We only had the pleasure of spending 2 nights recently at the Pumba Private Game Reserve which I can only describe as being amazing. It was, without doubt, the highlight of our trip to South Africa.

There are 2 types of lodge at Pumba – the water lodges and the bush lodges. We stayed in a water lodge which was situated in front of Lake Kareiga, a lake situated within the game reserve. The interior is very in keeping with its surroundings and yet at the same time manages to be luxurious. The front of our lodge had glass double doors which opened out onto a view of the lake and the Hippos bathing! Each lodge has a plunge pool but unfortunately it was too cold for us to dip into during our stay even though it did look very inviting. A complimentary mini bar is included, binoculars, a variety of wildlife books and they also provide a free laundry service. The bathroom is well stocked with toiletries and even has insect repellent just encase you can’t escape the smaller creatures in Pumba!

Our package was all inclusive; aside from the accommodation, food & beverages, 2 game drives per day are included in the price. When you consider the quality of the food served, the standard of accommodation and of course the game drives, it does actually represent good value for money. The food was divine and very plentiful with an excellent choice catering for all tastes. Let me tell you Pumba is not good for your waist line!!! Breakfast was gorgeous and really was something to look forward to after coming back from our morning game drive. Between 1.30 and 3 lunch was served after which we went on our 2nd game drive. On our return, between 5.30 – 6pm we were greeted with a glass of hot chocolate and hot towels. From 7pm dinner was served and once again the food was gorgeous and always presented beautifully.

The owners of this game reserve are very fortunate to have extremely welcoming and helpful staff that also appear to be genuinely passionate about their work and the animals within the reserve. Simon, Loisya, Robert and Freedom to name but a few, really went to great lengths to ensure our stay was enjoyable and memorable. No matter what you asked of them nothing was a problem, they were always keen to help regardless of the hour, morning or night!

I can’t but give Pumba 5 stars even though we only spotted 2 out of the “Big 5” which was a disappointing result for us. Through no fault of Freedom, our ranger and guide who was truly excellent, the Buffalo, Leopard and the Rhino weren’t to be found. I think we were just plain unlucky and that this was the exception rather than the norm. From what I recall, Freedom has only managed to see the Leopard a handful of times in the wild, however we had hoped to see at least 4 of the “Big 5”. One has to bear in mind that this is a game reserve and not a zoo; thankfully these animals have the freedom to roam around and are not always willing to make an appearance purely for the satisfaction of the guests! Regardless, the white lion cubs more than made up for our disappointment, these 2 are the real stars in Pumba at the moment.