Ivory Wilderness River Rock Lodge

We had a fantastic 4D3N stay at this property & were awed by the hospitality of each & every staff there. The cottages were cosy & beds were comfy. Good size bathroom that has a bathtub. What was lacking was hot water kettle & coffee/tea facilities in the room. Food was FANTASTIC with a 2 course main meals, pre game drive snacks, hearty breakfast which can be customised to dietary requests, free flow of drinks & alcohol, and the menu was different everyday! Chef was great & food was simply yummy! Will highly recommend this property for those seeking a private reserve at the greater kruger! ❤️

We had a magical time at the Ivory Wilderness Lodge. Every game drive delivered a special experience, from spotting rhinos to 'joining' a hunt with wild dogs. Neil our guide was so passionate and knowledgeable - he gave us so many special holiday memories. Kayleigh and the team make every meal and every interaction special. We stayed in the family house and we adored every minute. We had our own fire, no food request was ever too much (my hubby and son are picky eaters) and we felt part of the Ivory family. I can't thank the team enough - our only regret is what we only had 3 nights with you. When we reflected on our 2 week trip - all our favourite memories are from our time at Ivory. Location, service, setting and people are 5 star!!!

Out of this world experience with Ivory Wilderness. Thank you to Neil, Victoria and the hospitality team for this amazing four days here in July 2026. Game Drives - Neil is extremely knowledgeable and understand the terrain really well. Can track the wildlife movements by their footsteps and sounds, and is an experienced driver. Profound understanding of the area's roots and history, and very good commentary/experience (nearly animal planet grade). Very safe too. During each game drive which was 3-4 hours long, we would stop somewhere in the wilderness to have snacks and a coffee (morning drives) or wine (evening drives). We caught Lions, Elephants, Wildebeest, Rhinos, Hyenas, Buffalos, Giraffes, Zebras, African Wild Dogs, etc Resort Experience - We arrived late and hence missed the Evening Game Drive which started at 3.30pm, but wow we were treated to an amazing sun-down-er. We watched a beautiful sunset melt over the horizon and had a lovely dinner with local wines from the cape region. Hospitality was great and hardworking - they made our beds every time we left the room... goodness, we were treated like royalty! Meals - They served "pre-breakfast" before our morning game drive which was really muffins and coffee. Not the best muffins in this world, but what can you ask for in this remoteness. After game drives, we were treated to a proper breakfast and we always had a choice.. perhaps a full breakfast meal of bacons, eggs and toast or some eggs dish like frittata or so. After a brief rest, lunch was served late and just before the evening game drives. Lunch is typically simple, very much salad style. (Would prefer if lunch could be a little heavier, but IW were very nice and they prepare some additional light bites for us.) After the evening game drives, we were treated to full 3-course fine-dining style dinner. Again, we could choose our dinners. Food was good - my only "complain" as you'd expect out of every fine-dining was "could we have more" / "a larger portion please"... haha and the chef accommodated by giving us additional snacks! Rooms - Were awesome. Not sure what I could ask for more, maybe a bigger room? But come on, there is only that amount of space under the hut. Toilets were clean and huge. Location - The drive here was insanely long. It doesn't help that we landed at Kruger Mpumalanga Airport and not Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport (which was much preferred, and we left from here). The journey from Kruger Mpumalanga Airport was 4.5 hours, while the journey to Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport was 2 hours. Note that after passing through the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve gate, the journey to/fro IW was around 1.5 hours on gravel road within the reserve itself so you could catch or be delayed by wildlife along the way, and it was grumpily bumpy. Overall, this experience was out of this world. Thanks IW team. Stay lovely.

An authentic and unforgettable bush experience! This lodge is the perfect place to switch off, relax, and reconnect with nature surrounded by incredible wildlife and peaceful sounds of the bush. The staff were warm and welcoming, the guides were exceptional, and the safari vehicles were fantastic. We even had elephants within 5 metres of us on the deck, a truly surreal moment. The private sundowner is an absolute must, the setting is breathtaking and made our stay even more special. Every aspect of this lodge exceeded expectations. Thank you for an incredible experience.

We had an exceptional stay at Ivory Wilderness and would highly recommend it to all. Every detail in our rondavel was artfully crafted, the lodge hospitality was unparalleled, and the food was outstanding. Each meal was expertly put together with local flavours and 5-star execution. Between game drives, there were many comfortable spots to relax, read, and take in the surroundings. The lodge is set right on the river, where wildlife often wander through, and the whole stay felt wonderfully intimate and comfortable with nothing to worry about, just pure enjoyment being out in the bush. We even had an elephant and waterbuck come visit us, mere metres away! Ingrid, our guide, was an absolute girlboss! She was deeply knowledgeable about everything related to wildlife, down to the small details like tracks, insects, sounds, and smells in the bush. She created an inclusive and enjoyable atmosphere on her game drives, and went out of her way to make sure we had a memorable experience. We watched a lion roar and saw African wild dogs on two separate occasions, truly unforgettable!

Wow! Just WOW!! This was our first ever safari and our 2 night stay at Ivory Wilderness was absolutely perfect in every way. The 2hr road in was a little challenging in our hire car but after a bumpy ride we were warmly welcomed by Misty and Andrew. Ivory Wilderness felt like a small, intimate haven right from our arrival. Our rondavel was ideal in every way and it was 'freshened up' twice a day by the attentive staff. We were fed and watered well during our stay but it was the safari drives that were stand out special. Darren was the perfect ranger. His years of experience and passion for the animals and conservation was obvious and his ability to spot the animals whilst driving, navigating the tracks, retelling tales, and answering our questions was beyond impressive. Thanks to him we were fortunate enough to see 4 of the big 5 (the lions stayed elusive). Thank you all for making our stay a incredibly special experience. A piece of our hearts has been left at Ivory Wilderness.

We had an amazing 4 days here. I'm a photographer so really wanted somewhere that had lots of good quality game drives and in a stunning location. Ivory Wilderness delivered on all fronts. Our guide Francois was an absolute legend, he knew the animals, the land and the country so well. We did 2 game drives a day each 3-4 hours and then also a couple of game walks, which were a totally different experience. Saw loads of amazing animals from tiny bugs up to the biggest elephants. The skies at night out there were stunning too.. so bring your tripod for an astro photo or 2. The food was fantastic, so good that it's hard to believe they can cook it so well at such a remote location. The included drinks were tasty and welcomed after a good day out in the 4WD. The place takes a while to get out to and the roads are pretty crap, which really adds to the charm of being away from it all. Have a look on a map... the lodge is in a nice remote spot. All the staff were so welcoming, and they are all striving to make sure you have the best and most relaxing time there. It's one of those places where as soon as you depart you begin planning how you can get back there.

We had the most wonderful time at Ivory. The place is so lovely, in the middle of the bushes. Animals can come and feed around it (got some elephants outside and some cute impalas even inside!). The service is absolutely great. Always ready to help you with that you need, always smiling. Francois was our guide and he was the absolute best. Super knowledgeable, he showed us around and explained all to us. He tried his best to show us all the possible animals, tracking paws, listening to sounds. We managed to see elephants, zebras, rhinos and leopard, among others. We will return for those lions! Ivory made my wife’s 30th birthday very special, and we will not forget. Thank you so much for all!