Ezulwini Billy's Lodge — Hotel in Maruleng Local Municipality

Ezulwini Lodges||||Balule Nature Reserve||||Ezulwini Billy and Ruver Lodges||||1010229819||||It’s time for our nine day safari experience to come to an end for my wife and I and 10 of our closest friends, so I wanted to get a review up while everything is fresh in our minds – though I don’t expect these experiences to vanish any time soon. Twelve people all with camera phones (me with my Nikon 7500)… I suspect we’ll be viewing pictures of our amazing safari vacation for years to come!||We chose Ezulwini based on recommendations from several members of our Club in WA who had visited in September. They did not steer us wrong.||||The accommodations were amazing. We upgraded to the Ultra-Luxury suite. At the River Lodge our deck overlooked the Oliphant River and we’d see wildlife crossing in front of our unit. At Billy’s we overlooked a wash and saw elephants and giraffes crossing by. Both our units had private plunge pools; though with fall ending and winter just a few weeks away, taking a plunge didn’t seem like a good idea.||||Each morning started with a knock on the door at about 5:30 so we could be ready to drive off at 6:00. The trackers and spotters were great! They took the time to show us the various footprints in the road and how to identify one animal from another. Kind of turned us into “amateur” trackers as we leaned out to watch for the footprints. We had morning coffee breaks (everyone loved the short bread cookies with coffee and Amarula!) We’d get back around 9:30 – freshen up and meet back up for breakfast which gave us free time to review pictures, tell stories or just take a nap. Lunch at 2:00 and then we’d load up for the evening safari – the Sundowner! The sunsets were so amazing and were just like you’d imagine… trees silhouetted against deep orange skies. And no evening Sundowner would be complete without cocktails to watch the sun set below the horizon. G&Ts were the most popular – though you could choose whatever you wanted… beer, wine, scotch. For my wife and I it was the “pink” G&Ts. Then back to the lodges for a late-night dinner.||||But what really made this experience special were the people. The guides and spotters found us the animals we wanted to see each time we set out. I took a picture where Hector said there was a leopard. I couldn’t see it. I look at the picture I still can’t see it. But zoom in and there it is! To the guides (Hecter, Frans, Richard, Dekani, and Conrad), and to the staff who literally welcomed us like family and presented us with gourmet meals breakfast, lunch and dinner (Glory, Knox and of course Sue) - we’re deeply grateful. And don’t worry Angele; we can’t forget you! You truly made this trip unforgettable. Your knowledge, kindness, and incredible hospitality made this trip not just memorable, but meaningful. Thank you for sharing Oliphant West with us.||||Here are a few photos. I don’t know how well they will actually turn out. My Nikon 7500 was set to auto-download to my phone and I’m reviewing them on the “small screen” – but to my aging eyes they look pretty good. Only putting up “animal pictures”. I’m sure there are plenty of lodge pictures on the web already. Fingers crossed they capture even a fraction of...

Ezulwini Lodges was an amazing experience, everything from the food, people, and of course the animals and nature. My aunt and I stayed at River Lodge for the entirety of our trip which is located right off the Olifants River. We were the only guests during the week of our stay and both our first time to Africa so this experience felt really special.||Game drives were twice a day; since it was the beginning of Winter in South Africa we followed the "Winter" schedule. Morning game drive departed around 6am and evening game drive departed around 3:30pm. Since we were the only guests and were eager to see animals, we often left earlier than the designated time. The game drives were amazing; we saw so many animals, birds, insects, and reptiles. Even just taking in the scenery especially during sunrises and sunsets felt special. During game drives, our guide Craig always had interesting information to share about everything we saw--animals, birds, plants, insects, etc. I felt like every drive we were learning something new that pertained to what we were looking at and nothing felt redundant-- we must've seen 100's of elephants during our stay and every time Craig had different information to divulge. (I found the termite mounds to be of particular fascination and have started to look up information about them now that I am back home!). Our tracker Shads was spotting animals miles away and in the middle of a dark evening game drive home spotted a chameleon hanging out on a branch close to the path. Craig and Shads also took time to teach us how to "read the morning paper" by pointing out all the different animal tracks we would come across during our coffee (with Amarula of course) or sundowner stops. We saw a few bone fragments on our drives and they both answered our questions and pointed out features of the animals' anatomy. Their knowledge and expertise added so much more to the experience.||The food and accommodations at River Lodge were outstanding. Glory was so friendly as were all the staff. Ange is the GM and was our host for most of the time--she is such a cool and intelligent person. Every plant, insect, bird call, animal call, etc., we heard at the lodge she could identify and tell us about or she would research it and let us know the findings. The food was amazing, everything from options to presentation and most importantly taste was spot on. We were fulfilled and satisfied after every meal and both agreed that we probably never ate so well consecutively as we did here!||Everything was great and I cannot recommend this place enough. I know we are eager to return with more family members so they can...

Welcome to your World Class Safari @ Ezulwini Lodges - River Lodge, magnificent setting in the heart of literally true to its name - in a paradise where service excellence is at the highest level ensuring you have the most memorable 5 star safari experience and leave with a lifetime of memories. This is truly something spectacular that my husband and I have had the opportunity of visiting River Lodge at Ezulwini in the past few years, recently we returned in April 2025 and once again it was nothing short of magnificent! What brings us back here....everything! Firstly the entire team at Ezulwini truly depicts the depth and heart of South African hospitality - warm, friendly, welcoming and 5 star all the way, you will feel like part of the family as you arrive! River Lodge is filled with a world class team, from the expert rangers and trackers who truly want you to experience stunning sightings and experience a safari that for us is nothing short of 10 x star! The accommadation is just beautiful and we highly reccommend booking any one of the spectacular rooms along the river that truly will add something memorable and special to your holiday here in beautiful South Africa! You will not be dissapointed, waking up to the sightings/sounds of the hippos in the river, a giraffe (hopefully) sighting in front of your room as we were so lucky to experience on this trip, a dip in your private refreshing plunge pool as you enjoy your holiday in this paradise which is Ezulwini. From world class food and i cant mention enough the best team who truly pride themselves on their service to all their guests. The hospitality of this lodge goes over and beyond. My husband and I once again experienced the knowledge and talent of Richard and Hector who just are the most wonderful tracking and ranger team and you will experience a safari that is filled with adventure and memories forever. Craig, Angie, Glory and the entire staff compliment are the most amazing and incredible people who are a service level of the highest globally. I cant wait to...