Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Greater Kruger National Park hotel rooms at the Independent

"This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stayed; an amazing location in beautiful Skukuza, the quirkiest stunning train/bridge hotel and the extraordinary staff! Rooms are extremely spacious and beautifully decorated, the views from the room and the pool deck is breathtaking. It’s the most beautiful feeling watching animals from above, enjoying the river running under the train bridge. The staff is maybe the friendliest and the most hardworking hotel staff I’ve experienced. Tinashe, Happy, Angie and many more .. they make you feel so welcomed, almost like a family! On top of all, what makes it even more special is the Kruger NP game drives. My husband and I both feel extremely lucky to have met the amazing Victor, who is a very special and extraordinary game guide. I have done a lot safaris around the world but never met a guide like him. He is full of love for animals (and BIRDS!), he gets so excited seeing them, tracking them, as if this is not what he sees everyday. His level of knowledge about all animals, their behaviours, patterns, from the biggest to the rarest animal, the surrounding fauna.. it is just like going on documentary drives. Unbelievable! Till I met him, I didn’t know much about birds. When I said that to him, he went and printed me a copy of an extensive bird checklist as a surprise for our next drive and we tracked them together the rest of our drives.Thank you so much Victor for everything you did for us, we couldn’t ask for a better experience"

"Amazing stay, food, decor, amenities, rooms were great and would love to stay here again. Safari was also amazing with a great guide, Culture. Conveniently located 1min away from the Paul Kruger Gate. Highly recommend staying here."

"All of the rooms were beautifully renovated. The food was incredible, everyone in the staff went out of their way to make sure that guests were happy, and they called everyone by name. The Safari rides were over the top and our guide Stuart and his tracker Colin were very knowledgeable and professional. The jeeps were brand new and very comfortable. We were sad to leave after an incredible 3 night stay at Leopard Hills."

"The highlights of our stay here were the incredibly friendly staff and the generous food options. The service was akin to 5 star hotels - attentive, thoughtful and friendly. The food was plentiful and it was nice to have choices for dinner and breakfast. The room was suitable for our needs for a few nights and very clean and tidy. "

"Up close and personal with the wildlife."

"The minute we arrived we were greeted by lovely staff and elephants at the pool. What followed was a once in a lifetime experience. The positives - Beds are super comfy with electric blankets for those cold nights and a fan for the warm days. The food was AMAZING. I LOVED being seated with fellow safari mates and getting to know people from across the world even though we are total introverts. Our guide Leighton was brilliant, knowledgeable and an excellent driver. And the wildlife…. Wow. I still can’t believe we saw so many lions, leopards and cheetahs, not to mention everything else. Being birders we were worried that we would be ignored and never get a moment to identify a bird but Leighton balanced the needs of the guests so well and had an excellent knowledge of all animals. The only downsides… when we arrived we were so hungry but because our flight was delayed we missed the afternoon safari and had to wait until everyone returned before we could access any food - a wait of 2 hours was really tough and no one explained what was happening. Highly recommend explaining the daily itinerary to people on arrival and having snacks available for purchase. Loved the Couples shower but unfortunately not enough hot water for 2 people. "

"We loved staying at Elephant Point! "

"Great experience and the staff were amazing. "

"Such a wonderful stay. The lodge, staff and rangers were fabulous…just fabulous. Don’t even think about it…just book !"