Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside — Hotel in Bushbuckridge

⭐ TL;DR: Absolutely phenomenal experience at Umkumbe Safari Lodge!|From the thrilling game drives and knowledgeable guides to the delicious meals and cozy, comfortable lodging, everything exceeded expectations. Whether you're a first-time safari-goer or a seasoned traveler, Umkumbe delivers authentic, unforgettable moments in the heart of Sabi Sand.|✅ I saw the Big Five—up close!|✅ I would return in a heartbeat and make Umkumbe Safari Lodge a regular part of visiting South Africa|✅ Best possible way to turn 40|✅ Incredible people, comfortable rooms, amazing food|✅ Watching a leopard stalk through the underbrush on the first night was just one of countless highlights||🐘 1. Arrival & First Impressions – ★★★★★ (10/10)|• The last hour of the drive is on a dirt road—make sure to rent an SUV at minimum and absolutely get insurance on your rental. We had a flat tire before leaving, and insurance made that manageable.|• Directions from Sun Destinations were a bit confusing, but Google Maps worked perfectly.|• On the drive in, we passed a bull elephant, impala, and nyala—don't be afraid to stop and take photos! We were so amazed we forgot to take out our cameras.|• Staff greeted us by name the moment we arrived—no formal check-in needed. It felt personal from the start.|• The lodge overlooks the river and is just stunning. It's peaceful and relaxing, while still making you feel like you're right in the heart of the wild.|• The perfect balance of untamed adventure and safety.||🦁 2. Game Drives & Wildlife – ★★★★★★★★★★★ (100/10!)|• Our very first drive, we spotted a leopard. It only got better from there.|• Even on a “slow” drive, we ended the night watching two hyenas feeding on a leopard’s kill—a dramatic and unforgettable sight.|• Our guide Ty and tracker Mo were an amazing team. Friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate—they did everything they could to give us an incredible experience.|• We saw the Big Five during our 4-day stay, all within 10–15 feet of the vehicle.|• Ty was thoughtful about angling the vehicle for the best photography opportunities.|• One highlight: tracking a pride of lions at night through thick brush and rocky terrain. Mo navigated like a pro, Ty got us right into the pride. Cubs snuggled their moms, young males stretched and yawned—all just feet away. When the headlights were turned off and we sat in moonlight among the lions, I was speechless.||🍽️ 3. Food & Dining – ★★★★★ (10/10)|• The food was delicious and plentiful—I was never hungry once.|• Great variety of vegetables, fruits, and local meats.|• Buffet-style dining with private tables for each group.|• Staff was very mindful of dietary needs. I have a sensitive stomach and was nervous about getting sick and missing a drive—but I felt great the entire trip.||🛏️ 4. Lodging & Amenities – ★★★★☆ (9/10)|• We had a standard room with a king-size bed—comfortable, clean, and climate-controlled (a must during the cold winter nights).|• Rooms were cleaned twice daily—once after morning drive, once after evening.|• From our room, we could see the river—and even watched elephants crossing one morning.|• Tip: Keep your windows and doors closed—the monkeys will come in and mess with your stuff.|• Minor critiques:|o The shower door didn’t close tightly, which made the stone floors a bit wet and icy on bare feet.|o Wi-Fi is available in the main lodge only, not in rooms. (Honestly, I didn’t mind—why scroll Instagram when you’ve got giraffes?)||🧑‍🤝‍🧑 5. Staff & Service – ★★★★★ (10/10)|• The staff are truly what make this place magical. Friendly, professional, attentive—everyone works seamlessly to make guests feel at home.|• I especially loved that they remembered our names and preferences from the start.|• Sundowner drink orders were taken in advance—my guide introduced me to "karate water" (brandy and Coke), a local favorite that became mine too.|• While we adored Ty and will request him next time, I honestly believe every guide here is excellent.||🌅 6. Atmosphere & Location – ★★★★★ (10/10)|• Our first night, we fell asleep to the sounds of a male lion calling and hyenas laughing in the distance. That’s how immersive the experience is.|• It's COLD in the dry season—bring gloves, layers, and beanies. We wore four layers every drive.|• Don’t waste your time indoors! There were leopard and elephant sightings around the lodge itself, plus impala, monkeys, and more.||💡 Tips for Future Guests|• Book at least 3–4 nights to maximize wildlife sightings and enjoy the rhythm of lodge life.|• Get car insurance on your rental and go for a high-clearance vehicle.|• Pack winter layers if you're going during the dry season (June–August). The drives can be freezing.|• Don’t rely on Wi-Fi—embrace the digital detox.|• Take advantage of the deck and shared lodge areas. Animals are everywhere, and the views are spectacular.|• Stop and enjoy the drive in—some of our best moments came before we even arrived.||🙌 Final Thoughts|Umkumbe Safari Lodge was everything I’d dreamed a safari could be—and more. It was the perfect way to celebrate my 40th birthday, and I’ll never forget the memories we made here. Whether it’s your first time in South Africa or your tenth, make sure Umkumbe is on your itinerary.|I'll be back....

I wish I could give this lodge 100 stars!

We just spent 11 days in South Africa, and the days we spent at Umkumbe were our favorite days. It is a smaller lodge, which makes everything more intimate. The staff made an effort to get to know everyone in our group of 10 on a first name basis, and were always available to answer any questions we had. The food was fantastic! My favorite meals and dessert that we had in South Africa were at this lodge. We also traveled with multiple vegetarians, and the kitchen staff made delicious vegetarian options for our table nightly, which was so spectacular and much appreciated!

Our guide/tracker duo were Jessica and Mashava… those two miss nothing! They spotted so many creatures (great and small) that we would have never spotted without them… from leopards to chameleons.

Jessica was by far our favorite guide that we had on this trip through the multiple lodges we had stayed at. She is so smart, knowledgeable, and FUN! We had a great time driving with her every day, even if the sightings were scarce. She taught us so much about not only the animals, but the environment, the plant life, and the history of the area. And perhaps most importantly for a safari drive, she has sharp eyes! She sighted multiple leopards, a lion, countless giraffe, zebra, hyena, warthogs, bird varieties, bush babies and an abundance of hoofed creatures during our stay. She very clearly loves her job, and she is damn good at it! THANK YOU Jessica!!

We had the pleasure of spending some time with Marko on our morning bush walk. He is quite a fun character! He taught us much, and made us laugh plenty! Thank you, Marko! You are wonderful

Jan spent some extra time with our group in the game room for a night here and there playing Pool, Jenga, and various card games. One of my favorite parts of traveling is spending time with local people… which is a bit difficult to do when you’re enclosed in at a safari lodge. So it was nice to meet a staff member that was so personable. Thank you, Jan!

Lastly, during our stay it was my husband’s birthday. The entire staff at this lodge contributed to helping me make this an extra special day for him. The hung a birthday banner in our room, they allowed us to spend the afternoon celebrating on property with outdoor games and festivities, they blew up balloons that I had brought from home to decorate the dinner area, they set up our dinner table special for the birthday celebration…. And most meaningfully, the ladies in the kitchen personally baked the most delicious chocolate birthday cake, and sang happy birthday to my husband first in English, and then in their local language. It was one of the most special moments of our trip and I will never forget it.

Keep in mind that this is a smaller lodge that does not share traversing rights with other properties. As a result, the sightings may not be as abundant as some other larger/pricier lodges, but pretty much every drive we had was eventful in some way. It was absolutely wonderful for our first ever safari drives.

Thank you to the entire staff at Umkumbe!! You are quite...

We were a family group of 14 (ages from 7 through 79) who stayed for 4 nights at Umkumbe. We were greeted by our assigned guides (Dani and Miles - who were awesome) with a welcome/ informational talk then taken to our rooms. We were in individual cottage/ lodge buildings (5 of them) and they were decorated based on their name. For instance the Rhino building was all Rhino decorations, Lion had lion paintings/ pillows, etc. They all have outdoor showers, indoor tubs, and spacious bathrooms and rooms with sitting areas. *If going I would suggest trying to get a room facing the river as we saw more game/ wildlife than those in our family on the other side of the resort.

There are 2 game drives per day. As with any safari drives we had some that were better than others with regards to seeing animals, but over our stay we were able to see all the big 5 and more. Some of the animals were right in front of the lodge (the lions were right across the river bed from the lodge), elephants would walk in front most days. The guides were very knowledgeable and even when we were not seeing a lot of game tried to find things for us to learn /see about the bush and flora/ fauna/ animals there. We never felt a drive was wasted, but as many people note, sometimes the animals are there sometimes they are not because this is nature and they are wild animals and walk / go where they want.

The guides communicate with each other so if one spots something of interest they let the others know and then you may speed over to that area to check out the site - by them doing this we were able to see 3 different leopards (one was eating a fresh kill in a tree), lions, rhinos, elephants and more. The guides do what they can to get you in front of the animals when they are available. They knew my son really wanted to see a hippo so even got him out of his cottage late one night to see one walking through the lodge camp.

Food was tasty, breakfast was immediately after the first game drive. Then you had a chance to relax, nap before lunch then the second game drive after which dinner would be served in the boma around a fire. We had 2 individuals in our group with dietary issues (we had told the lodge in advance) and they were able to accommodate them and provide alternate meal choices when needed.

Our family had a great time relaxing, seeing the game and spending time with the staff there. We had wonderful time with our guides, trackers and other staff we interacted with. We would recommend Umkumbe and cannot wait to go back...