Phelwana Game Lodge

Great deal!

Pros: I loved everything, pleasant staff, nice small safari, beutiful place. It is not the most luxurious, but I doubt you would get a best cost-benefit place.

Cons: No comments

Pros: The staff made the difference in our stay. From the care preparing our breakfest to go for the safari to the warm welcome of Jeffrey, everything was perfect. The property has lots animals such as hippos, zebras and giraffes and it was amazing seing them so close. The dinners were spetacular! They made a south african barbecue in a beautiful set up by the fire place (even with the rain). If I ever come back to kruger, I would definetly stay at Phelwana.

Calm relaxing beautiful experience

Pros: It’s a beautiful serene getaway from the hustle and bustle of life

A lovely place to stay

Pros: We stayed in a 3 bedroom villa with a swimming pool. The villa was very spacious, the beds were very comfortable and the outside area was very nice. Baboons and a giraffe visited us a couple of times. We did a safari drive from the hotel which was very enjoyable. The guide was very enthusiastic, explaining many interesting facts about the wildlife and flora. One of the highlights for us was watching a family of hippos grazing next to the lake. Breakfast and dinner are generally inside a resturant area and all is waiter served. Dinner consisted of 3 courses with a choice of main meal. We actually preferred the kids menu to the adult menu and the chef was happy to oblige and we appreciated the flexibility. The experience is a little like fine dining. On Sunday, dinner was outside around a fire which was very nice. We were allowed a late check out which was very helpful.

Cons: The villa was sprayed with copious amounts of air freshener before we arrived. The smell was so strong the we had to open the windows for several hours to remove the smell. It is necessary to drive between the lodges and the restuarant and we got a little lost several times in the dark as the signage was not as good as it could be. Dinner was served quite late. Dinner would start at 7pm but the chef would only start preparing your meal once you were seated so it could be a considerable wait for each course. Breakfast also took a very long time as we arrived at a busy time. To fully appreciate the dining experience you need to allow plenty of time. Dinner on the Sunday night was a BBQ but the options were very limited to game, chicken wings and bits of salad. There was no vegetarian option and when I enquired the waitress told me that I can only have what the chef has prepared on the bbq and that he will not make anything different. After the bbq ended we asked where we could drive to buy a meal (this hotel is very remote). Finally they agreed to cook some pasta which we really appreciated. We would have prefered a slightly wider range to include vegetarian options to save the embarrasment of having to ask.

Pros: Thank you to Gale, Jo-Anne and Katie who went above and beyond to make our stay and my daughter's 9th birthday amazing. Special thanks to the Chef, the rainbow birthday cake was delicious. Thank you to Sly for a lovely game drive. This place is a gem and true value for money!

Cons: Nothing. Keep doing what you are doing.

A relaxing stay in beautiful surroundings

Pros: The tented room was beautiful with lovely facilities and touches. The staff were very friendly - specially Jeffrey and Titus. Loved the animals roaming around so accessibly.

Exceptional stay!

Pros: We had the best time at Phelwana! We’d really recommend staying at the lodge. We stayed in the tent and it was immaculately clean. Every morning we were greeted with different animals at the tent like monkeys, baboons, bunnies, deer and even a baby giraffe! The staff were exceptional, really friendly and helpful. Every member of staff went above and beyond for us to ensure our stay was excellent. We especially loved Jeffrey who made sure our every meal was amazing and that we had everything we needed. He even taught us some of his mother tongue language and we loved his jokes! Sly was an excellent guide who was so knowledgeable on our game drives. The game drives and bush walk were so cool and we saw so many animals like hippos, zebra, giraffes. The food was so nice, every meal we had was perfect! Inkomu swinene 🙏

Loved the facilities, the staff were just excellent and the whole family had a great time.

Pros: Airport transfers and Kruger game drive were expertly coordinated. Family friendly activities at the lodge (fishing, bush walks, sundowner drives) were very enjoyable for all ages, the food was very good and the staff were just excellent. We had a great time.

Perfect stay

Pros: Loved everything! The views on the lake are very relaxing, the private pool of the room is very nice. Bush walks and game drives organized by the lodge are cool. The lodge also help with organizing all game drives and activities. Food is good and staff very nice.

Cons: Nothing.

Peace and comfort in the bush.

Pros: Old fashioned luxury in the bush: cabins were comfortable and well-appointed and the main lodge was beautiful. Loved breakfasts looking out onto the verandah and the dam; loved the braai at the boma, and the evening game drive with sundowners and snacks in the bush. Location allowed access to Blyde River Canyon, Kruger Park and Eastgate airport ( all within an hour’s drive). Katie was amazing at advising us on activities, and organising our itinerary seamlessly. Sylvester (aka Sly) looked after us for all transfers, game drives and walks, and was most informative. Geoffrey gave us excellent service in the dining room.

Cons: Phelwana is relatively small and doesn’t host all of the Big Five, except for buffalo but we saw an abundance of other game and they facilitated game drives into Kruger Park for us. No complaints; we loved our stay.