While I looked at a number of lodges in the Greater Kruger area for the safari trip that I did with my dad last year, I ended up booked three nights in the Umkumbe Safari Lodge (which is separate from the neighboring Umkumbe Bush Lodge). At just over $2,000 for the stay including airport transfers, safari drives, and meals, it was one of the reasonably priced options in the area that still had availability when I was booking.
Continue reading to see what staying in the lodge was like – both in terms of the accommodation itself and in terms of the daily schedule.
Getting to the Lodge
While some of the guests we were on the safari drives with drove by themselves from Johannesburg, which is about 500 km away, we flew from Johannesburg into Kruger Airport from where it took about two hours to reach the lodge. Most of the drive was on paved roads, with just the last portion being unpaved. Skukuza Airport, served by Airlink from Johannesburg and Cape Town, is a bit closer to the lodge.
In case you prefer to avoid driving yourself like we did, Umkumbe will be happy to arrange the transport for you.
Check-in
Upon our arrival at the lodge, we were welcomed by our guide for the stay, Micaela. First, she showed us our room. Then, after dropping off our baggage, she gave us a brief tour of the lodge’s premises and explained the daily schedule. By the time we arrived, lunch was in progress giving us a chance to fill our stomachs before the evening safari drive.
Since there was no dedicated reception, check-out was handled at the lodge’s curio shop.
Guest Room
With just 11 rooms, Umkumbe River Lodge is relatively small. Of those, three are “Standard” and located in one building near the dining and other shared facilities. Eight are “Superior Suites,” bungalows located further away from the main area. Each of the bungalows is named after an animal and some of them overlook the Sabie River.
We were staying in Giraffe which, while not offering river views, was very spacious and comfortable. In addition to a large main room and a bathroom, it also had an outdoor deck that was useful for photographing the night sky.
Starting with the main room, next to the entrance were a closet, which was also home to a safe, and a vanity. There were also a small counter with an electric kettle and a selection of coffee and tea.
In one of the room’s corners was a pair of single beds (you can specify during booking whether you want the room to be in a twin or double configuration).
In front of the beds was a large seating area with a coffee table and not one or two but three large sofas.
There was also a couple of chests that served as counters to store things on.
On each bed were towels, a note with daily schedule, and a rhino-shaped cookie (Umkumbe means rhino).
At the end of each day, while we were way on a safari drive, the mosquito net around the beds was put down.
The bathroom (there was no separate toilet room) included a toilet, a bathtub, and two sinks. Separately, there was an outdoor shower.
While the outdoor shower was a nice touch, given that we visited in the winter, it would have been nice if the bathtub had not only a tap but also a shower.
Lastly, the outdoor deck was equipped with a pair of sunbeds and a pair of chairs. It was excellent for stargazing.
While I did not find that to be an issue, it is worth noting that the rooms at the lodge were not lockable.
Lounge, Pool, Gym, and Other Shared Facilities
The area where my dad and I spent the most time when not on safari drives or in our room was in the lounge. Located in the central part of the lodge, it featured a number of sofas arranged around a large coffee table, a dining table, and a small pool table. While the pool table and the cues were quite worn, they still provided hours and hours of entertainment for us.
The lounge also had an outdoor section with some more sofas, as well as a cabinet with tea, coffee, and biscuits. The hot drinks came in especially handy early in the morning before the safari drives.
Across from the lounge’s outdoor area was a small pool surrounded by a dozen or so sunbeds. While it was too cold during our visit to use it (although one family did…), it offered excellent views of the bush surrounding the lodge and thus, occasionally, of animals.
Separately, there was some seating scattered in other parts of the outdoor area of the lodge as well.
Another part of the lodge I did not use but peaked into was the gym. In fact, I saw maybe one person use it throughout our three night stay.
Housed in a small standalone building near the lodge’s entrance, the gym featured a couple of treadmills and other cardio equipment, as well as some weight training equipment.
There was also a small curio shop in the lodge, which also served as the reception desk when checking out.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Included with the stay was full board, all served in the form of buffets. While the selection was fairly limited, the meals were very enjoyable and even I as a fairly picky eater found something every day without any issues.
Breakfast and lunch were served in an outdoor area overlooking the Sabie River. It was not uncommon to be able to enjoy a view of animals while having a meal there – or to have food stolen by monkeys!
Each day, breakfast included freshly made omelets, some cold cuts, a selection of cereals, bread, yogurts, and cut fruits.
There was also juice.
Lunch, as well as dinner, varied from day to day. For lunch, two mains (pork ribs, fried fish, etc.) were generally offered alongside bread, salad, sides, whole fruits, and dessert.
Dinner was served in a boma with tables arranged around a fire.
The composition of the buffets was similar to but a bit more extensive than those offered during lunch. Dessert was served by staff directly rather than being made available on the counter.
On one of the three nights we were staying at the lodge, the staff performed a traditional local song and dance.
Lastly, a selection of soft and alcoholic drinks – separate from the hot drinks and the drinks provided during breakfast and lunch – was available in the bar, which was located in the breakfast and lunch area.
During meal times, it was staffed. During other times of the day, it was unstaffed with guests noting down in a file what they had.
Safari Drives and Walks
Every day, there were two safari drives – one from 6 to 9 a.m. and another from 4 to 7 p.m. During summer season, the morning drives start half an hour earlier and afternoon drives half an hour later.
By the time we arrived back at the lodge from the morning drive, breakfast was ready. By the time we arrived back at the lodge from the afternoon drive, dinner was ready. Lunch was served around 1:30 p.m. I spent most of the time between the drives editing photos from the previous drive and playing pool with dad.
In total, we did six drives during our stay and each one was different. Both in terms of the route we took, as well as the animals we saw. The two things all of them had in common were the driver – in our case Micaela – and the impossibility of not seeing an impala, the most common antelope in the reserve.
Midway through the morning drive, we stopped for hot drinks and cookies. Midway through the afternoon drive, we stopped for sundowner drinks and snacks. The sundowner drink orders were taken at the lodge – any soft or alcoholic drink from the bar could be chosen.
In terms of other animals besides impalas, no two drives were the same. When our guide asked what animal we would like to see the most before our first drive, I said a rhino. I could’t believe when a rhino appeared in front of us not too long into the drive. Other unforgettable sightings included a leopard feasting on an impala on top of a tree, chasing after a wild dog in darkness, and seeing hyenas.
We also saw plenty of elephants, giraffes, and zebras.
That said, there were also times when we were driving around the park for quite some time without seeing a single animal, perhaps except for an… You guessed it, impala!
In fact, that was the most exciting part about the entire experience. It felt like being in a Pokemon game or plane spotting before the advent of FlightRadar24 and similar apps. Other than information the guides shared among themselves, we literally had no idea what we would see next.
On some mornings, there were also walking safaris – those had to be pre-booked during breakfast as spots were limited. We managed to do one and it was a very interesting experience.
It provided a great chance to see some of the flora up close, as well as to look at details such as animal tracks. At one point during our walk we also spotted a group of monkeys.
Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside Summary
All in all, the stay at Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside was one of, if not the most unforgettable non-aviation travel experience I had. Given that it was my first stay at a safari lodge, I cannot talk about how Umkumbe compares relative to other lodges.
What I can say, however, is that I very much enjoyed our stay at the lodge and wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again. …and that I can’t wait to go on my next safari!
