Vuyani Safari Lodge

“You have stolen our hearts Vuyani.”

My husband and I have just spent seven amazing nights at Vuyani Safari Lodge. This place has been on my bucket list since I first heard about it from a friend nine years ago. We flew into Johannesburg airport on an overnight flight, catching an internal flight to Hoedspruit. As we descended for la… more

My husband and I have just spent seven amazing nights at Vuyani Safari Lodge. This place has been on my bucket list since I first heard about it from a friend nine years ago. We flew into Johannesburg airport on an overnight flight, catching an internal flight to Hoedspruit. As we descended for landing I caught our first glimpse of a giraffe - I was soooo excited 😀. There we were met and driven to Vuyani Safari Lodge, passing more giraffe, a buffalo and vultures circling over the reserve on our left. On arrival at the lodge we were greeted with a refreshing drink before being seated by Webster for our introduction to the lodge and its facilities. From the moment we arrived to the moment we reluctantly left, we had an absolute blast! Each guest is generally allocated one tracker and driver for the duration of their stay. We had the pleasure of Godsave as tracker and Bernard as driver, in the trusty Land Rover. My goodness these two are fantastic at their job, as is everybody there. Godsave spotted a twitching elephant ear in the bush when all the rest of us could see was a load of leaves. Bernard then manoeuvred the Land Rover carefully through to reach this majestic beast. During our stay we saw so many amazing sights. If you love giraffes you won’t be disappointed here 😀. To see the lions gathered around their overnight kill of a wildebeast, blinking at us in the morning sunlight, but apparently unconcerned by our presence, was breathtaking, as was meeting one on the road in front of us after dark one night, roaring into the night sky. We were originally booked for five nights in the main lodge, but extended our stay for a couple more days to celebrate my birthday, moving into one of the Honeymoon Suites. Both rooms were wonderful. The housekeeping team decorated our bed on arrival and departure, but also on my birthday, such a thoughful gesture. The catering team meanwhile made me a birthday cake, which I had opted to share with the other guests. With a maximum occupancy of 20 people in 10 rooms, you really connect with the other guests, swapping tales of the animals we had spotted that day. While at Vuyani we took part in three trips, one to Elephant Whispers to learn about the African elephant, one to Blythe River Canyon on a boat trip, and finally, a full day safari in the Kruger National Park. Our guides for the Kruger trip were Albert and Gift, and boy did they deliver! We were lucky enough to spot the big five, along with many more besides. Thank you to ALL the staff at Vuyani, both front of house and behind the scenes, for the most magical experience we will remember for ever. A final mention for Witness, the security guard keeping us safe at night with his trusty torch to walk us to and from our rooms in the dark. Just as well, as a leopard entered the grounds one night! Amazing!

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“Perfect”

Our stay at Vuyani was nothing short of incredible. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel so welcome and looked after us perfectly throughout our stay. Everyone was warm, friendly, and attentive without ever being intrusive, and nothing was ever too much trouble. The lodge itself was i… more

Our stay at Vuyani was nothing short of incredible. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel so welcome and looked after us perfectly throughout our stay. Everyone was warm, friendly, and attentive without ever being intrusive, and nothing was ever too much trouble. The lodge itself was immaculate — beautifully maintained and extremely clean at all times. The food was outstanding, with plenty of variety, and they catered for my nut allergy exceptionally well, which made dining completely stress-free. As this was both our first safari and our honeymoon, we were hoping for a special experience, and they exceeded every expectation. The safari drives were absolutely unforgettable. Our guide, Jannie, and tracker, Peace, were phenomenal — so knowledgeable, passionate, and skilled. What stood out most was the respect they showed for the animals at all times, never overcrowding them and always prioritising their welfare while still giving us the most amazing sightings. Every detail of our stay felt thoughtful and personal, and the team truly made this the perfect honeymoon experience from start to finish. We left with memories we will treasure forever and would recommend this lodge to anyone considering a safari.

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“What a way to spend my wife's 60th Birthday”

We have just returned after staying at Vuyani for 5 days and had a fantastic time. My wife and I booked and flew into J'burg and thankfully chose to fly to hoedspruit, flight was less than 40 mins and on landing we were met by Godsave from Vuyani and driven to the lodge. The great thing about this … more

We have just returned after staying at Vuyani for 5 days and had a fantastic time. My wife and I booked and flew into J'burg and thankfully chose to fly to hoedspruit, flight was less than 40 mins and on landing we were met by Godsave from Vuyani and driven to the lodge. The great thing about this pick up was we saw Giraffes, Zebras and a rhino and young all before we got there. This was our first safari and we were celebrating my wifes 60th Birthday. I have to say this trip was never on my bucket list, however even I have to admit I enjoyed it. On arrival we were greeted by Russell with a non-alcolhic drink (shame on you - LOL) and shown to our accommodation in the main building and was met with a personal welcome message on the bed. The room looked out onto the reserve and as we were unpacking we saw monkeys and imparla outside roaming by our window. The main lodge has a nice infinity swimming pool and a great viewpoint looking out and across the reserve. The food was good and they catered for my wife who is a vegan preparing her seperate food at each meal time. On her Birthday they provided a private dinner by the pool, a vegan cake and she was sung too by Henry and his colleague (name escapes me) our wonderful waiting staff - This was organised by the management of the lodges Thank you. From a social point of view eating at just two tables we met some incrediable couples from Austrailla, Scotland and even from close to my wifes home town. Because you eat together, go on safari together and also maybe excursions together - you get to meet other guests as they come and go and that added to the experience. Everyone we met was super friendly. On our second day my wifes 60th as we turned out of the complex we came face to face with a herd of elephants (my wifes fav aminal) and that day we saw giraffe, zebra, wilderbeast and a pride of 6 lions, well done to our driver and spotter Sthel and Chris. The nice thing about this stay was every safari was different and when we changed guides Yanani and Peace delivered not only Elephants and Lions but the leopard. We only did one trip on the river boat, but another amazing day. We had originally booked this the day before but there was a mix up and when we couldn't find an alternative for that day Webster offered to drive us around the reserve to view the offer Lodges. Initally we went to Marula where we were once again greeted by Russell, these rooms are ultra modern and only have 4 lodges on-site with one chef and one waiting team. We went onto River Lodge where the big cats roam, all rooms have balconies and are called tents...however look nothing like a tent, another fantastic facility on the same reserve. A massive Thank you to any members of the team I did not name, you were all fantastic and it was a wonderful way for my wife to remember where she was when she turned 60. Thank you.

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