Hartenbos Private Game Lodge — Hotel in George

I wasn’t sure about leaving an amazing review for the Lodge because if I leave a great review more people will book and next time we want to stay we won’t be able to get a place because it’ll be fully booked! Seriously, we’re so glad we booked here and came here. What an experience! We had a wonderful journey travelling along a dusty dirt track before we arrived at the lodge with automatic gates protecting the animals I guess and us from the animals! Was a bit like approaching Jurassic Park (hopefully without the genetic mutations!) We were greeted by Alida - amazing lady who made us feel incredibly welcome and showed us to our villa where every single comfort you could ask for was provided! We opted for the breakfast and dinner package along with two Safari excursions. Despite the wet weather which was well needed for the animals, we had a great time. The pool was heated and inviting; just what we needed as we were hot travelling from Cape Town. Public areas were comfortable and beautiful, the Lodge welcoming and embracing, even without going on the safari drives it was possible to see the many variety of animals that passed by the lodge, we were even joined by a rhino at dinner time! Food was served by Amon and cooked by Saīd, it was tasty and generous. Going out with the owner on the tours was impressive, his knowledge of the animals and surrounding areas knew no limits. We learnt a lot about the area and the perils of the animals and came back feeling quite humbled and appreciating of nature. This venue is a rare find, glad we found it and we will definitely be returning on our next trip back to South Africa. A wonderful oasis which feels exclusive and ethical, they have big plans for 2025 including the...

Together with my wife I spent the last two weeks traveling the garden route in SA. We rented a car in Cape Town and drove our way east to Port Elizabeth and back. One of the main reasons we came to SA is obviously the possibility to spot majestic animals on their wild habitat and we were lucky enough to decide to spend two nights in the game reserve of Hartenbosh. We booked the glamping tent and I have to say we were not prepared for the level of luxury and comfort we found. The bed was extremely comfortable, the bathroom luxurious and complete with a super comfortable shower, towels and everything you may need. Also the cooking facilities are absolutely spot on but the most incredible feature is the unobstructed view on the reserve. At any moment different animals can show up right in front of you while you’re cooking, eating or enjoying a coffee or a glass of wine..only a fence separates them out for security. We did two safaris with Wayne, he is super passionate about his animals and he was extremely interesting to listen to as he’s obviously very knowledgeable and eager to share his knowledge with his guests. We spotted many amazing animals..giraffes, white rhinos, springboks, zebras, even a hippo showed up to say hi:) |All in all is an extreme good deal to spend at least two nights in this great paradise Wayne and Alida built up for their guests and we are so happy we did.|Very much recommended to anyone...

We stayed in a family tent for two nights with gale force winds, we loved it. Those things are built solid. It sounded like a freight train passing outside as the wind pounded the tent, but we managed to play cards, have great conversations and sleep quite soundly. |I am not partial to camping. I honestly hate it. The kids wanted to ‘stay in tent in the African bush’, this is the closest thing I could find online, suiting my pampered American body. I think it was simply terrific and plan to do it again.|The tent was large, two rooms and a bathroom. The bathroom had a walk in shower and a soaking tub. Our king sized bed was very comfortable and the kids did not complain about their heated beds at all. We had a private kitchen at our front door.|Electric lighting when we wanted it.|We had breakfast at the lodge each morning and again, I cannot fault anything. Delicious full English breakfasts with lattes and orange juice.|The game drive with Piet delivered so much more than expected. We saw a Rhino, 20 feet away. We also saw giraffe, springbok, impala, eland, gold wildebeest, blue wildebeest, hippopotamus, zebras, ostriches, buffalo and waterbuck. I also loved the flora - masses of proteas. I didn’t want the game drive to end.|I would absolutely recommend this...