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goodbrick
Reno, Nevada

Outstanding safari!

Review of Ezulwini Lodges
5.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed 27 Jan 2017via mobile
The staff at both the River Lodge and Billies Lodge were outstanding! They cater to the customer. The safari guides made the trip! I would highly recommend this as a business trip or as couples! Great
Date of stay: January 2017
Trip type: Travelled on business
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Reviewed 9 January 2017

If seeing animals is your main goal, you can not go wrong here. We saw all the big 5. The early morning and evening drives are well timed and the guide and the tracker were excellent. Unlike some other game reserves, the vehicles were allowed to go off-road and off-road they went following animals. The Range Rovers were comfortable and had a cover which made the trips more comfortable by shielding the sun.
On the negative side, the rooms at Billy's lodge were a bit too rustic bordering on musty. The air conditioning did not work well. We had earlier stayed at another 5 star private reserve and Billy's suffered greatly in comparison.
The very enthusiastic and friendly staff made up for those shortcomings. they accompanied us to our rooms at night to make sure we did not run into anything unforeseen. Food was very good. We had vegetarians in our group and they adapted the menu to their request very well. We were there during Christmas. They prepared special meals and had gifts for every guest.
Well done Billy's Lodge

Date of stay: December 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Value
    • Location
    • Service
1  Thank asiahand1
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.
Reviewed 5 January 2017

Stayed at Billy's lodge, what a fantastic experience. Fantastic views and lodges, great staff and hosts. All in all a great group managing and working at the lodge. Game driviing vehicles comfortable, modern and new, which is a plus as these can often be terrible making the game drive a nightmare...glad to say this was not at all the case, and with the rangers knowledge and friendliness the game drives where amazing. Thanks to all of you guys.

Date of stay: November 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
1  Thank OudePostkantoor
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.
Reviewed 1 January 2017

We booked through Viva Safaris (don't - go directly to this lodge and book, I promise!).

Everything exceeded our expectations, the staff treated us like kings. The rooms were beautiful, spacious, and clean.

You start each morning at 5am with a wakeup knock, then time to get ready, have coffee and head out for the game drive. You return to a hot wash cloth and hot breakfast (made to order!). Then time to nap, enjoy the beautiful pool, or explore the camp until lunch at 2:30pm. Evening game drive is from 4-7. It is great having two shorter game drives. Less time in a bumpy car (especially if you get carsick at all!). Plus more chances to see animals when it is not so hot.

The guides on the drives are amazing! They provide ponchos and water bottles, which is a huge plus! They are great at using the animal tracks and finding the big five! We saw all five in our 2 night stay, pretty lucky.

Quiet stay, one couple had a 6 year old daughter and she seemed restless other than the drives. Not much to do but relax, read, watch a movie on your computer. I wouldn't suggest a family unless they are self-entertained. Even as a couple, bring some things to do like reading materials, movies, or games. Particularly if you are staying more than a few days.

Date of stay: December 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
2  Thank tayor r
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.
Reviewed 12 December 2016 via mobile

My husband and I stayed three nights at Billy's Lodge followed by two nights at River Lodge and truly experienced the trip of a lifetime. At Billy's Lodge we were warmly greeted by the staff upon arrival and shown to our rustic but very comfortable suite overlooking the bush, complete with porch swing, plunge pool and outdoor shower. We were served a delicious lunch and soon headed off on our first afternoon game drive with our awesome guide Franz and equally awesome tracker Hector. The main lodge at Billy's has impressive design and decor with a spacious dining and lounging veranda from which you can watch elephants, monkeys, antelope, birds and other wildlife. The staff, especially our host Knox, was hospitable, attentive and knowledgable. After each game drive we were greeted with a tray of warm washcloths and shots of Amarula, followed by a relaxing dinner with a choice of entrees. The games drives were incredible with close up encounters of the Big Five as well as giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, a honey badger, a bush baby, and a huge array of bird life. The staff works very hard to ensure your safety both at the lodges (where you are escorted to your room after dark) as well as on the game drives. At River Lodge we had a luxury suite on the Oliphants River. From our porch we were able to view elephants, wart hogs, baboons, monkeys, and antelope. The staff at this lodge were also very hospitable and accommodating. Our guide and tracker, Leonard and Eddie were superb. We also enjoyed spending time with other guests at both lodges, many of whom were from other countries, yet we never felt overcrowded especially on the games drives where we often only had two other guests with us in the Land Rover. We highly recommend Ezulwini and hope to return someday.

Date of stay: October 2016
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
1  Thank foothillstrekker
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.
Reviewed 7 December 2016 via mobile

Management and staff were great friendly and very helpful.
The food was excellent and accommodation quaint. Area is very clean and well kept. When walking around saw a number of wild game. Highly recommended

Date of stay: December 2016
Trip type: Travelled on business
2  Thank Martin W
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.
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