Dulini Leadwood — Hotel in Bushbuckridge

My wife and I spent 4 nights at Dulini Leadwood in the Sabi Sands. We have previously visited the Sabi Sands twice (Londolozi Tree Camp and then Silvan + Londolozi Tree Camp). Given that these were our basis for comparison, Leadwood had a high bar set, and it reached certain aspects of that, but also slightly fell short in certain aspects. Had this been our first safari lodge we had ever gone to, we would have superlative reviews for all aspects of our stay, but because we had grounds for comparison, although a great stay that we are happy we experienced, Leadwood did not end up being one of our all time favorite stays. With that being said, there were plenty of positives from this stay including and not limited to the animal density and game drives themselves, the hard product of our room and the common areas of the lodge, as well as the general disposition and friendliness of all of the staff members that we came in contact with.||||Dulini is made up of 3 different camps (River and Leadwood are adjacent to each other along the Sand River, whereas Moya is set back from the river in the reserve). We spent time at River (we were driven over daily during our break time in the middle of the day to take advantage of the more spacious gym with a treadmill) and it’s just a 5 minute drive away from Leadwood. River has 6 rooms, Leadwood has 4 rooms, and I’m not sure how many rooms Moya has, as we never set foot into camp there. Leadwood felt intimate and private, whereas River felt a bit more communal with a massive seating area. The river views of both properties were excellent, whereas River’s was more expansive than Leadwood’s. We felt privileged to be able to visit such an intimate and private lodge in a reserve that is so densely packed with wildlife that afforded us plentiful special sightings.||||Check in/Arrival||Arriving to Dulini we were coming from Tswalu and landed at the Fireblade hangar shortly before 12pm and were driven over to the Fed Air terminal where we were scheduled to catch our 1pm flight to the Ulusaba Airstrip. Unfortunately our flight was delayed until 2pm and then ultimately did not take off until closer to 3pm. This caused us to have to drop some passengers off in Hoedspruit at the airport there and then we ultimately landed at Kruger airport. From there it was a 2.5 hour drive with the last 45 minutes being on incredibly bumpy road. This delay was very unfortunate as it caused us to miss our first evening game drive, but nonetheless, we were able to get settled in our room and had a quick dinner before getting to bed for our first game drive the next morning.||||Room||We were in room 4 which was at the far end of the property to the right. Room 1 is to the left of the main dining area, and rooms 2-4 are to the right of the main area. We liked that our room as at the end so as to have no one that would walk by our room and provided maximum privacy. The room consists of a main sitting area upon entry, a bedroom with a king bed with a bug net over the top, a large bathroom with a rain shower from the ceiling, as well as a spacious double vanity, lastly there was a large deck with an outdoor shower, lounge chairs and a large plunge pool that was heated. This room was perfect for us to both rest in at night as well as to relax during the day while we had our break between game drives. The pool was heated to a comfortable temperature for us to be able to take swims in it during our break as well.||||Service||In general the service was strong at Dulini. Our camp manager Kerry did a great job of consulting with us throughout the stay to insure that we were satisfied and everything was going smoothly. We initially debated between paying to upgrade to a private vehicle or not and ultimately decided not to, but upon arrival we changed our minds. We informed Kerry that we’d prefer to go out alone, so she was able to procure a freelance guide to take us our privately because the Dulini lodges were already full and there were not additional guides available to take us out. Our butler John’s responsibilities were primarily to take care of us from a dining perspective and he was always quick with service at meal times and responsive to all of our requests.||||Having stayed at spectacular safari lodges like Tswalu and Londolozi Tree Camp, we have seen what stands out in terms of superlative service and when staff members take the time to engage with guests and go above and beyond simply fulfilling requests, and find ways to curate a truly special safari experience. We would have loved to have some sort of special meal whether it be a bush breakfast, boma dinner, or more substantial sundowner with snacks or treats prepared in the bush. During our 4 nights there, each night felt the same and there was never any over the top gestures that would have really elevated or enhanced the experience. I am viewing this through my lens of having been to a number of truly special safari lodges and how they separate themselves. Had I never been on safari before I never would have been able to formulate this type of critique. A huge aspect of safari that goes beyond the nuts and bolts of the experience is the emotional side of things and how one engages with the lodge, how given experiences make one feel, but I think this is an area of improvement for Dulini to be able to contend with some of the other top lodges in the Sabi Sands. From a hardware perspective, Leadwood is stunning and excellent, but the anticipatory service is an area that would really push Leadwood to a an even higher level in my opinion.||||During our game drives, we enjoyed our interactions with Wayne and Ty prior to going to our private vehicle. They were a strong team and always answered every question we had. They both were prompt with providing us with transportation to River Lodge when we would go to use the gym there during our breaks. Once we went to the private vehicle, we also enjoyed our tracker Chris. He made the experience more personal by helping the freelance guide customize our game drives and also found excellent spots for sundowners and coffee breaks. He also was prompt in driving us to and back from River Lodge to use the gym.||||Game Drives||Our game drives over the 4 nights we stayed at Dulini were extremely fruitful. The western sector of the Sabi Sands that Dulini vehicles drive on is shared amongst Ulusaba, Inyati, Idube, Leopard Hills, and Savanna. We never felt like the amount of vehicles out on drives impacted our experience, but it was definitely an initial adjustment coming from the extremely low density of vehicles out on drives at Tswalu. The lodges definitely try to cooperate with one another, but there was some politicking that our freelance guide had to do to insure our spot at sightings and that procedures were followed. She and Chris (our tracker) did an excellent job of working together during our drives to give us a curated private vehicle experience. This personalization stood out for us and the game drives were the biggest highlight for us at Leadwood.||||Our game drives were highly productive from a wildlife perspective, we were able to see the following species: lion, leopard, wild dog, elephant, white rhino, hippo, impala, nyala, kudu, duiker, steenbok, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, scrub hare, spotted genet, side striped jackal, giraffe, bushbuck, waterbuck, slender mongoose, dwarf mongoose, white tailed mongoose, and banded mongoose. ||||Our biggest highlight took place when on our last afternoon game drive we started following the Rivala female as she was moving through thickets making her way towards the river clearing leading to Leadwood. She moved through the dried up riverbed and made her way up to room 1, scent marking the entire area. Earlier in the day our tracker Chris spotted tracks of a male leopard in the area, but we hadn’t gotten the chance to follow up on them. As we drove into the riverbed to cross and try to catch another glance of Rivala, the massive Euphorbia male leopard was at the top of the river picking up on on Rivala’s scent (his daughter’s scent). He also made his way up past room 1 at Leadwood. As we lost sight of Euphorbia, we turned and looked up the riverbed and there were vehicles at a sighting of the Vutomi male leopard as well (Euphorbia’s son, Rivala’s half-brother) who also picked up on both of the leopard’s scents and made his way through Leadwood as well! We circled around and made our way to the other end of the lodge and found the Vutomi male leopard slowly making his way around the pool and on the deck of room 4 (our room). Shortly thereafter the Euphorbia male leopard came to room 4 as well, but didn’t and up going on the deck. Our tracker speculated that there might be a dominance fight if the two males encountered one another, but we never saw them meet. Seeing 3 adult leopards in one sighting was truly chaotic and such a special opportunity. Another highlight from the game drives was seeing 5 lions work together to kill and start eating a buffalo. Although we did not see this completely through, once the buffalo was down we saw how strong their teamwork was with one lion covering its nostrils to suffocate the buffalo while the others attacked it. Lastly, due to the strong lion presence that had entered the property, the wild dogs chose to change their den site, so we got to see 10 adults and 10 wild dog puppies moving throughout the sector and got 2 great visuals of them crossing both the road and the riverbed. Our freelance guide and Chris were vital to us being able to maneuver and experience such unique and special sightings and we were extremely grateful.||||Dining||The dining experience at Dulini overall had its highs and lows. Dinners consisted of: mushroom soup, butternut squash risotto, and salmon, followed by a curry night with lamb, vegetable, and chicken curries with naan bread and rice, followed by a carrot and ginger soup, prawn appetizer, tortellini, and beef filet, followed by a meal of rosted chicken and beef, potatoes, salad, and mixed vegetables. Lunches were predetermined and just brought out without us ordering, always including two types of salad or vegetable dish (couscous salad, red salad with tomatoes/peppers/strawberries, Asian peanut salad, etc.), a protein dish (seared tuna, lamb kofta, fish cakes), and usually some sort of fried dish (zucchini fritters, fish cakes, or fried quail). Breakfasts were served a la carte with my highlight being the avocado toast with poached eggs.||||My wife and I definitely enjoyed the food for the most part, but we also would have appreciated the ability to order off a menu for ourselves rather than to just have food placed in front of us for nearly all meals without consideration for our preferences or what we might have been craving at a given time. We thought the chef did a great job with the execution of each meal and we enjoyed her coming to verbally present our menus, but some level of customization would have made the dining experience more enjoyable overall.||||Location/Facilities||Dulini Leadwood is located in the western sector of the Sabi Sands and provides the opportunity to game drive in a reserve absolutely teeming with wildlife. We have visited the Sabi Sands 3 times now and will continue to visit because it is truly a special reserve.||||In terms of facilities, Leadwood has a small gym, main dining and sitting area, and a shared pool (that was not heated). We found having River Lodge be 5 minutes away was very helpful for us to be able to utilize the treadmill there (the gym at Leadwood is tiny and does not have a treadmill). Everything else that one might need can be found in each of the rooms, be it a private pool, large deck, sitting area, etc.||||Overall||We are happy we chose to visit Dulini Leadwood and we were grateful we were able to spend 4 nights here. This is a very good safari lodge in an incredibly competitive market in the Sabi Sands. Leadwood excels in its game viewing, accommodations, location on the river, and friendly staff. What prevents it from being a notch or two above is an extra level of polish in terms of anticipatory service and elevated dining in my opinion. That being said, we would absolutely recommend this lodge to other travelers who are seeking a luxury lodge in a private game reserve with excellent game viewing and very strong accommodations without paying the maximum price point (Londolozi/Singita) for...

In 1987, Belinda Carlisle crooned that “heaven is a place on earth”. While I doubt her ballad referred to Dulini Leadwood, it should have.||For context (and additional emphasis), I have been fortunate enough to stay at many “five star” hotels across the world but have never written — nor felt compelled to write — a trip advisor review.||That is, until I stayed at Dulini.||There are few superlatives that can appropriately articulate just how spectacular this place is, but I will nonetheless try.||Situated deep inside the Sabi Sands game reserve, this secluded, open-air lodge is split between four “suites” — a tragically inadequate noun that doesn’t capture the stunning, opulent (and private) villa afforded to every guest. Each suite enjoys its own individual pool and outdoor shower with intimate proximity to the reserve and breathtaking, panoramic views. Don’t be surprised if an elephant herd stampedes past your pool one afternoon.||Okay, the accommodations are great, what about the food? Dulini serves three meals a day with an afternoon coffee/tea/snack between lunch and dinner. Given the lodge’s seclusion, I had low expectations. Well, that was stupid. It is not hyperbole to say that the quality and presentation of the food rivaled most Michelin starred restaurants. It was that good.||Unsurprisingly, the actual safari experiences were also sublime. Dulini assigns every guest to a “guide” and “tracker”, who take you out on two “game drives” per day — one morning, one afternoon. With no trouble whatsoever, my wife and I saw the big five and much, much more.||Which brings me to the best part of Dulini — the people. Yes, the service was impeccable, but more than that, the employees and their collective professionalism, enthusiasm, and affability elevated Dulini from five-star hotel to unforgettable experience. In fact, I want to identify some specific individuals so management can properly recognize them.||Wayne, our intrepid guide, was the paragon of professionalism. He demonstrated great skill and acumen in the bush; I asked no fewer than a hundred questions, and he answered every one with patience and geniality. Moreover, his passion – for the reserve, for the animals, and for his occupation – was infectious and created a deeper spiritual experience for my wife and me.||Christopher, our tracker, had a true sixth sense. His instinct for the reserve was preternatural; he routinely identified leopard footprints from a hundred feet away while moving at twenty miles an hour, then intuited their trajectories with staggering accuracy. Beyond his remarkable abilities and wealth of knowledge, he was extraordinarily kind and jovial, always greeting us with an endearing smile and personal address. Like Wayne, his professional pride was contagious, and he was an absolute pleasure to spend six hours with every day in the bush.||John, the lodge’s butler, was sweet as pie and conspicuously attentive to our every potential need and whim. I have never met a hotel employee so responsive and considerate. ||Of course, all of this is not to shortchange the rest of the staff; everyone (from the chefs to the porters to the receptionists) was exceptional!||I could continue with the effusive praise, but I will stop there. Dulini delivered the best vacation of my life, and, moving forward, I will be proselytizing the virtues of Dulini to friends, family, and anyone traveling to South Africa, as it is truly...

We were fortunate to spend 3 nights of our 6 night Safari celebrating our 20 year Anniversary at Dulini Leadwood. The reason I say fortunate is that there are so many lodges that cater to the luxury safari experience and I spent months researching all of them. Thankfully, our travel agent who has been on Safaris in both South Africa and surrounding countries pointed us to Dulini Leadwood. From the moment of arrival it was perfection. Look no further!!!! As other reviews have said, there are only 4 suites and so the camp is extremely private and secluded making for a romantic and exclusive experience. ||Darren and Monique and Anna made our time at the lodge so special. From our 3 nights and 9 meals, they catered to and anticipated our every need and want. The remembered our favorite wines and cocktail orders....our favorite way to have our cappuccinos and lattes....you name it, they knew and remembered it. They arranged in room massages for us and special meals both in the bush as well as at different locations around the stunning property. The only thing we regret is that we were so busy enjoying the lodge and activities that we never had time to visit Dulini Moya and Dulini River Lodges. I guess we will just have to return!||The game drives are SPECTACULAR! There are never more than 4 people in a vehicle and 2 of our 6 drives we were the only 2 with our tracker and guide. In another fortunate event, on our last 4 drives we were accompanied by a couple from Johannesburg that arrived the night after us and were staying at Dulini for their second time. They told us that they had stayed for years and many different luxury lodges in Sabi Sand and that Dulini was, by far, the most exceptional. In fact, they will be married at Dulini very soon staying at multiple Dulini Lodges. The reason that this was great for us is that they had used guides and trackers for years at other lodges and found that Dulini had 2 of the best and requested that they be with them during their stay. Pat and Maye were BEYOND amazing. They tracked and relayed information about the Big 5 and so many other animals during our morning and evening drives. I can't say enough good things about both of these gentleman and, although all the guides and trackers are excellent and amazing to talk with, you would be very lucky to be paired with these two during your stay.||We can't wait to return to Dulini someday and, hopefully, experience the other two lodges as well. 3 days was just barely enough time to spend with them and, truthfully, we wish we had continued on for our 3 final nights with them as well. You cannot go wrong with this lodge or with Dulini in general so don't hesitate to book your stay. You will not be disappointed...