Ant's Nest

We booked Ant’s Nest as a bolt-on to our trip to Botswana. It was amazing! The staff and volunteers were just great, enthusiastic and always helpful. The horses were gorgeous (a special horse-shaped space in my heart for Xiaxia). The wildlife was extraordinary and the guides’ explanations and stories wonderful. Thank you OBK, JoJo, Marc and Tec - you are fab! The food: I’ve put on 2kg! Delicious and any special requests always met. Our room ‘Flycatcher’ was simply magic and I spent hours watching the weaver birds building their nests. We shared food and stories with the other guests and drank G&T while watching sunsets together, many new friendships. Above all the attention to detail such as a complementary water flask with my name on! The small shop sells useful gear as well as crafts and cards (Ant’s beautiful paintings). I will wear my Ant’s safari shirt with fond memories.

Before visiting Bushwillow and Ant's Nest I read every review I could find and all these raving reviews don't even do these places justice. Words just can't describe the time we had.||Off course the places are beautiful. Bushwillow was very tranquil and Nest a bit more lively. Both had there own charm but we fell in love with Bushwilow..|The rooms are very comfortable. the food amazing and the surroundings breathtaking. ||Riding was amazing with a great scenery and very nice horses. And most importantly the horses are looked after very well. ||But what made our trip so special where the people. From the first contact to make our reservation I felt like we would be taken care off. All my questions, and there were a lot, were answered in detail and promptly. |And after arriving we didn't have to think about anything because anything was taken care of for us. It's very hard to describe but I'm the kind of person that worry's a lot and needs to dubbelcheck everything. During our stay I completely let go of being a control freak and just went with the flow. ||Everyone we have met during our stay seemed to love their job. The guides were amazing with a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm. And all af them had great personalities. Being out with them made us feel like you went out for a ride with friends that just happen to know more about nature than you will ever will. We've learned so much about the wildlife and plants.||The chefs are great. The food was amazing with a lot of variety. It was a good thing we did a lot of riding because having a big breakfast, we couldn't say no to the daily breakfast special. Lunch is a full cooked meal, afternoon tea comes with a lovely snack. After some snacks during sundowners there is an amazing three course meal waiting for you.|Dinner was my favorite meal because of the great conversations we had during our dinners. ||Every member of staff was amazing but the lodge managers made our trip. They went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time, could do as much as possible and arranged everything for us. I can't thank them enough for all they did. ||This was supposed to be a once in a lifetime trip but we know we have to go back. If you have the chance just book the trip. You won't regret it.

Ant’s was without a doubt one of the best things we have ever done! Absolutely blown away by how amazing it was. To summarise all the wonderful things we can say about it, we’d say it was “effortlessly perfect”.||From the rhinos strolling across the drive as we arrived, we knew we were in for a great week.|The staff were all phenomenal, the best service we have ever received. It felt like a combination of staying in a 5* hotel whilst being looked after by your best mates. Everyone was just so lovely and down to earth. We loved the communal feel to it, we hadn’t quite realised that was the vibe there but it was just so great and we met some really lovely guests there as well as the staff.|There was nothing they couldn’t do for you. Everything was so well organised and thought through, the attention to detail was spot on.|The itinerary was expertly constructed with plenty of options and down time if needed.||The horses were absolutely amazing!!! So much so I shed a tear saying goodbye to my lovely horse, Caprivi. She was an absolute pleasure to ride, such a smart and well schooled horse I really enjoyed riding he and I’ve never felt so confident riding a new horse whilst cantering over rocky terrain dodging various wild animals!|Not only that but the horses my novice husband was given to ride were superb and looked after him so well. Considering he had only ridden properly a handful of times before we went to Ant’s, we were all absolutely amazed by how quickly he picked it up and he was cantering along in the more advanced group by day 2!|The horses certainly know and love their jobs.||The best part was the fact at the end of the ride you untacked the horses and they wandered off to graze with the wild animals and made their own way back to the lodge. It was evident how well looked after and loved they all are, their welfare certainly comes first which was really important to us. We loved that the staff all had particular horses that were “theirs” and they really knew them inside out. They were all in immaculate condition, receiving physio/farrier/dentist whilst we were there and the tack was all great and the saddles SO comfy!||The wildlife, well wow! I think we saw pretty much everything on day 1!! It was unbelievable. The guides were all so knowledgable and great at finding the animals whilst respecting their space. They were so interesting to listen to as they guided us on wonderful rides. We really could not believe how much we saw and how close you could get to them.||The accommodation was spectacular as well, what a beautiful location and stunning lodge. It felt so personal there only being about 10/12 guests at a time, that really made Ant’s stand out from anything else we’ve ever done - it felt unique and not touristy in the slightest.|And the food & drink - wow!! Absolutely incredible and there was never a chance to go hungry being fed every couple of hours or so haha!! The drinks being included was a great touch as well and the fact they ask you want drinks they want you to bring for sundowners as well was awesome.|Sundowners in a different spot each day is something we’ll never forget!!||What we loved the most about Ant’s is that it felt like we had been given the privilege to be invited to experience life with them. It didn’t feel touristy or commercialised, the small group of us made it feel really unique and special. The fact we got the chance to assist with a game capture when two of the buffalo needed relocating was just incredible and an experience we will forever cherish.|Everyone was just so lovely and such great fun - it was so obvious that everyone thoroughly loved their job and time there. Thank you for having us x

My Love Letter to Ant's: I am incredibly impressed with the guides and staff here. For example, one guide, Tek, is the type of person I wish I could clone and put him in the classroom because he has so much joy, knowledge, passion in sharing it and kindness for his guests. These guides are not just leading rides — they are storytellers, conservationists, and cultural ambassadors, opening a window into Africa in a way that’s profoundly personal. Each guide and staff member had a different story, passion and so much culture to bring to the table. I appreciate how comfortable Ant's is for a complete diversity of clientele. I don't think that anyone could come to Ant's and not feel comfortable and welcomed. I became part of a family as a solo traveler with the other guests during my time there. I have told so many people about their ability to handle all levels of riders, even while on the same trail ride. There are shortcuts the guides know that allow them to take riders at a walk to meet up after a short canter the longer way. Many riders worry that mixed-ability groups mean compromise, but they have found a perfect balance and handle it very well. Lord, how many people have I told about the 5 star dining and accommodations at Ant's!!!! One could stay at Ant's and be completely happy and satisfied and have the time of their lives just by enjoying the food and lodging. I could not believe Worldview. Stunning. I walked around mouth agape at the views and how well it was designed. Staying there was truly a gift, showing me the full magic of Ant’s and South Africa. I enjoyed my time just as much in the Nest as I did at the Hill lodges. One last thing I will mention is how much I benefited physically, spiritually, emotionally and as an equestrian because of my time there. I am a much better and stronger rider from having spent about 5 hours in the saddle a day. I believe that has much to do with the food quality and goodness as well. I am as strong and healthy as I have ever been. I only wish I had a show or event coming up! I know I will be well prepared for Cross Country in Ireland at the end of October. I suggest and prescribe Ant's at least once a year for physical health and strength! They offer excellent hospitality and the incredible memories. I’m so grateful for the blessings of my stay — and the ones that I have kept since returning home.

You've probably heard it all before looking at the other reviews, 'amazing experience' 'out of this world' 'once in a lifetime'. Honestly though, it is. ||My holiday to south Africa to safari at Ant's Nest was all that. The animals are spectacular and the novelty of getting to ride near them is incredible. The facilities are truly luxury and I have never before been to a place where the house staff come to clean/prep the rooms twice a day. ||The meals are incredible, especially if you like your meat, and drinks selection which is included has enough to please everyone. Ant's Nest does foster a community spirit, something of which I was wary of, but by the end I was good friends with all the other guests and it made meal times very homely. ||I couldn't find a fault with this place even if I tried.

WOW! What an incredible experience. We sought out a place like Ant’s specifically for the horseback safari, and it did not disappoint. My wife is a very experienced rider and me, well not so much, but this did not matter. The team listened and knew how to find the perfect horses for each of us. While my wife chose to ride for all of the activities, that was a bit much riding for me so I rode a couple of times and then did vehicle game drives, which were just as exciting! All to say that even if you aren’t an avid rider, Ant’s has plenty to offer!||The overall “vibe” is very much one of being a part of the family. It’s easy to see why so many guests return for future visits. The shared dining tables with staff hosts joining made for such wonderful conversations and relaxation.||The rooms leave you wanting for nothing and the views are exceptional. What a terrific place that we will definitely return to in the future!

Utterly fantastic! Cannot recommend higher!||We stayed at Ants Hill lodge for a 9 day horse riding safari, having previously stayed at Ants Nest Lodge almost exactly 8 years ago. Our previous riding holiday has continued to evoke very strong fond family memories, we decided we needed to return!||Incredibly, this holiday exceeded all of our expectations - this really was the most special family holiday! Utterly fantastic!||The Ants Hill lodge is the most beautiful location, on the edge of a ravine with incredible panoramic views. Being able to eat outside in many different locations around the site made each day unique. The lodge itself is a wonderful building to be in, a great ambience. Our individual accommodation lodge was Worlds View - superb two story lodge with veranda, small pool (water was cold!), and outside shower! We loved “our” accommodation lodge, waking up to see such a lovely view every morning! It was also a great spot to watch the night sky, there is very little light pollution so we were able to clearly see the Milky Way!!!||Our main focus was the horse riding, the Stable Manager Jekika was fantastic throughout our whole trip. We were able to “match” our riding ability to our horse, with the option to change if needed, or as our riding ability improved through the week. The horses were great, after we decided our favorites, we enjoyed every ride out. The stable helpers were great, very supportive and friendly. Thanks to Tiffany, Kyla, Fabi, Maggie, and to the very experienced Moses and Angus. Thank you all for your great hospitality and friendship.||We very much enjoyed Jenika’s company, both as ride leader, and also over dinner. All of our family loved her!!||When riding around the very large reserve, we were able to get close up to the fantastic wildlife, including the rhinos (with young baby - super cute), zebras, water buffalo, many types of deer, and the incredible giraffes. As the reserve is well stocked with wildlife, we had great encounters every ride!||When not riding, Fred as Lodge Manager made us very welcome, with his great sense of humor, and company. This was personally special for us, as we spent time with Fred on our previous holiday. Thanks for joining us on a few of our “family canters”!||The food was delicious, shout out to Chef Poomie Zulu (?) who helped make our own experience more memorable. Thanks to Ali, and also to the other lodge staff including Martha (great massage too!).||We will definitely return back, what an incredible experience!!!!

We have just returned from a week’s stay at Ants Hill. We went to Ants Nest as a family eight years ago and never thought we could top that experience, but we did. Ants Hill Lodge is stunning with lots of lovely seating and dining areas. Chef Mpume Zulu’s food was exceptional and Ali set up lunch and dinner in a variety of areas throughout our stay with beautifully laid out tables. |We were lucky to have Jenika, the Ants Hill stable manager as our guide on our rides. She was exceptional. Very knowledgeable, capable and thoughtful. You just knew that you were in safe hands with her. We were matched well to our horses and Jen chose great routes and split our family up on certain paths to take our kids (18 and 19) for faster canters. My husband lost an arm in a motorbike accident six years ago and I was worried that he would be able to enjoy the riding as much as last time but either Angus, who is also extremely knowledgeable and caring went at the back of the ride behind him or Fred, Ants Hill manager, came out with us. They discretely took care of him, and encouraged his riding. He had a ball. |Fred is just superb and is also unbelievably competent but creates a relaxed and friendly environment so that you feel at home. Our kids just loved him. Other people to shout out are calm and wise Moses who we remembered from our last time and who can tell you everything about the wildlife and Tiffany who is a great horsewoman and excellent company. Kyla, Maggie and Fabi were volunteering while we were and made a massive effort to help us. |I cannot recommend this place highly enough. The whole family have come home with a confidence boost and we all want to go back tomorrow!