Name: Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Address: Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, 1200, South Africa
Rating: 10

Air conditioning

Currency exchange

Smoke-free property

Heating

Ticket assistance

Gift shop

Garden

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

Reception desk

General

Bridal suite

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Rooms

Ironing

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Concierge services

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Diet menu (on request)

Breakfast

Restaurant

Packed Lunches

Meals

Internet access

Internet

Airport transportation

Transfer services

Transfer

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Library

Billiards

Hiking

Sun Deck

Ping-Pong

Recreation

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Beach facilities

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Fax and copy machine

Meeting and presentation facilities

Conference Hall

Business

Darts

Fitness facilities

Sports

Playroom

Babysitting and childcare

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Temperature control for staff

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Temperature control for guests

Personal protection equipment for guests

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

At the cottage

Londolozi Airport

Skukuza Airport

Hazyview Airport

Elephant Plains Game Lodge

Kruger National Park

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

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3-beds

30-beds

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32-beds

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39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

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

Elephant plains is a fantastic lodge its our second time staying and it didn't disappoint!  All the staff at the lodge are amazing, especially Julia, Tilly, Thandi, Phillie, Nell and Colbert.  The rooms, the food, the game drives and guides/trackers we unbelievable.  We saw the big 5 and more.  I can't recommend this place enough.  The rooms are well designed, and comfy, with large decking area, so you can look out over the plains.  The food is so tasty, and if there is something you don't fancy, Tilly is more than happy to cook something that you prefer.  

We saw leopards, lions, rhinos, elephants, wild dogs, giraffes, kudu, impala, hippos, hyena, jackals, zebra, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, crocodile,  wart hogs, mongoose and so many different birds, at one point Lions killed a hyena right in front of us, which was a unique experience.  To see so much in the 4 days we were there was incredible.

Amazing Lodge, amazing people, amazing animals!

My son and I spent 4 wonderful days at Elephant Plains enjoying the surroundings, the amazing food, and the spectacularly guided game drives.  The lodge is beautifully nestled in wooded surroundings usually with male and female inyala walking about eating.  The rooms are fresh and modern, kind of safari chic.  The balcony of our room looked down over a clearing where we often saw impala and elephants.  

The game drives were amazing and our guide, Nic, was fantastic.  He was incredibly knowledgeable and his voice projected such that everyone in the vehicle could hear him.  He worked seamlessly with our tracker, JB, as together they followed leopard prints in the road for a time until we came over a hill to see two leopards in front of us.  Nic was also very adept at listening in on the radio to see what other guides had found and was quick to get us in the queue to see lions with a fresh kill, a leopard up a tree with an impala and a very young leopard cub with its’ mother.  We also joined Nic a couple of days for the post breakfast bushwalk and were always the beneficiaries of his immense knowledge.  Sundowners were always wonderful with the truck stocked with your beverage of choice.

The food was incredible and hospitality was second to none.  Tilly, the head chef, was a delightful person who was always excited to share what the dinner offering would be and then after dinner wanted your honest review.  We were never disappointed.  Dinner was always outside under a huge tree with tables set up around a fire pit.  Delicious soup was served followed by choice of entrée and then dessert.  I have a gluten allergy and Tilly created food that far exceeded my wildest expectations.  Incredible homemade gluten free baked goods from donuts to naan bread.  I still look at the pictures in admiration.  I would go back just for the food alone.  Greshom was our incredible, always smiling server.  

The front of the house was run by Didi and Julia, two incredibly friendly and helpful people.  After the evening game drives one of the two would greet the returning guests with an assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic treats.  It was very easy to get used to that. Julia was super helpful with me changing the time of our ground transfer so we could squeeze in our final morning drive and delicious breakfast.  We really hated to leave such a wonderful place and the top notch team that took care of us.

Easy to love it here!

From the moment we arrived, and were greeted by Didi, and throughout our stay nothing was too much. Thandi looked after us so well in the restaurant, dinner being outside around a fire and Betty, the chef, provided the most excellent food. Our accommodation, in a roundel, was first rate. 
The game drives were incredible and Nel made sure we did not miss anything.
We saw all the big 5 often at very close quarters, and enhanced as only 3 vehicles  were allowed close to any animals at any one time. 
A fantastic experience & we will be recommending Elephant plains Lodge without hesitation

First Class Safari Venue

We had an incredible stay at Elephant Plains. Shuna was an amazing and fun host, and Darren and Colbert were outstanding guides. Thanks to their efforts, we saw the Big Five within the two short nights we were there. The food by Tilly was fantastic! It was probably the perfect safari experience for us, and we would definitely come back.The location is quite remote, and getting to the hotel can be challenging due to potholes. Additionally, there's limited flexibility in booking because it's so popular, and I believe they should allow for changes or cancellations rather than requiring bookings a year in advance. Despite these minor issues, our experience was unforgettable.

Unforgettable Safari Experience at Elephant Plain

My family and I recently had the most amazing stay at Elephant Plains Game Lodge. I cannot say enough about the lodge and its staff. Jordon and Dion (ranger and tracker) were amazing. We saw mating leopards, dueling male buffalo, leopards at a kill, to name but a few things. However, the highlight was our own "battle at Kruger." A pride of lions attacking a buffalo where the herd of buffalo came back to save the bull. Chef Tilly's food is fantastic. From the spinach omlette to the kudu steak. Julia in the office is the best. The staff did everything to make our stay comfortable and amazing. This is our second stay at EP and I cannot wait for our third stay. Thanks! 

Safari of a lifetime

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful four night stay at Elephant Plains in June which was our 4th stay at this special property and it was as good as ever, and better in one particular aspect. 

Having visited lodges in the Greater Kruger area consistently since 2007 it is my considered opinion that Elephant Plains, blow for blow, is very difficult to match in terms of the safari guest experience it provides for the price point. I have written lengthy and more comprehensive reviews of our previous stays Elephant Plains and all the positive aspects from those still rung true this year. 

I admit to being a little concerned when we arrived to check in and found that both Darren and Kellie were on leave, having very much enjoyed their company and how they managed the lodge during our visit in 2023. However, my concern was completely unfounded. Despite it being a shame not to catch up with both, Dee-Dee and Julia in their absence ran the place like clockwork. In fact the staff across the board and the level of customer service we received in all aspects of our stay was once again exceptional.

Particular mention must go this year to Chef Tilly. What an inspired addition she is and her food are to Elephant Plains. A true asset who has undoubtedly elevated the standard fare from previously years. Please do not get me wrong, the food at EP has always been consistently good, but this year it was truly exceptional and despite a high bar held, it was arguably the best food we ate throughout our 3 week trip. However, not only was the food top notch, the presentation was next level and Tilly was very personable to boot so we enjoyed her touch of coming to each table to announce the menu or gather feedback after dinner and interact with her guests. What also made our dining experience memorable this year was we ate 4/4 evening meals in the Boma which is always our preference. 

Our guide was Doctor and our tracker was Dumi. Both gentlemen were exceptional in their respective roles but also a cohesive team and great company throughout. Again, a common thread but they were our favourite guide/tracker duo this trip. 
Unsurprisingly our sightings were exceptional with multiple leopards including TP, Shidolu, and Ntima plus thankfully on our final game drive, my favourite; Tiani. In addition to numerous varied and special sightings, we were also fortunate to witness a bucket list sighting when lions from the Kambula pride took down a buffalo which was as exhilarating as it was emotional. Once again the credit in getting us into position goes to Doctor’s perseverance and single mindedness to deliver for his guests. EP are truly blessed with a team of exceptional guides and trackers. The difference is subtle but noticeable. 

Elephant Plains is a special place and offers a unique combination of providing value for money and a world class wildlife experience to travelers in the know. Indulging in a safari can be and generally is an expensive pursuit but EP is one of the more affordable lodges in the infamous Sabi Sands Reserve. I am simply grateful that a lodge such as Elephant Plains exists in the Sabi Sands and that we have been fortunate to stay there now on a number of occasions. For as long as they will have us, we will continue to return to EP whenever we do a Greater Kruger safari and when doing so, it will be one of the easiest decisions I make.

Exceptional in All Aspects

We had a lovely stay at Elephant Plains! The lodge is a dream, the staff are wonderful, and the game drives exceeded all our expectations.

We had an amazing experience at Elephant Plains. It was our first legit safari and first safari lodge. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The facilities are excellent and comfortable. You are in a beautiful location where you can see animals from the balconies. We saw elephants, antelope, waterbuck, and even a leopard from the pool balcony. On our actual game drives we saw all of the big 5 several times  (over our 3 day stay)! Couldn’t have hoped for anything better than what we got at elephant plains!

We went to Elephant Plains for New Years Eve. Wonderfull experience and best Leopard sightings ever

Elephant Plains Game Lodge

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