Kariega Game Reserve Ukhozi Lodge

We recently returned from an eight night stay on the Kariega reserve as part of a small group tour with Wildlife Worldwide. We stayed at Ukhozi and River Lodges and Settlers Drift. Each was of a high standard but smaller and more intimate than the much larger Main lodge. Each had its own character. Ukhozi was really relaxing with resident bushbuck and massive millipedes seen on the way to the main hub. River Lodge was in a superb riverside setting with Pied kingfisher easily spotted from the frontage. The lodge's speciality was river trips down to the ocean. Wonderfully different! Finally, Settlers Drift was luxury tenting. Attention to detail was evident everywhere although even their staff were a little stretched when the elephants decided to wreck the incoming water pipes! Kariega is a superb example or rewilding in action. We saw two more male lion awaiting release and five cheetah also nearing release. With fences of newly acquired farmland being removed there is much to see. We were exceptionally lucky to have Wayne and Brendan as our guides. I've been on many safaris and , in their own areas of expertise, they're as good as it gets. They also happened to be two really nice people who did their utmost to educate, entertain and satisfy our requests. Kariega is suitable for first timers after the big five or specialist photographers/veterans like us who were after specific species. The density of land cruisers/guests was low and sightings were often just us. The species available were good. Many antelope species ranging from duikers to Nyala to Eland. Ungulates included white rhino and excellent sightings of Black. Elephant were plentiful and ridiculously laid back. The birding count was high with Crowned eagle and Knysna turaco being especially prized. However, for us, the trip was built upon trying to see and photograph Caracal, a cat I've failed to see in over twenty safaris. Kariega and the team turned up trumps with three sightings of a female hunting that totaled nearly two hours of photographing and observing behaviour. Getting to Kariega involved twenty four hours of travel from the UK. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

One of the best experiences we have ever had. A tough one to follow. We went to the paradise island of Mauritius for the second part of the holiday and said it was hard to beat our experience in Kariega. From the minute we arrived we were looked after so well. the food was amazing, staff super attentive and friendly.our guide was simply the best.Lloyd you made the whole experience one we will always remember. You were knowledgeable beyond your years….apart from grasses . You made the safari such a wonderful time.we saw everything we wanted to see and more. We had fun, laughter, full days, full tummies and wonderful sleep. The rooms are first class. Huge and comfortable. Each with a plunge pool. The staff cannot do enough for you. Food was first class. No complaints at all. Our group bonded well which also made the holiday. Forever in our hearts and we hope one day to return. We might need to be on commission as we keep telling people how wonderful Kariega is.

Amazing place the game drives were fantastic, we saw everything except a leopard and our guide was lovely. Would recommend this lodge to everyone, from the lodge to the suites everything was designed to help you enjoy your stay, The staff couldn’t do enough for us nothing was to much trouble - what a lovely way to end our holiday!

The game reserve / lodge is about 1 hour 30 minutes drive from Port Elizabeth. The accommodation is set in the grounds a few minutes away for the main reception / dining area. Our room was a large open plan suite / bathroom with a private plunge pool and terrace. Personally I prefer a door to the bathroom but most SA hotels seem to favour open plan with just an enclosed toilet. The room was nicely decorated and the air conditioning efficient and quiet. It was keep spotless by housekeeping which come in twice a day. Meals are taken in the main area. Breakfast is usually communal with other occupants of your safari jeep plus the guide. Likewise some dinners. How well this works depends on your fellow travellers. In our case a party of young Germans had little in common with us middle aged Brits! The food was very good and they kindly took account of my food allergies and intolerances when preparing meals. The main area also has a terrace and bar which was fairly well stocked but sadly no local gin! There is a small swimming pool with sun loungers but little shade. I got bitten round the pool so insect repellent is needed. Melissa was our excellent guide. The game viewing can be a challenge due to the dense hillside vegetation, but much easier on the plains. Some of the game drives were very bumpy and arduous due to the steep terrain. We also had a trip down the river which was very relaxing. The game drives left at 6am and 4pm both for about 3 hours with a pit stop for loo break (behind a bush), coffee etc. We had a great 3 nights and have some wonderful memories.

… a bucket list trip filled with big expectations and Kariega more than delivered !!! Nic our guide/ranger was not only extremely knowledgeable in all animals, wildlife and birds, but a pleasure to hang out with. This trip was respectful of all animals, even tho you might sometimes get very close - but isn’t that part of the experience? Two treks a day, with each day being better than the previous. Lodge staff very friendly and attentive. Can’t say enough about this place other than run, don’t walk and book a few days. Absolutely worth it. Thanks Nic, you made the trip.

We stayed at Ukhozi Lodge for our honeymoon in December 2024 over Christmas. I couldn't rate this place highly enough and no words in this review can give a full picture of how good of a time we had. We did 4 nights stay, getting 2 game drives each day (morning and evening) you could get away with doing 2 nights (4 drives) and youd likely see everything in that time animal wise however longer stays are also good l if you wanted to relax and enjoy being in nature and have an almost guaranteed chance of seeing everything. 3-4 nights would be my recommendation. Positives: - staff couldn't do enough for you. Nothing was too much hassle - game drives were excellent and we did 4 nights stay so did 7 game drives with Melissa and enjoyed all of them we saw 4 of the big 5 - food was amazing and got plenty of it, always something different every night and lunch. The all inclusive bar is help yourself if nobody is behind the bar, it's very relaxed! - the lodge itself was massive and each room has its own plunge pool. The balcony has amazing views and is secluded Points to consider: - drives can be long and bumpy, we didn't find this a problem but please be aware you are not guaranteed to see animals every time you do a game drive - leopards are very hard to spot and although they might be within the reserve, because of the vegetation they are almost impossible to see