Chic tented rooms with decks in a high-end safari lodge offering an open-air bath, dining & a bar.
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What a fantastic stay! When we arrived we had a welcome drink and went straight to see our room - The Hambledon Suite. It is huge, with large patio doors, well designed and a fridge stocked with a selection of full size premium spirits, mixers and ice. The suite has lots of seats for relaxing and some interesting books to peruse. A giant bed with a choice of 3 pillows! Housekeeping were fantastic, keeping it spotless and always doing thoughtful touches. The outside deck and pool are lovely with a view down the hill. We saw giraffes and monkeys whilst just sitting there. The bathroom has his and hers sinks, a large walk in shower and copper bathtub. The toiletries provided smelt lovely and there were plenty of towels. I used the outdoor shower in the sun, which was a real experience. Plenty of electric sockets and a changing area, wardrobes and a safe. One evening after a safari drive we had an outside candlelit Bush Bath looking up at the stars - that was a unique experience.
The food was wonderful. There was always so much! For dinner the chef would come and tell us all about what she was going to serve whilst we sat drinking an aperitif around the fire. Dinner was served perfectly and the staff never leave you wanting. For breakfast a large buffet with fruits, meats, cheeses and pastries was set up and a menu to choose from too. One meal to the next we never went hungry!
The safaris were obviously the highlight - set within the 25,000 hectare reserve, and with Jeff our guide who has worked at Garonga since 1997, we were in good hands. Add in Richard, our tracker who sat on the front seat (on the bonnet of the well kept Land Rover Defender) and we were set! Richard has the eyes of an eagle - spotting animals of all sizes and at any distance. We went on 2 morning and 2 afternoon drives, with just 2 other people in our Defender. Immediately Richard spotted a leopard tortoise and it continued from there. We saw so many animals across the drives - impala, bull elephants, zebra, giraffe, a pride of 14 lioness and cubs, hippos, vultures, hyenas and their cubs and as it got dark on the way back to camp bats and owls. We had such a great time at Garonga and can't...
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Truly amazing experience. Everything about our visit to Garonga exceed our expectations.
The staff was so welcoming and friendly. They go above and beyond to make your visit safe, comfortable and enjoyable. They are all very professional and knowledgeable.
The food was delicious. Amazing wine list (there's a wine cellar!) and drink options. The chef was remarkable - I'm gluten and dairy free and she was able to make fresh bread, biscuits, desserts and all meals special for me. She also baked a gluten and dairy free chocolate cake for my birthday! All around the food was such highly quality - whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, you felt like you were eating at a fine dining restaurant.
The accommodations are truly glamping. Nicest 'tent' I've ever slept in. Nicely designed and decorated. Indoor and outdoor shower options. Very spacious. Beds were very comfortable.
The amenities are lovely - complimentary bush bath, sleepout deck and laundry. They also have massage therapist that you can book on arrival. There are only 6 tents, so max 12 guests. The whole experience feels very luxurious. They also have a pool to lounge in. Since you go on morning and evening game drives to avoid the heat, you have from about 10 am - 3 pm to lounge around. The pool will be very refreshing!
The setting is simply stunning. The views are breathtaking, whether you are looking out from your deck at your tent, the main dining
The game drives were epic! The guides and trackers are very knowledgeable and really care about giving you an exciting and a safe experience. You're in an open air Jeep - so you'll need a hat, sunglasses and appropriate attire (layers as it can be quite cool in the early morning and late evening). It's also driving through the bush - so very bumpy roads. We got to see the big five and many other animals. We also learned quite a bit about birds and the flora and fauna. We visited early April, after the rain season and start of autumn - so we were very fortunate that there were no mosquitos!
For my first Safari experience, I'm incredibly grateful to have stayed at Garonga and would highly recommend visiting them for your...
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What an amazing place! So welcoming! Staff were fantastic, friendly, interested &knowledgeable. The location was beautiful. Lovely rooms with excellent showers and space. The views were breathtaking with lots of animals passing the water hole. ( we saw 4 of the big 5 from the decks, just missing lions) it did make getting ready/ eating entertaining with so much to see...even my massage was interrupted by an elephant coming for a drink next to the massage hut ( totally magically) Pool was lovely for a quick refresh -cool but bareable and lovely outlook. Food was amazing, delicious, very generous portions, happy to provide alternative if someone didn't fancy the planned meal. Eating some nights in your own group, other meals at a communal table. Lovely social drinks around the fire before dinner too. Breakfast was amazing too. Sleepout was an unexpected highlight! Didn't think we could as would leave our teenagers alone in camp but we were encouraged to go and felt totally happy leaving them with the camp staff keeping an eye on them. The Sleepout was magically. So quiet and so dark...amazing stars with a laser pointer and starguide to work out the night sky. Delicious packed dinner to eat on the deck before tucking in to a comfy bed with big duvet under the netting. ( even a fully flushing toilet...certainly a loo with a view!) Beautiful experience and not scary at all! (Lots of lanterns to use & i had my headtorch which conveniently had red setting..v useful) Game drives were excellent we saw big 5 well. Some days lots to see, one day less spotted but we were looking for the male lions ( found the next day) . Sighting well managed. Sundowners were fun too and dark drives back good fun.
We stayed 5 nights which really gave us time to get into the rhythm of the camp & we loved every minute of it....thank you...
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