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Owner managed Riverside Lodge located in Kruger National Park (Big 5 area). Each accommodation (traditional South African thatched rondawel) has its own private deck/patio overlooking the Olifants River. Emphasis is on personal service, privacy, serenity & tranquility. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Children over the age of 12 are welcome.
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My three nights in a luxury tent at Emhosheni River Lodge were very comfortable and just what I wanted. Sarah and the staff did everything they could to help me in my mission to see wildlife (particularly birds). The three game drives and a game walk I did yielded some wonderful wildlife moments and they also booked a day long birding trip through Kruger for me. I saw 56 lifers (new birds for me) during my stay. The food was great and vegetarian friendly. The gardens and surroundings are beautiful and I could see plenty of wildlife inside and outside the fence.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Emhosheni Lodge, General Manager at Emhosheni River Lodge
Responded 15 Nov 2024
Hi Nick! Thank you for the great review! Hope to see you again to tick off the Ground Hornbills!
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We were able to enjoy 5 nights in this beautiful lodge with a family atmosphere. With a total of 5 accommodation units directly on the Olifant River, personal wishes are taken into account. Very individual service, very warm atmosphere!
Access via a rough road, where we were picked up by the lodge team at the time of our choice. Very friendly welcome, like every time you return from an excursion with a delicious drink and hot scented towels - you immediately feel very welcome and valued.
The accommodation units (3 chalets and 2 high-quality luxury tents) are equipped with everything you need. Very comfortable beds, a potpourri of pillows, shower and bathtub with very good water pressure and immediately hot water. Air conditioning. Turn down service in the evening. The staff are very friendly, attentive, try to respond to all wishes and make everything possible. Laundry service is also available on request. Everything is very clean and well maintained. The whole complex is very inviting with various seating areas, inside and outside, pool, viewing platform. In contrast to some other lodges in the area, the Emhosheni Lodge is surrounded by an electric fence so that you can move around the grounds safely.
The food is freshly prepared on site by chefs, there is a rich breakfast buffet, and various egg dishes (omelette, eggs Benedict...) are also available. At lunchtime there is sometimes hot food, sometimes cold food, and in the evening there is a 3-course menu, very tasty. The meal times are adapted to personal wishes and needs depending on the plans.
In the morning and evening we took part in game drives or a walk with very experienced rangers who opened our eyes to nature and the animals, very exciting experiences, great atmosphere on the drives when you look for the lion together - a must-have! At lunchtime we relaxed on the viewing platform or by the pool with a view of the river, where a herd of 16 elephants or giraffes always passed by at lunchtime. There are also currently 8 hippos, many monkeys, impalas, wild boars and many other animals living at the level of the lodge. A trip to the Kruger National Park is a great experience, as is a boat trip on the Blyde River. Our son had a lot of fun on a quad tour through the bush, where he not only got to enjoy lots of animals and the great landscape with breathtaking views, but also had a great driving experience on the unpaved roads - highly recommended.
The lodge manager Andrew, like the other employees, is always approachable, organized and gives good tips.
All in all, a unique experience! A mixture of peace, personal care, but also opportunities to retreat and great nature experiences! 100% recommendation! We'd love to go again!
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We were in the lodge from February 23rd to February 26th, 2024 and were simply thrilled.
The staff are very friendly and try to fulfill every wish of the guests. The suitcases are brought to the rooms upon arrival at the lodge, so that you can enjoy a super relaxed start to the safari experience. The service in terms of breakfast, lunch and dinner was excellent. The breakfast buffet offers everything you need for a successful start to the day. Lunch was served on request on the viewing platform and dinner could be enjoyed under the African starry sky. Vegetarian dishes can also be requested from the kitchen team and are in no way inferior to the meat dishes in terms of taste. One of my friends had a birthday during this period and was surprised by the service team with a little something for his special day.
The safari trips (game drives) in the morning and evening are an absolute must during your stay at the Emhosheni River Lodge. There you have the opportunity to experience the nature of Africa up close. During our stay we saw the following animals live: lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra, leopard, jackal, warthog, buffalo, hippo, antelope and various types of African birds. The safari guides employed by the lodge have an enormous amount of knowledge of African nature and can give background information about every animal seen live on the safari. Personally, I'm not really interested in plants. However, the safari guides still managed to get me excited about African flora with their stories.
The location of the lodge is simply fantastic, as it is located directly on the Olifants River. There are countless species of animals there, such as elephants and hippos, which can be observed directly from the lodge. Furthermore, to get to the lodge you first have to drive 30-45 minutes through the safari area, which means that the lodge is located right in the middle of Africa's nature.
Various excursions can also be undertaken, such as a day trip to the Kruger National Park or a quad tour through the African wilderness.
All in all, it was an unforgettable experience and we would have loved to stay longer. We will definitely be back!
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had 4 great nights at this small but very family lodge. From 1. Day after day we just had a super great stay with delicious food, lots of animals, game drives and super friendly staff! William makes the game drives an evening adventure & Erik fulfills every wish when eating and drinking. Between all the excursions you can relax by the pool and watch the numerous animals in front of the lodge and by the river. An absolute highlight is the outdoor shower!
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We just spent 4 nights at the Emhosheni River Lodge, and had an absolutely wonderful experience. In planning this portion of our South African trip, we looked at dozens of lodges and read countless reviews on each. In terms of location, size of the lodge, comfort, options for actvitivites, and high number of very positive reveiws, we chose Emosheni and are very happy that we did. The lodge is quaint, charming, and well appointed. The rondevals are spread throughout the property, so you feel like you have the place to yourself. The view overlooking the Oliphants river is amazing and everchanging, as Elephants, Impala, Waterboks, Hippos, baboons saunter past throughout the day. Sarah, the manager, is extremely knowledgeable, welcoming, professional and kind, so we felt well taken care of throughout our visit. The staff (chefs, waitstaff, grounds crew, room attendants) were all so delightful and we very much enjoyed any opportunitiy we had to visit with them. We spent a lot of time with William on game drives, including a full day in Kruger, and he was incredible! William was constantly scanning the terrain and checking tracks, and was able to show us an incredible diversity of wildlife in both the reserve and Kruger. His knowledge about each individual species was unbelievable, so learning from his was just as fascinating as the animals we encountered. There were lots of highlights, but the top might have been watching a leaopard lounging in a tree, and then wake up to snack on a warthog it had drug up there while a couple of hungry hyenas watched intently from below. An excellent experience at an excellent value! A huge thank you to our friends at Emhosheni!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are no words to describe how magical our 5 day safari was! Everything exceeded our expectations. However, I'll try to sum up in a few words who and what made this trip unforgettable. Safari Game Drives / Tours: William is the most knowledgeable and educational guide you could ask for. We enjoyed every second of him teaching us about this wonderful piece of our planet. He is also such a funny, patient and passionate person and really enjoyed answering tons of questions and sharing all his wisdom with us.
Hospitality: Sarah (manager) and Eric (service and bar) took care of every single request and detail. They made us feel at home from the moment we arrived. Although the weather is unpredictable during the rainy season, Sarah was always ready to adapt our schedule to the weather conditions and offer us flexible and valuable alternatives. Eric and his friendly and enthusiastic service made our time at the lodge very enjoyable. He was always quick with the perfect wine or drink recommendation as he quickly learned our preferences.
Kitchen: Lucia is an incredibly skilled chef and managed to surprise us every day with delicious and carefully plated meals.
Accommodation: The lodge, its surroundings and our chalet were magical. We loved the interior and exterior design, the views, the tranquil garden and pool area. We still wonder how Priscila managed to take care of our chalet every minute, as if we would not have used it without seeing her even once near it. I am so sorry that I have forgotten the names of the two gardeners who look after the beautiful and lush green sourrings and do a wonderful job.
Thank you all for making our safari one of the best trips of our lives!
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Date of stay: January 2025
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Emhosheni Lodge, General Manager at Emhosheni River Lodge
Responded 3 days ago
Thank you so much Marta! Your kind words mean so much to us! We hope you will visit us again in the dry season!
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We came as guests and left as friends. The most wonderful thing is the lovely and warm people who work there. From the cleaning staff to the manager. The lodge is beautifully situated on the river bank. From the viewing platform and from our own terrace we saw many elephants, hippos, some giraffes, impalas, baboons and cute little monkeys. The facility is well maintained, the rooms are stylish with very good showers and clean. A fresh bouquet of flowers was the icing on the cake. The tables in the restaurant with an open front in good weather were beautifully set. The food was attractively served and tasted very good. There was a wide selection at breakfast and warm egg dishes could also be ordered. The game drives were a pleasure thanks to Paul and very educational even after many other drives. This man is a guide with heart and soul and that benefits us guests. We got to know the founding couple and the manager Andrew. They are extremely close to the guests and knew how to bring them together in an entertaining way to form a large community. So we always had a very good relationship with everyone. It was three wonderful days from start to finish. We strongly recommend that anyone driving themselves make sure they have a vehicle that has at least a lot of ground clearance. Better still, a 4x4 vehicle. The paths are adventurous, but that's exactly what we wanted. It's a nature reserve with rocky and impassable ground. We consider ourselves lucky to have been there. Thank you all very much for everything👍👍👍
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Date of stay: September 2023
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Unwegsames Gelände ab Balule Gate. Wir empfehlen ein Fahrzeug mit mehr Bodenfreiheit oder 4x4
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Staying at Emhosheni River Lodge was an unforgettable experience! From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warm hospitality and breathtaking views of the river. The lodge is perfectly located, offering a peaceful and intimate safari experience away from the crowds.
The rooms were spacious, beautifully decorated, and had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. Waking up to the sounds of nature and watching elephants drink from the river right in front of us was simply magical.
The food was outstanding – fresh, flavorful, and prepared with great care. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed, always with a smile.
The game drives were an absolute highlight! Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate, making sure we saw incredible wildlife up close while sharing fascinating insights about the animals and the ecosystem.
If you're looking for a luxurious yet authentic safari experience, Emhosheni River Lodge is the place to be. We can't wait to return!
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Date of stay: January 2025
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First of all, we have been on several safari trips throughout: SA, Namibia, Botswana, Uganda.This was the first trip we have been disappointed. The bush is beautiful, but really empty. Even smaller animals where hard to find and the elephants where most of the time far out and solo. Same goes for some hippos we saw. To far away to even take a picture. After 3 game drives and talking to the game driver what to expect furthermore, we decided to leave this place. We came to see the animals and there were just so view and also in diversity. We were most of the time literally only spotting bush chickens! So we made a booking in the south of the park (lots of animals there and an amazing lodge) Honestly, we should have gone there instead waisting time here). We really regret this lodge provided us with false information about the animals in this area. We even have asked specific by email. Also the gamedriver told us this was normal for the north and never would have recommended to do many game drives in this area. We only spend one day at this lodge, but they did charged us the whole amount for the full 5 days including the extra package for the non used games drives and full board food. That seemed normal to this management. This is Not something we are used to in South Africa. Having said that, it’s a nice lodge and great executive staff. If your planning to do some reading or some relaxation in a quiet surrounding, this is the place for you. Otherwise not worth it. Ps: the pool needed some attending to. It was not clean when we were there.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
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Service
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After 2 days of self-driving through Kruger National Park we enjoyed the private part of Greater Kruger at Emosheni River Lodge. Directly located at Olifanrs river we saw a group of elephants shortly after our arrival at the water pond, directly from the patio of our Rondavel lodge. The team at Emosheni did everything to make our stay enjoyable and memorable. The food is delicous, the "braai" barbecue event after the night drive with all guests was fantastic. We had great fun. We were very lucky to see a leopard in the last minute of our last game drive. What an experience!!! Emosheni River Lodge is a perfect place to experience wildlife, delicous food, friendly service staff in a relaxing and modern environment.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Emhosheni Lodge, General Manager at Emhosheni River Lodge
Responded 15 Nov 2024
Thank you for our review! We sure do love our view from here and we are so lucky to see so many animals right outside! Please visit us again!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi Adriana, we have different packages that include activities. Please check our website or contact our reservations team for more information. The price will depend on the exchange rate at the time of payment. - Emhosheni Management
Hi Cecilia, we have different package which include activities for different prices. Please check our website or contact our reservation team for more information. - Emhosheni Management
There are more places to choose from in the Balule Nature Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$534 - AU$597 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkBalule Nature Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
3
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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