Londolozi Private Game Reserve

The most special experience I’ve ever had on vacation. The property was divine—understated to stay aligned with nature but elevated through every turn and space you enter. The food was exquisite, not a single miss. Everything was fresh and delectable. The staff became family so quickly. We didn’t give them a night off as we enjoyed spending time with them. The rides are twice a day and you should take advantage of each one—they are all different and unique. Our guide Patrick and Dorian were the best to ever do it! Think about this trip often!

We stayed at Varty Camp for 4 nights in late Sept. 2024 as the center of our Honeymoon. Londolozi came highly recommended as it is known as the gold standard for safaris to tourists and locals alike. Pick the room the aligns with your budget, as we were thrilled with our room, private deck/pool, and central location of Varty. You’ll adapt the tempo of a morning and evening game drive, with the perfect amount of free time mid day to relax. Upon leaving it was clear that Londolozi prioritizes its people, their environment & wildlife, and guest experience over all else. A few highlights: Game Drives - the Ranger & Tracker duo that you will be paired with for your whole stay makes the difference. We saw everything we had on our list, which was very much by design of Bryce & Terrance. Food - Every meal was delicious, as they get to know each guests preferences, with plenty of options. We felt that our meals here matched some of the best dinning Cape Town had to offer. People / Service - They’ve set the bar extremely high by design. The small touches of our Boma dinners, morning coffee/sundowner 'Sonics', and attentive staff made all the difference. It was evident that much thought and planning went into making sure our experience was the best possible. Lessons Learned: -Shoulder seasons are a great time to visit, so research this before hand. We had perfect weather for our entire stay - cooler morning & evenings with pool weather mid-day. -Don’t overpack - like much of South Africa, it is casual - I wore flip flops, shorts, and a beach sun shirt for one of the warmer drives. A good safari hat, Sunblock, and bug spray is the key. 2026 is their centennial, which we hope to be back for!

I visited Londolozi/Varty in October 2023, my 5th visit to Londolozi. Our first visit was in 2011. Then, we thought we'd go on safari and say we were glad to have checked that box. Were we wrong. Londolozi was so magnificent, we decided to return every other year (it's a long journey from the USA). Each visit since has been better than the previous visit. On this visit in October 2023, I managed to view/follow 5 different leopards during one morning drive! That doesn't include the lions, giraffes, and other game we spent time with. My wife wasn't able to join me for this visit so Londolozi was my birthday present. Just cannot get better than this. Staff were amazing as usual. They remembered my favorite drink, kept me company at one dinner (rather than allow me to dine alone) and my vehicle mates, our ranger (Jess), tracker (Innocent) and the five of us enjoyed each other's company at dinner and cocktails. As I explain to friends at home, going on game drives is exhilarating, an experience to imprint in your memory forever and is seriously habit forming. Once you take this plunge, you're forever changed. So much so, that we're returning to Londolozi in a few weeks for our anniversary, and, we've finally got friends who now want to go if we'll return again in 2025 (which we are planning to do). I ramble on about exceptional service from people who care about you while you're there. It's true. That's why we've/we'll keep coming back to Londolozi. It's the Holy Grail....

Outstanding! There are not enough superlatives to describe this place. The staff has created an environment that is unparalleled. Our ranger and tracker, Kelsey and Richard, made sure we saw everything there was to see. Their knowledge of the plant and animal life is astounding. Every minute spent with them was a learning experience. The food was delicious. Menus varied from day to day. There is no lack of food. Accommodations are beautiful. The staff is friendly and professional. I can’t say enough. I truly did not want to leave.

Beyond incredible! We are a well travelled family and have stayed at some of the nicest hotels/resorts in the world so had very high expectations. Londolozi exceeded those expectations on every front! Our family stayed in two of the three Londolozi Private Granite Suites (there are five different Londolozi properties all next to each other and within walking distance) for 4 nights. Granite is one of two that are exclusive - people from the other properties cannot visit the lodge so it's very private. Great for couples or adult friends! The suite was spectacular with a large living room, bedroom room, vanity area and huge bathroom. It had every amenity you could want including yoga mats and ball as well as small weights. My husband and I stayed in Granite Suite 2, which had a huge built-in-the-rocks private pool, outdoor bathtub and shower, and large deck area. And the views are great since it looks right onto the river where animals come to drink. The safari experience was outstanding! Londolozi sits on a private reserve in Sabi Sands, which is part of the greater Kruger National Park. We started our trip on the eastern side of Kruger where we saw a ton of lions. At Londolozi, while we saw lions, it was much more about the leopards. We also got to see a cheetah and wild dogs (with the cutest pups) which we didn't get earlier in our trip. While the experience as a whole was great, what really made the trip extra special were the people -- Harleigh (the manager as well as a great bartender!), Jess (our safari guide), Advice (the tracker), Mendrew (our personal butler), and the rest of the staff. We felt so pampered by their constant attention to our every need. After each evening safari, we would sit around the bar and just laugh as Harleigh regaled us with her stories and made us fantastic cocktails. And Harleigh and Jess had a couple of big surprises for us spread throughout our 4 nights. Don't want to ruin it for others but they do a couple of things that make the overall experience magical and super special. Couple of other wonderful things about Londolozi. The food is amazing! Every meal was fantastic. And if you have the desire, take the tour of the staff village. It gives you the history of the Londolozi family and all that they've done in terms of conversation efforts. Really impressive. Lastly there's a nice gym and we had some terrific massages at the health center. One note: the main pool area for the entire compound (all 5 properties) is tired and not up to par with the rest of the experience. But again, we were in the Granite Private Suites so had our own private pools. Not sure what the pool situation is at the other four Londolozi properties. Overall it's a 10 out of 10 experience! Highly, highly recommend. And we will be sure to return. I'd return to South Africa just to go to Londolozi again.