Raptor Retreat Game Lodge

I couldn’t have picked a better place for my wife’s birthday. From the welcome and room check-in to the way they set up dinner and an indoor picnic, Raptor Retreat made it special. There’s no signal, just the sounds of nature and the Big 5.

Take all the information they send you and cash for the entrance fee, since there’s a process to get into the reserve. The drive from the reserve gate to the lodge is long and rough, but once we parked in the car port, the staff greeted us with a little song. We had full service and ate good breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the main lodge. Load shedding made dinner feel atmospheric with battery powered lights, though the WiFi took a hit. You don’t come here to stay connected anyway. Get out on as many game drives as you can, though it ultimately comes down to luck. The game reserves are much better than driving around Kruger yourselves. We were lucky to see two leopards mating, something even our guide Keith had never seen before. We took lots of photos and really enjoyed our stay.

Such a peaceful place, the quiet here feels heavenly. We had an amazing stay, and the staff were friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. Just remember to bring a gown.

The lodges were beautiful and clean, and we enjoyed our stay. The staff were friendly and helpful. With no network, we got to spend more time bonding with our partners. We spotted a few wild animals, which was fascinating, and quad biking was fun. The massages were just okay. On the game drive we saw nothing except impalas. Our issue was the owner, Keith. He shouted at us in front of other guests about candle wax on the floor, without acknowledging that one of our friends had been hurt when a deck plank broke while he was walking to the pool. We had also stained a towel with savlon while trying to keep his injury from getting infected. The way he approached us was wrong. We’re adults and should have been spoken to like adults, not kids. He disregards his clients, which is very unprofessional.