Safari lodge-Pondoro-South Africa

My husband and I stayed at Pondoro for our first experience of African wildlife parks. In every way it exceeded our expectations – our room was HUGE and magnificent. We couldnt believe it when we walked into the tree suite and saw a beautiful bed with the romantic mosquito nets draped over it, the bath by the window and the seating area and decking looking out onto the river. But we didnt have long to drool as the team was waiting at the restaurant for us to join them for the evening safari. Off we went for four hours (which passes in a flash) hunting for wildlife – when you see your first zebra within a few metres, a giraffe munching on trees beside the vehicle, and the crazy warthogs running and jumping in circles around you , then you can understand what people have been raving about for years. And that is just the beginning. In 4 days we saw all of the big five (only a fleeting glimpse of a leopard but we were so excited about it). But the quest of the big five is really not what the Pondoro experience is about. There is just as much pleasure from seeing the birds and the small animals, the aforementioned warthogs going crazy because it had just rained and as we came around a bend there were hundreds of them running round and round in circles with a hop and a skip every few steps. We stopped in the dark one evening and then realised the loud noise was the elephant ripping off the branches of the bush right beside our van, We marvelled at the skill of the trackers who heard the lions were on the move and drove the vehicle to a spot to just sit and wait – sure enough within 5 minutes Big Boy the most important lion walked right up to the truck with his whole pride. It is eerie to see these majestic creatures within arm’s length yet be totally ignored by them. Every day was a fabulous new experience with a morning and evening safari. It sounds a long time but we would have sat there all day long quite happily. The driver and guides were brilliant. Stopping on the rock for sundowners as we watched the African sun setting was magical. When we returned to the Lodge the wonderful staff were waiting with yet another gourmet meal.
We sat at dinner in the dark wondering with our fellow travellers ‘what more could you want?” “Why do people pay enormous sums of money when you can stay at Pondoro for a very reasonable amount?” I guess they get expensive champagne all day long for free – but at Pondoro you get superb food, service, accommodation and amazing safaris with knowledgeable guides.
Do not hesitate to choose this place – you will love it.