Jock Safari Lodge, Kruger National Park — Hotel in Mbombela

For my wife and I, to say this experience was something completely out of this world wouldn't even begin to describe the perspective and appreciation we had for our time in South Africa. We booked our stay for 5 nights total, and that included 10 game drives as you do two a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Jock Safari was recommended to us by an old coworker, in which we saw her pictures and videos and had to know more of where she stayed, and that's when she told us of Jock. My wife had a mission trip in Kenya the week prior, so we made this a trip to Africa in which we both could enjoy for a week safari the week following her mission.

From someone who loves wildlife, I can't even begin to describe to you the interactions that we had with the animals during our time at Kruger. We had no expectations coming into this trip, or what we would experience, and with that being said, the animals and beautiful scenery we were exposed to were something from another world.

Our ranger, Jan, was a HUGE reason of what made our experience so special, as his passion for the park and the wildlife within was palpable, and spread to all of those within his vicinity. Jan provided an experience my wife and I will truly never forget, and we couldn't recommend him higher when it comes to someone to show you the beauty of this amazing country. We couldn't speak higher praises to someone who whole heartedly deserves it.

The Lodge itself was incredible, as you truly feel if you are living within the African bush, but in a luxurious setting. The rooms were spacious, comfortable, clean, and the staff took amazing care of ensuring you had everything you could ever need. They would clean your rooms while you were on the game runs, and you'd always come back to anything extra you requested in a timely manner.

The food and drink was an experience all in itself, as it was gourmet treatment and food selection, but you still got the feel of African meat and other traditional foods that they eat, so you felt like you were able to try things you would never have the opportunity to do elsewhere.

The way that the days were organized was a perfect balance, with a game drive early in the morning to see the world wake up with the sunrise and wake up the wildlife, with a morning break and breakfast to follow. In the afternoon, you would have a few hours to relax on your own, and then it was time to eat lunch and head out for an evening game drive to experience the sunset and to see the beautiful scenery of the landscape.

As someone who has never done safari before, I figured with 5 days of safari and 10 game drives, there may be a point where I was ready to be done, but I couldn't express more of how wrong I was. Every, single, drive was its own experience, and that was one of the most amazing aspects of the trip. You may see the same animals, even within the same areas, but each experience with them was completely different, which made us so excited to get out and see what the world had to offer that day. NEVER skip a drive! You can eat, sleep, and do all of those things at any other time, but I promise you, take advantage of what you can see out there, because it is truly once in a lifetime experience.

As this is already lengthy, I cannot express our gratitude and appreciation for the staff, the rangers, the housekeepers, the chefs, and EVERYONE that was an intricate part of an unforgettable experience for my wife and I, and made for an anniversary we will never be able to top. If you're looking for a new adventure, a glimpse into a world you didn't know existed, or a perspective that will change you forever, look no further than a week at Jock Safari. I promise you, you'll...

I booked Jock Safari as part of a surprise trip for my wife’s 50th (sure she won’t mind me saying age) and our 10th wedding anniversary so it really needed to be “wow”. I am pleased to say I don’t have enough superlatives to say how great this private (and it really feels private and secluded) concession was.||In a nutshell. The position on the dry river bed, the layout inside the lodge to maximise views and comfort, the attentiveness of all the team, the quality of the game drives without other game drive vehicles encroaching like in the main park area, Rangers knowledge and my goodness the food made the experience unforgettable. We saw all we came to see by the way big 5- tick.||I had done a lot of research prior to booking as a Safari was a bucket list thing for my wife. Even with research I didn’t appreciate how much of a difference the private concession and river bed traversing rights would make. Lots by the way||It has to be said I was less of a fan for a Safari in advance of going. I’m not dead inside 😀 just as a scuba diver I prefer being under the water not above it. Not so now though I’m a convert thanks to the experience Jock Safari and in particular Lazarus our Ranger was able to give.||From arrival at Skukuza airport we were met by a Jock Safari Ranger who sorted the fees, bags etc and immediately supplied us with soft drinks this set the tone for Jock staff service as he began the journey to Jock Safari.||From arrival at lunchtime we were blown away by the views from our lunch table as “The Safari” is right there. The lunch offering as all the food is was incredible and ranged from soup and salads to a full on meat meal I don’t know how many staff there are in total but it felt like you had your own personal team member such was the attentiveness. The other guests numbered 6 at our visit so it was beginning to feel like Jocks lodge was just ours.||We joined the afternoon game drive and like our room it didn’t disappoint the animal interaction you get is amazing unspoilt and with no itinerary you can sit and take photos as long as you like or move on as the mood takes you. Quick note some of the best sightings occurred within about 2 km from the gates of Jock so don’t worry you will see some incredible animal behaviour. All with some great knowledge from the Ranger.||With four nights we definitely gave ourselves the best chance of seeing the big 5 but it was the fact that when you did see a pride of lions resting on some rocks or a leopard languishing in a tree or a Rhino wandering along the river bed there was not a horde of jeeps with other animal seeking tourists vying for position.||The times when we were able to veer off from the main park and head into the bush were often the most rewarding. That’s when we saw the pride resting and also lionesses and their cub charging some buffalo.||When you couple the incredible and probably unrivalled game drive experience with the location of the lodge, the private concession land, the staff service and quality of the food you’d be daft to book anywhere else. We...

This was our 5th private safari lodge in the past 4 years as the safari bug has well and truly bitten.||This time we chose to splash out and share the experience with our two adult sons and their wives before the arrival of grandchildren made such a trip more complicated.||On the recommendation of our travel agent (Andrew Harvey - African Sky) we decided to stay at Fitzpatrick's by Jock, the private 3 room lodge along the river bed from the main lodge.||We were hugely impressed by all aspects of our 3 night stay and our expectations were easily met in some areas and vastly exceeded in others.||We had great sightings, especially in the Jock concession area, which was significantly larger than I expected. Obviously access to greater Kruger area is an extra bonus but the best sightings were in the concession so it was a bonus that only Jock vehicle had access. It was never crowded, with the occasional second vehicle sighted. Two leopards chasing each other in a tree was the highlight for me, as the male was not too interested in the female's amorous advances. We returned later in the day when the male had given in and we witnessed close up two leopards mating.||Then there was the lion cubs, also in the Jock concession was a small pride of lions who had decided to make it home for a few months to raise their lion cubs. How cute were they.||We don't take such sightings for granted and we know that it can always be hit and miss. For the first time we did not see wild dogs and whilst cheetahs were around we also missed out on them.||Our ranger David was excellent, hard working, informative, funny, we could not have asked for any better and if we return (as we may) then his name will be on the special request form.|||The rest of the team at Fitzpatrick's were equally friendly and professional. Always available, always smiling and always producing lovely meals throughout the day. The wine glasses were always topped up and there was a good choice of included drinks. ||The suites were just right, smaller than some of the mega suites we have stayed in elsewhere (Lions Sands River Lodge, Madikwe Hills and Dulini Leadwood) but did not suffer by comparison. We enjoyed the intimate atmosphere of having sole use of the lodge.||One of our sons celebrated their wedding anniversary and they made a great fuss of them that was really appreciated.||If you can put together a group of 6 this lodge offers a great safari experience at...