Lush Private Game Lodge

My husband and I added a few days at Lush onto the end of a 2 week work trip and it was the best decision we ever made!! The staff were amazing and treated us like we were the only ones at the lodge. The game drives were so cool, and the property is beautiful!! Each person we encountered welcomed us with a smile and helped us find whatever we were looking for, treating us to surprises and neat experiences each day. Thank you, Lush!

Stunning location , over luxury everywhere , outstanding service , sublime dining experiences, spa treatments out of this world . Every room has a private plunge pool. The views from your bed of the bush and mountain are surreal plus u have ur own roof deck . Juts the best safari experience I have ever had in South Africa . 5 stars… I think 6 stars is more appropriate

I've been home from this trip for almost a month now and it's taken me that long to put my thoughts together to try to describe the experience. We had been looking for a place to go to celebrate my 50th birthday and this was the first Safari Lodge that my husband sent me. I was sold from the first look and wouldn't even consider another property. While I am sure there are many beautiful places in this part of South Africa, I can confidently say there is no way any of them could compare to the experience we had here. This is a LONG review - I have a lot to say about this place. From the communication with the hotel prior to the trip through to me crying because we had to leave and everything between, Lush was more than we could have hoped for. We have travelled extensively and stayed in some nice places, but nothing even comes close to what the Lush Team has created. It is truly magical. We were fortunate to spend 7 nights here in the newest Superior Deluxe Suite (#8). While most people that we met spent 2 or 3 nights before moving on to somewhere else, we were very happy with our decision to stay put. You do 2 game drives a day, so for us that meant 16 game drives, but we loved them so much we only skipped one afternoon drive and we did it only so we could have more down time to enjoy our incredible room. You are paired with one ranger for the duration of your stay but we happened to arrive as our first ranger Avi was about to begin her week off, so we had our first two drives with her and the rest with Hannes. Both of them were absolutely wonderful, as were the other two Rangers that we met at Lush (Sean and Cole). Whoever you get will be knowledgeable, enthusiastic and will mix a fabulous cocktail. We were lucky to have Hannes all to ourselves for one evening and one morning game drive. He knew I was a bird fanatic and, bless his heart, he went out of his way to make sure I saw every bird there was to see. If he didn't know what kind of bird it was, he tried to figure it out for me. Even on days when we had others in our Jeep, he made sure to take the time to point the birds out for me and I loved every minute of it. Hannes was an absolute GEM and I am so thankful we got to spend so much time with him. He made our trip unforgettable. Of course there is a lot more to see than birds and we saw pretty much everything on our list. We saw the Big 5 all in one drive, but this is not the norm so it does help if you are staying more than one or two nights if you have a big list of "Must See" animals. (the Buffalo are apparently tough to find!) The evening drives are on the Black Rhino Game Reserve and the Morning drives are in the Pilanesberg National Park. It is completely open for animals to roam between the two, and what you can find in the National Park, you can also find in the Game Reserve. This was our first safari experience, but from what I am told there is a greater concentration of animals here with ama

This Is Life. This Is Lush. Words are just that… words. And try as I might, I don’t think I’ve got the vocabulary to truly capture the magnificence of our stay at Lush. From the moment we arrived, we knew we were in for something extraordinary. A warm, heartfelt welcome from Dalmane, followed by Phindi’s expert walk-through of the lodge and our suite, set the tone for a weekend soaked in care, comfort, and quiet luxury. Our suite? Simply unbelievable. A full-service bar, spacious lounge, workstation, and a private deck that catered to our every whim. And then the outdoor indulgence…our very own heated splash pool, twin outdoor showers, a glorious outdoor bath, and an elevated viewing deck where the bush unfolded before us. As if that wasn’t enough, Sphe made sure our nights were pure bliss…hot water bottles tucked into an emperor-sized bed, and a hot bubbly bath run just at the right time. It was thoughtful, personal, and beautifully done. Friday night? That was something else. We were spoilt with an intimate wine tasting experience on our own private deck, hosted by the ever-knowledgeable Phindi, followed by a sumptuous three-course dinner served with flair and expertise by Sphe. To top it all…Sphe and his choir sang Happy Birthday to Vonnie as we celebrated her 60th in the bush. It was one of those moments where time stands still. And the meals didn’t stop impressing there… Breakfasts, lunches, dinners…all exceptional. The Chef and her team created dishes that were full of flavour, personality, and care. Saturday night’s Braai was introduced to Lush’s international guests by Talo with pride and authenticity. A feast at the Chisa Nyama table became even more memorable with a herd of elephants quenching their thirst at the nearby waterhole. It was surreal… and unforgettable. And then, there is the bush… Our field guide Sean was nothing short of brilliant. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and downright entertaining…he made every game drive a joy. From hot water bottles and warm blankets to perfectly timed bush coffees and reverse gear engagements, he didn’t miss a beat. And the sightings? Incredible. Zebra, giraffe, baboons, monkeys, wildebeest, impala, kudu, warthogs, and hippos. The Big Five - lion, lioness with cubs, rhino, buffalo, elephant, and leopard made appearances, much to our delight. But the highlight for me? The cheetahs. Two sleek males marking their territory… and the crème de la crème…a female cheetah with her two cubs. The young cubs’ colouring beginning to change from the silver honey badger look along their backs to their mature spots. To celebrate, Sean treated us to a classic bush sundowner with G&T’s, breadsticks, biltong, stuffed peppadews, and other treats. This made me fall in love with Africa all over again. To round off our weekend, Kea and Teresa welcomed us into the spa for massages that transported us to another realm. Their treatments, the setting, the calmness… it was healing in every sense of the word. T

My new wife and I stayed at Lush for 5 nights of our honeymoon, I can not recommend Lush Private Lodge highly enough. Everything from arrival to leaving was absolutely fantastic. The attention to detail, the amazing staff and incredible game runs were all out of this world. Will definitely be looking to rebook.

WOW. WOW. WOW We have just returned from a 9 night stay at Lush and cant fault a single thing. Weve had the please of staying in some fantastic properties around the world and this tops the lot. This will be the longest review ive ever done but Lush Private Lodge deserves all the praise I can give so ill break it down into parts. Arrival. We arrived via a private transfer at 1pm and were greeted by 2 of the staff waving and smiling at the entrance. we were given warm towels to refresh ourselves after the journey. This also happened on returning from every game drive. Our room wasnt quite ready but we were shown into the open dining area and had a fantastic lunch and a few beers/wines but more about the food later. We were shown to our suite at 2 oclock. Our room was the furthest suite and took about 90 seconds to walk to which was always a pleasure as the surrounding are fantastic. Our Suite. We stayed in the Superiro Deluxe Suite. The decor was spot on and all very well thought out. There is a sitting area with a huge leopard print sofa and 2 large arm chairs. The bar area, not a mini bar as that would be a huge understatement was huge and had 3 types of lager (3 bottles of each), red and white wine, soft drinks anf juices, gin, single malt whisky and i think port in a decanter. Also water and an ice bucket which was always full. There is a kettle with all different types of tea and a coffee pod machine. all of the items were constantly restocked. This area has sliding doors on to the patio area. There is also a writing desk behind the sofa and a zebra print armchair by the front door. A safe was also provided inside a cupboard by the front door. The bedroom had a huge window looking at the mountains. The bed was big. At least 7 feet wide. and covered in cushions and a bolster. The duvet covers were thick cotton and very comfortable as was the mattress. The beds are turned down at night and a hot water bottle is placed either side of the bed which is a loveley addition. At night net curtains are drawn around the bedroom area which gives it a more cosy intimate feel. The bathroom area has a large freestanding bath, a walk in shower, 2 sinks a dressing area and a seperate toilet. The made came in I think at least 4 times a day when we were out on game drives or meal times to refresh the room. It was always spotless. The bathroom area also had another door out on to the patio which had 2 outdoor showere and another free standing bath along with a heated plunge pool. There were 2 loungers and also a covered lounge area witha sofa and 2 arm chairs as wll as a dining area. Out the front door and up the stairs was our veiwing area which was partly covered and had a sofa and 2 chaise lounges. We saw many animals from here including Zebra and Giraffe at the base of the mountain and many Kudu, Impala and Mongoose right outside the room. The bird life is also abundant. At night you can see the milky way. It really is fantastic. Meals. These are all fa