Pondoro Game Lodge (South Africa/Balule Private Game Reserve) - Lodge Reviews

Also Known As:: Pondoro Game Hotel; Pondoro Game Hotel Balule Private Game Reserve; Pondoro Game Lodge South Africa/Balule Private Game Reserve

Address: Balule Private Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Phone Number:

Region: South Africa > Kruger National Park > Balule Private Game Reserve

Amenities:

Bar/Lounge Fitness Center Free Breakfast Free High-Speed Internet Free Parking Restaurant Room Service Shuttle Bus service Suites Swimming Pool

Hotel Style:

Ranked #3 of 11 Specialty lodging in Balule Private Game Reserve

Price Range: $$$$

Hotel Class:5 star (5*)

Official Description (provided by the hotel):: Set on the cool riverine banks of the Olifants River (largest in Kruger) in the 40 000 ha Big 5 Balule Private Game Reserve inside the greater Kruger National Park, Pondoro offers its visitors comfort, sophistication, elegance and a canvas on which to create a truly unforgettable African safari.In this small, very exclusive 16-bed lodge ( owner managed ) you will discover the only way to experience the African bush. In addition to luxurious accommodation and the caring attention from trained professionals, our visitors are lavished upon with international fare and humble African hospitality.Meals are an extraordinary culinary experience where Traditional African Cuisine fuse effortlessly with modern European trends.To compliment the food, select any of our fine wines from our extensive wine cellar. Vegetarians are specially catered for. All meals are served on a wooden deck high up in the tree canopy overlooking the Olifants River (weather permitting).Between game drives in open safari cruisers, nature walks and peaceful afternoon naps, enjoy a dip in the sparkling rock pool, a spot of sun bathing or browse through the library. The Pondoro bar is the ideal spot to quench your thirst and grab a snack. ... more less

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cathy r

Antwerp, Belgium

2 reviews

Reviews in 2 cities

“Honeymoon at Pondoro game Lodge”

Reviewed June 18, 2013 NEW

We had a very very lovely stay at Pondoro game Lodge! We spend 2 night for our Honeymoon with Lize and Robby and we felt very welcome! Lize even arranged a private romantic dinner for us which was very unexpected but very nice!!! The food is delicious! Teh lodges are very clean and nicely decorated! the service is super! Our... More

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Cathy B

1 review

“Totally awesome”

Reviewed June 17, 2013 NEW via mobile

We were there this past weekend and both my husband and i loved every minute of being there. On our arrival we were treated like vip guests, i had mentioned it was our anniversary and boy did they go out of there way to make our visit a visit too remember! The staff are thanked for the courteous manner in... More

emdog1976

Columbus

Senior Reviewer

9 reviews

7 hotel reviews

Reviews in 8 cities

5 helpful votes

“Romantic, beautiful, & attention to detail!!”

Reviewed June 7, 2013

We made a short trip to Pondoro from Cape Town when we were visiting my brother. It was my boyfriend, my brother in-law, and my boyfriend who made the journey and it was unbelievable. They were extraordinarily kind and the attention to detail was amazing. I have been to many boutique type of lodges/resorts and this was one of the... More

Jayde_13

“Fantastic Experience”

We spent 4 nights at Pondoro in the Tree suite. The room, service and staff were great and the food was exceptional. We lucky enough to see the Big 5 within 2 days including lion cubs and cannot praise the tracker and driver enough for their dedication to get us as close as possible to all the animals. We would... More

Dear Jayde_13, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review. I am elated to see that you enjoyed your stay with us and that everything from the food to the service and safaris met up with your expectations. Greetings from the bush, Robbie and Pondoro family More

Joseph v

Pretoria, South Africa

“Honeymoon”

Reviewed June 3, 2013

Me and my wife spend 2 nights at Pondoro as part of our honeymoon. It was definitely the highlight on our 2 week long honeymoon. The food was absolutely amazing, the dinner had to be the best I ever had in my life. The staff went through a lot of effort to make sure the dinners were intimate and special... More

Dear Joseph and Helene, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review. I am very glad to see that you enjoyed your stay with us. I will let Lize and the other kitchen staff know how much you enjoyed the food. They will be so happy as we really pride ourselves on our cuisine. Glad that... More

Andy M

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

6 reviews

5 hotel reviews

Reviews in 6 cities

15 helpful votes

“Okay but not outstanding.”

Reviewed May 28, 2013

We stayed at Pondoro for 3 nights, my wife and I in a suite and my son in a chalet. Personally I think the chalet was better value than the suite. The chalet was light and very comfortable, the suite (Rock) on the other hand was very disappointing. We were very surprised to find that in the suite the toilet... More

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Dear Andy M Thank you for taking the time to write a review. It is very difficult to answer a review where the reviewer really made an effort to find fault and look for negatives and I cannot but think that your son's involvement in the industry in an adjacent reserve had something to do with this biased review. 1.... More

Elisabeth24

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Contributor

20 reviews

15 hotel reviews

Reviews in 17 cities

14 helpful votes

“Unforgettable Experience at Pondoro”

Reviewed May 27, 2013

My husband and I stayed at Pondoro for 3 nights in April 2013. This was the best decision I've made in a long time! Everything was amazing and we were really sad to leave this little piece of paradise. We stayed in one of the chalets that had the bathtub on the deck. It was beautifully decorated and awesome to... More

Dear Elisabeth24, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review. It is heartwarming to see how much you enjoyed your stay with us. Glad you got to see the big 5 and that you could top it off with 8 lion cubs. We really pride ourselves in our food and extensive wine list. Glad you mentioned... More

V A

New Delhi, India

Senior Contributor

24 reviews

10 hotel reviews

Reviews in 14 cities

“Luxury Suite was great, Staff not much helpful! READ WHY”

Pondoro is located in a great setting, close to the river with not many chalets or suites but the hospitality was great. DISAPPOINTMENT was that when we arrived (around late afternoon) we checked-in to our luxury suite and we were really hungry! we went and spoke to one of the staff WHO WAS GUJRATI INDIAN and asked if we could... More

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Dear V A, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review. I would like to make use of this opportunity to apologize for any inconvenience suffered when you could not order food after a late afternoon check in. We have a 24 hour room service menu available in all our rooms. I am not sure why... More

John v

Rijen

“John V. One of our best experiences in South Africa. A real discovery”

Reviewed May 24, 2013

We travel a lot in SA,and we were guests in many lodges but Pondoro was a real discovery. What an experience! We were looking for a game lodge in a bigger area with preferable an open connection to Krüger. Pondoro is located in the Balula area so it met our desire in this respect. Moreover, Pondoro is “unfenced”, which always... More

Dear John v Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review. It is incredibly pleasing to see how much you enjoyed your stay at Pondoro and that you enjoyed visiting an open ecosystem and huge natural reserve like Kruger. It is always nice when the hard work of all our staff is noticed and it helps... More

Hiro Y

Florence, Italy

“Off Road Safari? Then Pondoro for sure!”

Reviewed May 23, 2013

This was my second time to stay at the Pondoro. Only 8 chalets, very exclusive if you are alone or couple even family. Every staff are so kind and the service and the foods are just great. Sure, to know about the Safari, especially off-road, you cannot imagine how thrill to follow or to research all wild animals. Closed to... More

Dear Hiro Y Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review. I am very glad to see how much you enjoyed your stay with us at Pondoro. Thank you for the great review! You are a legend and you have become after just your second visit part of Pondoro folklore. I can honestly say that everybody... More

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Pondoro Game Lodge, South Africa/Balule Private Game Reserve

Pondoro Game Lodge

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