Fabulous tents. Friendly staff. Superb restaurant and stunning location.

Small pool area which was over-run with rather noisy children! Similarly, dinner in the restaurant was diminished a bit by noisy young children. ( I would add I have my own kids and grandkids and love to holiday with them; I’m just not sure this is the place? Maybe an adult only section for dining?)

The lodge and surroundings were beautiful and really welcoming. The place was pristinely clean and tidy and you could see the care and attention that went into maintaining the facilities. The food was delicious and plentiful (we were on a half board deal and had plenty of choice) and the staff were helpful and friendly. The pool area was lovely, overlooking the dam with the 3 hippos, and the tents were spacious, comfortable and really well presented. We were a family with a 6-year old and found that we could partake in almost all of the activities on offer. There was a decent range of animals on the reserve and we enjoyed the various “experiences” that were open to us. The free-roaming nyalas outside our tents and around the dining deck were a huge hit! The rangers were knowledgeable and friendly (all very young). Having been to “the real thing” in Kruger a few years ago, Buffelsdrift offered a budget-friendly option with guaranteed sightings of lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, various antelope breeds and more. It was heartening to learn that many of these animals were part of conservation projects.

The only thing I wish had been done slightly differently was the sundowner on our afternoon/evening game drive. On our previous safari experience we always stopped in an ideal setting to watch the sun set and the rangers took a drinks order from everyone before leaving the lodge. Here, we did go to an elevated position, but behind another hill which blocked the actual sunset and there was a random mix of drinks which we wouldn’t have otherwise chosen. A very small detail in an otherwise blemish-free experience.

The decor , the restaurant was so cozy, the breakfast was delicious and nice , the coffee sachets in the rooms , spotting animals around your tent was an interesting experience . The bush safari was great we went with eddy who was amazing. By the way , you. Can book the activities even if you are not staying at the game reserve

Sleeping was a bit difficult due to the noise from the ducks however there were ear plugs which I used and slept fine . It can get very cold at night and the heating AC takes a bit time to get the room warm . Expensive compared to other game reserves as the reservation does not include any activities. I had two tents reserved as I thought one tent is not enough for me and my husband and my 4-year old daughter however it was enough . However after multiple communication with booking and the reservation it is sorted out now to return the money for the other tent. Also tents are spaced out a bit so you have to walk a couple of meters to enter the other one which opposes the goal of our trip to spend time together .

We had a wonderful stay at Buffelsdrift. The lodge was amazing and the staff were all very kind and helpful. The tents were comfortable and well equipped with fantastic views . We thouroughly enjoyed sitting on the deck and hearing the wildlife, it was an amazing experience overall! The food was excellent and the restaurant staff were so friendly and provided great service. We enjoyed the various activities, especially an experience we did with Eddie, he is a great Ranger, he is very knowledgeable and made the trip so memorable for us. We will definitely come back soon!

Everything was fantastic.

Loved the rooms, waking up to the hippos was amazing. Beds were fabulous and the food at the restaurant was to die for, delicious. The reception staff are the best here! This was one of the best safari lodge style accoms we stayed at and the price is amazing. Can’t fault the rooms, genuinely you have to stay here, the food and accom are simple amazing!!!!

The night safari wasn’t great, our guide he was misnaming animals which took ages to retrain my son on the correct ones. But we saw lots of animals so full credit to him there! The spa treatments are poor, very poor hubby had a sore back for 3 weeks after his massage, as did my son and my foot massage was a waste of money. But these don’t take away from the vibe of this place which is simply amazing!!!

Buffelsdrift is the most amazing place, a totally stunning setting, we had an amazing time! It offers the fantastic safari excursions, but also the pool and spa for a total chill out. The staff were so friendly and the rooms were beautiful, we also regularly had Nyala wandering around the veranda, so lovely! Just sitting in the restaurant we saw hippos, giraffes, elephants ... a wonderful experience from start to finish!!! Would definitely go back, the drive there was beautiful and we flew back to Cape Town from George airport, so the travel options were great too.

The only thing I could possibly say is that the wifi was good for most things, but streaming shows was patchy ... what can you expect in such a remote, natural environment? To be honest the views were enough to keep me entertained!

The set up was exceptional- the design -and layout of the Reserve was well thought out. The care and enthusiasm the guides showed for the animals. The ‘tent’ accommodation was excellent - all mod cons incl aircon; and especially liked the outside shower. Access and availability of game drives. Food and service was good - egg cooker for breakfast and menu choices for dinner excellent. The mission to protect and save from extinction was good; and their efforts to create sustainability e.g. solar panels on car parking canopy etc. We enjoyed 3 game drives - cheetah experience; Bush Drive; Night Safari - all 3 were excellent; but the most memorable had to be the Cheetah Experience - walking the last 100 mtrs to be within 30 mtrs of the female cheetah and her 3 cubs.

None of these were B’drift fault but our stay coincided with one of their hottest days we have experienced - 44degreesC - and this together with load sharing restrictions made that day very uncomfortable. The other was the number of children a lot of whom were noisy and unruly - with parents unable or unwilling to control them. This was prevalent at the pool and the Dining Room. We perhaps made the mistake of staying during Hslf Term. A shower for the swimming pool would be good. And whilst the aircon was good, we’d have liked a ceiling fan too.

Beautiful setting with lots of wildlife close to the accommodation and in the water. Luxurious tent exceeded expectations. Lovely food in the restaurant and pleasantly surprised that it was not expensive. Great customer service. Enjoyed our sunset game drive and saw lots of animals.

Hadn’t realised that doing a game drive would not include a glimpse of the elephants and lions. Seems excessive to expect people to pay for 3 trips in order to see everything, and difficult when you are only staying one night.

It's a great place to stay along the garden route. The room was lovely with fantastic views. The chef at breakfast was very helpful and went above and beyond to help make for a good experience..

The staff driving on Golf Karts and guests having to move off the walkway and wait for them to go past without a gesture of appreciation. The check-in process is long winded and repetitive where you have to enter the same information multiple times on different forms.

The tents are very luxurious with a very comfy bed, airconditioning, bathroom and even a secluded outdoor shower. The terrain itself gives out on a lake where you can spot hippo's! In the park itself you have wild nyala's roaming around which all in all makes it a great experience for staying there. You can do a lot of activities and drives starting from the main camp as well.

Unfortunately we had a rainy day when we planned two safari drives. Though weather can't be controlled, I believe they should not have let the bush drive or other safari continue in this rain (you don't see that much animals then, only the big ones that can't hide). Apart from that the breakfast was quite basic, a plus point that there was someone preparing eggs in many different ways on the spot for you, but apart from that not too much choice.