White Elephant Safaris
Farm Leeuwspoor, Pongola Game Reserve South, Pongola 3170 South Africa
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About
#3 of 6 lodges in Pongola
Location
4.8
Cleanliness
4.8
Service
4.9
Value
4.5
The White Elephant is situated at the foot of the majestic Lebombo Mountains next to the shimmering blue waters of Lake Jozini in the Pongola Game Reserve, Northern Kwazulu Natal. The White Elephant is the most diverse and unique safari destination in South Africa offering true water and land based safari options as well as conservation and research programs. The White Elephant consists of various self catering options including The Bush Camp which is an exclusive use, self catering camp suited for a group of up 23 guests and The Cottage which is great for small families of up to 6 guests. We are passionate about conservation and offer a superb Black Rhino conservation experience, as well as a fascinating Elephant research activity. We also offer the conventional activities such as game drives, educational bush walks and incredible boat cruises on Lake Jozini. These varied activities as well as the chance of catching tiger fish and superb bird watching possibilities; make us a truly unique South African Safari experience.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Canoeing
Hiking
Airport transportation
BBQ facilities
Convenience store
Wifi
Outdoor pool
Fishing
Gift shop
Outdoor fireplace
Outdoor furniture
Shared lounge / TV area
Private check-in / check-out
Laundry service
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Room features
Dining area
Fireplace
Housekeeping
Safe
Clothes rack
Oven
Stovetop
Electric kettle
Kitchenware
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Room types
Mountain view
Landmark view
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Great View
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, German, Zulu
Location
Farm Leeuwspoor, Pongola Game Reserve South, Pongola 3170 South Africa
White Elephant Safaris
Getting there
Zulu Inyala Airport
38.4 mi•
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King Shaka Intl Airport
156.8 mi•
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Rental Cars
138Reviews4Q+A26Room tips
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TrickIsToEnjoyLife wrote a review Oct 2021
Richards Bay, South Africa39 contributions28 helpful votes
We stayed in tent #6 and being familiar with Africamps, we knew what to expect. The tents have everything you need, and what is great is that you could buy ice, wood and a few bits on site by means of an honesty system. Our host, Lorraine, was lovely and friendly. All the staff are great and very friendly in fact. We enjoyed a river cruise one morning with ranger Eric. We saw a variety of wild animals and birds from the boat. It is a GREAT way to explore the park. The monkeys are little terrorists and quite hungry, so listen to the host's instructions and ensure you really close your tent properly before leaving. In fact, I suggest you ask the staff to close it on your behalf as they really have a few clever tricks to ensure the monkeys won't be able to sneak in. We had Nyala and Impala buck grazing around us - really lovely. We can really recommend Africamps White Elephant!…
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Date of stay: October 2021
Rooms
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Service
Room Tip: They are all great!
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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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What a top spot bordering the beautiful and legendary tiger fishing destination, Jozini dam. 5 star self catering safari tents with a built in braai area on your own deck with a "donkey" hot tub outside too! All this while inside the Pongola reserve, with Girafffes and plains game in your view! The tents are spaced nicely which is a huge bonus so that you can enjoy your privacy. Friendly staff welcome you to this fantastic travel destination and unique experience.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: Get there for sunset on day one. Spectacular!
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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.
Helpful
Response from Stephanie Loots, General Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Oct 13, 2021
Dear AntWillo, Thank you so much for the kind review. We are so happy that you enjoyed your stay and hope you took lots of photos to remember your trip by. We hope to see you return soon. Warm Regards Stephanie
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My wife and i spent an incredible extended weekend here. the facilities are amazing and the although very hot all the time the rooms have fans and air conditioners.The game viewing is incredible.The fishing is great.
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Date of stay: November 2019
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Get up early before the heat of the day to enjoy game viewing.
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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.
Helpful
Response from Stephanie Loots, General Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Oct 13, 2021
Dear Iainemeyer, Thank you for your review. We are so happy when guests are happy. Tip: Autumn is the best time of the year to come! We hope to see you again soon. Kind regards Stephanie
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Myself and my buddy took the Umkaya lodge for 4 days. We were made welcome the moment we set foot in the place. We were offered advice when we needed it and left to do our own thing otherwise. There is a lot of experience to be had between the game and the fishing and we tried the lot. Great laughs and good people.
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Date of stay: May 2019Trip type: Traveled with friends
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: All accommodation differs and you must choose to suit your circumstances. But you do have choice
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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.
Helpful
Response from WhiteElephan, Marketing Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Jul 31, 2019
Good Day, Thank you very much for the review. Umkhaya Cottage is a great option for guests that want to be left to do their thing like you said. Its great that you did all the activities. We hope you will return in the future. Warm White Elephant Regards Stephanie Loots
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We absolutely loved this place (me, hubby and kids of 18&16) and would quite happily have stayed for longer. The setting was beautiful, the accommodation was stunning, food great, service even better and activities fantastic - made more so by our guide Adriaan. We had 3 6.30am starts that the kids didn't even complain about!! We saw so much (unfortunately not the leopard!) and learnt so much from Adriaan, who was a mountain of information. We loved the safari drives and even more so the boat trips to see the hippos, crocs and white rhinos up close, but the highlight has to be the boat trip to find the elephants - which we did - all 43 of them!!! This was magical - thanks also go to Suzette for this trip. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this wonderful place, and intend to revisit.…
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Helpful
Response from WhiteElephan, Marketing Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Jul 29, 2019
Dear Susan, Wow what a fabulous review, we appreciate so much that you took the time to tell others about your experience at White Elephant. We are so happy that you had such a great time and make a bucket load of family memories. We hope to see you again in the future. Warm White Elephant Regards Stephanie Loots Marketing Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We absolutely loved our stay at this beautifully situated lodge. The luxury safari tents are super comfortable and equipped with everything you need and more. The staff and rangers are fantastic. What sets this lodge apart is the unique position on lake Jozini. The boat safaris are beautiful and really remind one of Lake Kariba. Unfortunately we only stayed 1 night , if we had known how beautiful it was we would've definitely extended our stay. We had some beautiful bird sightings along with Hippo, crocs ,rhino, zebra and a variety of antelope. The sound of the hyenas at night while sitting around the bonfire was fantastic. Next visit we hope to see the elephants on our boat safari and do the black rhino tracking experience.
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Date of stay: May 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: All luxury tents are private and have a stunning view of the lake!
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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.
Helpful
Response from WhiteElephan, Marketing Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Jun 19, 2019
Dear Leigh, We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the stay. We keep telling potential guests how special the lake is, but its hard to anticipate. Now you understand. We hope to see you again soon for more than just one evening. Warm White Elephant Regards Stephanie Loots
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed in a selfcatering unit, the rooms were very nice and the other facilities were very good AS well. We had a very good young lady taking us out for game drives and saw interesting animal and lovely bush and the lovely dam, Jozini. Friendly people and lovely soroundings.
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Date of stay: March 2019
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.
Helpful
Response from WhiteElephan, Marketing Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Apr 15, 2019
Thank you for taking a moment of your time to write this review of our product. We are happy that you enjoyed stay and hope that you will return soon. Thank you for sharing your experience with others. Warm White Elephant regards Stephanie
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ulrike D wrote a review Mar 2019
Oppède, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France26 contributions9 helpful votes
Our luxuri tent came with an outdoor shower , beautiful bathroom very well decorated and confortable bed under the moskito net . Absolutely beautiful location , the tents are well spaced apart from the others , you have absolute privacy . The food was delicious , the 2 chef are amazing . The game drives a bit disappointing but the boat tour on the river very worthwhile with all this rhinos and hippos . Even a crocodile to greet us !
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Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Cleanliness
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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 WhiteElephan, Marketing Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Mar 5, 2019
Good Day Ulrike, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review of your stay at our property. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the 'glamping' in our tents so much. Being close to so much water has great advantages, one of the disadvantages though is the fact that most animals are always on the shoreline of the lake meaning less animals inland. Fortunately we are able to take our guests on the water for a very unique 'game drive' with very rewarding sightings as you mentioned. We hope to see you return soon and hope you will spread the word of our unique product. Warm White Elephant Regards Stephanie Loots
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We recently stayed here for 2 nights on a hectic safari tour of South Africa. This was of our favourite lodges. It's fairly small, only about 8 tented rooms; all beautifully equipped (claw foot baths, outdoor shower etc), with wonderful views. The location is stunning, right on the river bordering swaziland, truly magical. The food was all served and presented beautifully- I'm vegetarian and there was no problem catering for me.The evening meals were really good with attention to detail and it was obvious the staff took enormous pride in their work. onto the main purpose of our stay,the safari. that's a hard one. It's a perfect place to do a jeep, walking or river cruise- we did all three and saw rhino and many other animals. There was just one tiny glitch, admittedly we were travelling slightly out of season, but there appeared to be only one ranger on duty leading to an awkward and tense evening meal when the ranger announced the plans for the following morning; which were a repeat for those of us who were there that morning but new for the people who had only just arrived. Obviously, the ranger has to ensure everyone has the best 'safari experience', but if there is one, it is really impossible for any guest only staying a couple of nights to experience all the activities that the lodge advertises. That said, despite a tense evening meal when an elderly couple were not exactly thrilled with the news that they would be repeating their activity the following morning together with that days' new arrivals, We had a great experience here and I'm sure in peak time there are more rangers and this situation does not arise. Don't be put off, it's a stunning location, we loved it and regretted we didn't stay longer.…
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Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Rooms
Location
Service
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.
Helpful
Response from WhiteElephan, Marketing Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Feb 26, 2019
Thank you very much for your review of our property. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay. Apologies for the repeating of activities due to only one ranger on duty, in this case the other ranger was sick. We will implement measures to avoid this situation in the future. Luckily all of you got to do another boat safari which is not half bad seeing that its such a unique activity. We hope to see you again in the future. Warm White Elephant Regards Stephanie
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We spent two nights at this „Out of Africa“Safari Lodge. The White Elephant Lodge is beautifully located. The whole estate is so cozy and full of great pictures etc. The luxury tent was decorated with much love. The food was excellent and the whole team cared for us so so perfectly. Unfortunately it was not possible to do a boat cruise due to windy weather conditions but the bush walk was great and a very interesting experience with a wonderful guide. We highly recommend staying at the White Elephant Safari lodge. Only one point could be improved: lights for the way to the tent would be helpful.
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Date of stay: November 2018Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from WhiteElephan, Marketing Manager at White Elephant Safaris
Responded Feb 26, 2019
Thank you very much for taking the time to review our lodge. We are happy to learn that you enjoyed the stay. Hopefully next time the weather will be in your favour (first half of the year has better weather in terms of wind). We are looking forward to seeing you again soon. Warm White Elephant Regards Stephanie Loots
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the Pongola area.
PRICE RANGE
$70 - $263 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalZululandPongola
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
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Frequently Asked Questions about White Elephant Safaris
What are some of the property amenities at White Elephant Safaris?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, free parking, and airport transportation.
Which room amenities are available at White Elephant Safaris?
Top room amenities include a dining area, a fireplace, and a view of a nearby landmark.
What food & drink options are available at White Elephant Safaris?
Guests can enjoy barbeque facilities during their stay.
Is parking available at White Elephant Safaris?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at White Elephant Safaris?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does White Elephant Safaris have airport transportation?
Yes, White Elephant Safaris offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at White Elephant Safaris?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, German, Afrikaans, and Zulu.