Name: Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Address: Luilekker, Shaws Gate, R538, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, 1380, South Africa
Rating: 9

Air conditioning

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

Garden

Terrace

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Rooms

Safe-deposit box

Services and amenities

Diet menu (on request)

Meals

Internet

Airport transportation

Transfer services

Transfer

Barbecue grill(s)

Billiards

Hiking

Sun Deck

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Pool and beach

Playroom

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

At the hotel

Londolozi Airport

Skukuza Airport

Hazyview Airport

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Kruger National Park

Everything was wonderful, the place is beautiful and the accommodation takes care of the smallest detail.A very positive point is the outdoor shower it has, the bed is very comfortable and the terrace is the perfect place to relax.We appreciate the treatment of all the staff who received us, the safaris we made were 10, we saw lions, rhinoceroses, elephants and a beautiful sunset.The meals were also very good, a 10 seat.

An exceptional experience.

Our room was very comfortable with a good view of the Sand River and the animals that would pass by. The animal sightings during the safari drives were close and personal and we had a number of really memorable sightings including a rare cheetah sighting. Moses our tracker almost jumped out of his seat when he spotted the cheetah lying under a tree and Micaela our guide did a great job following the cheetah and positioning the vehicle to allow us to photograph it as it jumped on to a dead tree. Moments like these take the safari experience to really awesome levels! Big thanks to Micaela and Moses for these sightings.

Pleasant safari stay with some great animal sightings

An amazing experience here. I just wish we had stayed for longer. Stayed in 2 rooms with our family (children 18,16 and 13). Exquisite setting with elephants and giraffe walking past the bungalows to the river. Staff were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and respectful of their environment and setting. Game drives with Michaela were spectacular….big 5 in 90 minutes on one drive and very close up on all the animals. This is a very special and intimate place which I would recommend to anyone as something to do once in their lives. Thanks to all.

Amazing intimate safari experience in an exquisite setting with fantastic team

I go on Safari often and this has to be the worst Safari experience of my life! I feel as though I have been scammed, what a waste of money. The sightings were shocking for a so called 5 star lodge. Shower unacceptable, Wi-Fi weak, air con weak. I can understand why it appeals to foreigners as they don’t know any better but as a South African stay away, we certainly didn’t pay peanuts for this trip, yes we got to see two leopards, the one sighting will forever live in my memory for the wrong reasons, 6 vehicles surrounding the leopard , guides shouting at each other (although the two women guides were very professional), guests standing in vehicles, an absolute circus! Three vehicle line up for a giraffe sighting, that should tell you all you need to know about the sightings. Sabi Sands is renowned for guaranteed lion and leopard sightings, don’t visit here if that is what you are after. We couldn’t wait to leave and get back into the Kruger. I was dreading the drives instead of being excited. After the first drive I joked with my wife that on the positive side of things the drives can’t get worse, I was wrong! 

Extremely disappointed

Tyron was our guide, and he did very well. The rooms are spacious and clean. The view of the river is great, we saw grassing river horses. The safari brought us great experiences. The food was good.

Recommendation

Exceeded our expectations in every way.  Great accommodations, terrific food and atmosphere.  The staff are all amazing and gave us all such an inclusive feeling.  The fireside dinners are awesome!  Jessica is the greatest game drive guide ever!!  She was beyond informative and was so into our own stories and experiences on our trip. She made us all feel so welcomed. Moshava was our tracker and terrific as well.  An absolutely amazing time!

Great lodges, great food, great atmosphere, amazing guide Jessica!

My husband and I had the most wonderful experience at Umkumbe Safari Lodge. We stayed in the Zebra Room which was beautifully decorated and had an outdoor shower and a beautiful deck with a view of the river with many animals grazing along the river. The beds were very comfortable. 
The safaris were absolutely amazing and breathtaking . 
Our guide Tyron was excellent, we saw so many animals and Ty took the time to share his knowledge of the different animals and their behaviour. It was very fascinating. Our tracker Sipho was fantastic, spotting a chameleon in the dark and other wild life in the far distance. Tyron and Sipho made a really great team making our safari experience unforgettable. 
The infinity pool was so beautiful.  When we went swimming there was an elephant at the river in the background behind us. What a view.
The food was excellent and they fed us well. 
Last but not least the staff, I can’t say enough about the staff. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming making everyone feel right at home.
I will highly recommend Umkumbe to all my friends that are thinking about going on a safari.
Thank you to the staff at Umkumbe for making our trip above and beyond what we expected. Creating fond memories for a lifetime.
Janice & Kevin


Absolutely wonderful

Umkumbe is an absolutely awesome experience.  The staff are excellent and you feel like family.  Ty was the best guide and found new animals on each Safari.  He is so informative and inspiring.  His knowledge of the animals, tracking & fawna was so interesting.  Cipo was a great tracker and how he was able to spot a chameleon in the dark is beyond me.  We organized the first Impala poop spitting contest at Umkumbe.  So much fun & laughter.  The rooms are spacious, comfortable & clean.  Love the outdoor shower.  Food is exceptional.  This total experience was so much more than we ever expected.  Thank you Umkumbe Staff.

Trip of a lifetime

Truly cannot fathom how anyone could rate this less than five stars. We stayed here and also the more expensive Inyati, both within Sabi Sands, and Umkumbe held its own in comparison to the far more expensive lodge. The guides here also act as hosts, and they assist with luggage and checking in, and they also dine with the guests. The guides and trackers were all truly outstanding. Special thank you to Ty and Forward who made our game drives really special. It is true that Umkumbe has a smaller game driving area that they stay within, but it is still large enough that it was varied each time we went out, 4 drives in total. We saw the Big Five two times over! This is part of Sabi Sands so the drivers are allowed to off-road, and the roads are not open to the public, so it is very special. The lodge itself overlooks a river and sitting on the deck during the day was a real delight. Animals coming through all day. Recommend the river view chalets. This isn’t a lodge with food serving staff/waiters, but all this means is that you collect your own food and drink. I liked being able to get my own food and drink. The alcohol is an honor system and during the day you pour your own and note what you’ve taken. The food was very high quality. I felt Umkumbe found a way of being able to charge less but without sacrificing any feeling of luxury or quality. Very highly recommended. Special acknowledgment for Ty and Forward finding the wild dogs and leopard on the very first day. Also our drives were never overcrowded. We always had a free seat in the middle, at the very least. Overall just an outstanding and unforgettable experience. Don’t hesitate to book here. It’s excellent. Thank you.

Outstanding and unforgettable experience

My mom, her boyfriend, my husband and myself stayed at Umkumbe for 4 nights in May 2023 and had the absolute best time. I've been on safari before, but none of them have and they were blown away. The rooms were fantastic - extremely comfortable, spacious, quiet, and unique. The bed was super comfortable and it was so nice fall asleep to the sounds of the bush with the wind blowing gently through the tent. Food was fantastic! Always good options and the chef, Jane, was wonderful. We adored all of the staff we interacted with, especially Chloe (our guide) & Monina (who was helping with reception, sorry if I spelled that wrong!). Our game drives were so good, we always saw something interesting! I had never seen leopards despite being on a number of drives in other countries and we saw a leopard 4 out of 5 days! We also saw lions, elephants, rhino, hyena, giraffe, zebra, wildebeast, cheetah (rare!), water buffalo and lots more. Chloe was just the best guide - so personable, knowledgeable, funny, and friendly. We were lucky to have her! I would recommend this place to anyone and would love to go back someday. 

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Main amenities of the hotel

Location

Available rooms

Location

Description of the hotel

What other amenities are there?

Policies

Check-in terms and conditions

Additional information

Payment