Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Knapsak River Road, Philippolis 9970 South Africa
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About
#1 of 1 lodge in Philippolis
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Otterskloof Private Game Reserve lies on the border of the Free State and Northern Cape along the majestic Van Der Kloof Dam - the Reserve is 34 000 acres in extent. Set in an unique part of South Africa, this jewel of the Free State awaits to surprise our visitors. Otterskloof Private Game Reserve offers high standards in accommodation, close wildlife encounters, beautiful vistas, and personal service. The accommodation is spread over 2 lodges, each with it's own character : Safari Lodge is the main lodge and offers luxurious catered accommodation in a revamped farm homestead - each room with it's own separate entrance. Safari Lodge is situated 30km from Phillipolis and can only be reached via a well-maintained gravel road.Bush Lodge is set in a reclaimed hunting outpost and offers a close-to-nature private self-catering lodge with 3 en-suite bedrooms.Bush lodge is rented out as a unit and is a 45 minute drive from the main lodge in a high-clearance vehicle.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Wifi
Pool
Free breakfast
Bicycle rental
Canoeing
Babysitting
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Parking
Paid wifi
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Hiking
Darts
Fishing
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Conference facilities
BBQ facilities
Non-smoking hotel
Shared kitchen
Laundry service
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Room features
Fireplace
Housekeeping
Safe
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
Languages Spoken
English, German
Location
Knapsak River Road, Philippolis 9970 South Africa
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Philippolis car hire
39Reviews3Q+A2Room tips
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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The rooms at Otterskloof are spacious and very neat. the service of staff was amazing. The food was great, and t also enjoyed the farm look I enjoyed my stay and i will be definitely going back for either business or leisure.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Value
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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.
Helpful
The views and food are amazing. At first they wanted us to stay on the self catering which is not upto standards, the self catering is not very cosy and has a very strong smell. Once they changed us everything was perfect.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2021
Value
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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.
Helpful
Great venue and accomodation. The staff are very friendly and helpfull. Areas to improve: upon arrival we booked for 4, room was made up for 3. Food is great, however, basics like no sparkling water etc. not available. Food also run out during dinner. Will definately go back - great place for the family and plenty to do.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2022
Value
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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.
Helpful
From arrival to departure, we were treated with 5-star quality service and fine dining. The staff were well-trained, well-mannered and helpful. The lodge rooms were clean with all the necessary amenities available at hand. The grounds were immaculate.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2021
Value
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Sleep Quality
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.
Helpful
Response from Abel Erasmus, Owner at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Responded 8 Jan 2022
Hi, Thank you for the kind words- we are delighted to have exceeded your expectations. The Otterskloof Team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We enjoyed staying at the lodge, would suggest a boma like area at the farm house for self catering, but the facilities we used where great. The managers and hosts we incredible and very helpful with everything. We were all impressed by them.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
Value
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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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Abel Erasmus, Owner at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Responded 11 May 2021
Hi Mark, Thank you for the kind words. We are glad you enjoyed your stay. Regards ABEL
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Beautiful location, away from it all and this year particularly beautiful after the rain. Well appointed accommodation, comfortable bed and hot shower, clean and spacious. Book directly with the host as they will go out of their way to meet your requirements. It is a bit far from the N1 for an overnight stay, unless you have an hour on arrival and departure to spare each way as the roads requires you to drive slowly. Best if you have a day or two to enjoy the outdoors, for hiking, swimming and game drives. We found the meals a bit basic, nothing special, the only area we would recommend to approval as well as the amenities in the room, which did not match similar accommodation in its class. However, if you want to sleep well in a dark, quiet, safe place, try it out. I make a point of visiting of the beaten track places, and this has been lovely.…
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2021
Value
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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.
Helpful
Response from Abel Erasmus, Owner at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Responded 2 Mar 2021
Hi Johanita - thank you for the positive feedback - we take all comments to heart and are sorry that we did not live up to your expectations. We are always looking at ways to improve our offering and will discuss with the Team. The Otterskloof Team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We didn't want to book a place on the N1, but rather something a bit more interesting on our way back from the Western Cape. And we found this gorgeous game farm close to Phillipolis. Carina was very friendly and made sure everything was as we wanted it (both my partner and I have allergies). There is good WiFi although there is no cell signal. Really comfortable rooms. It does not add much time to your journey if you're travelling between the Cape and Gauteng and definitely worth the little extra travel time.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Helpful
Response from Abel Erasmus, Owner at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Responded 13 Jan 2021
Hi Neil - thank you for the kind words. We appreciate your support - safe travels! The Otterskloof Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Excellent facility and first class accommodation. The food was also excellent. The farm and wildlife as well as the scenery is magnificent! Really enjoyed the hunting although we were not very successful. The game is very wild and starts running from afar. The PH and tracker really tried their best. Only negative issue was the unprofessional attitude of the manager. The lady consistently wanted to know how much beers we took and wanted to know beforehand on the last evening how much we are going to drink so that she could finalise the bills already. The PH had to braai for us the last evening as she did not want the staff to wait for us as we wanted to have dinner only at 20:00 This was the only issue that distracted from an otherwise wonderful long weekend.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Value
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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.
Helpful
Response from Abel Erasmus, Owner at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Responded 29 July 2020
Hi Maarten, Glad you enjoyed your stay and we are sorry that you had a negative experience with the manager. We take all complaints seriously and will address them internally. Regards ABEL ERASMUS
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My first adventures in South Africa took place at Otterskloof in 2016. Returning in 2019 was like coming back home as I re-experienced some of my favorite places and favorite staff members! Whether hunting or photographing the rugged vistas and fantastic animals, Otterskloof is a must do in South Africa!
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Date of stay: October 2019
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.
Helpful
Response from Abel Erasmus, Owner at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Responded 10 Mar 2020
Hi Bill, thank you for the kind words - long-term relationships like yours are what we cherish - so glad you enjoyed your visit. Regards Abel Erasmus Jnr
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lovely setting and place - extremely hot no aircon in dining room, bedroom had aircon but no windows so had to sleep with aircon on. Very clean. Beds rock hard. Food DISGUSTING .... chicken burnt carrots so sweet oily and buttery no one ate - the bobotie was venison very tough. As SAfricans, we should be told it’s a hunting lodge for hunters the walls had photos of Trophy hunting - lions etc - I don’t want to support a lodge like that and should have a choice, if I had known I would’ve found other accommodation - also it’s a dirt road of about 40km we should be told that too -
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from AbelErasmus, Owner at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Responded 8 Jan 2020
Thank you for the feedback, which we value. We are a sustainable hunting destination where conservation of wildlife through sustainable harvesting is our first priority. Management will investigate the complaint regarding the food served - we have had positive feedback on the food previously and need to ascertain what was amiss during your stay. It was an exceptionally warm December which may have impacted your comfort in the dining room. It is worth noting that we do advertise the fact we allow hunting on the property on our website and elsewhere, but will note it more prominently on our communication going forward.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
USD 65 - USD 81 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaFree StatePhilippolis
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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Claim Your ListingOTTERSKLOOF PRIVATE GAME RESERVE (AU$99): 2023 Prices & Reviews (Philippolis, South Africa) - Photos of Lodge - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Otterskloof Private Game Reserve
Which popular attractions are close to Otterskloof Private Game Reserve?
Nearby attractions include Transgariep Museum (0.2 km) and Laurens Van Der Post Memorial Garden (0.3 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Is Otterskloof Private Game Reserve located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.3 km away from the centre of Philippolis.
Are pets allowed at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Otterskloof Private Game Reserve?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and German.