Kariega Game Reserve Main Lodge

We have been on safaris before in Kichaka lodge but this family friendly safari lodge is excellent. It is value for money, staff are very helpful, chalets are clean and provide stunning panoramic views. However a safari is all about your guide and the animals. Kariega delivered on both fronts. Our guide Monde made this family trip. He was courteous, polite, professional, knowledgeable on all the flora and fauna we encountered. He was an excellent driver and I, my wife, and 2 children always felt safe, and were made to feel special.

We just finished our 3 day visit to Kariega game reserve and I have to say it was excellent. Our guide Mariska was fantastic ... so knowledgeable and capable and incredibly obliging. She made a big difference to our experience and Kariega are lucky to have her. Overall the food, chalets, staff and ALL the guides and all the different things that they laid on for us were top notch. Thanks guys Alan & Siobhan

We have just finished our first family safari in Kariega - we are a family of 6 ranging in age from 10 to 45 yrs - upon arrival we received a lovely warm welcome at the reception and we were then taken to our lodge (no 24) … the lodge was just gorgeous accommodation for our safari .. very spacious, comfortable & immaculately clean. This was a 4 bed lodge with a lovely living space & 3 bathrooms. We had a lovely balcony & private pool too. It was ideal accommodation for our stay. We stayed for 2 nights and had 4 game drives which were between 3 & 4 hours long. The reserve is simply stunning & it has plenty of wonderful wildlife including the big 5 and much more. Our guide was incredible, Dumisani made our first safari an epic one ! He went to great lengths to ensure we saw all the wildlife. Dumisani was a gentleman, so knowledgeable, safe and fun. We were so lucky to have him as our guide. The safari jeep was a really cool and comfortable way of seeing around the reserve - with everything u need on board such as rain coats, blankets, and even a little picnic/ drinks to have while out on the drive. All the staff were helpful and friendly. We highly recommend Kariega for a wonderful safari experience - we had a really magical time and were so sorry to have to leave.

We’ve had the most magical trip of a lifetime at The Kariega Game Reserve. Mariska, our ranger, was so knowledgable and personable which just made our experience so memorable. The accommodation was wonderful, with a balcony looking out over the reserve. The food was plentiful and delicious. I even enjoyed the early starts!! Thanks so much to Mariska and the whole team for making our dream holiday a reality :-)

Honestly incredible - we stayed in the river Lodge. The room and bed was huge, the communication was excellent and the service throughout was amazing, from the refreshments before and after (and during) the drives, the delicious drinks before and during dinner, an excellent menu. Most importantly, the game drives - incredible. The guides were knowledgable and fun, none of the animals we saw felt like we were crowding them - it almost felt like a private small vehicle tour at times. The number of animals and how close we could get was breathtaking - i would have paid 5 times over the asking price and felt it was great value. Cannot recommend highly enough.

We had the best time on safari at Kariega and would highly recommend. Our guide Wes was funny, kind and incredibly knowledgeable - you have lucked out if you get him! Although all the rangers seemed really great. We were a family of three with a 7-year-old and luckily there were other kids in our group and they all had a fantastic time together on the drives, with lots of fun and laughs. Three hours flies by. The early starts are tough but worth it as sunrise in the reserve is just magical. We had so many amazing encounters with wildlife and learnt so much thanks to Wes. Loved the sundowner drinks and boat ride - I swam in the river which was great fun. The lodges are a little dated but felt very authentic and the beds are super comfy with good air con in the bedrooms. We were lucky to have a plunge pool but spent most of our time at the main pool relaxing between drives. The food is plentiful and delicious - there is the chance to try home style South African cooking or eat something a bit closer to home. They also do a bbq one evening in the boma with a campfire and traditional dancing. Also worth a mention is that my daughter arrived sick and the staff were so kind and helpful, providing lots of juices and taking us to a local doctor to get antibiotics. We will never forget our stay at Kariega - thanks to everyone there for making our trip so special.