Guest reviews Bayethe Lodge

by Rick F Exeter, United Kingdom

Excellent Personal Service!

This was our second stay at Shamwari but our first at Sarili Lodge. Bearing in mind that this is a luxury resort and the prices reflect this, I had my doubts that our expectations could be met, let alone exceeded. I was wrong - they were smashed! The rooms and facilities are genuinely 5 star but that is what you would expect. The game drives were incredible and the information regarding the reserve and the animals that was passed onto us from our ranger, Janco, made the difference. What absolutely blew us away at the lodge was the personal service from every single member of staff that we came into contact with at Sarili. They went out of their way to ensure that our stay was memorable, and nothing appeared to be too much trouble for them. The stay was a 21st birthday present for my step-daughter and she was feted like a celebrity. From her arrival to her departure she was made to feel incredibly special and the icing on the cake (excuse the pun) was the incredible cake baked for her on the last night. At most of the resorts we have stayed in, the manager is in the background. Stephani is the exception to this rule. She was everywhere and worked with her team to ensure that everything was in place and that we constantly had smiles on our faces. We cannot thank you and your staff enough for making our stay incredibly special.

by laura19792017 Weymouth, United Kingdom

Exceptional Safari Trip

We (my husband, 10 year old boy and I) stayed at the Riverdene Lodge for 3 nights after staying in Cape Town and travelling along the Garden Route. What a perfect way to end our time in South Africa. I highly recommend this accommodation especially for families with younger children as the facilities / kid club available to them in between game drives are great with such friendly staff. All the staff at The Riverdene Lodge are absolutely fantastic with nothing being too much trouble. I have to give a special nod to Michael the barman, what a lovely gentleman. We were very lucky to have had the friendly, funny, engaging, informative Karien as our ranger who really made our stay so special. Karien really went above and beyond. We were very fortunate and saw lions as well as the elusive leopard eating. We saw elephants with a baby and rhino including a black rhino that was quite an emotional moment for me. Karien persevered in the pouring rain (unusual) and for that reason we were lucky enough to see cheetah hunting, a special moment that will stay with me forever. Karien also provided great information on lots of other interesting animals, birds, insects (dung beetles are so impressive) and plants along the way. I cannot thank Karien enough. The food on offer was divine and constant. My favourite were the treats in the afternoon before the second game drive of the day. Accommodation / facilities all high standard. Such an amazing experience, thank you so much Shamwari

by alan N Bedford, United Kingdom

We had an experience of a lifetime

Shamwari truly is a magical place. We stayed at Riverdene between the 17th to the 20th of December. Our stay here was way way above any expectations we had the lodge is fantastic the rooms amazing. The food is high quality and plenty of opposition. If you go hungry it’s your own fault. What made this holiday for us was our ranger Keigen this man was amazing his knowledge his passion for the animals his personality matched ours perfectly. Thank you Shamwari for blowing our minds. And keigen your a legend thank you so much Keigen may all yours dreams come true.

by S3761OXcraigb Cape Town, South Africa

Incredible accommodation, amazing service, exceptional cuisine and great game viewing !!!

Having last had a family safari holiday over ten years ago, we decided it was time to visit the bush again and so after much research by my wife, we chose the new Sindile luxury tented lodge in the malaria free Shamwari Game Reserve for our Christmas holiday. Every aspect of our four days was superb ! The friendly welcome, amazing six star accommodation, each tent with its own private pool and sun deck overlooking the river and plains teeming with game, simply took our breath away. The tented lodge including reception area, bar, dining area, fire pit and multiple viewing decks was amazing and the design, facilities, decor and staff at this luxury tented camp made for a truly memorable holiday where nothing was too much trouble and we felt incredibly welcome and pampered. From our welcome from CEO Joe, GM Theo and friendly service from Kalalani, Portio, Odwa, Bonolo, Kati, Siya and the rest of the Sindile team and the four days spent with our senior ranger Mino and newby Gerhard, ensured our every request was taken care of and we were made to feel very special. The early 5.00 am wake up calls, a quick cup of coffee and then onto the brand new open safari vehicles to track the waking animals was a fantastic daily experience ! Seeing Cheeta’s, Lions, Elephants, Rhino’s, Buffalo, Hippos, Giraffes and dozens of species of antelopes literally feet away from our vehicle and in abundance every day was priceless ! We had two great rangers who made every drive a fun adventure and whose knowledge of the plants, birds and the game was just incredible. Senior ranger Mino was a character who ensured we had a lot of fun and laughs and there wasn’t a moment of boredom. The breakfast, lunch and dinners at Sindile and the other camps we visited were truly superb and a very nice surprise, not what we expected deep in the bush at a safari camp. The Born Free Foundation on Shamwari which relocates traumatized Lions, Leopards and other animals from circuses and zoo’s around the world is well worth a visit as is Shamwari’s animal rehabilitation centre where orphaned ( usually by poachers) or injured animals are treated, nursed and prepared for re- introduction into the wild. We saw owls, antelope, elephants and rhinos all being treated at this centre and we truly enjoyed our few hours there. Having visited many luxury game reserves, Sindile Tented Camp was by far the best we have visited - pricy but a great luxury experience and worth every cent. Thanks Shamwari and the team at Sindile, you have given my wife , two adult children and I memories that we will cherish for many years to come !!!

by konstanzee2016

Lodge -Safari-Touren

The lodge is situated within nature. The food and the service were excellent. We went on 5 tours with Jason. He always made sure that everyone was comfortable and had a good view of the animals. He was a perfect guide. Thank you so much, Jason!