Jabulani Safari

Jabulani was an unforgettable part of our South African adventure. We spent three nights here and were blown away by the experience from start to finish. The food was exceptional—beautifully intricate dishes presented with care, and the chef personally came out before each meal to explain the menu. The tented suites were massive, with a private plunge pool (a bit chilly in winter, but I can imagine it's perfect in the summer). Our guide Jeffrey was phenomenal. He was incredibly knowledgeable and somehow managed to track down every animal we hoped to see—we spotted the Big 5 in just three days. But the true highlight? The elephants. If you're an elephant lover, this is hands down the best place in South Africa to get up close and personal in a respectful, unforgettable way. I also loved how easy it was to get there. We landed, Jeffrey picked us up in the safari vehicle, and within 20 minutes—after already spotting game—we were pulling into the lodge. What an entrance. Jabulani is something truly special.

WE had a wonderful time during our 4 day/3 night safari experience at Jabulani. Our guide Jeffery was an expert in tracking and telling us all about the animals and plants in the private reserve. We saw all the the wild Big 5 animals during this visit on our morning, afternoon and evening drives. The Elephant experience is the best since you get to interact with the HERD elephants and learn in depth about their reabilitaion program. The luxury of the Lodge is definitely 5 star from the well appointed suite to the gourmet meals and lodge amenities. We will certainly look for a chance to revisit in the future.

Jabulani Lodge was pure magic—way beyond what I expected. Of course, the elephants were the main reason I came, but the whole experience blew me away, especially finding the wild herds. Nathan was an incredible guide—he really got my curiosity and made sure I got the most out of every moment, not just with the elephants but with everything else, too.||The rooms were way more spacious than I thought, and I loved the enclosed outdoor shower—it felt private but still connected to nature. And wow, feeding three gentle giants on my first day? That was a total surprise and one of the best moments of the trip! Nathan’s knowledge, passion, and personality made my time there even more special.||I’ve done quite a few safaris since 2010, and this was my third visit to South Africa. Nothing has hit me as deeply as Jabulani, except maybe my elephant-focused stay in Samburu, Kenya, in 2024. Jabulani, though, is more than just an elephant haven—it gives you the full safari experience, including the Big Five, which makes me even more confident about recommending it to clients.||||

One of the most special experiences of our lives! The staff is incredible and you can tell they really care about the experience. Every detail is well thought out and we have never stayed anywhere with this level of attention to detail. The chef is amazing and the food is as good as anywhere you can go. This place absolutely blew us away!!!!!!!

This was a 5 star experience! The room was exactly what you see when you close your eyes and dream of Africa. It has a canopy bed with romantic netting. So comfortable! The bathroom is a part of the room but feels separate and so African. The entire house has The coolest mud walls! Every design detail is African. We did not use the pool because of a cool spell. The food is amazing! They have a rotating menu so we were not stuck with the same menu each day which was not the case at our 2nd safari location. The service was 5 star! The grounds are beautiful with a pond outside of the dining area that had a hippo visiting! Then there’s the Safari!! Donovan was THE BEST! He was fun, knowledgable, an excellent tracker. I like that’s their safari vehicles do not have a spotter sitting in a chair on the front. Donovan was the driver in the tracker and it works great. We saw the big five and saw the most beautiful leopards! We had many animal sightings Every time we went on Safari which was twice a day. It was great that we had roofs on our Safari vehicle as it did rain a little. But the highlight of Jabalani is the elephant sanctuary! They will take you to the watering hole where the 16 sanctuary elephants will go mid day. On the day we went they wanted to party.! They were playing with logs, Splashing, playing with each other, and got down on their knees and use their task to loosen dirt to throw on their backs. I will never forget it as long as I live. You will also have a meet and greet with the elephants if requested. But the wild elephants on Safari were a huge herd, and we even got to see them mating. Jabulani Is by far the best Safari and lodge of any Safari we’ve ever taken.

A quintessential lifetime safari engraved in our hearts and minds! From the warmth of the hospitality team right through to the exceptionally talented chefs -who personally interacts with each guests-to the attention to detail in every room, bathroom, drinks cabinet, serviette, quality of the linen; through to the experience with the sanctuary elephants. I cannot give enough praise for this out of the ordinary experience we had. Surely to be repeated; with our extended faily from over the Globe. Well done Ruan Roos and your team.

Everything about our trip at Jabulani was perfect! Juan was an outstanding guide. Not only was he an expert tracker and guide (full of information about the amazing number of animals we saw and fun and personable). The staff at Jabulani was fantastic - their warmth and personalities made this such an unforgettable experience!

From the accommodations to the safaris to the guides and staff, it couldn't be more warm and welcoming! The wildlife contacts we had were only matched by the awesome dining experiences from the chefs and wait staff. It truly was a luxury experience with the warmest and kindest people.