Elephant Plains Game Lodge

Wow! 🤩 We can’t thank all the staff enough for making our honeymoon stay extra special. They went above and beyond for us! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🐆Safari: Our Ranger (Jordan) and Tracker (Amu) really smashed it on all of our game drives. We managed to see the Big Five. Despite the weather on 2 game drives being so wet we still had so much fun! Jordan is really knowledgeable and passionate about all the animals in the Sabi Sands reserve and a real asset to the team. 🏘️ Lodge: Marelize and Carmen are so warm, kind and enthusiastic. They really made us feel so special. We can’t thank them enough! 🙌🏽 We stayed in the luxury lodge and it was really spacious and clean. Housekeeping was on an exceptional level. Every time we left for game drives they would clean our rooms including turn down service. 🍽️ Food: The food was great, tasty and generous portions. Lots of thought goes into the menu including accommodating dietary requirements with good variety. The chef and staff involved are fantastic. We would like to thank all the staff behind the scenes that really makes this place truly beautiful. Highly recommend and will be coming back with our families some day! 😊

4.5 ⭐ I'll start with the positive. The service is outstanding, especially when it comes to the safari experience they offer - special mention to Jordan Nell which satisfied all our wishes (he made us see all the big 5) and made our safari experience truly unique. We were lucky enough to share the experience with few exquisite people as well and the jeep was not too crowded, which for me was a plus (we were 5 to 6 in total). Carmen, the manager, was very caring and the full staff always making sure we were good. The pictures I've taken and the experience I've lived out in the bush worth it every rand. Now, there's something that I think might be improved, especially considering the price they ask. Rooms need maintenance and privacy is not there... toilet has open ceiling and showers are all without a proper door. Generally the toilet was the worst part of the room and to be honest not a 4 stars hotel standard. Pillows a bit uncomfortable as well. Appreciated all the little attentions like the complimentary cookies, the poetries, the sweets left on the bed. Again, the service is great but the rooms are not matching the level. Pools are nice to see but I won't get in... too dirty for my standards. Food is ok - sometimes super good sometimes less... I would suggest to provide more choices, especially at dinner. This said, I highly recommend this lodge as I think game drives and services are the strongest highlights.

We had an incredible family safari at Elephant Plains Game Lodge in Sabi Sand last August, and although we didn’t get the chance to post our review at the time, the experience has stayed with us. The game viewing was absolutely incredible — every drive brought something new and exciting, and we felt so lucky to experience the wildlife up close in such a beautiful setting. A special thank you to Jordan, our guide, and Deon, our tracker, whose knowledge, enthusiasm, and sharp eyes made every sighting even more meaningful. They turned each drive into a learning adventure and created memories we’ll always treasure. The food was excellent, and the warm hospitality from all the staff made us feel right at home. We loved it so much that we returned again this year — and we’ll share that experience in a separate review!

We had the most amazing 2 night stay at elephant Plains. All the staff were amazing right from our first checkin. Game drives were amazing. Jordan our guide along with tracker Dumi did a fantastic job in making sure we got the most from every single drive. Jordan is a wealth of knowledge and was able to answer all questions thrown at him with so much confidence. The food was very tasty and the entire team made our stay a memorable one.

Thank you Elephant Plains Game Lodge for the experience of a life time! We feel so fortunate to have been recommended this particular experience. The accommodations, the food, the people... All first class. Couldn't have asked for any more. But, most impressively, the intimate safari experience couldn't have been better. We've seen and heard stories of overwhelming traffic, hundreds of cars, irresponsible guides, rangers, and shady practices being of concern. Not here! The absolute commitment to providing the best possible experience for visitors, and more importantly, the animals is second to NONE! The coordinated efforts, communication, and teamwork between lodges, rangers, and trackers is extremely evident. Rules and guidelines in place like a max of three cars at any one time, off roading in the safari vehicles to get as close to the animals as possible (without disturbing them at all), strict guidelines of slowly introducing vehicles to the animals no earlier than 6 weeks of age... And then only one vehicle at a time... All come together to provide an amazingly real and intimate, unparalleled experience. HUGE shout-out to our guide, Jordan, for exceeding all expectations! His knowledge, laid back nature, friendly demeanor, aggressive yet responsible desire to find the most compelling experience of the day all combine to make him the ideal guide! We could not have imagined a more perfect experience. We're so unbelievably grateful.

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!

We booked the lodge in a bit of an emergency and the staff went above and beyond when they heard about our situation to make the last few days of our trip extra special. Armand was a fantastic guide who made sure that we had the ultimate safari experience nearly completing the big 5 on drive number 1. His passion for the wildlife was clear to see and his drive to make people are of what needs to be done to help these amazing animals truly was inspiring. The lodge was perfectly clean and tidy and all the facilities were very well kept. The staff went abov and beyond when it came to service, especially the chefs catering to my Wife's dietary needs.

We had an incredible stay at Elephant Plains Safari Lodge in Sabi Sands and can't recommend it enough, especially because of our amazing guide, Jordan. He truly made our experience unforgettable. Jordan is exceptionally knowledgeable about the wildlife and environment. Thanks to him, we saw the Big 5, multiple leopards and lions, and even got the rare chance to see hyena cubs and leopard cubs up close (though apparently this is common at their lodge!). What really stood out was how much passion he has for what he does. He knew fascinating backstories about many of the animals we encountered, which added so much depth and meaning to each sighting. Every game drive felt like a masterclass in nature and conservation. We also went on a bush walk with Jordan, which was such a fun and immersive way to experience the African bush on foot. He made us feel safe, curious, and engaged throughout the whole experience. As for the lodge itself, Elephant Plains is a fantastic value. The accommodations, food, and hospitality exceeded our expectations, and the setting in the Sabi Sands is absolutely breathtaking. We’ve done several safaris across Africa before, but this one was truly special, so much so that we’re already planning to come back. If you’re considering a safari, do yourself a favor and book Elephant Plains. And if you can, request Jordan as your guide.