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Reviews of Pumba Private Game Reserve

5 out of 5
Pumba Private Game Reserve
Highlands, Makana Municipality, Makhanda, Eastern Cape

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 31 out of 35 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 35 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 35 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 35 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 35 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.8/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
10 y/o and 60 y/o daddy-daughter trip = great trip
What I like about this safari is so much that the animals are so cool. Everything was amazing. I like seeing the animals. I like having a truck at the service was amazing. Food was amazing. Everything about the fire was amazing and especially how the animals can come up to your room and like they can just like wait what you eating the food and so this safari was so amazing I love driving the service was amazing the bed felt comfortable and, I just really like the Safari - written by my 10 y/o daughter and I agree 100%
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gessica

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A special place on this earth! We recently stayed at Pumba lodge it was beyond words. The first thing is the feeling of being remote is authentic the suites were very extravagant and large we had a family suite with a plunge pool, outdoor shower and beautiful bathroom with large tub for relaxing! Every time we left the room and returned it was tidied up cleaning staff was phenomenal! The all inclusive was more than worth it 2 game drives per day and plenty of food if anything too much! So many little surprises from drinks by the fireplace to even came back to a little birthday gift. Everyone at the reserve is so nice and helpful. But the best part was the roaring of the lion at night and our close elephant encounter, although at times terrifying those are amazing moments we have seared in our memories, truly felt like we were among so many animals saw 4 of the big 5! Cleo our ranger was incredible he made this trip unique his passion and dedication to the animals was impressive he is professional, highly skilled and trained in his craft he was without a doubt what really made this experience and we feel privileged to have him. The whole staff was great Kia as well was so nice and helpful. I also had a wonderful massage and no worries on the drives plenty of warmth with ponchos and rain coverage but be prepared because there’s temperature changes throughout the drives. Everything is thoughtful. Safety is also a priority. We appreciate all of you and what you do thank you 🙏

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ashley

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel, great safari
So good, the ecosystem that they’ve setup is fantastic. So much to see and do and the amenities are fantastic also. The game drives were spectacular.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022
Response from Nangamso Sebezo on Feb 2, 2022
Dear Ashley, Thank you very much for your email and wonderful feedback. It is always great to hear guests have enjoyed their stay with us. I have passed this on to relevant people. I trust the above finds you well. Best regards, Nangamso Sebezo

10/10 Excellent

Chilenye

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021
Response from Pumba Private Game Reserve on Jul 19, 2021
Thank you for the perfect rating!

10/10 Excellent

Chilenye

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everything was magical. Every single staff member was an ambassador of this beautiful establishment.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021
Response from Pumba Private Game Reserve on Aug 25, 2021
Thank you for your beautiful review!

10/10 Excellent

Mrs S

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Exceptional resort.
The most wonderful stay and game drive experience. Huge thanks to Brindon, our ranger for the informative chats and beautiful sightings of the cheetahs, while lions, rhino and numerous other animals on the reserve. Wonderful staff in the lodges and exceptional treatments in the spa too. Thank you all.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Marston

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent experience.
Well paced, informative safari's great game drive Brendon, game stock a bit limited, but contains the big five.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed at Pumba for 3 nights. We had such a brilliant time there! We stayed in lodge 9 & it was so beautiful! The housekeeping staff do a truely wonderful job. Wonderful game drives with Brendin, who clearly has a lot of knowledge & passion for his job. Brendin was very accommodating & took his time with the sightings, which we really appreciated. All the staff at Pumba are welcoming, friendly & professional. From being welcomed & farewelled by Olga, to the wonderful service staff, amazing chefs & brilliant game drives with Brendin (who has such a beautiful & kind manner). We’ve both travelled in South Africa before & this is has been a standout experience for us.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

s

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very good experience
Wonderful accommodation and facilities. Staff very caring. Would reccommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Pumba Water Lodge is beautiful and the Kudu 2 bedroom suite is Devine.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Amazing place. Our lodge was superb and the game drives with Dean were simply unforgettable. We were with another lovely couple and we had so much fun. A special place that we will always remember.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Exceptional staff and location ...well worth a visit
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful location with chalets over the lake to watch the animals as well as excellent game drives. A very special place with a great staff.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We stayed in a gemsbok chalet and coildnt have been happier with the size, comfort and location. However, its the wildlife and the rangers that take this to an exceptional level. We showered outside whilst watching hippo in the lake.The rangers work hard to make each drive great- huge diversity in flora and fauna as well as birdlife. This is a very ethical reserve when a huge emphasis on how wildlife viewings are managed. Truly superb experience from start to finish.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Trevor, Wales

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
First rate Private game reserve
From the time you arrive to the time you leave services is first rate. The food, the staff, the rooms are all exceptional. The Rangers ensure the maximum viewing on the game drives.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Yek Wan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best private game lodge
Had an amazing stay at Pumba - impeccable service, good food, luxurious accommodation at the Gembok Water lodge and excellent game drives. Highly recommended!

10/10 Excellent

Sarah , Kent, Uk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gorgeous hotel with animals included!
We stayed in the Kudu Suite at the Waterfront lodge part of Pumba. Room was massive with two bedrooms with stunning views over the water, a lounge area and two bathrooms. Each with its own bath, one being a jacuzzi bath and open glass showers capturing the magnificent views. Even got to shower with the monkeys looking on! With two safaris each day, we also got to see many animals including rhino, elephant, giraffe, lion and buffalo. We even got to see the hippo in the water from our room. Our ranger on the safaris was very knowledgable and helpful. Food was all inclusive and lovely and all staff were friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend this experience to anyone and would stay again in an instance. We were sad to leave but it will hold many memories for us.

10/10 Excellent

Hazel M, Perth, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful experience
Was perfect in every way, could not have asked for anything more or better. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

10/10 Excellent

j, Cyprus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect Pumba
From arrival to departure it was a magical experience at Pumba Water Lodge. Our accommodation had the real "wow" factor with our own private plunge pool and the attention to detail was second to none, even down to nice little touches such as fresh milk in your fridge every day and sherry and nibbles in your room along with homemade cookies. The game safari rides were excellent even had a stop half way for a drink and small snacks to eat. Quality of food in restaurant was really good and the service friendly and efficient. Had our laundry sorted which was all in with the price we paid. Pumba was the highlight of our holiday, amazing !!

10/10 Excellent

Eliza, Perth, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Secluded game lodge
Pumba Game Lodge is a beautiful place about 110 kms from Port Elizabeth. The lodge was gorgeous, the rooms in the Bush Lodge were mini suites with small private plunge pools. The attention to detail was superb. The restaurant was good - all food & wine included. The ranger who took us on our game drives was very knowledgeable and went out of her way to find wildlife for us to view & what a treat it was - lions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, impala, blesbuck etc. It's not cheap but certainly worth it.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely fantastic!
Loved it all...location, friendly staff, food and game drives! Stunning resort!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Game Reserve
Fabulous location, friendly staff, incredible animals, game drives phenomenal. The lodge was intimate and superb - we were there in spring and the wood-burner was lit after dinner. We felt honoured to be visiting the animals in their own environment Everything was included but clear head needed for early morning game drive, supported by brilliant guides. Everyone should do this.

10/10 Excellent

Claire, Northumberland, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing
Amazing. Book pumba, you won't be disappointed. An intimate reserve but with great game viewing.

10/10 Excellent

Silke

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastisch
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mia Wiid

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
5-star experience
We loved it. Ultimate luxury stay.
View to the wild animals from our private pool.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Klaus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nicht zu toppen!!!
Wir haben viele Hotels weltweit gesehen. Doch Pumpa private game Reserve ist der Hammer. Schon bei dem herzlichen persönliche Empfang und die Führung durch die Lodge fühlte man sich sehr wohl und umsorgt. Und die Lodge selbst ist unbeschreiblich toll. Die sehr geschmackvolle Einrichtung, die Liebe zum Detail, der bereitgestellte Sherry, die snacks, die riesige Terrasse mit dem Pool und Aussendusche und der weite Blick ins Grüne und die Tiere liessen einen Traum zur Wirklichkeit werden. Die entdpannte Atmosphäre im Restaurant und das Essen selbst lies keine Wünsche offen Auch Siwi unser Guide lies jede Pirschfahrt zu einem Highlight werden. Falls wir noch mal Südafrika bereise, werden wir Pumpa wieder besuchen. Ohne Frage. Mann muss es erlebt haben.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

A.F., Breda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bush Lodge mooie kamers, River Lodge mooi uitzicht
Mooi verblijf. Eerst 2 nachten in Bush Lodge, maar we hadden bij de boeking gevraagd om rivier uitzicht. Gelukkig was de Afrikaanse manager, met goede duitse taal, bereidt ons 2 nachten in de River Lodge te laten verblijven. We hebben genoten, zeker in de River Lodge die wij prefereren boven de Bush Lodge.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Luxurious lodge half hour from Grahamstown
We stayed at the bush lodge which we found more authentic than the waterside lodge. Eleven separate rooms reached via pathways from the main building, each with pool and views over a savannah landscape. High quality design with luxury lodge atmosphere; for example, lie in a hot bathtub and watch rhinos grazing just outside the plate glass sliding doors... Overall good service except for the food, which was mediocre.

10/10 Excellent

Moritz, Hamburg, Deutschland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Tolle Lodge
Sehr freundliches Personal, schönes Zimmer, sehr gute Küche, tolles Reservat. Wir haben mit Peter fast 2 Stunden lang die weißen Löwen auf dem Weg zur Jagd begleitet und am Ende live die Erbeutung eines Warzenschweins miterlebt - das war schon sehr beeindruckend.