I recently stayed a night here, and while the accommodation was absolutely incredible, the wildlife experience left much to be desired. Our room was nothing short of breathtaking, beautifully designed, spacious, and set in a truly serene location. One of the highlights of our stay was waking up to the sight of hippos right outside in the morning. Sitting on the deck with a cup of tea, watching them in their natural habitat, was a moment I will never forget. However, I was quite disappointed to find that the game experience felt more like a zoo than a true safari. The main animals are kept in separate enclosures, and you have to pay at least R745 to see each of them. They are not wild but rather fed, which completely changes the experience. If you are looking for a true safari, I would strongly recommend Addo instead, where the animals roam freely and you get to witness their real interactions in the wild. That being said, if luxury accommodation and a peaceful setting are what you are after, this lodge delivers. The stay itself was wonderful, but for an actual wildlife experience, there are far better options.

Outstanding

This lodge is set in a beautiful area, it is outstanding and so relaxing. This was our second visit.

Beautiful game lodge

Beautiful lodge on a big lake. Nyala wandering around the tents, noisy birds at night. We could see hippos in the lake and deer the other side. Fun trip to see the meerkats - we had to be patient, but six of the eventually appeared. Nice to see Springbok and Gnus too

The staff were really friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. The safari experiences were amazing, especially the cheetahs.

It was a true luxury African experience The tented rooms were big and luxuries with wild wildlife all around. Friendly staff and great food

Luxury Camping

The tents are very luxurious. Heated blankets and warm showers. It feels like you're camping in luxury. Food was also great at the restaurant although you have to walk back in the dark.

The location of Buffelsdrift is beautiful which made the safari experience even more wonderful. Staff were warm, welcoming and the tent was gorgeous. A truly magical stay.

Very recommended you won't regret

Great lodge! We booked the room that's near the water, had a great view straight at the hippos, very satisfied with that. The staff was amazing, had help with anything we asked right away, the dinner is the best! The tent is air-conditioned and has a ceiling-fan, all the "walls" have openings to the view of the dam, there's an outdoor shower and an indoor bath which are clean and nice. We were very happy with our stay, very recommended.

Incredible experiences with wildlife. Staff were very knowledgeable. Service was great

Very comfortable luxury tent experience

Very large private game reserve with most animals living wild. Tent was very comfortable with bedroom, bathroom, and private outdoor shower, and the tent overlooked the lagoon where the hippos kept cool during the day, while turtles, ducks, geese and other birds gathered. Great safari experiences.

Awesome place!!

Wonderfully luxurious stay

Beautiful accommodation and excellent staff

We loved our tent. Seeing the wildlife around, especially in the morning was amazing.

The tent accommodation is novel and unique - but the noise definitely travels so expect early morning bird calls. The WiFi in our tent and in the resort was poor and the service at dinner was a bit chaotic. All that said, however, we enjoyed our few days here and there’s lots to see and do in the surrounding area.

Phenomenal Mini-Safari Experience

We truly enjoyed our stay at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge. The staff is amazing - the waiters, animal handlers, guides, they all made us feel welcome and special. The luxury tent we stayed in was spacious and the view was beautiful. The a-la-carte menu at the restaurant was great and the food was excellent. We've stayed at another game lodge on the Garden Route, which was nice, but Buffelsdrift really is a first class experience - High quality service, food, accomodation and perfect location. 5***** STARS experience!!

Buffelsdrift is great place especially for kids. We were disappointed that the water level in the pond was so low that they had removed some of the hippos. The dinners were great.The staff seemed to try hard and were very friendly.

We did a night game drive which was really informative and the ranger was fab.

Excellent place to Stay

Excellent place to stay.The rooms are made from high quality canvas. A kind of tent ,yes. But the wooden floors and quality furniture and fully equipped bathroom dispose any idea of a tented " concentration camp" It is a well maintained de luxe room. The restaurant is beautiful and the food out of the top drawer. Everything ,including fast and friendly staff leaves nothing to complain about. We've been there in the middle of July. High winter. And boy,was it cold! Fortunately we had enough quality blankets. Would highly recommend this place to anybody looking for top class accommodation.

Tented rooms were excellent with a/c and heat if needed Outdoor shower super Restaurant food delicious and plentiful to say the least!!

Glamping with a rolltop bath and a view!

It’s a tent but in no way is it roughing it. Electricity, constant hot water, free WiFi, loo (and bath) with a view. Hippos in the lake (difficult to spot, but they are there!) and antelope munching away at bushes and grass round the accommodation. 2 day package was great value - included all meals, safaris drives, 2 external (self drive) excursions. Only thing to be paid for was drinks. Can opt for additional (chargeable) activities - one of which is the only way to see their ‘tame’ (not free ranging) lions. 2 x 2hr Land Rover safaris. Could be cynical and claim they were a bit contrived, but still a million times better than seeing animals in a zoo.

Game lodge

Very good facility but we were there at the wrong time of year (June) too stormy....

Excellent overnight stay in a wonderful facility

We loved the atmosphere of the Lodge and the set out of the luxury tent on the water was brilliant. The claw foot bath overlooking the water was a treat and also loved the outdoor shower. We enjoyed everything about our stay including the staff and food.

Disappointing at Buffalos Drift

Had to wait 30 mins to be checked in by a student(not her fault) and then a further 15 for our luggage to be transported to our tent which was ripped. Food also disappointing. The location however was amazing. Lagoon side tent with hippos and birds. The game drive we felt was rather contrived, tracking rhinos which we found in a clearing and had been fed hay there.

A wonderful little secret. If you want to experience what it is like living on an African farm in the oudtshoorn area this is it. Now a lovely low key safari camp. My luxury safari tent was on the water so you can lie in bed and watch the wild life. Amazing. The full moon coming up over the dam made dinner one of the most romantic ever can't wait to go back

Not exactly what I was expecting

Booked the lodge because we could have a tent on the water to see the animals come down to drink in the evening, unfortunately this was not exactly the case, to start with I felt it was a glorified duck pond, there were a few impala came along the side, on last day 2 hippos swam in water, there are several watering holes around the park and the animals stayed there not the one where the tents were.... We booked the evening safari VERY expensive, and was VERY VERY disappointed that we were not taken to see the elephants, we saw them from afar but not close, if we had wanted to get closer that was another trip and another expensive pay out. Everything was designed to take more money from you. Breakfast was very good, self service and and excellent choices. Evening meal was okay, perhaps one of my choices wasn't the best but my second choice was very good

Very disappointing stay

We were looking forward to our stay at this lodge but were very disappointed by the experience. The reception was cold and expeditive. The tent was old and needed maintenance: Some zippers did not work, a plastic window was cracked, wash basin was cracked, toilet bowl was cracked and leaking, etc. The deck of the main building were meals are served needs serious maintenance. Breakfasts were very ordinary: few fruits and canned lychees. Lunch and service were ok. Quality of food and service for dinner were poor. We barely touched our plates. We had a reservation for two nights but were ready to leave after the first night. The manager informed us that it was not possible because payment had already been made to Expedia. She offered safaris as a compensation. Safaris were good. Stays at this lodge are very overpriced. During our trip we stayed at 8 other hotels or lodges in SA usually less expensive and were very satisfied. This lodge is our most expensive so far and our worst experience! Nicole

Most comfortable tent we've slept in!

This is tent-living with comfort and luxury thrown in. The animal noises in the night came for free but made us appreciate the warmth and cosiness inside the tent. The hippopotamuses were not far away in the dam but did not trouble the human population!

Unexpected beautiful bush weekend

Buffelsdrift is a beautifully appoointed gem close to the Karoo town, Oudtshoorn. An unexpected spoil with the most enjoyable luxury tent accommodation, friendly and responsive staff, great food and restaurant. Game drives to view a variety of game (no lions or big cats), meerkat visit and a spa.

'African' experience with a touch of luxury

Stunning location overlooking a dam with a view to the north of the Swartberg Mountains. Buck and hippos and an abundance of (noisy) wildfowl. 'Room' is a spacious luxury tent with an 'out of Africa' feel, very comfortable bed and a separate bathroom. However, being a tent, it is hot during the day and colder at night - although the air conditioner helps a little. Dining area with dinner and breakfast built on stilts over the dam - lovely sundowner location with good food and reasonable service. Game drives cost extra - but worth it for the guide information. All in all a great stay - and would recommend this particularly to vistors to South Africa who want an 'African' experience with more than a touch of luxury

The idea of staying in an upmarket tent was terrific and very comfortable and a real experience. The dining area was a bit large and impersonal and was more like a cafeteria than a dining area/ room. Difficult to see what the menu said or what you were eating if you ate outside at night. Food was good but breakfast buffet was unimaginative but adequate. Not as many animals as I'd hoped to see on the reserve as only elephants were kept near the lodge. No torches available for walk home at night, who knows what might be lurking for someone with a fear of snakes! Pool could have done with being heated. Informative , helpful guide on the safari.

Very loud

The hotel is nice for everybody who loves nature. Animals like the Hippos and birds are quite loud during the night which can cause some sleepless hours during the night. Most disappointing was the level of service and the professional acting of the hotel manager who was unwilling to deal with the extreme noise pollution in the morning coming from the restaurant in the early morning. It remembered me more of a place in Manhatten than in the middle of the nature. Overall quite disappointing and there are better places to stay in this area for a better value for money ratio.

A place like no other

An amazing experience, the fact your staying in a "tent" is truly great but it's a tent like no other! The outdoor shower was a great touch. We stayed half board which included choosing 3 courses from their a la carte menu, would definitely recommend you stay half board?

Beautiful views in Lakefront Tent

Buffelsdrift is situated in a beautiful location, with amazing views of the lake and surrounding mountains visible from the restaurant and the tent rooms. The tent accommodations were the highlight; an outdoorsy feel yet quite clean inside and with amenities (like a heated bed and wi-fi). Waterfront tents have docks and lounge chairs over the water that make for a relaxing evening watching the sunset. The food at the on-site restaurant was average in quality and price. The only downfall of the stay was the pricey "transfers" offered by the property to surrounding locations only a few miles away, making it difficult/expensive for us to go places as we didn't have a car. The property also offers game drives and elephant rides, but if looking for an authentic game experience be advised they have no cats in the reserve and the rangers perform multiple roles (so they aren't soley focused on/dedicated to safaris). Overall, it's a beautiful property and the tent accommodations are awesome - worth a stop if traveling to/near Oudtshoorn.

Amazing

This was wonderful, largest beds we have ever slept in, good quality pillows, scenery fabulous, good hospitality. Would go back again and again.

Unique experienve in lovely location

The idea of luxury tents overlooking the dam is wonderful. "Glamping" at its best! The tents have proper beds, en-suite facilities and air-con but also overlook the dam where 3 hippos spend most of the day lazing about! There's a small swimming pool and the restaurant also has outside seating. The breakfasts were good (not outstanding) and dinner had plenty of choice but remember to take a torch so you can read the menu as the lighting is very poor.

Excellent place to stay

We had a great time will definitely visit with friends again, every one friendly tents great.

Buffelsdrift magic!!

Arrived to find we were staying in tent located in water.....and tent does not describe exactly how fantastic they are.....this is 5 star tenting!!....loved being right on water and watching sun go down, and then come up while wrapped in rug on the deck......couple of lights didn't work, but staff were apologetic and attentive, and little things should never detract from an overall experience....

The view from our tent was spectacular and the stay was unforgettable. However, we were often forgotten about when it came to service.

Tolles Resort , nette Ausflüge ,Abendessen und Frühstück hervorragend.Zelt direkt am Wasser mit toller Aussicht ! Wer empfindlich ist was Lautstärke nachts betrifft, die Gänse machen schon Radau !

Minha estadia foi incrível. Tenho certeza que vou voltar um dia. O atendimento é maravilhoso e as cabanas são muito confortável. Amei ter conhecido e super indico para fazer Safari é um contato com a natureza. O café da manhã é muito gostoso. Eles tem atividades muito interativas e educativas com os animais.

Traumhafter Zeltlodge Urlaub

Es war traumhaft am Wasser gelegen in dem Hippos waren. Die Anlage war sehr schön, man wurde zum Zelt gebracht. Das Zelt war Luxus pur mit allem Komfort. Das Restaurant war auch perfekt am Wasser.

Muy recomendable

Gran calidad del servicio y lugar. Todo limpio y al pendiente de tu llegada

Eine tolle Lodge in einer unglaublichen Umgebung

adventure

Super Unterkunft

Wir waren als fünfköpfige Familie unterwegs und haben hier eine Nacht verbracht. Der Empfang war sehr freundlich - auch auf Corona Maßnahmen wurde sehr viel wert gelegt. Die inbegriffene Halbpension war ebenfalls hervorragend. Die Terrasse mit Blick auf die Savanne mit dem einen oder anderen Tierchen. Sehr saubere Anlage.

Wunderschön und einzigartig

Die Mischung aus Luxus, SAFARI und Zelt Unterkünften war einzigartig.

dit kun je niet verplicht maken, hoewel goed heb ik geen tijd om telkens deze enquêtes in te vullen, behalve kort grading te geven

winter in een tent

Mooie ruime tenten met een goede verwarming om de nacht door te komen in de winter. Zeer ruim en aangenaam verblijf

Tolle Lage am Wasserloch, sehr gutes Frühstück und Abendessen, unwahrscheinlich nettes und freundliches Personal, tolle Atmosphäre, sehr schöne Familienzelte, sehr geschmackvolles Ambiente, waren sehr zufrieden. Besonders mit den zusätzlichen Möglichkeitn dem Elefantenfüttern und Umarmen, Löwenfütterung und Besuch der Straußenfarm. Wir haben uns sehr wohlgefühlt,. Der Besuch bleibt unvergessen. Zelte und Anlage sehr sauber