Lion Sands Ivory Lodge

Our experience at Ivory Lodge exceeded our expectations. From the moment of our arrival at Skukuza Airport, staff ensured our experience was unparalleled! After check in and on our first safari drive we saw 4 of the Big 5! We saw our leopard mother and cub on the second drive! The amenities, food and service were outstanding! Our butler Solly attended to every detail including having fresh coffee and muffins dropped at our room each morning before our early drive. One night staff arranged a surprise outdoor dinner party with local entertainment for the guests! Another day they arranged a full breakfast for us mid morning out on our drive on a platform overlooking the river. No detail was overlooked and while luxurious the service was never stuffy or pretentious and staff was always warm and genuine. We can't wait to go back!

cosa dire un sogno che si trasforma in realta! non ho mai scritto recensioni nei miei 40 anni di viaggi, ma non posso esimermi da ringraziare con tutto il cuore tutti... ma una menzione devo farla per Giorg, Truz e Rodnick, che hanno reso questa avventura favolosa, anche con la pioggia!! Grazie ragazzi e a presto. Luisella e Gabriele

There are no words to describe our experience at this lodge. From the moment that we were picked up at Skukuza Airport by Gus, we immediately felt welcome. On our drive from the airport to the lodge, we already began seeing animals. Ty warmly welcomed us, and introduced us to the amazing staff. We were given lemon-grass scented hand towels. Our room was stunning and contained a private pool, outdoor shower, sitting area, and more. After a delicious lunch served by the amazing Solley, we were taken on our first official game drive by Gus and our tracker, Tony. They could not have been more knowledgeable and hospitable. Three days of complete tranquility and bliss. We watched endless animals make their way to the Sabie River as we plunged in our pool. Herds of elephants, a giant African buffalo, giraffes, zebra, and more appeared right on the river. The staff surprised us with an amazing boma dinner, where we watched a performance by the staff followed by an exquisite meal featuring local Africa cuisine. The food was second to none. We got zero mosquito bites and there were almost no bugs! It was heavenly. Besender walked us to our rooms every night, and could not have been more friendly. He constantly repeated how much he loved his job. The staff all seemed so happy to be there, and their happiness was so obvious. I’m pretty sure we will go the rest of our lives and not be able to replicate this experience, unless we are lucky enough to return to the Ivory Lodge. This is truly a once in a lifetime destination!

Never have I been so well cared for on a vacation. Everything done so I we had to do was to enjoy ourselves. You are greeted at the airport by your guide who takes you on all of your game drives. This allowed us to get to know him and him us. Our guide was Gus and he is hands down the best in the business. We got a wake up call if we wanted one. He was so educational and answered all of our questions. We saw the Big 5 by the end of day 2. Our tracker Noel was amazing. He found us everything from a pair of male lions on a kill in the and a little chameleon on a tree our evening drive. The dining is the very best. Excellently prepared and served wonderfully. We felt very safe every minute and were shown things we will remember forever. We usually don’t return to places we’ve already been but we feel like Lion Sands is family now and we will definitely be back soon.

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 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.