Ngama Tented Safari Lodge

What an experience. If you want to take your glamping to the next level then please carry on reading. On arrival Millicent greeted us with the best smile we have ever seen. And offered us welcome drinks. Shortly after we were escorted to our tent. It is a place to chill with some extra features, if you know what I mean. Outside shower, bath that can be seen from the bed. Nothing more, nothing less. Let me tell you where the true experience kicks in. The staff are the most helpful and friendliest we have ever experienced. The food, my God!! Thank you Nomvulo and Wendy for cooking the best representation of African cuisine. Gordan Ramsey can come learn a thing or two from you. And best part, you can have seconds. The kicker, you get breakfast too!! Now wait for this, we go on a game drive with Tanya. She has 10 years of ranger experience and boy oh boy does it show. She explained everything from how the soil gets it’s nutrients to termite colonies. How trees can change scent, next moment she started tracking animals and before you know it we were on wild dogs chasing after a leopard with it’s kill. Not long and she spots a leopard in the thick of the bush, did you read that, we saw a freggin leopard in the 700 hectare camp we sleep in a tent in. If you are a lover of nature and love the call of an Hyena at 3am, a Bushbaby screaming at midnight, bush buck strolling past while you shower, and monkeys galavanting on your roof then book a stay, and book a game drive with Tanya. Our stay will not be forgotten thanks Ngama lodge for a damn riveting stay!!!

It pains me to write this review. This was to be the highlight of our visit to South Africa. Of our entire itinerary, this was the first place we booked because we felt it to be the most important part of the trip. We expected a glamping experience based on the photos and reviews. So sadly disappointed. The last review seems to be more than a year ago and apparently a lot has changed, or rather, nothing has been changed, cleaned or updated since the last review. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Millicent, who was very lovely and soft spoken. She provided light refreshments and then walked us to our tents. It was an immediate disappointment when seeing the tent. Dirty & Stained canvas (especially the top), ripped mosquito netting (why bother when it has holes), uneven floor boards with the stain worn off, bathtub was dirty (would not even think about using the tub) and bathroom (toilet) just as basic as could be and full of bugs and ants. This is off-grid shabby style camping, not glamping. The first evening dinner which was held outside looked to be romantic or at least comfortable. However, there was not enough lighting on the food display or the tables, which just made for an uncomfortable dining experience. Thankfully the weather on last day forced the dinner inside under the main tent. At least then we could see what we were eating. This is a very small lodge and they do not have their own guides for the game drives. They outsourced to other lodges or contracted guides. We were lucky to have 2 decent game drives but the full day game drive in Kruger was another disappointment. The guide was terrible and spent the entire day on her phone checking her text messages for her chef job. She clearly had better things to do than be with us. There is only wifi at the main tent (where the reception & dining space is). So once you are in your tent for the night, that's it. No wifi for you, which is just being cheap on their part. The pool is big enough for 3 people, certainly not big enough for the amount of tents they have. The filter was off for most of the day and when we returned from a very hot bush walk, the pool water was not clean. I could see little worms at the bottom of the pool. Many of the floor boards around the pool were loose and in bad condition. They are located in a reserve that is fenced off from Kruger so don't expect to see lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards on the property. Only animals around the tents were birds, turtles and a few reptiles near the water. The food was very good. A nice variety and some local dishes were delicious. It was probably the highlight of the 3 days. Devin, the owner, and the rest of the staff were very nice and pleasant to talk you and very accommodating. However, the condition of the camp, including the tents, walkways and pool do not justify the cost per night. The entire camp needs an overhaul.