 5 seperate times. We went on 11 different game drives. Just amazing! Something incredible happened on every drive. We were fortunate to have both Lucky and Mundi as our drivers. Learned a lot and are grateful for their knowledge, patience and humor. Fantastic gentlemen! And YES! You will be astounded at how close you get to the wild life! Everything was so incredible about our stay...but the best thing was, as we termed it, our "Deck Safaris". Our tent was close to the water hole on the property, as well as a game trail. We spent hours sitting on our deck, having an amazing time watching the animals come and go. On the last evening of our stay the elephant family came to visit. Or perhaps say good bye? ;) We will never forget that magical experience... One last thing. In my opinion, Bukela was FANTASTIC value for money. Our previous safari was in Tanzania, and while incredible, it was also extremely expensive. Bukela was their match in most ways, without the price tag. Keep up the exceptional service Bukela! If you were not on the other side of the planet from us, we would have already returned! :)