Find hotels in Balule Game Reserve from £34

"Our stay at Milima Big 5 Safari Lodge was very enjoyable overall, with great highlights and a few points for improvement. Sydney is an excellent game driver, very attentive and dedicated, always committed to finding the Big 5. His knowledge of the region is impressive, and thanks to him we had already seen all of the Big 5 by our second game drive, which was incredible. The food was excellent, the staff were friendly and attentive, and the lodge is very comfortable, creating a relaxing atmosphere. However, there were some issues. Upon arrival, the bathroom trash had not been emptied and still contained waste from previous guests. The bathroom door in Tent 1 does not close properly, affecting privacy. We also experienced noise from staff conversations near the tent. We booked a transfer to Hoedspruit Airport but were not informed that the only available time was 10:30 AM. Our flight was at 3:20 PM, so we waited about four hours at the airport, which has limited infrastructure. When we asked to cancel, the lodge refused to refund, which felt inflexible given the price level. Lastly, the air conditioning in Tent 1 was inconsistent and sometimes left the tent very hot. Overall, a great safari experience, especially thanks to Sydney, but with some operational improvements needed."

"The entire property was spotless. The hosts were always available for assistance when needed and treated each guest with a smile and courtesy. The breakfast was generous with yogurt, museli, fruit, eggs, bacon, and cucumber/tomato garnish. Of course coffee, tea, and juice were offered as well. The pool and pool bar were not ready for use. Of course the summer season had ended. I did not ask why, so if that is important to you, I recommend you ask ahead of time. The pool was clean except for some fallen leaves. The location was secure inside the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate. It was very quiet at night except for the occasional animal sounds. There was easy and convenient access to Hoedspruit shops and restaurants. For the great service, cleanliness, and security... I recommend this stay."

"Start with the good things...the setting is beautiful and the receptionist was very kind. The roads were well maintained and parking was easy. The place has a lot of potential. The disappointing issue was that the Expedia listing is not accurate and the owners were completely non-responsive. The restaurant is not open as described in the listing (breakfast is provided, though). Also, the tent I booked said it had a private pool. That was not the case at all. The listing for both tents listed a private pool but it was only available to one of them. That would not have been bad if the owner had given me the courtesy of a response. When I brought it up, they ignored my message. I know they read it from the read receipt. Later, when the power went out, I notified them. No response until morning when they curtly informed me of the time it came on (just maybe 10 minutes later). Coincidentally, I was fully aware of that time and didn't intend my message as a complaint. I felt they were offended by it since they didn't respond until 8 hours later. Finally, the 3 spiders in my sheets were the last straw. It was a tent, so maybe understandable, but I did not feel confident that I found them all. I checked out early and they obviously did not offer a refund. I did notify Expedia of the listing discrepancies and they attempted to contact the owners with no success. Beautiful place, but know what you are getting. As an experienced traveller, this is the first negative review of my life."

"Very friendly staff. Very spacious room with nice view and selection of food. Hotel and pool are in good condition. "

"The first thing to note was that I was not informed that my room would not be near the lodge. As a solo traveler, that would’ve been very important information to know that I am not near any help if I needed it. In addition, One cannot just leave the log their lodging because you’re located in a nature reserve and it isn’t safe so you’re pretty much a prisoner at your room and you are dependent on somebody picking you up in order to get you somewhere the room itself was fine. The airport shuttle worked perfectly. The staff was hit or miss. The person in charge, Musa, was a very odd fellow. He seemed to stare and was very slow to both move and respond to questions. He did not make me feel at ease in any way, and in my opinion, should definitely not be the face of your property. The rest of the staff, while friendly, were not particularly professional. They asked personal questions and their English was not very good."

"unreal"

"Great trips. Great lodging. Good to great food. Great guides who try hard to make sure guests see wildlife."

"A very warm welcome from the team.The tent was cosy, as was the bed on the cold nights. Great to hear the local animals during the night, with wonderful day visits from the ellies."

"What a spectacular place!!! We cannot recommend it highly enough!"