Name: Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge
Address: Madikwe Game Reserve, R49, 2874, South Africa, Madikwe Game Reserve, Madikwe Game Reserve, Madikwe Game Reserve, 2840, South Africa
Rating: 9

Air conditioning

24-hour reception

Heating

Garden

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Hairdryer

Rooms

Ironing

Laundry

Services and amenities

Coffee/tea for guests

Restaurant

Bottled water

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Free internet

Internet

Airport transportation

Transfer

English

Languages Spoken

Sun Deck

Recreation

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Pool and beach

Massage

First Aid Kit

Beauty and wellness

Babysitting and childcare

Children's menu

Kids

Extra decontamination measures

Personal protection equipment for guests

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Sir Seretse Khama International Airport

Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge

Madikwe Game Reserve

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

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king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

We recently spent a few wonderful days at this lodge.
The food was excellent, from the hot and cold breakfasts to the two-course lunches to the three-course dinners, every course was delicious and well prepared.
All the staff were polite, friendly and helpful. We had two water-related issues. In our first chalet the water pressure was very low, so we were moved to another chalet, and as we moved I noticed that measures were already being taken to resolve the problem. The other issue was that an elephant dug/pulled up one of the water pipes, but that too was soon repaired. Also, we were accompanied to our chalet at night and in the very early morning, so we always felt protected.
On the twice-daily game drives we saw a lot of game - from lions to rhinos and elephants (incl calves), a leopard in a nearby tree and some cheetahs, buffalo and various buck, and so on. The ranger was an excellent and careful driver and shared a lot of knowledge with us.
The scenery, although very dry because of less summer rain than usual, was beautiful.
All in all we would highly recommend this lodge!

An amazing stay

Accommodation:
Beautiful surroundings, clean fresh pool and good looking chalet. Unfortunately one can notice that the maintenance of the facilities and surroundings have been neglected, so that the overall feel of luxurious experience was tainted.

Food
The food was not the standard we expected, nevertheless it was yummy, plentiful and evidently prepared with a lot of love and care. The endearing chefs presented the menu for the day every morning themselves.
Concerning service we have to mention Penelope especially, who has consistently brightened our day with her kind and friendly way.

Game drives
Ronnie was an an amazing guide full of interesting information and respect towards the wildlife surrounding us. We saw Wild dogs, Rhinos (white and black), cheetahs and lions from cub to full grown adult… and so much more. We couldn’t have wished for more.

Great first Safari!

My stay at Buffalo Ridge Lodge in Madikwe was nothing short of amazing. The wildlife experience was exceptional, with a great variety of animals often visiting the camp, allowing for unforgettable moments. The authenticity of the rooms added a unique touch to the safari experience. I can't praise Josephine, the chef, enough for the incredible food that graced our plates during the stay. The service provided by the staff, including Amanda, Grace, Penelope, and Gabriel, was exceptional and made me feel truly cared for. And let's not forget the expert drivers, Godfried, Ronny, and Israel, who enhanced our game drives with their knowledge and enthusiasm. A truly unforgettable safari adventure.

Unforgettable experience

Amazing community run lodge in Madikwe. Staff were top notch. The food was amazing. Kind of spoiled us for the rest of our trip. Rooms were spacious and comfortable. Guides for the game drives were outstanding. Saw lots of animals including Rhino, Lion, Cheetah and Wild Dog. Highly recommended.

Great safari experience

Great weekend spent at Buffalo Ridge. The staff were all very accommodating and the game drives were exceptional even the longer ones with fewer animals sighted but the excitement of tracking down specific species.

The food was great and plentiful with an adequate wine selection.
Rooms are large and the view from the shower is a wonderful touch.

Only reason that I don't give this a 5 star rating was the booking process which required numerous follow ups and lack of response to emails and voicemails.

Well priced lodge in Madikwe with service and experience matching the price point

Our family spent 3 fantastic days at Buffalo Ridge. We are from Canada and our kids are in their early teens.
We picked Buffalo Ridge for two important reasons. 
1. Unlike the vast majority of Lodges, it is community owned. This means that the profits are recycled into productive community projects, Further, the genuine pride and ownership of the staff is evident in every interaction.
2. Madikwe (the reserve area) is malaria free and so we didn’t require pills (which come with side effects)

The game drives (2 /day for 3 hrs each), the accommodation (private huts) food and overall service were truly exceptional.
We have some picky eaters and they went above an beyond to accommodate.

We cannot say enough, or recommend Buffalo Ridge enough to family and friends who are starting to plan a trip.

Absolutely Fantastic

We went to Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge Madikwe for a weekend in Oct 2022. We have been to many similar private lodges before in most of the reserves in South Africa. Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge was probably one of the better ones we stayed at. The food was excellent, our room was fantastic - large, well laid out, and had a lovely vista. The rooms were rondavals and thatch, which were nice and cool in the summer heat. The lodge is in the western part of Madikwe, the game drives and viewing did not disappoint. It is a community owned lodge, and the staff were very friendly and happy to see us. overall, we were glad to have visited Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge.

Awesome Experience at Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge

The 3 days stay at the Buffaloridgesafari Lodge in the Madwike reserve was amazing . The place is unique, the staff extremely kind and attentive. The lodge architecture beautiful. I was there with my son of 5 years and we had peaceful and unique stay.

Beautiful peaceful Unique place

My wife and I stayed at Buffalo Ridge for 6 nights the first week of August. We're both quite seasoned safari goers, and have stayed at a range of camps from eco-lodges to high-end 5*+ camps, and Buffalo Ridge ticks all the boxes that we like when we are on a safari trip.

As mentioned in another review, this lodge would not be great for someone with mobility issues, but this, fortunately, does not affect us. The entire camp is set within the hills, which provides stunning views into the valley below from the lodge, from your patio, or even from the glass enclosed shower. The resident family of klipspringer made an appearance outside our room several times over the stay, and judging by the amount of dung around, they weren't the only animals to see the lodge as a great place to wander. As such, at night and early morning, you do need a guide/staff member to escort you to and from your room.

Each day saw a fixed menu, something I appreciate. It seems many places since lock-down have been steering away from buffet meals. Mind you, most lodges I've stayed at have had a fixed menu each day. The food was also first class. Cooked perfectly, great portion size, and enough diversity during the week to not get bored. Bring an appetite as you'll have two courses for lunch and three for dinner.

The staff were wonderful, and all from a local community, which was one of the main reasons we booked to stay at this lodge. From the maintenance staff, to the waitresses/waiters, front of house staff, and the chefs, we were made to feel like family and it was tough to leave.

Our guide for the game drives was Israel, and he is one of the best guides I've had. Always calm, always communicating about what he had planned for us, always asking if we had seen enough at any sighting. I was really impressed with his dedication to not upset or stress the animals out, and his ability to read situations. When we were there the male elephants were all rather grumpy for a number of reasons, and Israel's knowledge and skills saw us out of what could have been potentially difficult situations.

Overall, Buffalo Ridge is an excellent place for a short stay or longer stay. My wife Sarah and I are already planning our return visit next year. We know we'll get the same warm welcome and leave happy. Definitely a lodge everyone should look at.

Fantastic stay at a community owned lodge

Lodge is on the ridge and surrounded by bush. This lodge is not suitable with visitors with mobility issues as its all stairs from the carpark to reception to the dining room to the bedrooms. Steep stairs.
Having said that the rooms are clean and the outside shower lovely. Mosquito nets over the beds but Madikwe is a malaria free area.
Meals were average - not fine ding but substantial.
A few animals seen from the deck but mostly on game drives.

Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge

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