Ndhula Luxury Tented Lodge

On arrival, there was a Giraffe in front of the hotel. Other animals we saw in the grounds later were Impala, Kudu, more Giraffes, Wildebeest, Frogs. On one night, I looked out of the window of our tent at 1am and there was a Giraffe eating a tree right in front of our balcony. We loved all of this. Calling our accommodation a tent gives the wrong impression really, because didn't really feel like a tent once inside. The bedroom area had a wooden frame with glass windows at the front, with a proper wooden framed door and lock. The bedroom was decorated nicely and the bathroom was spacious, with a separate toilet, again with a proper, wooden door. The shower was powerful and the water drained away through wooden slats, which you stand on in the shower. There were two sinks in the bathroom, a big mirror, rustic towel rail, liquid soap, hand cream, shower/hair gel and clean white towels. A good hairdryer was in the dressing room, which was between the bedroom and shower room. Also there was a fridge, kettle, cafetiere, tissues (although these ran out and were not refilled for us). Coffee and teas were provided, as well as fress milk in the fridge. A free safe was in the small clothes hanging area and there were wooden slatted shelves for storage. This was a large, sturdy, thick canvas tent. There was a balcony area outside with chairs and the whole thing was off the ground on wooden slats. We saw no creepy crawlies in the tent and we were not bitten by anything either. Never saw a Mosquito. We had 40 degrees hot weather, where we needed the air conditioning on all night, which blew towards the bed, cooled us and probably would keep Mosquitoes away if there were any. However, on a cooler day of about 25 degrees, the tent was cold at night. There was an electric blanket on each side of the bed, which I used on one night. The lighting in the tent was good. So if you worry about staying in a tent, don't. I would imagine it could get quite cold some nights and also, we could hear birds, the rain and thunder very well through the canvas but to be honest, it all added to the safari, natural feel of the place. The restaurant, bar, pool and BBQ areas were all really nice. The staff were helpful and friendly. The views from everywhere were amazing. We had packed breakfasts on two mornings as we left at 5am to go to Kruger National Park. The food provided for us in the bags was excellent. One evening, we were taken up to a view point in the hotel 4x4s for drinks at sunset. That was very enjoyable. We had two traditional type BBQs and they were quite good. All good so far. Now, the reasons I didn't give the hotel 5/5: The path down to the tents was very steep and was of sand and gravel. You could go a slightly longer way down a block paved drive, but you still had to walk on dirt and gravel to your tent. This did not feel like "luxury" and we both slipped on the gravel, with one of our party actually falling over as the path was also very uneven. The only sing

Ndhula tented lodge is absolutely incredible. Incredibly comfortable, the staff are welcoming, thoughtful, and kind, plus every luxury included. If you’re worried about “tent” or camping please let me assure you these are comfortable, gorgeous tents with porches. Toilets, hot and high pressure showers, warming blankets on the beds, everything is comfortable and perfect. I would highly highly recommend Ndhula for your stay near Kroger National Park and while you are in South Africa. The grounds are gorgeous, safe and giraffe roam freely. So beautiful!

Luxurious lodge in stunning nature – food was disappointing! Our tent with a view of the Lowveld was a unique experience – luxurious but not soundproof. Exploring the wild surroundings was adventurous, with plenty of wildlife encounters. The private safari drive made the stay truly unforgettable. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to the rest – there’s room for improvement.