Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve by Newmark

We booked for the 'best of both' package deal. We spent two nights in the lodge (not the main one which is where we took meals but one that is about 300m away down a well-lit pathway). Then we spent our third night up in the pod which is an absolute must. Both the lodges have swimming pools, and luxurious beds and typically luxurious lodge furnishing. For the pod experience you get taken up to the pod with your meals and dropped off for the night. There's a glorious wood-burning hot tub, unbelievable views, and a sky so full of stars it will take your breath away. We didn't see any animals besides impala from the pod but the night air was full of lions roaring and baboons barking. The food is excellent and all local alcohol is included. Also included are two game drives a day. We saw lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and all manner of buck. Our ranger was Charl, and he is incredibly knowledgeable about not only animals but also birds and plants. He was really great. To be fair, all the staff are great - Nthabiseng communicated with us throughout and made sure that my vegetarian request was attended to. Highly recommend - if you're looking for a spot for an indulgent get away... this is it.

I cannot imagine any other accommodation or setting better than what we experienced at the pods at Camdeboo. Difficult to describe, but you have it all there: breathtaking scenery, complete silence, delicious meals, comfy bed, astonishing stars at night, such friendly and helpful staff, it was just perfect. If you love being in nature, far away from civilisation, but you also love being spoiled, this is for you! Such a treat.

We stayed in Camdeboo Manor for 2 nights during which time we were the only guests in the whole estate, this gave me the opportunity to look at the other options. Courtyard Manor, Hillside, Peppertree and the Pods....the pods were very luxurious given their location but I think we made the right choice. The room and manor as a whole was gorgeous, spotlessly clean and very well equipped. The gardens were just a please to relax in. The staff were all so freindly and the food was very good. If you're going to Camdeboo for Game Drives you could be dissapointed as there is a lack of sightings but they are there. What made the drive special for us was the scenery which was beautiful ....and how elephants can climb up the steep hillsides I will never know.

Amazing place, amazing landscape (must have for south african visitors) amazing game drives, amazing and very friendly service and people, very good communication before with the management, one of the best winelist in the country - small but fine, fresh and good food.

We had two nights booked but decided to leave after one. We were in the Courtyard Manor Suite which although very nice in itself is not at the main Lodge. This meant our ranger (Sulemain) who was very helpful and had to come and pick us up for game drives and we had to go straight into breakfast and dinner after the drive without the opportunity to clean up which for us is not ideal. Not being in the main Lodge also meant we did not have access to the swimming pool which would have been ideal in 37C heat! This was the fifth game reserve on our trip to the Eastern Cape and probably one too many as we had already seen all the mammals and surprisingly there was not that much bird life. Compared to other lodges we had been to the food was mediocre, no choice bush cooking and these days we expect better. The scenery is absolutely spectacular but the terrain is very rough and the Land Rover being used was by no means in the best of conditions. We also suffered from a lack of service with nobody based in the Courtyard Manor at any time and we felt somewhat isolated hence our decision to move on. We got the feeling this property may be struggling and cannot recommend it.

I was traveling with my husband and teenage children, so an expensive stay - we booked for one night and I was so grateful we hadn’t booked for longer. We were basically dumped in a house, allocated two rooms in the house and another family was staying in another two rooms. We could help ourselves to the included drinks in the kitchen. This was not the main lodge it seems and dinner and breakfast were a drive away at the actual main lodge. We were brought lunch (such as it was), carefully counted out to be one portion per person. There were no staff at the house so we had no service at all. Most uncomfortable bed I have ever slept in, and it creaked so badly we woke up every time we moved. Got the definite impression this was someone’s holiday home and the lodge was maximising revenue by using this for guests too. Not that we felt like guests. On our only morning there, we tried to drive to breakfast but weren’t sure about the water crossing in the car so gave up and left without eating. Again, no one around to ask or assist. Even the spectacular location isn’t enough to make up for this bizarre experience. At these prices, there are many better options.