Balule Game Reserve Bar Hotel

"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."

"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."

"This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. A graduation trip including myself, my husband, and our 3 teenage daughters. I highly recommend the Ezulwini River Lodge for a safari vacation. The staff was fabulous, food and accommodations were 5 star, and the safari drives and animal encounters were amazing. I am recommending this trip for anyone interested in a South African safari. Planning was seamless and every want or need was met. The entire stay surpassed my expectations in every way."