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Room & Suite (139)
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About

#2 of 4 guest houses in Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.4
Service
4.4
Value
4.4
Travelers' Choice
Umkumbe Safari Lodge is located in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, considered by many to be the premier wildlife reserve in South Africa. Located on the banks of the seasonal Sand River, Umkumbe Safari Lodge is perfectly situated in one of the best Big Five game viewing destinations in Africa.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Paid wifi
Pool
Free breakfast
Game room
Billiards
Airport transportation
Gift shop
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Breakfast buffet
Special diet menus
Poolside bar
Mosquito net
Outdoor fireplace
Outdoor furniture
Shared lounge / TV area
Shops
Sun terrace
Private check-in / check-out
Laundry service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Safe
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Languages Spoken
Afrikaans

Location

Luilekker, Kruger National Park 1350 South Africa
Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Getting there
Arathusa Safari Lodge Airport
Londolozi Aerodrome
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles553 reviews
Reviews Summary
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Umkumbe Safari Lodge is highly regarded for its comfortable and pristine accommodations, with the clean, spacious rooms offering stunning views that guests frequently laud. The lodge's atmosphere strikes a fine balance between luxury and subtlety, nestled in a spectacular natural setting. While the majority of reviewers highlight the value of a luxury experience at a reasonable cost, a few have noted less favorable experiences. The staff's friendliness and expertise, particularly the knowledgeable guides, are often praised, contributing to a service that makes visitors feel warmly welcomed.
Atmosphere
Luxurious
Rooms
Tasteful
Value
Exceptional
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Outstanding
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553Reviews22Q+A83Room tips
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not2old2go wrote a review Mar 13
Fairview, NC41 contributions30 helpful votes
+1
From the moment we walked onto the property, we were warmly welcomed by staff - and by a beautiful elephant family right in front of the lodge. I didn't think it could get better - but every day of our 4-night stay was fabulous. Our guide, Micaela, was incredibly knowledgeable - from tracking and positioning our truck for the best animal viewing, to identifying birds, trees and even insects....she was amazing.....very patient and always amiable. Our spotter, Forward, was great, as well - very quiet, but very sweet and a good spotter. The woman who cooked the morning omelets always had such a lovely smile. You can certainly pay much, much more for a lodge in Sabi Sands - but I doubt that you would be any happier than we were with our stay at Umkumbe. The room was spacious, the beds were comfortable, the grounds and the common spaces were lovely, and the staff was always attentive. We were incredibly lucky on our game drives - seeing all the major animals multiple times, and even a very rare sighting of a pack of wild dogs taking down an impala. I had no desire to watch the killing of an animal - but it was mercifully quick, and watching the dogs devour it in a matter of minutes right next to our truck was amazing. I would recommend staying at the lodge for at least 3 or 4 game drives to give yourselves the best chance of seeing all the animals, because these are wild animals who roam a very large area and you never know what you will find on any given drive.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Buonoooo wrote a review Mar 2023
Switzerland26 contributions5 helpful votes
Property's Favorite Review
We had the Lions House, located directly at the river. Nice and quiet, a lot of space. Even with an outdoor shower. The whole experience was great. Morning drive at 6am, afternoon drive at 4.30pm. We saw the big 5 and enjoyed the passion and knowledge of our driver Ian and tracker Moses. Very good food, super friendly staff and a lot of fun. Would highly recommend it!
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sun Destinations, General Manager at Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Responded Mar 27, 2023
Hi There, Thank you for your five star review! Some of our superior rooms have spectacular views of the seasonal Sand River that runs in front our lodge. We're glad to hear that enjoyed your lodge experience, and that our guides and trackers delivered a rewarding game viewing experience (they're world class!). Kind Regards, The Sun Destinations Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Alien D wrote a review Mar 12
Ghent, Belgium46 contributions48 helpful votes
We had a really lovely time here at the Ukumbe lodge! Very friendly staff upon arrival! Large, comfy room with outdoor shower. 2 game drives where we could spot a lot of animals. We’ve spotted 4 out of 5! For us it was better then the Kruger Park! Our ranger Shanon was really passionated about her work and we’ve learned a lot from her. We would recommend this place highly! Good food as well!!!
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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trippyyippy wrote a review Jan 2024
New York City, New York36 contributions10 helpful votes
We spent the last two days of our 6-day visit to the Kruger area in the luxurious Umkumbe Lodge. When we arrived we had the wonderful experience of looking out on the stunning Sabie River right in front of the place where 2 elephants were walking around feeding. Our room was the beautifully appointed Rhino Room with a wonderful bed with mosquito netting, comfortable furniture, good lighting, a beautiful deck and huge bathroom with an outdoor shower. We enjoyed the buffet meals and always found things to our liking. We were a little surprised to find some salads, and meat marinades to be be more sweet than we are used to. Lemonade and iced tea put out in the afternoon was way too sweet for us. However, there is coffee and tea available near the Living Room at all times and we enjoyed that. The honor bar was also an easy option. Another surprise to us (first-time Private Lodge goers) were the morning tea/coffee breaks on the AM drives and the "sundowners" provided for the evening game drives. These breaks were at least 30 minutes, and at times we felt it was too long when we were not seeing that many animals anyways. The trackers only do the night games drives, not the mornings. Coming back during the evening ones, it is dark and the tracker uses a search light to scare up smaller animals to see. We saw hare and once a serval cat scurrying by. Although the guides are on radio with each other advising where to look, we did not see any lions over 4 drives. We did see a leopard on both days, many elephants, giraffes, Kudus, a rhino with horn removed, a submerged hippo, tawny eagles and a few trees with vultures waiting. However, the kill (possibly lion) that they were waiting to finish off was in the neighboring property and the private Lodges all respect each others' property lines. It is good for breeding the animals, but not so good for tourists!! Our guide was rather young and needed more training. He did not present much information on his own and so the 7 of us in the open-sided vehicle for 4 drives rode around in silence for long periods. He and the guide told us to ask any questions we had--but, if you don't know much about something you don't even know where to begin asking questions. It was a missed opportunity for all of us. Yes, we were there only 2 days, but we had paid for safari. This guide met us on arrival and showed us to our room, gave us a property tour, and told us the various Lodge protocols. I thought he was the manager as he had never told me he would be our guide for the whole stay! Umkumbe is one of the smaller Lodges and has a lot going for it. It is quiet with no TVs or anything to do at night but read and watch the stars. That is not a complaint!! The other guests were friendly, but of course you get to know best the ones assigned to your same OSV for each drive. The sundowners and tea/coffee breaks in the morning foster that. There didn't seem to be a manager around anywhere. The property is fenced but they ask you to not move around at night and to have one of the Guides escort you to your room after the dinner.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sun Destinations, General Manager at Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Responded Feb 1, 2024
Hi There, Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review, and for the valuable feedback. We're happy to hear that you enjoyed your accommodation overlooking the river - we regularly enjoy a variety of sightings from the lodge. In terms of our food, South Africans enjoy adding fruit into their savoury dishes, which is why meals might appear sweeter - some great traditional food from our side. In terms of traverse boundary lines, they're there for lodges and humans; but wildlife is free to wander across. It's a pity you missed the lion sighting (the wild is unpredictable), but hopefully the leopard sighting made up for it. Please feel free to email us directly with regards to your feedback about the guiding. Regards, The Sun Destinations Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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M Nair wrote a review Jan 2024
Los Angeles, California446 contributions11 helpful votes
3 of us booked through MoAfrica tours and stayed here first week of Jan 2024 for 3 nights. We stayed in the Leopard room which has a patio facing the Sabi river. Cabin was spacious. Bathrooms are neat and well kept. The best part we liked about the room was the open shower. Hot water was plentifully available. My wife and daughter are vegans and they went all the way out to prepare vegan meals for them for breakfast, light lunch and dinner. Really appreciate their efforts. We probably got the best safari guide JURIE. He is awesome...he will make sure you see the wild animal which gets reported by other guides over radio. Thanks to him we saw a male lion and a leopard. The early morning and afternoon safaris are pretty cool. However the drink break in between seems long and needs to be reduced. A 3 hour safari turns out into a 2.15 hour safari. The area belonging to Umbumbe is limited which means animal viewing area is also limited. Just keep that in mind. Overall we had a great time and we miss them badly after coming back home to the U.S. Daily maid service folks did a great job. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Leopard room is one of the best rooms
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sun Destinations, General Manager at Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Responded Jan 29, 2024
Hi There, We really appreciate the time you took to write such a lengthy review. And thank you for rating us so highly. Our suites overlooking the river are designed to add an extra level of comfort, which we're glad you got to experience. Dietary requirements are always taken into consideration when prepping our meals - we're glad you enjoyed our vegan menu. Although our traverse is smaller, our sightings are extensive as we share unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park. We are known for our leopard sightings, which is why we're happy to hear that you spotted one of our local legends. We really enjoyed your company and would love for you to book your next safari with us. Kind Regards, The Sun Destinations Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Jessy Z wrote a review Jan 2024
Skokie, Illinois120 contributions114 helpful votes
Amazing! The location, the rooms, the rangers, just perfect! Meals could have a bit more variety, but honestly it's not that big of a deal. I saw so many animals there and really loved the place overall! I hope to be back!
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sun Destinations, General Manager at Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Responded Jan 29, 2024
Hi There, Thank you for your review. We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the wildlife experience, and spotted high concentrations of ellies. Our guides are passionate and love sharing their world with guests. We would love for you to come and enjoy another safari with our team. Kind Regards, The Sun Destinations Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Oliver D wrote a review Dec 2023
Wickford, United Kingdom13 contributions8 helpful votes
We loved every minute of our experience at Umkumbe. The whole experience completely surpassed our expectations, our safari guide Ty was very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about his job. Forward was great as a tracker and really showed his experience spotting a chameleon in near pitch black and lions from a faint sound in the distance. We saw 4 of the big 5 with water buffalo escaping us, what we saw beyond the big 5 was really great including a rhino and its baby along with a cheetah, each drive had a ‘wow’ moment and seeing a leopard with its cub in such a natural environment was unforgettable. I really liked that it was a private reserve and gave us the opportunity to go on a bush walk and learn more about the local environment with Ty. We loved the food at Umkumbe and it really surprised us at the quality and quantity available given how remote you are. We stayed in the Rhino room and had good views of animals from our balcony, air conditioning worked well and the standard of accommodation was really high, the self service bar made it very easy and was reasonable. Everyone on the camp was really friendly, everyone said hello to you in the camp and always working to ensure it was at the best condition. We appreciated the private table on the last night for our honeymoon. Would love to return, couldn’t recommend it enough since we have been back home.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sun Destinations, General Manager at Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Responded Jan 10, 2024
Hi There, Thank you so much for taking the time to write such an amazing review our lodge. We're glad that both Ty and Forward managed to deliver such epic wildlife sightings. We're happy to hear that you saw 4 of the big 5, leopard cub AND a cheetah. Seeing rhinos thriving in the wild in their natural environment is always a good sign. We were so proud to share this sighting with you. Wildlife aside, we're also glad to hear that our homecooked fare was well received and that you loved our accommodation offerings. We would love to host you again! Kind Regards, The Sun Destinations Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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TheUniversalTraveler wrote a review Dec 2023
Dallas, Texas31 contributions1 helpful vote
+1
I can't rave enough about this tour! Just life changing! I will be doing more safaris due to the excellence provided on this one. Not to mention that Yuri did everything he could to make sure that we all saw at the least the Big Five...and we did! I am a solo traveler & was met at the Skukuza airport on landing. Once at the lodge, I was met by Yuri (my assigned ranger) & had a seamless check-in & introduction to my bungalow. The lodge & surroundings are beautiful & the staff was amazing! I arrived with 30 minutes to spare to take my first safari & it was just amazing! Every morning, I was up at 4:30am, knock on the door at 5am to make sure that I was up, then off we went at 5am. The safaris were 3 hours long. We arrived back at the lodge where breakfast was ready then we had down time to do what we wanted (enjoy the pool, edit/upload photos, read, etc) & usually there would be wild life wandering along the river. I saw elephant herds, giraffes, water buffalo, a hippo, kudu, & more up close from the lodge! At 2pm, we ate lunch then at 4:30 it was time for another safari & dinner on arrival back at the lodge. The food was delicious & the service impeccable. Each morning & night, while we were out, the staff cleaned our bungalows which, by the way, were beautiful, & comfortable (LOVED the outdoor rain shower). On my last full day, I opted to do a panoramic tour. I highly recommend doing the panoramic tour! South Africa is beautiful! I arrived back at the lodge just in time for the evening safari & had the morning safari the next morning before time to leave. Exceptional is the one word that I would use to describe the Umkumbe Lodge experience!
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sun Destinations, General Manager at Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Responded Dec 29, 2023
Hi There, Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review of our charming lodge. We are over the moon to hear that you had a life changing experience and that WE are the pioneers of your new found love of safaris. We'd love for you to come and stay with us again...we can promise the same level of service and excpetional sightings. The downtime between safaris is always a great opportunity to reset and relax. We're glad you took the opportunity to take advantage of our splash pool overlooking the seasonal riverbed. Time to book another safari with us? Kind Regards, The Sun Destinations Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Jonathan Hing wrote a review Dec 2023
Alberton, South Africa1 contribution
Fantastic sightings, comfortable accommodation with open views of the best concession of Kruger…but, our trip to Umkumbe was characterised by poor service and lack of professionalism. Our game driver was inexperienced, lacked knowledge of general game viewing and the resident animals within the area, and was also not professional with how she conducted herself during game drives and interactions with guests and colleagues alike… we felt like we were passengers on a drive where she was going to enjoy the ride, despite numerous requests from ourselves and other guests on the game drive with us. Along with this, the food was limited (despite it being buffet style) and was not prepared well for a premium lodge (was not cooked well and did not taste nice). There was no manager on site and even when speaking to the staff who seemed to be in charge (receptionist and head game ranger) asking if we could make some changes, they heard us without attempting to enquire why we were not happy with the current situation!?
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Umkumbe is not recommended - despite good game viewing, it was hard to enjoy it all because of...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Travel_Texans wrote a review Nov 2023
Silsbee, Texas415 contributions148 helpful votes
This was our second safari in South Africa and we thought that it couldn’t match our first. But we were pleasantly surprised when it not only met but exceeded our expectations. Although we arrived later than expected on the first day and had missed the afternoon game drive, the staff was very accommodating and offered to take us on a shortened drive. And our first drive was amazing with all the animals we saw and continued to improve on the next three days of our stay. Although animal sightings cannot be guaranteed, we saw all of the “big 5”, plus, some additional that are difficult to spot. Our guides, Jessica and Ty, plus the night-drive trackers, Mashaba and Moses were extremely vigilant in pointing out different animals/plants and knowledgeable in their explanations. The accommodations at the lodge were extremely comfortable. Our cabin, Leopard, faced the river and we were rewarded with sightings of elephants in the river, plus, kudus, nyalas, baboons, and monkeys that passed by our deck. The meals were served buffet style and the food was delicious. All in all, Umkumbe Lodge and staff provided us with a wonderful experience and many memories to take away.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: Take sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Sun Destinations, General Manager at Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Responded Dec 13, 2023
Hi There, Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review. It's always hard to match your first time on safari, which is why we are overjoyed that your second safari was equally rewarding. We're glad that you got to head out into the wild on that first day - our team really wants guests to have every opportunity to spot wildlife. It seems that Jess and Ty certainly delivered in terms of Big 5 sightings! Our tracking team will teach you all about the medicinal uses of plants, their properties, and more. We hope that you book your third safari with us...the wild awaits! Kind Regards, The Sun Destinations Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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There are more places to choose from in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
$538 - $641 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
umkumbe safari hotel sabi sand game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkSabi Sand Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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UMKUMBE SAFARI LODGE - Updated 2024 Prices & Guest house Reviews (South Africa/Sabi Sand Game Reserve)

Frequently Asked Questions about Umkumbe Safari Lodge
What are some of the property amenities at Umkumbe Safari Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Umkumbe Safari Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
Is parking available at Umkumbe Safari Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Umkumbe Safari Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Umkumbe Safari Lodge have airport transportation?
Yes, Umkumbe Safari Lodge offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.