Baluleni Safari Lodge

Visited July 3025 Highly recommended a stay at Baluleni. They went above and beyond for our family even organising a day hike with one of their staff. They really do want their guests to have an enjoyable experience. Food was good I am vegetarian and they catered for me. Bed comfy and had all we needed for a 5 day stay. The property itself was beautiful, gorgeous birds and on our last night we had a herd of elephants walk through walking and eating right next to all the rooms. It was great we didn’t need to travel far for our safaris as they are located on the safari areas. Very well priced for what you get. Hope to return one day !!

Stayed here for 4 days / 3 nights with 4 other friends and unfortunately left with a very sour impression. We were charged a R300 “breakage fee” for a tiny chip on a wooden keychain that comes attached to the room keys. The wood is clearly weakest at the narrow point where it connects to the ring, and it broke on day 1 with normal use. This looks like simple wear and tear, not damage caused by misuse. I even left the piece on the table in the room to be transparent about it. Charging R300 for a small piece of wood is unreasonable. For context, an entire bottle of Amarula is around R200. The owner claimed it’s “expensive wood,” but that doesn’t justify the amount or the lack of fairness in handling the situation. What’s more disappointing is that: -We were never informed on arrival to take special care of the keychain. -We were the only guests who actually gave tips at the end of our stay to both guides & general staff Despite this, there was zero flexibility or goodwill to waive or reduce such a minor charge. If the keychain had been snapped in half due to clear negligence, I would understand taking responsibility. But this was clearly a fragile item failing at its weakest point. Even after disputing the charge, they eventually only agreed on halving the amount to R150 and I didn't want to waste my time over a small amount so I just paid. Additionally, the idea of cleaning up the room here is also simply flushing the rubbish down the toilet bowl which they have clearly indicated not to do. We came back to a toilet bowl full of rubbish on our third day here. A full day safari trip add on to kruger is also costly, as travelling to and fro takes 2+ hours each and we leave at 5+ and arrive back at the lodge at 5pm, missing the game drive in the noon but was priced at 2990 rand add on per pax. Overall, this left a bad taste after what was otherwise a pleasant stay with friendly and nice guides. Policies like this feel petty and out of touch with guest experience. The lodge has alot of microtransactions and tries to do a cash grab on top of fees already paid. Clearly the biggest vultures we spotted here are the owners of the lodge.

Unbelievable trip and stay. Staff were friendly and attentive, rooms were well kept and comfy and guides were extremely knowledgeable. The open camp was amazing - the pictures online are accurate and not just for Instagram. We arrived to a herd of giraffe, the impala practically lived there, we had monkeys and occasionally baboons outside our rooms and one night a herd of elephants including babies visited whilst we ate dinner! The reserve itself made safari and close encounters with animals very easy and it was also conveniently close to Kruger national park with the guides having good knowledge of both areas so day trips were easily manageable. Would absolutely recommend and hope to visit again. Thank you all!

We absolutely loved our stay. We stayed in the Bushveld Room and seeing giraffes running around in the field right in front of our room was such a special experience! The room itself was spotless and very comfortable with great amenities that made our stay even more enjoyable. The owners are very welcoming and the whole team made us feel so well looked after throughout our stay. The food was also excellent- with a great mix of traditional South African dishes and more classic options. A special mention to the guides who truly went above and beyond to make every game drive memorable. Their passion and knowledge really made the experience. We would highly recommend staying here and would love to come back one day 🤗

Our stay at Baluleni was truly fantastic. We were made to feel at home and the hospitality was simply superb. The cottages were clean and beds were super comfortable. This is an open resort and we could see impala, giraffes and baboons at the resort. The food was delicious and all dietary restrictions were nicely catered for. The staff lead by Proverb and Mika were superb. We enjoyed the African dinners around the fir every evening. The games drives were superb. We saw all the Big 5. The guides for the game drives - Klaas, Luan, Joseph, Marcus and Vusi were simply brilliant. They took all the effort to ensure that we saw the Big 5. It was a surreal experience! Overall, the resort owners Andreas and Haike made sure our whole experience was brilliant !!

Our second stop in South Africa. Gorgeous, incredible, place. We had two riverside suites. Super clean and comfortable. Great to observe giraffes, elephants, monkeys and other animals strolling thru. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were fantastic, also vegetarian options available. Good game drives and guides. Amazing staff, friendly and caring owners. Thank you for the great time.

Baluleni Safari Lodge was absolutely incredible! Every moment there feels intentionally crafted to immerse you in nature. The lodge isn’t fenced in wild animals truly roam free, and that’s part of the magic. During my week at Baluleni, I woke up each morning to giraffes grazing just inches from my chalet. At night, I had dinner under the stars, within earshot of hippos grunting and elephants rustling through the trees. It was surreal. The grounds are beautifully maintained, the staff are incredibly warm and welcoming, and the food? Let’s just say my unapologetically huge American appetite was more than satisfied every single day. What really sets Baluleni apart is how intimate the experience is. Each evening, we gathered around an open fire with the staff and owners, shared delicious meals, and swapped stories about our safari adventures from the day. Baluleni is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever stayed authentic, peaceful, and unforgettable. I’m already planning my return. Don’t hesitate this place is special.

How amazing this place is cannot be overstated. I’ve been to many natural places of the world and Im not even exaggerating when I say this was the best 5 days of my life. I was worried the amazing reviews gave me unrealistically high expectations but Baluleni somehow surpassed my wildest dreams. The room was amazing with a stunning view of the bush and river from my veranda. Every morning I watched the baboons and monkeys come into camp while I drank my coffee on the veranda. From the first game drive out guide Tejan (sorry if I’ve spelled it wrong) was incredibly knowledgeable and told us so much about the bush as well as finding so many amazing animals. We saw a leopard, lions eating and fighting over a giraffe carcass, elephants, buffalo, loads of birds, giraffes, many species of antelope, hyenas, African wild dogs hunting a baby impala, hippo on land, crocodiles, and so much more. The food was amazing, I’d be impressed with the quality of this food in a fine dining restaurant in London, to get it in the bush was a treat. The chefs were also really personable, presenting us the menu each night. All staff in fact were amazing, Heike managed to organise a fairly last minute day trip to Kruger Park for us (I’d recommend booking this in advance as I think we got lucky) and it was incredible. The cleaning staff helped us with all of our laundry. I could go on and on about my love for this place. I already treasure these memories so much and I only left a day ago. Thank you so much to everyone at Baluleni who helped fulfil a trip I’ve dreamed of since I was 8.