Name: Wild Ivory Eco Lodge
Address: West Gate, Waterberg District, Waterberg District, Waterberg District, 7600, South Africa
Rating: 9

Smoke-free property

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Diet menu (on request)

Meals

Internet access

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Sun Deck

Recreation

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Beach facilities

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

At the hotel

Wild Ivory Eco Lodge

Waterberg District

We stayed at Wild Ivory Eco Lodge from 13th to 16th June 2021. It was a fantastic experience and we found the staff to be most humble and willing. I could not help but see the negative report from Lara R with disbelief as this was not the experience we had at all. During our stay the Elephants also broke the water-pipe late at night which meant that there was a water issue in the morning. To be fair these things can happen at a Game Lodge at any time but the staff fixed this problem while we were out on the morning drive and we were able to shower on our return. We also had the power going off at 22H00 pm as the lodge runs off solar power and if there are quite a few guests using hairdryers etc... this can cause same to happen but there is a power back-up Generator that can be turned on. Perhaps the staff could have mentioned this to the Lara R group to be fair. We opted not to have the Generator on because it was already 22H00 pm and not an issue for us. While we were there, the oven mentioned in Lara R report was working but broke after 1 days stay. The staff reacted immediately and an Electrician/Repair person arrived at the lodge to try and fix it. It was established that a certain part was required from the OEM and a request was put in to get the part. From what i understand this part was not easy to procure and had to come from JHB - i think that complaining about the oven etc... is just unfortunate timing for the Lara R Group because of the lead-time required to fix same.  This being said... the oven not working did not affect our ability to cook our meals as the rest of the oven was working ie Gas tops etc... so we just cooked our meals that way - no real issues. Having stayed at Wild Ivory on numerous occasions, I have to say that we have never experienced what the Lara R Group is reporting. I would not heed this report at all. Wild Ivory remains one of the best value Big 5 Game Lodges in RSA in my opinion.

Response to Lara R

Visiting Wild Ivory Eco Lodge, and seeing all the beautiful animals and biodiversity, Welgevonden Game Reserve really is a true gem. Wild Ivory is located in the middle of the bush and it allows a person to truly understand and respect the nature around them. Looking back at all the photographs I had taken, each one is worth a thousand words, but another aspect of this incredible trip also deserves a thousand words. . . the people who make sure the trip is worth it. 

To the five people who welcomed us at Wild Ivory Eco Lodge. Gina is the chef at Wild Ivory. Eating her food was as if I were at home having one of my mother's home-cooked meals. Each day, the excitement grew waiting to see what she would cook. Our mouths would water just waiting in anticipation. But enough about the food... Can we talk about the wonderful guide named Herbert? Every morning and every afternoon, Herbert was waiting (with a fully kitted out game-viewing vehicle) to take us on our game drives. Each drive better than the previous one. His knowledge of the bush and the animals is so vast, that all we could do was listen in amazement. Not only did we view the animals, but we learnt so much and had impeccable company. Finally, to Lazarus, Nomsa and Sara. Whilst relaxing back at camp, these three incredible people ensured that every need was met. Their friendly smiles and hospitable welcoming each day was so nice. 

There are not enough words to describe the immense amount of appreciation I have for the staff at Wild Ivory for making the whole experience so fantastic. This lodge is the epitome of luxury, comfort and a real bush experience. Definitely will be going back!

"A picture is worth a thousand words... but so is everything else."

A real little gem!
We did the top unit - amazing views
Lovely kitchen patio and lounge
The bathroom was lovely
Great fire pit (needs the weird spike removing from the middle - it’s less than ideal in the dark)
The game  is always amazing
The team super, Herbert next time hyena 😃
Dinner and lunch was lovely!
We hope to be back soon

Little gem in welgevonden that doesn’t break the bank

We booked the lodge out as a group in January. The lodge itself is very simple and comfortable. The tents and communal areas could do with a bit of a deep clean and a bit of a revamp. Herbert, our ranger was great and very knowledgeable (and very patient). My only gripe is the food... There is an option to self cater, and I wish we had. The food was disappointing. For a small camp with only 10 guests, I would have expected something a little more creative and tasty. Go for self catering if you have the option. 

Great ranger, food was disappointing 

Wild Ivory has the perfect balance between luxury and wild. The luxury lies in the beautiful clean tented rooms, outdoors shower, chef and staff on hand at all times and the wild lies in the unfenced camp, camp visits from the elephants and the top class game drives.

Game sightings included cheetah with cubs, lions, buffalo, eland, lots and lots of rhino which was of course very special.

Herbert is a great guide and put up with all the birding questions, knowing all the answers. Gina, Alfius, Lazarus and the whole staff team went out of their way to make our lives comfortable. We could not help staying an extra day.

We can recommend this lodge to everyone - real value for money too! We loved it.

Wonderful experience from beginning to end!

Growing up with the Kruger, I've always enjoyed true Bushveld experiences,and can say without any doubt this has been one of our best holidays in Africa.

The reserve itself is fantastic, diverse landscapes and great variety of animals. Although we didn't see lions, we saw alot of other amazing animals. The lodge itself also has a great variety of animals around, klipspringers, vlakvarke, zebras and lots of elephants! 

The lodge's location could not have been better, it is completely remote with A STUNNING view, not a single light or road as far as the eye can see. We did not get a bonfire, but we were the only guests so I understand that. 

The rooms itself, is basic and unfenced, which is actually great, that is exactly what you want in the bush, the animals move around the tents, you have a great view and the tents are incredibly clean. Great king size beds. 

To be honest, I cannot believe this lodge isn't always fully booked. I saw people complaining about the elephants and so on, so if you want something more fancy then this is probably not for you. But if you want a true Bushveld experience, then this is the lodge for you.

Some pointers, the staff at the lodge is exceptional, never been to a lodge where I can see the staff really go the extra mile and have a love for nature. Whether the all inclusive is worth the extra money is debateble, but that's perhaps because we are locals. Also, it is an eco lodge, so no fans, but the tents are extremely well designed for proper airflow. 

Wild ivory eco lodge, you will definitely see us again, soon.

Best Bushveld experience

We just loved our stay at Wild Ivory Eco Lodge. It was probably the best part of our whole family vacation in South Africa.
The place was amazing! beautiful! the people that work there were so polite and service minded and lovely to be around. 
Also, everything was made easy for us, starting with the contact person for the reservation! Thanks Julie! thanks Herbert/Chau!!
The staff was wonderful!! The place incredible!! 
We just loved the whole thing!!!!!!

Amazing place!!!!!

We stayed at Wild Ivory in June 2019 and had a wonderful time there. The tented rooms were clean and offered everything you need. The food was delicious and the staff were extremely friendly! Our game drives with Herbert were fantastic! We would like to thank the entire team for making our stay so great! We wish we could have stayed longer!

Fantastic place to stay in great game reserve

We had an AMAZING time in Welgevonden, especially in the Wild Ivory Eco lodge. 
Our self-catering lodge was fantastic, spacious, outside shower, best views and very quite (only the sound of animals :)) and the game drives with Herbert were actually the best we’ve ever had - he has a lot of knowledge and he is always trying to find the rare species (very successful)!! The service and the friendliness of everyone was great. We will definitely recommend it!

Best game drive & experience!

Very nice lodge with great safari tents. There's nothing culinary to put on display here at all. The service is excellent. Unfortunately, the chance of seeing predatory cats here is relatively small, as there are only 3 lions in this area of the reserve (Little Ranger's statement).

Wild Ivory Eco Lodge

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