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Kurhula Wildlife Lodge
Parsons Nature Reserve, plot no 25, Kruger National Park 1380 South Africa
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Kurhula Wildlife Lodge is situated on the banks of the always flowing Olifants River in Balule, Parsons Nature Reserve. Balule Private Nature Reserve borders the Kruger Nation Park. It offers 4 double rooms all with a view on the river. A 12 km dirt road (4x2 or 4x4 car recommended) leads you from the main gate at the R40 in 30 to 45 minutes to the lodge. Most of the fences between the Kruger Park and bordering private nature reserves have been removed so animals can move around freely. From the lodge you can access the Kruger Park for a day trip via the Phalaborwa or Orpen gate. Game drives and bush walks are offered by the lodge.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Free breakfast
Darts
Walking tours
Mosquito net
Outdoor furniture
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Complimentary welcome drink
Outdoor dining area
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Sun deck
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
First aid kit
Laundry service
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Room features
Allergy-free room
Blackout curtains
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Safe
Coffee / tea maker
Extra long beds
Walk-in shower
Wardrobe / wardrobe
Bottled water
Private bathrooms
Tile / marble floor
Refrigerator
Kitchenware
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Landmark view
Pool view
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, Afrikaans and 2 more
Location
Parsons Nature Reserve, plot no 25, Kruger National Park 1380 South Africa
Getting there
Hoedspruit Airport
15.8 mi•
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Phalaborwa Airport
21.5 mi•
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382Reviews22Q+A29Room tips
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Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
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Detailed Reviews
My wife and I stayed at Phakamani River Lodge (formerly Kurhula) in late December 2019. Francois and Dee were perfect hosts. Food was great. The rooms and pool are beautiful and it was very hot so the air-conditioning was soooo welcome.
The property is in a private reserve where we saw a leopard, lots of giraffe, zebra, impala, bucs, monkeys and warthogs. The game drives were great! We learned a lot from Francois and he did a great job tracking the animals down. We also did the day trip to Kruger which I would highly recommend - although it is a very long day.
Would definitely recommend Phakamani to anyone.
The property is in a private reserve where we saw a leopard, lots of giraffe, zebra, impala, bucs, monkeys and warthogs. The game drives were great! We learned a lot from Francois and he did a great job tracking the animals down. We also did the day trip to Kruger which I would highly recommend - although it is a very long day.
Would definitely recommend Phakamani to anyone.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
+1
We were staying in October 219 and even the lodge undergoing a transition of owners our days were amazing, surely the best part of our trip to South Africa. Special thanks to Chef Nadya who even made birthday cake for me. And we also love the games made with François.
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Date of stay: October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for 2 nights during our trip to the Kruger National Park. The good reviews on TA brought us here, and we were happy we made the choice.
Location: The lodge is located in the Balule game reserve. For people who are not self driving- We took the shuttle from Jo'burg and it took us around 8 hrs to reach the place. The roads are smooth, so it was a comfortable drive till the 3 bridges restaurant, which is the nearest drop point for Kurhula.
Lodge: It is a really beautiful place, at the banks of the Olifants river. Sander and Kim who own the place, have aesthetically designed and built the place. it's small with just 3-4 cottages and the service is personal but non-intrusive at the same time. There is a small pool along side the cottages that overlooks the river. If you are looking for a big resort, this is not the place for you. This is more close to a boutique resort or a lovely home stay experience.
During the second day of our stay we had 2 other guests who checked-in. And because there are just 3 cottages, the breakfast and dinner were served together at the common dining area. This made for great conversations, travel stories, and to get to know other guests from different countries. Loved the experience.
Rooms: The rooms are adequate for a couple, with comfortable beds and AC. The washroom is well equipped with the essentials. There is a patio outside the room with loungers, a great way to sit, relax, have a drink and admire the nature.
Food: We had a read a lot of good things about the food at Kurhula, and we were not disappointed. Kim is a good chef, and we had nice 3 course dinners during our stay. Breakfast and dinner are a part of the package.
Wildlife: It is very close to nature, with the flora and fauna of the Olifants river overlooking the cottages. Warthogs, elephants, monkeys are frequent visitors. If you are looking to spot the Big 5 in the lodge or in the game drive in the private reserve, you might be disappointed. However, a trip in to the wild is not about seeing the big animals. For us it was getting closer to nature and relax, and this place does justice to that.
Game Drive: You can go for a game drive within the Balule private reserve. During our game drive we could see a lot of Giraffes, Zebras, Impalas, Kudus, Waterbucks, Warthogs, which are found in abundance in this part of the reserve. We also spotted a Jackal. This safari is arranged by the lodge and they provide their ranger or Kim himself takes the guests on safaris. Our game drives were done by Sascha who is a great ranger and a great company for wonderful conversations about the wild life and everything else. We had a great time with her.
We also took a one day safari to the Public Kruger Park. This was arranged by the Lodge but was conducted by some safari company. It was great experience, and we spotted 4 out of the big 5 sparing the leopard.
Overall: If you are looking for a comfortable and relaxing stay with great food, and at the same time being close to nature, Kurhula just fits the bill.
Location: The lodge is located in the Balule game reserve. For people who are not self driving- We took the shuttle from Jo'burg and it took us around 8 hrs to reach the place. The roads are smooth, so it was a comfortable drive till the 3 bridges restaurant, which is the nearest drop point for Kurhula.
Lodge: It is a really beautiful place, at the banks of the Olifants river. Sander and Kim who own the place, have aesthetically designed and built the place. it's small with just 3-4 cottages and the service is personal but non-intrusive at the same time. There is a small pool along side the cottages that overlooks the river. If you are looking for a big resort, this is not the place for you. This is more close to a boutique resort or a lovely home stay experience.
During the second day of our stay we had 2 other guests who checked-in. And because there are just 3 cottages, the breakfast and dinner were served together at the common dining area. This made for great conversations, travel stories, and to get to know other guests from different countries. Loved the experience.
Rooms: The rooms are adequate for a couple, with comfortable beds and AC. The washroom is well equipped with the essentials. There is a patio outside the room with loungers, a great way to sit, relax, have a drink and admire the nature.
Food: We had a read a lot of good things about the food at Kurhula, and we were not disappointed. Kim is a good chef, and we had nice 3 course dinners during our stay. Breakfast and dinner are a part of the package.
Wildlife: It is very close to nature, with the flora and fauna of the Olifants river overlooking the cottages. Warthogs, elephants, monkeys are frequent visitors. If you are looking to spot the Big 5 in the lodge or in the game drive in the private reserve, you might be disappointed. However, a trip in to the wild is not about seeing the big animals. For us it was getting closer to nature and relax, and this place does justice to that.
Game Drive: You can go for a game drive within the Balule private reserve. During our game drive we could see a lot of Giraffes, Zebras, Impalas, Kudus, Waterbucks, Warthogs, which are found in abundance in this part of the reserve. We also spotted a Jackal. This safari is arranged by the lodge and they provide their ranger or Kim himself takes the guests on safaris. Our game drives were done by Sascha who is a great ranger and a great company for wonderful conversations about the wild life and everything else. We had a great time with her.
We also took a one day safari to the Public Kruger Park. This was arranged by the Lodge but was conducted by some safari company. It was great experience, and we spotted 4 out of the big 5 sparing the leopard.
Overall: If you are looking for a comfortable and relaxing stay with great food, and at the same time being close to nature, Kurhula just fits the bill.
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Date of stay: October 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
we were disatisfied on arrival. No welcoming drinks after a terrible 36km gravel road.Nobody to assist with the laguge . We are both pensionares. We were booked for three days and left on the second day.Food that were dished up was return by all people present during our stay. Two candian girls cancelled their booking in JULY 2016 as a result of bad sevice, I want to order a drink but nothing was in stock -no
lemonade,no pasionfruit. no tomato juice or. Catain Morgan The lodge got all the prospects but the Managers did not got the basics to make it work
lemonade,no pasionfruit. no tomato juice or. Catain Morgan The lodge got all the prospects but the Managers did not got the basics to make it work
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Date of stay: April 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from KimVM, Owner at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge
Responded 25 May 2016
Normally we do not respond to reviews, because everybody has a right to an opinion, but in this case we do feel the urge to respond. It is not 36 km, but a 12 km dirt road and it is mentioned everywhere (on our website, booking sites and all our e-mails with our guests) that it is a difficult road to drive. We do not serve welcome drinks, but let people choose any drink on the house after settling in their rooms. My husband did ask what you wanted to drink. We carry the luggage to your room if needed, but you where looking for staff with a different skin colour. The whole 2 days you have been offending our whole team, asking in-appropriate questions to all of us, complaining 24/7. You forgot to mention that in the 8 years that we run this lodge it was the first time we actually asked people to leave and that was not an easy task to do. We are trying our best to run the lodge as good as possible. That it was not what you were looking for, that can happen. We are always open for suggestions, but we could not do anything right in your eyes. We are sorry that you missed out on a good experience.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My wife and I visited Kurhula with a with another couple for a six night stay in mid March. We have stayed at other bush camps on the nearby Thornybush reserve over the last ten years and wanted to try a camp on the river.
We drove our hire car the 40 minutes from Hoedspruit airport and then took the access road to the Parsons reserve.
The journey from the road to the lodge took us an hour but really should not put people off visiting. We had a normal car which if you travel slowly coped fine with road. Remember, whilst on this road you are actually travelling through the reserve and animal encounters do happen at any time which helps pass the time...why would you want to go any faster if it's animals you have come to see?
We were not disappointed by our choice. We arrived at 4.30pm. Sander met us and introduced us to Kurhula as well as ensuring we were fed and watered.
Kim and Sander are rightly proud of the lodge they have built over the last few years. The accommodation is of a high standard, cleaned every day and could not be faulted. It was clean and fresh with a very big comfortable bed, fridge, aircon and mosquito nets. (Glad to say no evidence of mosquito whilst we were there)
The veranda afforded wonderful views down the garden and onto the river. The size of the bedrooms were perfectly adequate for our stay as most of the time is spent outside.
Our friends stopped in the adjoining room and despite his best efforts to keep us awake with his loud snoring we never heard a thing.
Within 45 minutes of arriving we were treated to a visit by an elephant who wandered into the grounds to drink from the water hole some 60 meters from us! He revisited a mango tree a couple of meters from our bedroom window during the night which was magical to experience.
Kim prepared some lovely food for us using a blend of African recipes with more European dishes.
We were able to relax in the garden each day and both hosts were able to help us with plans to visit other attractions and provided animal and local attraction books.
Concerns that drinks and snacks may be over priced were unfounded as everything was very reasonably priced. (It cost the two of us £95 a day for all food, accommodation,drinks and game drives which is excellent value for money)
We had two evening game drives with Sander on the Parsons reserve. Both were approx two and a half hours long with Sander sharing his wide knowledge with us. We saw numerous different animals but were lucky to see a Leopard guarding its recent kill plus an close encounter with a bull elephant who walked up to the land rover to check us out!
We would recommend this lodge for a minimum three night stay for relaxing and wildlife viewing on the reserve or further afield in the Kruger park.
We always felt safe and relaxed despite being in an unfenced lodge.
Thanks Sander and Kim for a wonderful holiday.
We drove our hire car the 40 minutes from Hoedspruit airport and then took the access road to the Parsons reserve.
The journey from the road to the lodge took us an hour but really should not put people off visiting. We had a normal car which if you travel slowly coped fine with road. Remember, whilst on this road you are actually travelling through the reserve and animal encounters do happen at any time which helps pass the time...why would you want to go any faster if it's animals you have come to see?
We were not disappointed by our choice. We arrived at 4.30pm. Sander met us and introduced us to Kurhula as well as ensuring we were fed and watered.
Kim and Sander are rightly proud of the lodge they have built over the last few years. The accommodation is of a high standard, cleaned every day and could not be faulted. It was clean and fresh with a very big comfortable bed, fridge, aircon and mosquito nets. (Glad to say no evidence of mosquito whilst we were there)
The veranda afforded wonderful views down the garden and onto the river. The size of the bedrooms were perfectly adequate for our stay as most of the time is spent outside.
Our friends stopped in the adjoining room and despite his best efforts to keep us awake with his loud snoring we never heard a thing.
Within 45 minutes of arriving we were treated to a visit by an elephant who wandered into the grounds to drink from the water hole some 60 meters from us! He revisited a mango tree a couple of meters from our bedroom window during the night which was magical to experience.
Kim prepared some lovely food for us using a blend of African recipes with more European dishes.
We were able to relax in the garden each day and both hosts were able to help us with plans to visit other attractions and provided animal and local attraction books.
Concerns that drinks and snacks may be over priced were unfounded as everything was very reasonably priced. (It cost the two of us £95 a day for all food, accommodation,drinks and game drives which is excellent value for money)
We had two evening game drives with Sander on the Parsons reserve. Both were approx two and a half hours long with Sander sharing his wide knowledge with us. We saw numerous different animals but were lucky to see a Leopard guarding its recent kill plus an close encounter with a bull elephant who walked up to the land rover to check us out!
We would recommend this lodge for a minimum three night stay for relaxing and wildlife viewing on the reserve or further afield in the Kruger park.
We always felt safe and relaxed despite being in an unfenced lodge.
Thanks Sander and Kim for a wonderful holiday.
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Date of stay: March 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were in the Kurhula Wildlife Lodge in January 2013. Kim and Sander (the managers) are two very friendly, warm and helpful persons. They lay great value on service. We always had a very nice dinner, which was served with all the customers and management at one table. That was very nice. Kim and Sander can tell nice stories about the bush and South-Africa. Unfortunately, I was disappointed that it is not possible to do night drives or bush walks in the Balule game reserve because of new restrictions the game reserve has. Also, the road to the lodge is a 13 km gravel road and it is no fun to ride if you don't have a suv or 4x4. Furthermore, a little disappointing was that the Safari-trips to the kruger Park are offered in a SUV (Kia I think) because the Kurhula Jeep (open vehicle) does not meet the regulations for open vehicles of the Kruger National Park. And my opionion is that it would be much more fun to do a safari in an open vehicle jeep. We did this 2 days before in the southern part of kruger. So we did not book for the SUV Safari. The swimming pool of the Kurhula Lodge was realy great and their were a few warthogs that came along often.
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Date of stay: January 2013Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from KimVM, Owner at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge
Responded 27 Jan 2013
Dear Stef and Elisabeth, Thank you for your review on Tripadvisor. I am sorry to hear that you were disappointed about the game drive options and the road. Here in Parsons Nature Reserve (part of Balule) we (the landowners) have decided to organize morning and evening game drives, but leave the animals at peace after 19.00. Game drives to the Kruger Park can be organized with a qualified ranger and in an open game drive vehicle (as mentioned in our information maps in the rooms). but we hire an external company for which you have to pay. If the amount of guests allows it we can take guests with our own private 4x2 vehicle and guide them, but we advise people to experience the Kruger Park on their own. We provide them with a nice lunch and map and give them routes they can drive. When you were here we had heavy rain for almost a whole week which affected our road badly. We tried to contact you via e-mail in advance to warn you, but you did not have access to internet. We have learned from this that we now always ask for a phone number and the last address people stay at before they come to Kurhula, so we can contact people on time. I am happy to inform you that the road has been fixed and is in a very good shape. Again thank you for your reply. Every review helps to make the service to our guests better.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
What a wonderful place to stay, in lovely relaxing surroundings, watching wild life on the river, in the garden, and across the other side of the river.Sanders and Kim were wonderful hosts and we had such a lot of fun with them.The home cooking was so good. We found it very hard to tare ourselves away to fly home.The road to Kurhula is very bumpy, but is absolutely fine, just take it slowly, the welcome you get makes the journey so well worth it.I would recommend if you cannot go any were else do go to Kurhula it is magic
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Date of stay: March 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â they are all good with views of the river
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 6 nights at Kurhula Lodge over Easter and cannot recommend it highly enough! We arrived just as dusk was falling after a five hour drive from Johannesburg and were met by a lion on the road just a minute away from the lodge - what a start to our visit! The welcome we received from Kim and Sander was warm and genuine. The only guests for much of our visit, we very much enjoyed our gourmet dinners on the veranda in the excellent company of our hosts together with Kim's parents ( who were visiting from Holland) and Lars, a friend of Sander's who was charming company. We were honoured to witness the inaugural performance by the lovely staff at Kurhula and they danced and sang for us after dinner. Their rendition of the South African national anthem was really moving.
Our room was comfortable and had everything we needed. In the mornings we could sit on our veranda and watch the warthogs, monkeys, not to mention the waterbuck and crocodiles in the river. The shower was powerful and the water hot. The free Internet access was a welcome bonus and the speed of connection was quicker than our home service! Breakfast on the veranda of the lodge, feasting on Kim's homemade bread and watching the visitors to the garden and river will be an abiding memory.
We took a game drive in Parsons with Keith, a most knowledgeable guide, and enjoyed sundowners in the middle of the bush as dusk fell. Three lions had been spotted but they proved elusive on our drive! A short drive away was Tshukudu game reserve where the bush walk with cheetahs will long linger in our memories, the game drive that followed was enjoyable, but did not feel as authentic a safari experience as the drives in Parsons and Kruger. Sander took us on a full day's game drive in Kruger which was an amazing experience with great game viewing opportunities.
Hoedspruit is within easy reach and has two good supermarkets where you can stock up on provisions. There is also a tourist centre with shops selling souvenirs and a great little Italian restaurant where we enjoyed a long lunch. South Africa is good value for money for UK visitors at the moment by the way!
My husband enjoyed a round of golf at the Hans Merensky course (around 50 minutes drive from the main road. ) The course is home to many wild animals and we saw baboons, monkeys, together with the hippos and crocodiles who live in the lake by the 17th.
So what are the highlights of Kurhula? The lodge is beautiful, in the midst of a peaceful big five nature reserve, with the river at the bottom of the garden attracting a wealth of wildlife. It is perfectly situated for Kruger, with access either via the Orpen or Phalaborwa gates as well as being within easy reach of the stunning scenery along the Panorama Route. As many other visitors have observed, Kim's cooking is outstanding. Every night she served the most amazing three course dinners. I have already looked up the recipe for Bobotie since getting home! It was also excellent value for money and the bill at the end of our trip was a pleasant surprise - no exorbitant drinks bill here. What really makes Kurhula stand out from the crowd though are Kim and Sander. They welcome guests with genuine enthusiasm and warmth. Sander sorted out our itinerary for us before we arrived and Kim even baked banana muffins (delicious by the way) for our journey on the day we left. We made the mistake of moving on to a hotel near Kruger. I was celebrating my 50th birthday but it passed by quietly in the large hotel where we were just another set of anonymous guests. I know if we'd still been at Kurhula I'd have had a night to remember because Kim and Sander are such thoughtful hosts.
So, we will return, but next time it will probably be in the winter when the elephants are regular visitors to the river apparently. We'd not return to the hotel but might spend a few days in the accommodation in the park itself as the facilities there looked excellent and good value for money. Oh, and we might upgrade to an even more robust 4 wheel drive vehicle to make the journey up the road to the lodge a bit more comfortable!
This hard working couple deserve every future success. Visit Kurhula and you won't be disappointed! My husband had a tear in his eye when we left and he is not at all given to sentimentality usually, but that is just the effect that Kurhula has on you.
Our room was comfortable and had everything we needed. In the mornings we could sit on our veranda and watch the warthogs, monkeys, not to mention the waterbuck and crocodiles in the river. The shower was powerful and the water hot. The free Internet access was a welcome bonus and the speed of connection was quicker than our home service! Breakfast on the veranda of the lodge, feasting on Kim's homemade bread and watching the visitors to the garden and river will be an abiding memory.
We took a game drive in Parsons with Keith, a most knowledgeable guide, and enjoyed sundowners in the middle of the bush as dusk fell. Three lions had been spotted but they proved elusive on our drive! A short drive away was Tshukudu game reserve where the bush walk with cheetahs will long linger in our memories, the game drive that followed was enjoyable, but did not feel as authentic a safari experience as the drives in Parsons and Kruger. Sander took us on a full day's game drive in Kruger which was an amazing experience with great game viewing opportunities.
Hoedspruit is within easy reach and has two good supermarkets where you can stock up on provisions. There is also a tourist centre with shops selling souvenirs and a great little Italian restaurant where we enjoyed a long lunch. South Africa is good value for money for UK visitors at the moment by the way!
My husband enjoyed a round of golf at the Hans Merensky course (around 50 minutes drive from the main road. ) The course is home to many wild animals and we saw baboons, monkeys, together with the hippos and crocodiles who live in the lake by the 17th.
So what are the highlights of Kurhula? The lodge is beautiful, in the midst of a peaceful big five nature reserve, with the river at the bottom of the garden attracting a wealth of wildlife. It is perfectly situated for Kruger, with access either via the Orpen or Phalaborwa gates as well as being within easy reach of the stunning scenery along the Panorama Route. As many other visitors have observed, Kim's cooking is outstanding. Every night she served the most amazing three course dinners. I have already looked up the recipe for Bobotie since getting home! It was also excellent value for money and the bill at the end of our trip was a pleasant surprise - no exorbitant drinks bill here. What really makes Kurhula stand out from the crowd though are Kim and Sander. They welcome guests with genuine enthusiasm and warmth. Sander sorted out our itinerary for us before we arrived and Kim even baked banana muffins (delicious by the way) for our journey on the day we left. We made the mistake of moving on to a hotel near Kruger. I was celebrating my 50th birthday but it passed by quietly in the large hotel where we were just another set of anonymous guests. I know if we'd still been at Kurhula I'd have had a night to remember because Kim and Sander are such thoughtful hosts.
So, we will return, but next time it will probably be in the winter when the elephants are regular visitors to the river apparently. We'd not return to the hotel but might spend a few days in the accommodation in the park itself as the facilities there looked excellent and good value for money. Oh, and we might upgrade to an even more robust 4 wheel drive vehicle to make the journey up the road to the lodge a bit more comfortable!
This hard working couple deserve every future success. Visit Kurhula and you won't be disappointed! My husband had a tear in his eye when we left and he is not at all given to sentimentality usually, but that is just the effect that Kurhula has on you.
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Date of stay: April 2012Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Food was super, atmosphere was great. On the bank of a river. We stayed 4 days in Balule/Parsons. A big-5-area? 2 days at Kurhula, and 2 days at Tsakane.Did not see any of the big-5 animals. The rangers did their utmost best. But they spotted only kudu's, nyala's etc. One of the rangers of Tsakane told me, when we left: I did not see a elephant since december. So. We did see a lot of dunn, that was all. From the tar road you have to drive 45 minutes on a bumpy road to reach Kurhula. If you want to visit Kruger. It will take at least 1 - 1,5 hour.
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Date of stay: July 2011Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â all the rooms are the same.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely staff.. Very accommodating. Beautiful comfortable rooms Walk in shower.. Excellent safari guide.Take as many drives as you can....never know what you'll see from day to day. Good food. Great value.Animals visit the property regularly. You can just sit on your patio and enjoy the view.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from KimVM, Owner at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge
Responded 12 Aug 2018
Thank you for your review. We are glad you had a a good stay at Kurhula. It was nice to show you ladies a little piece of South Africa.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hallo, We hadden de lodge sinds Januari 2020 voor 5 jaar verhuurd aan een jong stel met optie tot koop. Wij zijn verhuisd naar Scottburgh in KZN en wonen daar in een prachtig huis met uitzicht op zee. Hier runnen we een B&B.
Echter door diverse omstandigheden konden de huurders niet aan het contract voldoen en hebben we sinds een week weer de sleutels terug. Wat we nu gaan doen met de lodge is nog niet helemaal duidelijk. Door het corona virus ligt de economie hier stil.
Vriendelijke groetjes van ons, Sander en Kim
Hi, we do offer morning an afternoon game drives (3 hours each). A game drive is R 350 per person including drink and snacks. A bushwalk is R 400 per person.
Kind regards, Kim
Hi, our lodge is situated in a reserve that is home to the Big Five and open to the Kruger National Park. We take our guests on game drives to find the animals for them, but we cannot guarantee you that you will see them. It is not a zoo. We love educating our guests about the small things as well. Why we need insects, what certain calls of birds mean, why certain animals live in each other's company,
Besides that we do not have a standard amount of rangers and vehicles going out every day. Sometimes we drive around as the only vehicle and the lions can be miles away from the game drive vehicle. Going into the Kruger Park will also not guarentee you to see the Big Five. I know plenty of people who did not see lion, leopard or rhino on their whole trip in SA,
It also depends on the time you will stay in a nature park. The more days you spend in the wild the better chance you have on seeing animals. If you do not have much time, say 2 or 3 days I recommend you book your stay in a reserve that is fenced in, so they know how many animals they have. Or book at a big lodge where they have plenty of rangers going on a drive and communicating with each other.
I hope you will find suitable accommodation and that you have a great holiday in South Africa
Hi Mikey, Kurhula is situated in Parsons Nature Reserve which is on the northern side of the Olifants River and part of the Balule Nature Reserve. Balule Nature Reserve consists of several smaller reserves (like, Balule Olifants West, Balule York, Balule Maseke, Balule Parsons etc) There are no fences in between these smaller reserves and between Balule and the Kruger National Park.
Kurhule has their own open game drive vehicle and qualified rangers and they offer morning and afternoon game drives for 3 hours each. Because there are no fences animals can walk around in a huge space. Although not always easy to spot we are situated in a Big Five area. The fact that Kurhula is situated at the river gives you a big change of spotting wildlife while relaxing in the pool, sitting in front of your room or on the viewing deck at the river.
So spotting animals does not stop when the game drive is over :-)
"You will have a great view of the garden from any room of the gardens, loads of animals pass."Read full review
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkBalule Nature Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Claim Your ListingKURHULA WILDLIFE LODGE - Hotel Reviews (South Africa/Kruger National Park)
Frequently Asked Questions about Kurhula Wildlife Lodge
What are some of the property amenities at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
Which room amenities are available at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a refrigerator, and blackout curtains.
What food & drink options are available at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, a lounge, and complimentary tea during their stay.
Is parking available at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Kurhula Wildlife Lodge?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Afrikaans.
Does Kurhula Wildlife Lodge have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the river view available here.