A journey for your palate

A very special and amazing experience Although we probably experienced the worst weather in 6 years, our experience of Riverbend Lodge was amazing. Leo, John, Moses, Debbie, Micky, Mike and many others made our stay very special and we were lucky enough to have seen very close up 4 of the big 5 - This was only because there are not a giraffes at the reserve. We look forward to seeing you again!

The perfect lodge for our family! The River Bend Lodge, which we found by chance on the internet, was the absolute highlight of our family's (2 adults, 2 children) Garden Route trip through South Africa. The lodge's extremely tastefully furnished houses with pool are located in a huge private area that borders on (and is part of) the Addo Elephant Park, where 200 of the park's 600 elephants live (as well as lions, buffalo, rhinos, antelopes, ostriches, etc.). Only the lodge's vehicles are allowed to explore the entire area - it doesn't get more exclusive than that. Game drives are offered twice a day (morning and afternoon). We went on 5 in three days (3-4 hours each, which seemed short). Each guest is assigned a ranger. Our ranger Micky was an extremely experienced, friendly, smart, knowledgeable and funny guide through the bushland, who kept us and our children (who were able to do a great mini ranger course with a certificate!) well informed and entertained with the most amazing details and anecdotes about the different animals - and very coolly even managed to change a tire in record time in the middle of a herd of elephants grazing dangerously close by. The entire staff at the lodge spread a great mood, served the best food and really left nothing to be desired. We can only think of one thing to describe these three days in the lodge: perfect and highly recommended.

outstanding River Bend Lodge This was our second stay at River Bend Lodge. The first trip was ten years ago, Each trip was a unique experience. The accommodations, food and especially Leo, our guide, was first class. We hope to bring another generation of grandchildren in the future.

A sneaky dreamy escape We had decided last-minute dot com, to head to Addo. The park's accommodation was full and so we started searching elsewhere, but in the park. We found and booked River Bend Lodge and had the most amazing time. The attention to detail, the friendliness, the willingness to please...was all above expectations! Our daughters saw a magnificent lion on their morning game drive, which was a highlight, and came back bursting with excitement and information. Special mention must be made of the food and restaurant service...both were exceptional! Compliments to the chef!

Another fabulous stay Had a lovely stay over Christmas even though the weather wasn't as hot as expected! This was our 4th visit but the 1st over Christmas and we have already booked the same rooms for Christmas 2024! It was so nice to return and be greeted like friends and family. Debbie and all the staff work so hard to make your stay as pleasurable as possible, they get really disappointed when you don't have lunch as you ate too many snacks on the morning Game Drive and then had a massive breakfast! The guides are excellent, we had Ryan this time, ask what you're interested in and what you'd like to see on your drives. We managed to find Jess! Recommend staying All Inclusive as this includes 2 Game Drives a day at times to suit you. The scenery in this section of Addo Elephant NP is stunning, so different to the main sections of the park. Only River Bend vehicles allowed so you feel as though you are the only ones there!

Great lodge in Addo What a great lodge! The lodge is in the non-public part of Addo. On the way there, we came across an elephant. We had the room with a small pool! Great! The staff is unique. Super friendly, attentive and helpful. The food was excellently prepared by the great cook Zuzu. We received a small gift on Christmas Eve. Many thanks to Debbie and her team.

A true five star safari experience We have just moved on from a four night stay at River Bend Lodge. Very friendly and helpful staff and extremely well run by Debbie who puts her hand to everything. The property is like an English Country House Hotel in a private game reserve. The rooms are lovely and comfortable and very well furnished. Breakfast is nice although I would have liked to have seen a few more cold options on the buffet. Lunch and dinner are both very good with friendly service and the inclusive wine list was excellent. Game viewing is perhaps not the best you can experience but the star of the show for us was our Ranger Leo Herbst who was exceptional and possibly the best we have had in many years of safari. Highly informative with a lovely way and his interest in birds was a great benefit for us. He deserves to have a great career This is very much a luxury Lodge and we spent New Year there. Certainly one to return to sometime.

Incredible Stay! This place is truly wonderful! We were here with our 2 year old son and they COULD NOT have been more accommodating. The rooms are gorgeous, the communal bar and dining areas are lovely and the pool is heavenly (it was very hot when we where there). Moses and Ntumbi where amazing! They made our stay so magical! Nothing was too much trouble for them and they made our son's food outside of the normal hours and were just brilliant. The food is excellent! Eating an incredible breakfast whist wanting a massive herd of elephants playing in the watering hole for a good hour is something we shall never forget. The safari was amazing - our guide Paul was perfect and so warm and friendly with our son, keeping him involved, letting him taste fruits and leaves and teaching him about tracking the footprints and just made it a wonderful experience for us all. A month after we left he still talks about 'Paul's truck' and all the animals we saw! THANK YOU.

Fantastic Experience River Bend Lodge is a fantastic premium experience. The game accommodations and food were fantastic, the staff were friendly, knowledgeable and experienced. I can't speak highly enough of the whole experience from the welcome to the goodbye. The guides know the park and are able to deliver on the wide variety of flora and fauna to be found there. The kitchen staff are very accommodating and were able to cater for all our needs. Can't wait to go back.