5 Star Hotels in Balule Game Reserve, Greater Kruger National Park

"I have not left a review for anything in a long time, but AM Lodge absolutley deserves a great review. I read a couple of previous reviews that made me hesitant, but the record needs to be set straight. I stayed Mar 14 - March 16 of 2025 and it could not have been a better experience. I was first greeted at checkin by Raydene, Chris, and Musa. They had a non alcoholic mixed drink ready and waiting for me, a hot towel, and Raydene began explaining the structure of the lodge. They honestly made me feel like roylaty, and I had never felt that before. Raydedne broke everything down and answered every question I had, even the stuff I had texted about before arrival. I later met Brandon, the chef of the lodge. Every meal he prepared was like it was hand made at a luxury 5-star restaurant. I honetly could not have asked for better food, and he even adjusts the menu based on pretty much anything you want. Later in the afternoon, it was time for my game drive. Chris walked me to my private lodge and from that moment on, was immediately available for anything I needed. The lodge itseld was a massive 1,615 sq ft building and I had it all to myself. It is so secluded and private that you are entirely in personal peace whether you are inside or outside of your building. I got a private game drive with driver Benjamin and our tracker Bali. Im only allowed 1500 characters so I had to delete the rest of my review. In short, I would absolutely stay here again and upgrade to the superior suite"

"Wow wow wow what an incredible experience!! Everything at River Lodge was just amazing, all of the staff are so friendly and the food is delicious, you get to pick from a set menu for each meal which changes each day and all drinks are included. The absolute highlight though is the safari itself, you get 2x 3 hour drives a day which go so quickly. Our guide Phillip and his tracker Kulani were absolutely incredible, they made sure we saw all the animals and got us really close to them. Phillip was so knowledgable and we loved having him as our guide, we got to see the big 5 several times and even a leopard cub! We had the best experience ever at River Lodge and highly recommend to anyone. We stayed 3 nights which was enough to see everything but we definitely didn’t want to leave!! "

"Absolutely amazing. We stayed at Pondoro in January in the beautiful Tree Suite with the most incredible views of the river. Every member of the staff was so friendly and hospitable. Our daily game drives exceeded all our expectations with the most experienced guides. The vegetation this time of year was so green and gorgeous. From sun up to sun down we were so well fed by the talented team of chefs. It was all such a dream. I hope we have the chance to return again. "

"My daughter and I had the absolute privilege of staying at Ezulwini in August 2024. I first want to acknowledge the amazing and knowledgeable staff who absolutely made our stay. Ange and Craig make quite the team! Glory was accommodating, caring, and personable. While in the Bush, Craig and Shads combined their seemingly unlimited knowledge to answer all our non-stop questions. Even when the animals were feeling shy, Craig was able to teach us about something else within the ecosystem, and usually by the end of the lesson, Shads was able to use his eagle-eyes to track another animal. What really made this lodge stand out was the fact that their approach was respectful to the land on which they live, never exploitative. Each night before an absolutely delicious dinner, we were able to sit down with Ange and Craig who crafted a lesson about local history, the law of the reserves, or about the country of South Africa. The meaningful conversations absolutely made us feel like welcomed friends, rather than simple guests. Of course, it should go without saying, that the accommodations of the resort itself were stunning. The resort’s small number of guest rooms makes the experience feel personal and uniquely tailored to each guest, and the property, which often welcomes many four-legged guests, feels more like an extension of the bush rather than a separate space. I simply cannot recommend this lodge, this team, and this trip enough!"

"This was one of the most best travel expeirences i ever had. The Kapama Southern lodge is superb . The staff was amazing. the accommodations were perfect. The food options were plentiful. I recommend this property to everyone, and of of course the safari tours were better than expected with informal guides. "