River Bend Lodge

The overall welcome and hospitality the staff demonstrate, cannot be faulted in any way whatsoever - the entire team goes above and beyond to ensure you feel both very welcome and well cared for. However the buildings, the pool area and the rooms are extremely shabby and in need of significant maintenance and upkeep. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable , but the room is both shabby and tired , and the bathroom is in desperate need of a refresh. The food and the dining experience was excellent! The food was of a very high standard, as was the service - we had outstanding service from Moses and Ntombi. The pool is, in our opinion, unusable, which was disappointing for us in 34deg heat. We swam the first day, believing it just needed a paint, but it had slimy algae on the bottom of the pool and steps. We didn’t use it again. The guide,Roland was absolutely brilliant! Very knowledgeable and professional. What made our stay so enjoyable was the interaction with the staff but the standard of the accommodation needs considerable work.

Pool not used as windy and cloudy but it needed a bit of a clean and some new loungers

Truly, a five star experience that went above and beyond expectations because of Ranger John! He is an expert level two ranger; has deep knowledge of the nature and history of the land is completely unparalleled! There are many times where he was able to see animals that no one else could see because of his 40 years of experience in the bush. On one of the game drives, he smelled a carcass, and we went to explore the carcass and subsequently which led us to who hidden lions that were finished feasting on the carcass! If John had not been in tune with the sights, sounds, smells of the animals in the land, we would not have been able to see these lions!! In addition, John had shared his excellent knowledge history of politics within the region, which was extremely eye-opening! He is a renaissance man. Truly, I wish I could take John with me as a guide all throughout Africa. The food was 7/10, service in the restaurant was 8/10, the rooms itself were 8/10, but ranger John was 100/10 and truly made this an unforgettable experience.