Nyala Safari Lodge

Sorry, this review is a few months overdue, but, hope it still offers potential new guests some pointers. We visited Nyala Safari Lodge in early April 2025. This was our 2nd visit to the lodge following a previous visit in 2022. Some friends accompanied us this time and for them this was their first ever safari trip to South Africa. We kept Nyala until the last stop on our safari adventure, as based on our last visit we knew our friends would love the 'feel and ambience' this place had to offer - and it did not disappoint. Dave and Nikkie are very attentive towards their guests and run this lodge really well. You can tell because there is a happy atmosphere in the camp which translates into excellent service served up by staff with genuine smiles. We find the standard of food in South Africa to be generally very good anyway. However, the quality of dishes served up by Shylet (Head Chef) and Kutso were once again, truly exceptional. So much so that all four of us really looked forward to what was on the menu each day. The standard of accomodation at Nyala is excellent and there is no attention to detail spared in terms of decoration, including towels folded up in the shape of a smily elephant's head on your arrival. The rondavels are beautifully appointed and the bathrooms, including an additional outside shower facility, really make for a truly wonderful bush experience. You visit Nyala though for the safari experience and in this respect we had some wonderful sightings this time. Christelle was once again our guide and she really knows her stuff - and is incredibly funny and interesting too. Knowing that we were (slightly) disappointed last time not to see Ezulwini ( a big elephant tusker that sometimes visits the property) she went out of her way to make sure we saw him this time. So, thanks Christelle and we hope your trip to Norway went well. Finally, a big thanks to the Nyala team. We really enjoyed our stay and needless to say our friends got back home with some wonderful memories of their last stopover in South Africa.

The best thing about Nyala are the traditional African elements to it including the beautiful rondavels. Nyala may be traditional but it's luxurious too but the African elements to this camp make it what it is - an exceptional! experience. All the staff are so welcoming and professional (thank you Nicki) and Wes our guide's passion and knowledge contributed so much to an overall wonderful trip. We have been many times to Nyala and hope to be back soon.

Fantastic overall experience – this place offers both adventure and relaxation. The absolute highlights are the two game drives a day we had with the most passionate and fabulous guide, Christelle – you couldn’t wish for better!! Nicki and Dave and the whole team at the lodge are amazing, you can tell that they are putting a lot of thought into how to make it a memorable stay. They prepared different romantic dinners for us and the chef spoiled us with her delicious food! Do bring a book or two—between game drives, the peaceful surroundings invite you to unwind. Hoedspruit Airport is relatively close by, making arrivals and departures convenient. The 3-4 planes that fly by in the early afternoon are hardly noticeable. Rooms are very clean, and taken care of twice a day when on safari. The lodge is well protected, felt very safe during day and night time. With stunning views of the riverbanks, you might see various animals pass by while dining or relaxing—making this a place to remember and one we would love to come back to one day!

Joan and I had a fantastic week at Nyala Safari Lodge. From the moment Christelle our guide, picked us up at the gate to the private game reserve adjacent to Kruger National Park and the greeting at the Lodge by managers David and Nikki and staff, until we left (with not a few tears) a week later, we were treated as beloved guests. The accommodations are delightful, with views of an ephemeral river bed and permanent waterhole frequented by wild game including elephants, rhinos, antelope, and the occasional lion and leopard. The cottage was immaculately clean, large and comfortable with A/C, indoor and outdoor showers and an African veld charm (including a traditional thatched roof). The food was excellent and prepared by well trained and charming staff. And then there were the animals! Driving from the entrance gate to the Lodge we saw the first of our 5 lepards. Not only did Christelle bring us close to the beautiful animal she was able to tell us about her, how many babies she has had and a great deal about lepard’s natural history. This was typical of Christelle who is not only a great guide and tracker (in addition to being kind and very funny) but is also a knowledgeable naturalist. I am an avid amateur wildlife photographer, and never had to request that Christelle position me for a better shot - she just did it. During our week at Nyala, we not only saw the Big Five once, but two separate times. Equally exciting was seeing and photographing an incredible variety of wildlife and birds. Truly a remarkable experience. Joan and I cannot thank David, Nikki, Christelle and the Staff enough for one of the most enjoyable and exciting experiences of our many travels. While Joan and I are in our late 70’s we are already planning to return to Nyala next year.

For my first time in the bush i have experience this splendid feel-like-home place being operated by Nicky&David with Crystal as true wild nature expert. Those four days were full of genuine hospitality, great cuisine and unforgettable hours spent at Safari. Hope for comming back again!

We had the best holiday ever in Nyala Safari Lodge. I would definitely love to return there someday and I absolutely recommend this place. The accomodation is very nice, spacious, internal and external bathroom (perfect!), very comfy bed, nice patio. Dave and Nikki are great managers, they were doing everything to make our stay absolutely incredible and they suceeded. Girls from the kitchen and room service were also amazing, always smiling and the meals were excellent. We definitely gained some weight there, the food was delicious. And the best of all that? Our guide Cristelle. She was amazing. I was almost crying when saying bye the last day at the gate. You can see that she loves the bush and she has a lot of experience. She gave us plenty of information about big animals, small animals including birds or insects and even flowers. We saw so much during the games (twice a day, sometimes even third ride in the night). The experience was amazing and way beyond my expectations. If I ever return (I hope so!), I want only Cristelle as a guide!