Laluka Safari Lodge — Hotel in Lephalale Local Municipality

I could write a book about Laluka, but I’ll try to keep it brief. Family of 4 visiting S Africa from USA for the first time- 2 senior citizens and 2 Millenial travelers, all very seasoned and frequent travelers. ||We went to Laluka after a hectic time in Cape Town (lost a phone in an Uber), and a disheartening look at the massive inequality of Johannesburg. We weren’t having the best vacation and we weren’t sure what to expect when arriving at Laluka, though the prompt responses and caring service throughout the booking and planning process was easy and seamless.||When we arrived at Laluka we realized that this place is a dream come true. |The entire place is luxury from start to finish. The welcome reception, the safari trucks, the lodge, heck even the front gate was elegant and sophisticated while also perfectly situated among its wilderness surroundings. The rooms are enormous luxury cabins with every amenity and feature carefully thought out. We are picky and very specific travelers, and everything from the lighting to the soap to the hot water was perfect.||On top of the property, every staff member treats us like we’re their family, visiting after a long journey away from home. They immediately met us at our transfer van and started helping us retrieve our lost phone (they actually achieved the impossible by actually coordinating and arranging the phone rescue from the Uber Driver 950 miles away! And Laluka did that for us without batting an eye- they literally took care of the whole thing). ||At every turn, it seemed like every staff member was an expert at their job, and always eager to show us the absolute best of their talents, whether it was a game drive, a chat at the bar, a truly world class spa treatment, or the owners dropping in every day to help manage everything and keeping 4 very different people 100% satisfied every minute of our trip. ||Some final notes: the game drives are incredible (you’ll see a ton and you’ll be as comfortable as possible- many other lodge safari-goers seemed to look at us in envy as we had more space, more blankets, better seats, and a shaded canopy for all our drives. We did drives and safari walks, and the Laluka guides are truly truly the best the Reserve has to offer. The spa therapists are so good that their treatments are truly a physical and spiritual experience all at once. You will be lucky to be touched by their healing hands. You will surely be impressed by the food throughout your stay- ingredients are the highest quality (and often straight from the Laluka Farm). Even though we are particularly picky eaters, we really enjoyed our overall dining experience and we all agreed that most people would love the dining experience here. We doubt there’s anything better in the entire Reserve when it comes to food. ||All 4 of us were thrilled with our stay, and we were all so incredibly sad to leave. We departed with hugs, tears, and hopes of seeing each other again. Before staying at Laluka we had no chance of ever returning to South Africa, but they gave us every reason to come back, and were considering a return because of the people at Laluka. ||I can go on and on, but you should stop reading this and book your Laluka stay...

I could write a book about Laluka, but I’ll try to keep it brief. Family of 4 visiting S Africa from USA for the first time- 2 senior citizens and 2 Millenial travelers, all very seasoned and frequent travelers.

We went to Laluka after a hectic time in Cape Town (lost a phone in an Uber), and a disheartening look at the massive inequality of Johannesburg. We weren’t having the best vacation and we weren’t sure what to expect when arriving at Laluka, though the prompt responses and caring service throughout the booking and planning process was easy and seamless.

When we arrived at Laluka we realized that this place is a dream come true. The entire place is luxury from start to finish. The welcome reception, the safari trucks, the lodge, heck even the front gate was elegant and sophisticated while also perfectly situated among its wilderness surroundings. The rooms are enormous luxury cabins with every amenity and feature carefully thought out. We are picky and very specific travelers, and everything from the lighting to the soap to the hot water was perfect.

On top of the property, every staff member treats us like we’re their family, visiting after a long journey away from home. They immediately met us at our transfer van and started helping us retrieve our lost phone (they actually achieved the impossible by actually coordinating and arranging the phone rescue from the Uber Driver 950 miles away! And Laluka did that for us without batting an eye- they literally took care of the whole thing).

At every turn, it seemed like every staff member was an expert at their job, and always eager to show us the absolute best of their talents, whether it was a game drive, a chat at the bar, a truly world class spa treatment, or the owners dropping in every day to help manage everything and keeping 4 very different people 100% satisfied every minute of our trip.

Some final notes: the game drives are incredible (you’ll see a ton and you’ll be as comfortable as possible- many other lodge safari-goers seemed to look at us in envy as we had more space, more blankets, better seats, and a shaded canopy for all our drives. We did drives and safari walks, and the Laluka guides are truly truly the best the Reserve has to offer. The spa therapists are so good that their treatments are truly a physical and spiritual experience all at once. You will be lucky to be touched by their healing hands. You will surely be impressed by the food throughout your stay- ingredients are the highest quality (and often straight from the Laluka Farm). Even though we are particularly picky eaters, we really enjoyed our overall dining experience and we all agreed that most people would love the dining experience here. We doubt there’s anything better in the entire Reserve when it comes to food.

All 4 of us were thrilled with our stay, and we were all so incredibly sad to leave. We departed with hugs, tears, and hopes of seeing each other again. Before staying at Laluka we had no chance of ever returning to South Africa, but they gave us every reason to come back, and were considering a return because of the people at Laluka.

I can go on and on, but you should stop reading this and book your Laluka stay...

My partner and I spent 4 nights at Laluka Safari Lodge during February 2024. We would like to extend a very big thanks to Giuglia and Simon for creating such a little gem in the South African Bush! As a South African myself, returning on holiday from Europe where I have lived for a large part of my adult life, it was wonderful to see that younger people from Europe are today experiencing the opposite adventure to the one that was mine and that they are clearly making a success of their own African Dream! Laluka is immaculate, laid-back, yet luxurious. The 6 "rooms" (Chalets) are in perfect condition with all mod cons, private, decorated in beautiful, contemporary African style and contain a very large comfortable bed (highly appreciated). We especially loved the private deck and plunge pool, overlooking the African Bush. We even decided to skip a game drive one morning, just to enjoy our own little paradise over a quiet coffee and were rewarded by a sighting of a group of "Dassies" (rock hyrax) enjoying a few green nibbles right in front of us. ||Speaking of the game drives - we were lucky to have the very knowledgeable and enthusiastic Tish as a guide. Her love for the Bush and its host of inhabitants is infectious and thanks to her we had amazing sightings of elephants, buffaloes, lions, all kinds of antelope, black rhino, white rhino, hippos, etc. She also taught us some cool facts about local vegetation. Sadly it was too hot for us "European snowflakes" ;-)) to go on a bush walk, but I am confident that doing a walk with Tish would have been just as exciting as a game drive. By the way, Welgevonden Game Reserve is not as well known as Madikwe or Kruger, but certainly well worth a visit and also Malaria free!||Getting back to Laluka after game drives, we were treated to five star cuisine and service! The food at Laluka is truly top class and can easily compete with (and beat) upper class restaurants in famous European cities. The fact that Laluka has their own farm and uses their own-grown produce will definitely be a contributing factor to the quality of the food. Lastly, we wanted to mention the excellent espresso! I have both lived and worked in Italy over the years and miss good coffee wherever I go. The last thing I had expected in the middle of the Bush was a great espresso, but I got one! Yay! Just the thing to boost your energy before leaving on an early morning game drive (word of warning: early means 5.30 am! ;-)). ||There are uncountable small and big things we could still list here, but time and space restrict us. At this point, we would simply like to extend our very best wishes to the Laluka Team and we hope to return...