Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa hotel rooms at the Thornybush Collection

"Our stay at Lion Sands River Lodge was excellent! From the time we arrived at the Skukuza airport to the time we departed, our expectations were far exceeded. The Lion Sands River Lodge was amazingly decorated with thatch roofs. Dining and sitting areas overlook the river with spectacular views. The lodge also had a well equipped gym with treadmills, bikes and weights. The staff were friendly and customer service was excellent. Our every need was taken care of promptly. Our villa was beautiful and overlooked the river with stunning views. While sitting on our porch, we watched hippos, elephants, crocodiles and nyala. The food was delicious with healthy options as well as comfort foods. The game drives were spectacular. Our safari guide Mendrew, and tracker, Brian were excellent at their skill. We stayed for 4 days and saw leopards each day on the game drives. We saw the big 5 as well as many other animals and birds. Overall, everything about Lion Sands River Lodge is exceptional and we will be back. Many thanks to Mello and the River Lodge team "

"Spectacular stay this time. Warm welcome, welcome wine and sweet and savoury platter in our room. Personalised treatment for dinner and the game drive amazing. "

"The room was clean and well appointed. The staff were very friendly and helpful. "

"This place is absolutely stunning and much larger than I expected it to be. There are 3 large viewing decks so seeing animals at all hours of the day is easy. The staff are so friendly and surprised the guests with a dance and song after a boma dinner. Food also was amazing. "

"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 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. "