Savanna Game Lodge & Guesthouse

Our stay at Savanna Private Game Reserve was absolutely incredible. The staff here made our honeymoon trip so special. From the staff, service, amenities, food, guides, trackers, animals - everything was outstanding! We would definitely stay here again and cannot wait for our next trip.Rooms: 5/5

We just had our honeymoon at Savanna and couldn’t recommend it more. The staff, room, location were perfect, and the experience with the animals was unforgettable. I’m telling anyone who’ll listen to stay here, you won’t regret it!Rooms: 5/5

Our stay at Savanna was everything we hoped it would be and more. The property is absolutely gorgeous, with views over a watering hole that is frequently visited by elephants, warthogs, bushbuck, and other animals. The rooms are also beautiful and spacious - the heated plunge pools are incredible, and the rooms are well-stocked with filtered water and all the drinks, snacks, coffees, and teas your heart desires. The highlight for me was the gorgeous standing bathtub, which was drawn for us every night after we returned from our evening game drive. The housekeeping staff keeps everything spotless and comes through twice a day so that you return from both of your game drives to a clean room. We did not go to Savanna expecting the food to be anything to write home about. I could not have been more wrong. We had some of our best meals in South Africa at Savanna! Some of my favorites included ostrich kebabs, Asian-glazed salmon, and a rooibos pannacotta that I'm attempting to recreate myself tonight. Literally our only complaint about Savanna was that they were TOO generous with the food, and my husband and I frequently couldn't finish everything. We hate wasting food, but the staff was extremely accommodating and provided us with half portions on several occasions. The two places where Savanna really shines are the staff and the game drives. I have never stayed anywhere with such impeccable service. The staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome and meet your every need, from greeting us with fresh homemade lemonade when we arrived to remembering every guest's dietary restrictions and preferences. Our server throughout our stay, Life, was so much fun and we loved chatting with him during our meals. The game drives were a dream come true. Our guide, Jamie, and tracker, Julius, were so impressive, from their encyclopedic knowledge of all the plants and animals in the bush, to their ability to follow tracks and understand animal behavior. I swear Julius has superhuman eyesight - he was able to find a chameleon at night that several of us couldn't find for 30 seconds even with the flashlight shining on it. In our four days at Savanna, we saw the Big Five several times over including one drive where we saw all of the Big Five in the span of a few hours, as well as giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippos, warthogs, jackal pups, hyenas, ostriches, a cheetah, a civet, and so much more. The viewings were incredible – we were frequently the only vehicle, and many of the animals walked right up past us. We also got to taste wild marula fruit elephants' favorite, and Jamie showed us how to make "bush soap" with a plant that suds up when you rub it with water. We had so much fun getting to know Jamie, Julius, and the other couples on our drives during morning coffee breaks and evening sundowners in the bush. I legitimately cried when we had to leave. It was intended to be our once-in-a-lifetime trip, but we are already talking about finding a way to come back! Thank you so much to all of the staff at Savanna for the best four days we could have asked for.

Want restaurant atmosphere? Go elsewhere. Want a friendly family atmosphere and outstanding game drives? This is the place. Savanna is by far our favorite safari game lodge. Small max 18 guests & personalized, wonderful family atmosphere, the best game drives due to highly experienced Rangers & Trackers who go out of their way to help ensure you see the very best of game. Meals at the lodge are at a big long table so you can share experiences with the other guests -- never a dull moment! The staff are always smiling, friendly, and helpful. Overall FAN-TAS-TIC.

Our visit to Savanna will always stay in our memory. Their team fulfilled expectations we did not know we had. Especially our team of guide and spotter was absolutely great. Comment of a guest: “Textbook perfect”. They form a true and professional bond. Doing their job with absolute enthusiasm.

If I could give 6 stars I would. This experience truly was life changing. The service from our main man Lenny, the incredible knowledge from Edward and Aidan, and the hospitality from Jayde and Pumi was truly heart warming. Won’t spoil the special dinners but they’ll be on your mind for weeks to come, and the hospitality is truly unmatched. Miss it nearly every day

Savannah is wonderful. I was there Nov. 25th 2021 for a few days my second time visiting. The game drives can't be beat. We saw a very exciting amount of different animals AND their babies/youth. Try to book Neil if you can-- the very best- though I am sure they are all very good here. Natasha is a very warm host and the entire staff is so welcoming and very flexible. It is an intimate lodge with a small amount of rooms so it feels very inviting/friendly. Very nice guests. If you are serious about seeing wildlife and want an authentic experience with great people, please book Savannah. I am sure there are fancier lodges in Sabi Sand but you will be more than comfortable here. It is luxury come back from your afternoon drive to a hot bubble bath already waiting for you in your room but very down-to-earth. The food was good. I live in NYC so I don't say that lightly we tend to be very picky. My parents retired to S. Africa years ago and have been to quite a few different lodges over the decades and Savannah is hands down their favorite place in S. Africa. You will see amazing wildlife here and up close. The people/service make the place/experience and you can't go wrong here!

We visited here for our ten year wedding anniversary and it was absolutely amazing - and we've been to many amazing hotels and game reserves etc. before - but this place easily beat anywhere we've gone before. Game drives were like nothing we've experienced before; in one five hour drive we saw the magnificent seven! That is pretty much unheard of. Julius our tracker and Greg our guide made a formidable team and made every game drive so much fun and so worthwhile. The room staff went way out of their way to make the room amazing every time you set foot in it. Pickson our waiter was the friendliest and most helpful waiter you could ever ask for, and clearly all of the people behind the scenes were working together as a great team providing us with amazing food and incredible service. We really could not have asked for any more and definitely didn't expect the amazing few days that we had to be quite so amazing. Thanks to all at Savanna. Definitely recommend!

Having never been to SA, let alone a safari lodge, we didn't really know what to expect. Yes we will see wild animals, yes we will have meals provided, yes we will meet new people. Wow, were we blown away. Savanna is a beautiful and extremely well maintained lodge. We were greeted by Jade and her team, and from that point on, we didn't have a care in the world. Our room was just incredible. So clean and inviting. Bed was super comfortable. The pool was clean and heated just in case its not warm enough for you. We even had elephants and warthogs outside our back door! Every evening our room was made up so beautifully and a nice bath was always waiting for us. Our game drives were mind blowing! We got so close to all of the animals that we saw. We felt so safe the entire time though. Our guide Eric and tracker Julius are both so knowledgable. Julius can spot any creature, any time, any where! During just one game drive we saw the Big 5. We were even lucky enough to see an impala being born! The food and drinks were also amazing. Dan, our server throughout our stay, always greeted us with a big smile and was so sweet. We never felt rushed and he would usually have a nice conversation with us during our meals. He made us feel very welcomed there. Thank you to everyone at Savanna for an amazing trip. We can't wait to come back one day! We feel a part of a little family there.

Savanna is the most beautiful private game reserve with so many stunning animals to see including the big 5. The staff are most friendly and accommodating. A place to add to your bucket list.Rooms: 5/5