Blyde River Canyon Wilderness Lodge — Hotel in Maruleng Local Municipality

We paid for two nights but ended up just staying one. We had two issues with this place; the first one being that its address on Google Maps is misleading. It shows the turnoff from the main road. The lodge itself is located approx 7 km down a dirt road with sharp rocks, more suitable for a 4WD than our little rental. It took us around 25 mins from the turnoff to the lodge, making excursions or even going out for dinner very difficult.

The second issue we had was communication and attitude from the staff. Immediately upon arrival we were put off by the lady at the front desk, who handed us the sign in-sheets quietly and gave us no introduction to the place, such as breakfast times, information about the area, or even a word of caution about the hippos and crocodiles in the river. Our questions about the boat trip were answered with only a laugh or a shrug of the shoulders, and we had to work very hard to get her to tell us where the boat trip actually departed from so that we could make our way there. One would think it would be in their interest.

Before booking we inquired about the boat tour, and were told the departure time, and the massage, and were told that we could book this upon arrival. Upon arrival we were first told there was no boat trip that day, then that the boat trip was a 50 min drive away! We were also told unapologetically that the spa was closed due to the lady responsible for massages being on holiday. (Fun fact: that was the same lady who we communicated with before booking two weeks prior. Strange she didn’t know she was not going to be there herself.)

Due to the conditions of the road we were hesitant to drive out for dinner. We asked if it was possible for us to pay for a 4WD transfer in and out of the property - we saw staff coming and going in 4WD’s - but the lady just laughed and said ”no!”. Interesting attitude. Our request for dinner at the property instead was met with great hesitation. We asked about walks in the area; also a laugh and a no. She really made us feel like we were a lot of trouble. This was despite the fact that they were not busy at all; they only had two more guests in total!

The stay was not cheap but we still chose to forfeit our second night to stay somewhere else, since we could neither hike, take a boat trip, or have spa treatments as expected.. What ”saved” our one-night stay (making it 3/5 instead of 1/5) was that our room was spacious and clean, the balcony was lovely, the food was good (both dinner and breakfast) and the dining area overlooking the river was terrific. The staff did eventually try to accommodate our requests for dinner and the kitchen ladies were lovely.

In conclusion, the two issues we had are easily fixed: be honest and upfront with guests about location, road condition, and what is and isn’t available. And adopt a hospitable attitude or don’t work in...

Our stay at Blyde river was absolutely fantastic! The lodge is wonderful, the rooms were clean and lovely, the staff were very attentive, and the food was FANTASTIC… If you are staying at this lodge, make sure you eat dinner/dessert here. We had multiple animal sightings in and outside the gates of the property including giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, and crocodiles. There are also beautiful resident peacocks. The area and surrounding minimal lighting is perfect for stargazing. This is a great place to stay for a couple of days while exploring excursions/hiking through the...

We had a wonderful stay at the lodge. It's a beautiful little bush retreat. We regret that we only booked for one night and I wouldn't recommend it just as a stop over on the panorama route, as it is located deep in the bush with an additional 20 min dirt road drive from where Google takes you but it's definitely worth it if you have the time. The staff is very friendly and the food was excellent but dinner is quite pricey. The rooms were beautiful, even nicer that on the pictures in a classic bush lodge style and they even upgraded our room for free. We will definitely try and...