This was not my first visit to South Africa or my first safari. I have been in the Kruger National park and whilst beautiful and exciting, it was not as enthralling as Kapama Game reserve.

The River lodges were clean and well presented and the surrounding facilities were all top notch. However, you don't go on safari for the accommodation. The knowledge and skills of our guide and tracker were truly amazing and made the whole experience one of wonderment and full of jaw dropping momemts. The Big 5 are everybody's goal but picking out the unusual and rare was a great bonus for us. John and Stanley were our team and they wanted to track the animals we wanted to see. Sometimes this meant not seeing anything at all for prolonged periods but this made the ultimate discoveries all the more special. Tracking Mother and Baby White Rhino and Cheetah were particular favourites.

We only stayed for two nights but managed four game drives and dinner at the bouma in the bush.The Kapama staff cannot do enough for you and make the whole experience extra special.

I heartily recommend this resort and reserve to all who want a real safari!!

We stayed three nights at Kapama River Lodge in January 2012. Wonderful facilities, but if you are looking for a true african adventure, there are better options. The rangers are reluctant to take the vehicles off road, so most of the viewing is from existing dirt roads. Lots of animals to see, but felt more like being in a rather large zoo than actually in the African bush. The lodge accommodations are wonderful, clean and large but the dinner buffet becomes a little repetitious after a while. Spa is excellent and reasonably priced. I was a little put off that they charged for drinks when on safari at our stop for sundowners. For the price paid, it wouldn't hurt to provide a couple of small comps along the way. This is a great place and experience for the less adventurous, but if you want to see real Africa look for something a little less commercialized

We spent 2 nights at the Kapama Lodge and loved every moment. We brought our three kids, ages 7, 9 and 12. We were greeted with refreshing tropical drinks and shown to our rooms. They really make kids feel welcome here. They created a special room with three twin beds, each with a treat bag. Our room had a very comfortable bed and a patio that was frequented by beautiful birds each afternoon.

All the staff were 10/10 from room service to the dining room! Food quality was fantastic, especially breakfast with made-to-order omelettes, fresh juices and fruit and homemade baking.

Our kids jumped up of bed at 5am, excited for the day ahead. We saw all the Big 5 in those two days. Our guide and tracker (John and Give) were very knowledgable, as well as outgoing and fun. We learned amazing facts about each animal, as well as learning which plants are poisionous or could even be used as a toothbrush. We also saw giraffes, zebras, warthogs, impala and all sorts of birds and lizards.

We'll never forget when a lion approached our vehicle and actually smelled our tracker. Looking into those firey orange eyes was unforgettable. It's now been two weeks and we're still waking up to dreams of elephants emerging from the brush and encountering water buffalo.

We have heard from many other travellers that they travelled to Kruger National Park and only saw 2 of the Big 5. Travelling all the way from Canada we were thrilled by this authentic experience and that our kids got to see so much wildlife is a very natural setting. You'll never want to go to a zoo again.

Also lovely swimming pool for cooling off in the afternoons. Highly recommend the Kapama!

Stayed here for a couple of nights in January 2012 . Lodge is very well equipped and a very short distance from the airport , where we were met by the rangers in there Landcruisers.
The food here was excellent , drinks were good also , the rooms were of a good size and standard and the Spa area looked great , but never got the chance to try it out.

Day starts around 5.00 with an early morning call , tea served around 5.30 and off on morning drive around 6.00 ish . Great time of the day to see the wildlife , got real up close and personal and took some great shots . Normally back at the lodge for around 9 , rest of day spent chilling , having lunch , high tea served mid afternoon then back out again around 4.00 for another 3 hours .

Managed to see 4 out of the big 5 , the Leopard eluded the best efforts of our ranger . Also saw loads of giraffe , large deer , hippo ,warthog etc. Had a really relaxing couple of days in decent surroundings with staff who seemed very willing to help and answer any queries .