Amazing food, great accommodations and amazing staff made our 3 nights at this lodge outstanding. There was plenty of animals to see and the experience felt like a 5 star resort! We stayed at two lodges in Sabi Sands and although the other was still amazing, Dulini had finer finishes and more animals to see.

Great game viewing! Tyrone and Patrick were fabulous tracker/rangers. Everyone said leopards were hard to spot but we saw them every day we were there along with the rest of the Big 5. The lodge itself was great too! Good service, great rooms, and friendly staff. An amazing experience!

I don’t even know where to start… Has everything been said about how truly amazing Dulini is?

Dulini is a dream come true.

The staff picked us up from the airstrip with a 2-day-old (!) ultra luxurious Land Rover Defender… Once comfortably installed in your high and soft seat, you realize this is the true African bush you’ve read and dreamt so much about, and your safari experience is about to begin.

A typical day starts with a room call at 530AM. Animals are awaiting, time to get ready!
An armed guard (the lodge is in the open bush) will pick you up from your room and take you safely to the main lodge (50m away), where you will meet the other couples and your driver/tracker for coffee/tea and light morning pastries.
It does get chilly in the winter months (june-sept) so dress up in layers!
The first morning drive lasts 3.5/4 hours (a big plus, since most other lodges do only 3 hours) and you have to be prepared to see anything at any time! For instance, one morning right outside camp, four big male lions were lying in the middle of the road… (driver swerved to avoid them and spotter who was watching tracks almost fell right into them)
Each guest is given an extremely soft and warm blanket to cover up your lower body in the event of chilly early mornings or nights… with an additional hot water bottle to preserve heat….
In a nutshell you’re driving thru the African Bush, comfortably cuddled up under a warm blanket, aboard the best possible vehicle, surrounded by wilderness… It really can’t get any much better than that!
Another big Dulini advantage is that the vehicle sits only six guests. Most other lodges (including Londolozi and Singita, which both cost double Dulini) have 9 seats. (3 rows of 3 people, instead of 3 rows of 2)
During the drive, driver and spotter (both very knowledgeable) will educate you as to what you’re seeing, how to track animals, read tracks… They’re in constant radio communication with all other Sabi Sands vehicles, alerting each other of animal sightings. Even though this is the best place in the world to spot the big 5, you won’t see game non stop. You must go out and find it. That said, each spotting only allows for 3 vehicles (2 if leopards) to be on site simultaneously, making for a comfortable viewing experience for all.
Note that in Sabi Sands vehicles can and will go off road to track the game, unlike Kruger National Park itself or Kenya. It makes things very exciting, allowing you to really be part of
At sunrise or sunset, we would stop at a place with a nice view (near a waterhole or a river most of the time), and our guides would bring up the front grid of the car, putting atop drinks and snacks, whilst we watch the sunrise/sunset…very romantic indeed, the sort of thing you would only see in movies really…
Going back into camp after 4 hours of excitement, you’re given a warm towel to freshen up, and an amazing brunch is served. The setup is either long communal table, or individual tables for you and your significant other.
Then off to a 2/3 hour nap, followed by a light and exquisite lunch ; then another 4 hour game drive and dinner… again, superb food, romantic setting…
Service is unobtrusive, very attentive and polite. We loved it. Ingredients are very fresh and of the best quality, and the two chefs extremely skilled and inventive.
The room is more like your own private chalet on the river. Big (100 sq.m/1000 sq.ft at least), with private plunge pool, outdoor/indoor showers, big bath tub… As luxurious as it gets!

I can’t speak highly enough of Dulini and could write about it for hours.
Only slight negatives was the pool was unheated (tough to fully enjoy during winter..) and that the main pool was not cleaned. But again, we went in winter…
Also, Wi-Fi never worked; it felt so good to entirely turn off the digital life for 4 days, and allows you to communicate with the African nature.
This lodge is also excellent in that it doesn’t attract the ultra rich and loud tourists (which we saw on the plane as the shuttle plane stopped at their lodge), who tend to favor Londolozi/Singita (which cost double the price and lack the rugged feeling, and will provide you with an unnecessary private butler that will follow you around).
Dulini has definitely a rugged feeling, with all the luxury amenities one needs.
The size is very small even by Sabi Sands standards (6 rooms only, only 3 occupied when we went) … Which makes for an even better experience. It’s really you, your significant other, and the African bush. Extremely authentic.

Choose Dulini, you won’t regret it. It gets everything right, attention to detail and timing is perfect.

PS: monkeys might come and try to fetch your morning muffin if you don’t pay attention ☺