Name: Buffelshoek Tented Camp
Address: Buffelshoek Camp Road, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, 1363, South Africa
Rating: 9

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Londolozi Airport

Mala Mala Airport

Skukuza Airport

Ngala Airfield

Buffelshoek Tented Camp

Buffelshoek,. A lovely unfenced tented camp in the South of Manyaleti Conservancy. Family run. We had a great two days with super game drives seeing Lions, Rhino, wild dogs and other animals close up. Having elephants wandering past your tent is an experience.

Be prepared for a totally different experience in safari life when booking this camp.  It is difficult to find within the Manyeleti Nature Reserve and you have to follow precise directions from the owners.  The reserve is all sand roads and a 4X4 car  (whilst not totally insistent upon) is recommended (it took us over 2 hours to reach the camp from the main gate by a normal car).  First impressions of the camp are a bit disappointing as old bits of machinery etc are strewn around rusting in various places.  The main area of camp is also a bit run down and consists of the dining area and small living room area.  The 5 tented structures are formed in a semi-circle in the grounds around.  This camp has no fences and the wildlife can wander in and around.  Despite our first impressions being a little wary we can honestly say this camp and the experience we had has been the most wonderful ever for getting back to nature and having the best ever animal sightings.  We have been to Kruger, but sightings here in Manyeleti were more frequent and more incredible - all thanks to Bexon (our guide and driver).  He went above and beyond to give us some incredible experiences - wild dog kills, leopards, lion kills,  cheetah with cubs, all the big five and a special evening with a buffalo stampede to the water hole!   You get to know your fellow camp mates as you sit in the evenings having dinner around the big table.  The food is ok, dinners consisted of soup followed by meat and veggies followed by a simple desert - you don't get to choose but you can let them know beforehand if there is something you don't eat.  You also have to take your own alcohol.  Waters, and soft drinks are provided in the communal fridge. There is no electricity but power is provided by solar or battery.  You can power-up phones and batteries in the lounge area.  Here you can (sometimes) get Wifi.  One of the great things about this camp is the total immersion into nature.  The sounds of the insects at night time, the visitations by various large animals (leopard, elephant, hyaena) both day and night is fascinating.   We never saw much of the owners (due to down time after a hospital stay)  but a friend of theirs came to stay at the camp for a few days and she totally made the experience really special - so a shout out to Pam!   We loved our time here and would definitely come back again.  If you want the "back to nature" stay this is the place.

Stayed twice within a two month period because owners continue to exceed expectations. Superb game guides….excellent food…..perfect location….well appointed luxury tents…..value for money.  Property - five luxury tents - is located in what is one of South Africa’s best reserves. Book now and enjoy genuine hospitality and exceptional wildlife.

We stayed at Buffelshoek Camp for 2 nights in June 2022 and absolutely loved it. 
For our family with 2 boys it was the perfect place to observe the beautiful nature of South Africa. Not only have we seen the big 5 during our game drives but also many different animals in and around the camp. Since the camp has no fence around it the animals can walk into the camp as they wish. 
Even though wild animals were around us all the time we never felt unsafe or at risk. The team at Buffelshoek took great care of us and walked us to our cabins when needed to ensure protection from the wildlife, especially for the kids. 
Besides being a great place for wildlife observation Buffelshoek also offered fantastic food and great hospitality. 
If I ever return to Africa I will for sure visit again!

We absolutely LOVED this camp.  It far exceeded our expectations.  I must say, initial impression driving up was not great.  Lots of stuff around.  Not manicured and tidy and getting to the camp…well, lets just say signs need repainting.

The camp is run by two of the loveliest people you will ever meet.  Lynn and Dudley.  Lynn makes sure everything runs properly.  Dudley is a bit of an entertainer and storyteller.  The couple is very hands on and communicates with the guests as much or as little as you wish.  Every evening after dinner we would spend time on the deck with a fire and star gaze and share stories.  We learned so much about the area and the way of life of the local people.  Lynn and Dudley give back to the local community assisting with their churches and schools.

Their chef was outstanding.  She served enormous portions of the most delicious and varied foods of our entire time in South Africa.  

Elliott our tracker/guide pulled out all the stops to find us what we were looking for.  He had worked with And Beyond for 26 years doing walking safaris before joining the Buffelshoek team a few years back.  What an asset.  He seemed to be finding all the game and passing on his findings to other drivers in the area.  Outstanding guide and so pleasant to be around.

I cannot sing their praises enough.  This was my 25th visit to the African Continent and  my absolute favorite experience even though I didn’t see the wild dogs in this reserve.  Such understated, genuine, and authentic African Safari experience without the ridiculous luxury.  It is a bit rustic, but the tents were enormous with seating areas inside and outside.  Unfenced camp with animals roaming at will   Maybe will be the most fantastic experience of my lifetime.  If anyone has any questions, please PM. Me.  We only spent two nights there.  Arrived as guests, left as friends.  This will defintely make the top of my visits to return to in the Kruger area.

Tents are basic,with comfortable beds. You can view game even from your terrace, we had a leopard and a lion right next door and an elephant almost on our terrace. Staff keeps well eye over the area and the clients.Really good authentic African food in familiar atmosphere.A fridge for clients own drinks available. No wifi, but days are so full of activities that you don't need it. A charging station for cameras and other things works most of the time. Manyeleti area has all the game you can dream of and guide doesn't spare his car to find them. During the drive you get answer to any question according to any flora or fauna. Best safari ever, would do again! Thanks guys!

We were a party of eight and stayed 5 days. The camp is unfenced and close to a water hole. An elephant, hyenas and a honey badger visited us. The accommodation is basic but comfortable.  
This is one of the few camps in the lowveld ordinary South Africans can still afford!
The game sightings under the guidance of ranger Louis were amazing. We saw the big 5 and wild dogs and plenty other game. The chef Kenneth provided us with excellent meals, he has a passion for cooking!
We will be back!

We stayed for 4 nights at the start of January and loved every bit of it.
The place is run by what seemed like a 3 man band.
Lovely Silvia, best chef Kenneth and a safe pair of hands and very experienced ranger Louis.
When we first arrived I though oh my ‘NO FENCE’?? Seriously?
And that was probably the best part. You can hear the animals roaming at night and then the following morning you check the footprints to see which ones paid the visit.
The place is well organised, clean and safe. Silvia makes sure everything is in order whilst Kenneth worries me what is the next great meal he can cook for us.
Louis is very experienced, kept us safe and well informed. He tried really hard to get us very close to the animals and to get us to see as many as possible.
All three people were great, worked really hard to make our stay comfortable and as best as it can be.
The tented camps were safe, clean and although basic they were fine for what we needed.
The camp is in a remote place in the middle of the reserve and great for exploring and seeing the animals.
As it is only 9-10 people max occupancy it makes for a very private and relaxing stay. We’ve met some lovely people and spent time talking to other families on our safari journeys and the meal times.
All together very highly recommended and would love to do it all over again.
This place completely grew on me.
Thanks to Louis, Kenneth and Silvia we had a great stay, amazing drives and great food!!

Wonderfull place Buffelshoek Tented Camp. Bookingassistent Lynn was very helpfull in every detail and always direct replying. Place Buffelshoek itself magic: open and ungated with only 5 tented cabins inside the Manyeleti game reserve with a cosy main building and a staff of 3 that do everything to make your stay perfect. A great chef who made various, very good dishes (amongst one braai). Our cabin no 3 had an idyllic view on a small water bassin (in the morning a herd cudu’s in front). And on top of all our ranger Louis who did everything to let us see the big 7 in his open range rover (we saw 5 among very rare wild dogs, a cheetah and a leopard resting in a tree with his prey hanging beside her and 2 hyena’s waiting below on the ground (we went actually below the tree itself so a perfect view), but he still always respected nature. He did not mind the time, always searching for animals and telling interesting stories. We were overwhelmed by the wild life in this Manyeleti Game Reserve (no fences between the private reserve and Kruger so animals can cross each reserve freely). Don’t complain about no chargers in your tented cabin (solar power, charging in main building) or no pool. This is the real deal. Not commercial and not crowded with other lodges or no asphalted roads. Definitely come again and will recommend to al my friends!!!

Buffelshoek Tented Camp exceeded our expectations! Everything was wonderful, from the staff, to the food, to our amazing guide. I wish we could have stayed longer!

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A "getting back to nature" gem within Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Excellent Experience

Great place for wildlife observation with perfect hospitality

I would give it 10 stars if I could

Best game drives ever!

This is the real bush experience!

We have been to Buffelshoek before and we came back because of the location, game drives, and price. We know the accommodation is basic and there is limited internet and electricity but we like the charm and intimacy of the place. This time we had a new chef called Kenneth and his food was great. I know the budget must not be high for what he can spend on food but he does amazing things with it from freshly home made break to mint leaves in the fruit salad. The meat was never dry or over cooked and he did an amazing job with very fussy guests. he had to deal with 4 different types of guests requirements (Gluten intolerant, pescatarian, vegetarian, lowfat, and the normal people) at the same meal! there was often 6 or 7 dishes prepared to cater to everyone. Presentation of food wasnt anything fancy but the quality and taste was brilliant.

For our game drives we had Louis who did a great job. Working together with the other lodges we managed to see some incredible sights including a large make Lion relaxing on the grass beside our jeep, a female lion and her 3 baby cubs, Buffalo, hyenas stealing a fresh kill from a leopard, and even leopards mating which was so amazing to see in the wild. Loads of other animals but we were never rushed and he stayed at the sightings as long as we wanted.

The accommodation is basic. Our room was room 3 and it has a problem with the shower mixer so the shower is either boiling hot or freezing cold. Our friends in room 2 had a perfect shower so I would recommend room 2 over 3. The rooms are small but we didnt spend much time in them so it was fine. The unfenced camp is incredible - being woken up by lions and elephants calling each other is as close to being in the bush as you can get without actually sleeping under the stars.

We stayed for 2 nights and that was fine with the accommodation. If the rooms were a little bit bigger and the hot water worked better we would happily stay longer

The new chef is amazing!

What an experience

Must go, great ranger Louis

We stayed at Buffelshoek for 2 nights in May. Having read some negative reviews here I was interested to see it for myself.
Communications with Lyn regarding the planning were quick and helpful.
We enjoyed the fact that it is unfenced and that elephants and other animals come to the pan to drink. The dining area and upstairs viewing platform are wonderful – we could watch elephants, zebra, impala, warthogs etc, a great view out over the plains.
Game drives with Prince were very good and he went out of his way to try and get the best sightings for us, we saw mating lions, leopards, elephants and many more. Buffelshoeks location can mean a lot of driving to see sightings so do be prepared with warm clothing as it can get very cold on the vehicle. Blankets would be a nice addition. Being able to traverse all of Manyeleti meant varied sightings and habitat which we enjoyed.
Food – really excellent. Every meal was delicious, plentiful and varied. Compliments to Kenneth the chef.
Accommodation – yes it is basic and yes the bathrooms could do with an upgrade but otherwise it was fine and nice to have only 5 tents. In May insects weren’t a problem.

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