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

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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

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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

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

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

We have just returned from our first stay at Buffalo Ridge, knowing that it will be the first of many (for as long as the finances allow). We have loved Madikwe ever since our first visit 11 years ago. With our regular lodge not yet open we decided on Buffalo Ridge, in part because we wanted to experience an as yet unvisited part of the Reserve. We are very pleased that we did. Great location with extensive view, spacious lodges, extremely experienced guides, and a group of people determined that your stay will be both memorable and enjoyable.
The lodge is owned by a local community, with everyone working there coming from the same village. This means they have known each other for all of their lives, and they work as part of a large family, always with smiles on their faces, and doing whatever they can to ensure that you have a great time. They succeeded!
Around the lodge we saw elephants feeding just by the main deck, while klipspringers rested on the steps leading up to the vehicles for the game drives. On the game drives we had great close-up sightings of cheetah, elephants, lions, and so many other creatures. This was very much down to Godfrey who looked after us so well. With his great knowledge, many years of experience, and great people skills, you couldn’t ask for more in your guide.
We thoroughly recommend Buffalo Ridge to anyone wanting a top-end experience without having to pay top-end prices.


Thoroughly recommended

A group of women, who have all been friends for decades,  gathered at Buffalo Ridge for the trip of a lifetime. It’s difficult to decide what my favourite thing about it was - the staff? the game viewings? the lodge location? the food? The price? Well actually, they were all exceptional. In particular, I think I have to mention the staff - they could not have been more charming or helpful and nothing was ever too much trouble. Oh, wait, there was also the leopard sighting, the lioness with cubs, the cheetah with cubs, and the waterhole sighting of the various gathered herds that made me feel as if noah’s ark had just docked in Madikwe. It was all spectacular. An unreserved 5* experience!

The best bush experience ever

15 women, all old friends, visited Buffalo Ridge this past weekend. What a wonderful gem in the beautiful Madikwe reserve. The staff, who are all from the community that owns Buffalo Ridge, are delightful - from the amazing rangers (Franco and Israel), the chefs (Tshepo and Julia), Penelope, Lucas, Grace, Godfrey, Priscilla and all the others. They indulged our every whim and ‘madness’. The game viewing is spectacular and the camp really lovely. I can highly recommend a visit and will definitely be back myself.

Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge

Main amenities of the hotel

Location

Available rooms

Location

Description of the hotel

What other amenities are there?

General

Rooms

Services and amenities

Meals

Internet

Transfer

Languages Spoken

Recreation

Pool and beach

Beauty and wellness

Kids

Health and Safety Measures

Policies

Check-in terms and conditions

Payment