There is so much I could write about our terrific time at Pumba; however thinking about you, the reader, I'll try to distil it into some simple thoughts:

Service: Fantastic - we felt so welcome and nothing was too much trouble. Every one of the staff felt it was their mission to ensure we had the best possible time.

Food: Perfect - there is so much to eat and drink and the quality and variety is excellent.

Rooms: Beautiful - we stayed in both the Water Lodge and the Bush Lodge. Both lodges are lovely; our preference was the Bush Lodge but you won't go wrong with either.

Safari: Outstanding - bear in mind this is a private reserve, so you're not completely in the wild. The rangers are really knowledgeable and work together to ensure you see as many animals as possible. The trucks are not full of people so you get a far more personal experience. We also took the opportunity on our last day to go for a walk with the rangers. This allowed us to get a little closer to the flora and fauna.

We had a great couple of days at Pumba. It is a beautiful setting and the staff are very attentive. There is a huge disparity between the quality of the guides and this can have an effect on your time but all in all highly recommended.

This place is amazing. We were in the bush lodge for three night and the room was so beautiful- we visited the water lodge and it was fun to have a meal over there, but we preferred our room to the room we saw at the water lodge. Our guide (Justin) was so fun and knowledgeable and made each game drive really special. We were paired with another young couple for our game drives and it was really fun getting to know them. One morning we decided to do a game walk instead of a game drive and it was a neat experience- I would recommend. The food was really good and the service was the best we'd ever experienced. The game drives were amazing and we saw all of the big five except leopards, plus lots of other animals. It was only about 1.5 hours from Port Elizabeth and easy to find (there is a long dirt road that leads up to the entrance- at first we thought maybe we were lost, but we weren't- just keep going). We thought it was worth every penny, and actually a great value when you think about the cost of paying for food, great accommodations and game drives with a ranger. I did a lot of research before choosing this place and it seemed like the best deal with the best reviews and it exceeded all our expectations (which were really high). Maybe the coolest experience of our lives- go!

We were here for three days (two nites) which seems about right. The accommodations in Msenge Bush Lodge were excellent. Spacious hardly describes the size of the rooms, the bath is the size of a bedroom with glass walls and freestanding shower and tub. The sleeping room was even larger. The wood stoked iron stove was wonderful romantic heating (there are conventional heating units also). All of the fittings were first class. There was a spacious deck surrounding the unit which we were too busy to make much use of, and a plunge pool which although equipped with jacuzzi style pumps was not heated and was a little too cool for us to use.

The game drives were excellent. The guides knowledgeable and articulate. Ours discussed the flora and the fauna both which was appreciated. The tea or cocktail stops during the drives were much useful breaks. Although the food surprisingly was not anywhere as good as served in the lodge. There is some rough terrain, so be prepared to be bounced around a little.

The food and beverage service was excellent. Good food, well prepared. The wine flowed like water and dinner with out large group soon became like a big family gathering. I never saw anyone in the bar, but the staff would make drinks on request.

This was our first visit to SA. We are Americans and its one long trip. We were 36 hours in transit, but well worth the time and effort to visit this magnificent country. Given our lack of experience with the continent, the only question in my mind is doing a private game preserve versus a national park. I just don't have enough information to come to a conclusion, however the fact that the Eastern Cape province is malaria free is an enormous plus.