Elephant Plains Game Lodge

We had the most wonderful 3-night stay. The grounds were beautiful, intimate yet spacious, and offered expansive views of elephants and kudu. We stayed in a standard rondavel, and the room was huge and very clean. I must highlight and thank our guide Armand and our tracker Dion for the most incredible safari experience. Their knowledge and passion for wildlife came through in every game drive. Armand answered all our questions and taught us so much, while also allowing us quiet moments to marvel at the sights. He drove us to different areas of the reserve throughout our stay so we could experience new landscapes, while also ensuring we saw as many animals as possible (including the big five!). Dion was exceptional — we were blown away by his skill, and we could see the animals love him. The staff at the lodge were all kind, warm, and super helpful. We felt welcome and comfortable at every point of our stay. The food also exceeded all expectation — every meal was a treat. We started our trip at Elephant Plains, and I fear we peaked early!

An unbelievable and unforgettable place that we didn't want to leave!! They didn't miss a beat from the team taking us out on safari to a great touch of having a regular waitress throughout our whole stay and the chef checking how the food was after every meal. We were really excited for the trip here, I was even nervous that my expectations were too high but they smashed all of them. Professional, polite, and all focused around creating a great atmosphere spreads through the whole place. The best safaris I've ever been on and memories I'll never forget. Can't wait to come back!!

We stayed here for 2 nights hoping to get a different game drive experience than what Kruger's self drives had to offer. While one is not necessarily better than the other, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Elephant Plains. We nestled this stay in the middle of our time at Kruger so we drove to the lodge on our own. It was definitely a rough drive that made us question our decision but once we arrived, it was well worth it. The hospitality of the staff and the services the lodge provided were tremendous. They were extremely attentive from serving refreshing drinks after game drives to checking in throughout our stay. Great attention to details all around. They even gave our car a quick clean before we left! The food was good but nothing life changing. They were every accommodating when we mentioned dietary restrictions. The game drives here were more intimate in smaller groups than what you would expect at Kruger Park. While the range of land was more limited, the off roading ability allowed us to experience every encounter very closely. We had an amazing tracker and an amazing ranger. Honestly we were starting to think that the animals were paid actors from the sightings they were able to find for us.

RACIST LODGE - AVOID AT ALL COST. Customer service is horrendous and we had a guide who was very curt and extremely rude to us. He singled us out, ignored any questions we asked, refused to help us take some photos, extremely rude. Customer service at the hotel did not assist at all even after we provided feedback. Trust me - avoid at all cost. We are educated people who have travelled to many countries and understand travel etiquette. A lodge and guide is meant to protect you and make you feel safe in the wild. This lodge does the opposite.

What an incredible experience! From the moment we arrived, we felt truly welcomed. We were greeted with a warm arrival drink and a specially prepared meal since we had missed lunch and our afternoon game drive. The food here is absolutely outstanding—some of the best we had during our entire South Africa trip. The chef went above and beyond to accommodate my husband’s food intolerances, making every meal a delight. The staff were exceptional—every single person made our stay memorable with their kindness and attention to detail. The game drives were phenomenal, and we were thrilled to see the Big Five! The view from our lodge was breathtaking, with daily sightings of elephants and buffalos right from our doorstep. We were blown away by the entire experience and truly wish we could have stayed longer. This was an adventure of a lifetime!

We just stayed 3 nights at the Elephant Plains Game Lodge and had the most wonderful time there. The Lodge is situated directly in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve which can only be entered if you are staying at one of the lodges inside. Rooms: The rooms are very spacious, clean and we even saw elephants from the patio. Game Drives: The Game Drives with Jordan and our Tracker have been amazing. We saw all the Big 5 plus several other animals. Jordan is really passionate about his job and is doing everything to create a wonderful experience for his guests. He is also very knowledgeable and shared a lot of insights and facts about the animals and the Game Reserve with us, which made the drives even more interesting. Staff: Everyone is super friendly, always smiling and doing their best to make sure the guests are happy. I had some health issues during my stay and they supported me very well in this regard. Thank you to Julia, Carmen, Nomhle and all the others for creating a wonderful guest experience. We can only highly recommend the Elephant Plains and would always come back whenever we have a chance.

It's been a long time since my husband and I spent 3 days there and I still believe it was one of our top experiences travelling! Amazing safaris, lovely staff, beautiful hotel areas!

Most incredible experience in the whole South Africa!!! Phenomenal staff (shout out to Carmen, Darryn, Thandi) that made our stay remarkable. Every detail was taken care of; the food, the location, the schedule, the game drives! We saw the big 5 & magnificent 7! Leopards, lions, baby leopards, cheetah, wild dogs and so many more. 12/10 could not recommend more!!