Lion Sands Ivory Lodge

My husband and I spend 4 glorious days at this fabulous private lodge. We were treated with the utmost care in every way. It was our first safari trip, and first time on the African continent and this place did not disappoint. Each day we had the very best meals and service by our personal butler Torrence. We did a morning and afternoon game viewing drive with top rated safari guide Kim and her tracker/detective and sleuth, Culture. These two are like Yen and Yang, and through their expertise we were able to see lions, elephants, zebra, kudu, giraffes, monkeys, buffalo, various birds, and on our last day even a leopard! We spend one evening in an open air tree house and watched sunsets on the range while sipping bourbon and gin and tonics each evening with our wonderful guides who have now become dear friends. To say this was memorable is an understatement. This one goes down in the books as the best birthday trip a girl could ask for. I’m sad to leave but the memories will live on…

Had the most amazing time at the Ivory Lodge. Our family of 10 occupied 3 of the 8 villas, but we all spent most of our days together hanging out comfortably in the spacious 2 bedroom Fish Eagle Villa. Having a kitchen in the Villa so that our personal chef can prepare and serve our meals fresh was a true luxury. Indoor and outdoor areas were well maintain and kept pristine throughout our entire stay by our attentive attendants and butlers. The Fish Eagle also has it's own private gym and spa for in-room massage treatments. Game drives were eventful and very comfortable. Guides and trackers were top notch. Had the opportunity to stay in one of the Tree Houses over night, which was such a unique experience. Ivory lodge and it's staff delivered on what felt like a once in a lifetime type of experience.

Our experience at this lodge was a 10 out of 10. The lodge is in the perfect setting, the food is excellent and the all staff members are extremely friendly and go over and above to accommodate each guest. The game drives are amazing as you get extremely close to the animals. Your driver and tracker are also extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this lodge.

What an amazing experience, starting with the pick up at Skukuza Airport, sighting some animals on the way, and the warm towel and juice greeting at the lodge. Wonderful, friendly service by a terrific team that took care of every need. We loved our guide (Mike) and tracker (Brian) combo who previewed our drives and clearly knew what they were doing. Of course luck is involved, but we would sight a lion sleeping on the road or an unexpected leopard napping, in addition to our planned itinerary. There were only two jeeps at a time for sightings, which allows for a private experience. After all, we're there to see animals, not other tourists. Our lodge was lovely and stocked with anything you need from bubbly to fluffy robes. We had a view of the river and a bushbuck who grazed a few feet below our pool, so our own private pet (of sorts). Wine selection was varied and interesting, so we dove into South African options. Food was good and certainly plentiful. Some of the sauces were not to my taste, but that may be local or typical guest palate. Spa treatment in between game drives helped with jetlag and unwinding. I was so sad to leave.

We had an almost perfect stay at the Ivory Lodge. We were fortunate enough to book the Fish Eagle villa. It did not disappoint. The service rendered by the villa's staff--Gifford, Mavis, and Eunice--was outstanding. The meals they prepared were delicious. The accommodations were world class. We slept comfortably and well. We saw every animal we had hoped to see. In fact, elephants, zebras, impala, buffalo, monkeys, and many others wandered through the yard behind our villa. Our Guide, Anthony and our Tracker, Andries were exceptional. They were personable and provided such interesting information as we went on our safari drives. Seriously, this was the vacation of a lifetime for us. It earns my heartiest recommendation.

What do you do when you leave a certain place, ie, Lion Sands, Ivory Lodge, to return home & all you do is think about how to return? Lion Sands, you will be in our hearts forever! Somehow, thank you does not seem like enough for every single person we came in contact with. To name a few Gus our driver, Brian our spotter, Mr. G ( always smiling)Eliza, You ALL are perfection in your jobs, as well as others, I have not mentioned. As soon as our boots hit the ground @ LS, we were totally engrossed and completely delighted WITH everything! We stayed in the Family tent & the accommodations/attention to detail while looking out the front of the tent, at all the “natural inhibits” was a chance of a lifetime. We had lunch under the trees, breakfast while out in the mornings & dinner in the “main tent” with other guests from around the world! A delight! Apology to the chef, can’t remember (jet lag) but your food was healthy & delicious. Never felt like we had overate greasy/fried food with that bloating feeling. Being served coffee in the morning, was a dream come true & got this non-morning person up & ready to jump in the keep.

It was a first african trip for my daughter in law. My children were blown way by the comfort and proximity to the Sabi river. Game and birds were abundant, accompanied by superb food , staff were extremely polite and attentive. Thank you for an unforgettebale experience.

Everything about Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is sublime! The service is excellent, with amazing, interesting and well prepared menu options (think sea bass done to perfection one night, and a fantastic fillet another). Breakfast and lunch were equally bountiful and delicious. Butler Gifford was friendly and attentive at all times, keeping us stuffed to the gills with fine dining (compliments also to the chef!). Staff greeted us upon arrival and departure with cold washcloths, and porters were always on hand to escort us to our” lodge.” The accommodations were superior, with an open, airy feeling, and every detail considered - bed facing a wall-sized picture window, fully stocked bar and pantry, private plunge pool… I could go on and on. And that’s just what we enjoyed outside of the game drives (!), which were themselves spectacular. Guide Raymond and tracker Amu were wholly attentive, and persistent in their pursuit of the animals we most hoped to see. Each drive brought new wonders, and added opportunity to learn about how local villagers live(d). Ever-smiling Raymond was friendly and very knowledgeable, and Amu hustled to set the stage. Both really put forth extra effort to ensure our enjoyment / satisfaction. I have only two small policy recommendations: 1) I’d propose that guests be given a 5 minute grace period for game drive start times, after which the jeep leaves without them. This is not a reflection on staff, but a suggestion for how to manage guests who are more lackadaisical about agreed upon start times. Private guides could then be hired by the tardy party, if available, for a cost. Raymond worked to get our jeep mates to the vehicle on time, but they arrived more than 15 minutes late on our last day, leaving us watching other groups depart, and yearning to be out there too. 2) I’d welcome some narrative about the routes we were taking and why, the layout of the reserve, etc. (This only occurred to me in hindsight.). Despite these suggestions (there are always new heights to strive for), this was a wonderful experience, well worth the cost of admission. We would recommend Ivory Lodge to anyone who can swing it, and hope to come back again….

My husband and I have been on 10 safaris over the last 30 years, and Ivory Lodge is by far the most luxurious accommodation. Spacious and beautifully appointed, delicious food that can be tailored and served at any time of day, plus new and comfortable safari vehicles. Our guide Anthony and tracker Andries are an amazing team and the best guides ever (and we’ve had a few). They not only discussed animal life but also plant life, ecology, and other important elements of the ecosystem that we usually don’t hear about. They were sensitive to the animals (using red light filters on their spotlight at night) and only having two vehicles at a time at any given sighting. We appreciate their respect for the animals. The walking tour in the bush was also informative. We learned so much, and had an amazing experience. Our adult children are still thanking us, and we thank Lion Sands for a truly memorable experience.