Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge leaves nothing to be desired. It is located in the Hluhluwe Wild Reserve in a stunningly beautiful area. The accommodation is luxurious, food and service excellent. The morning and afternoon safaris are conducted by experienced rangers who know their stuff and are good communicators. We saw 4 out of the big five and lots of other wild animals. If you are set on cats, Hluhluwe is perhaps not the ideal place, but I would recommend Hluhluwe and Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge anyway and without reservation!

We were really spoiled at Rhino Ridge Lodge! The drive from the gate takes an hour with spotting of rhino's, elephants and more. After a steep climb, we were welcomed by the friendly staff and either a magnificent view over the valley. A sumptuous lunch followed by a safari drive with more animal encounters. The villa's are large and luxurious and staff professional and friendly. We would love to come back!

If you give it more than 5 everybody would ! What a truly wonderful and life changing three days for me and my wife ! Walking up to a family of sleeping white rhinos in the bush, how often do you get to do that in a lifetime ? Watching wild game with a fantastic guide whilst getting your steps in Going out at the crack of dawn on wonderful safari drives with fantastic game spotters, we only missed out on a Leopard on our trip but hey ho, being fronted up by a young bull elephant more than made up for it. The Lodge is 5 star, so are the staff, accommodation is wonderful and there is nothing you want for. They over feed you with wonderful food and you will put weight on Quite simply we had the most wonderful of times, until we were about to exit the park. At the main gate security asked us for our documentation including the docs we entered the park with, he also made a search of our vehicle, which was fine and totally acceptable. However, the security member then asked my wife if she had anything for him ? When I questioned what he meant, he made it clear he wanted money. As tourists in a foreign country we did not want any trouble with a security official, we felt extremely intimidated and as a result I gave him a 100 rand. This event happened at 11.36 am on the 23rd of Jan 2025. I put these details in because something needs to be done about this individual. He has totally soured our feelings on visiting Rhino Ridge and we do not want anyone else to suffer what we did. It’s not the money, it’s the fact that he felt entitled to do that to us in a position of authority, bloody awful behaviour for a person in a position of trust.

Are there six stars ? Simply EVERYTHING about this place is simply amazing. This starts with the people-starting with the driver who met me at the airport , the manager who received us all as we arrived , through the amazing Rangers who breathed excitement and enthusiasm as we raced to hunt wild animals to the beautiful support staff, who not only looked after us so well but also treated us to a breathtaking Zulu dance and song for one guest‘s birthday. It includes the location (magical), the accommodation (private, luxurious and delightful) and of course the wildlife. I recorded sightings (mostly within metres) of 21 different species from solitary lions through families of elephants to herds of buffalo, hunted down by the amazing bush Rangers. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. It is no hyperbole for me to say that it touched my soul many levels, from the privilege of feeling brushed by the noble Zulu culture , to this spiritual feeling of proximity to the incredible wildlife. I believe it has become a life changing experience for me. Gia bonga Rhino Ridge, sala kahle and see you again soon.

We have been lucky enough to have undertaken safaris in four other countries in East Africa but this was a first in the RSA. This place is up there with the best. The location and thus the views, are a great added bonus. Game can be viewed from the terrace. The accommodation is comfortable and each cottage has its own secluded private viewing balcony. The game drives are varied and on each of the five during our stay we had amazing experiences. The main lodge building has a wonderful bar, viewing deck and restaurant and the food cannot be faulted. These are the physical “pluses” for RR but the main memory we have is the friendly and helpful staff who, without exception, do their best to make your stay as good as it can be. The organisation is faultless which leads to what for us, was a perfect safari experience.

There are not enough superlatives in the English language to describe our experience at Rhino Ridge. From the reservation process to check out we were treated like royalty. The staff, the lodge, the food, the safari drives were all exceptional. I highly recommend this lodge for your African adventure.