Name: Kambaku River Lodge
Address: 142 Strathmore, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park, 1320, South Africa
Rating: 10

Shopping on site

Air conditioning

Smoking areas

Currency exchange

Smoke-free property

Heating

Newspapers

Ticket assistance

Gift shop

Garden

Terrace

Private check-in/check-out

Outdoor furniture

Reception desk

General

Bridal suite

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Family room

Toiletries

Rooms

Accessibility features

Accessibility

Ironing

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Concierge services

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Diet menu (on request)

Breakfast

Breakfast in the room

Restaurant

Snack bar

Bottled water

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Area shuttle

Airport transportation

Transfer

English

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Library

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Barbeque

Sun Deck

Recreation

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Beach facilities

Pool facilities

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Fax and copy machine

Conference Hall

Business

Massage

Beauty services

Beauty and wellness

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Contactless check-in and/or check-out

Health and Safety Measures

At the cottage

Malelane Airport

Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport

Nelspruit Airport

Komatipoort Airport

Hazyview Airport

Kambaku River Lodge

Kruger National Park

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

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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

park access

Our stay here was just perfect in every aspect! From the beautiful lodge (we had our own house) with private pool and private breakfast/dinner on our terrace to the astonishing view into the Kruger and the superb food and service we couldn’t have wished for more!

This place is more than perfect in every aspect!

I stayed at Kambaku for 2 nights but probably should have stayed for longer!  It is a beautiful small boutique lodge, with everything you need.  

There was a good amount of game that came to the river opposite the lodge - impala, nyala, buffalo, hippo, warthog, elephants and even a lion!  Plus lots of birds.  I hired the photography hide for a day and while there wasn't as many birds as I was expecting, I had many elephants come to visit.  There was a herd of 11 that came, and also a lone bull that came about 6 times over the day and night.  It was an incredible experience to be so close to them.  The hide is well designed, with great reflections and aesthetics in your photos, plus the use of gimbals, bean bags, comfy chairs, charging points, and spot lights at night. 

The pool was very welcome on a hot day, and the rooms seemed to stay quite cool even thought it was very hot outside. The only warning is that the rooms (I stayed in the Shawu room) are not really suitable for friends sharing, since the shower and bath are open to the room.  

The dinners were lovely.  Note that you don't have choice - you are given whatever they are cooking that night, but they do cater for dietary requirements.  My vegetarian and pescetarian meals were excellent. 

Kambaku stay and hide

Beautiful destination. Lodge was perfect. Excellent food. Amazing spot for watching wild animals on the river 

Trip

Kambaku River Lodge is a luxurious treat of note! It's on a magnificent setting, on the Crocodile River and only a fence separates the lodge from the the Kruger Park, allowing us to lie on our bed watching the wildlife come down to drink at the river or the hide. We usually hire the 2 or 3 bedroom lodge which feels like a super elegant home from home; it is fully equipped to self cater but also wonderful to be served breakfast, lunch or dinner on the huge patio next to the pool. The boma fire at each lodge is lit every evening and the drums signal that dinner is served. The viewing deck is also magnificent, especially for sundowners (fabulous gin cocktails!!!) and I have done Pilates there on each of my visits, this time at sunrise.....surreal!! 
Leanne, Tony and team are warm and welcoming and make sure that every need is met. Elvis is a world class game ranger and knows the Kruger Park like the back of his hand. The hide is fully equipped and can be booked for wildlife photography sessions, or just to get up close to the visitors. We have been lucky enough to encounter elephants and bird life on each of our visits, it is amazing!! There is a beautiful shop and Spa and Malelane gate is 15mins drive from the Lodge; Kambaku has it's own game vehicle with Elvis at the helm. Our previous visits have been with our children so the 2 bedroom lodge was a perfect fit; this has an extra room that can be closed off if not needed, but it made for a perfect fit for our bigger group when we recently took our friends from the US. 

An added bonus is that Malelane is only 4.5 hours from Joberg, and Safair have recently added a flight to Mombela so access is easy. This is a treat of note, don't think twice!!

Another magnificent stay at this gorgeous, luxurious Lodge, set on the Crocodile River.

My wife and I recently spent a week at Kambaku River lodge. We had a wonderful experience from the moment we arrived. The owner Leanne and her staff were very friendly and helpful, we especially enjoyed interacting with Dennis who lit our campfire every evening and also Celeste and Miriam in particular. The dinners , we looked forward to every night and were never disappointed  by the variety or the taste and quality of the food. Leanne's attention to the finest detail in the room was also noticeable.  We saw a lot of game just from our patio and had a really relaxing week as we were hoping for. We will definitely return soon....

Wonderful Time

From the minute we arrived we were greeted by the most friendly staff. Nothing was too much trouble. We were in the family suite as we were travelling with my mum. It was stunning. The decor was so well thought out and every little detail had been considered. It felt super luxurious and was so comfortable. And well the view on the river was exceptional. The dinners served were absolutely delicious and were huge portions - you certainly will not go hungry! To sit in the evenings outside with the sounds of the lion roaring was just such an incredible experience. 
We went out on early drives a few days and were prepared the most delightful packed lunches which had so many snacks in. I have to say you will feel very spoilt staying here it truly is heaven. 

One not to miss!

We stayed in Kambabu River Lodge over New Year’s Eve. This is an amazing place. The service and location is perfect. Next to the river you can see elephants, buffalos, rhino, lions…. The organized safaris have been great and we‘ve seen the big five in short time. 

Wonderful stay over new year

Ah, what a magnificent place this is.  There are too many choices at Kruger, one feels overwhelmed with options.  You simply cannot go wrong with this one.  We spent a long long time searching and reading of all options for places to stay at Kruger- north to south, top to bottom - every review imaginable, and we were flexible in most regards, including the airport to fly into.... but we did not wish to play the exorbitant in-park prices of some of the uber-luxury all inclusive options over the highest peak season in the area, yet still wanted as much of the luxury and awe experience as possible.  Considering the many choices in the area I think the one we finally selected was far beyond all expectations, the absolute best- and having seen some of the top lodges in Kruger, I don't think Kambaku's rooms or setting are any lesser than the absolute best.  Staff and service may be far more limited, as expected for a small place, but no matter- they are great.  They don't use dynamic pricing, and the value for price is second to none.

 This is a lovely family run place, selected as a site for a lodge by someone with a dream of running such a place, who is clearly involved in every aspect of her property - from decorative touches, to attention to details and the day to day operation- and right there for every guest need and concern.   The property is as magnificent as the images show - the rooms are beautiful, decorated with a specific unique taste, nice amenities, super comfortable beds, good linens, great showers, baths, AC, screens, anti-mosquito measures- anything you imagine you need.  We loved it all. The views are peaceful and draw you in: Kruger and its animals, right in front of you - a fun surprise appearance every few hours!  Every suite except one is directly facing the river, yet somehow built to be quite private.  We saw lions, elephants, buffalo and hippos during our stay, both from our rooms and the viewing platforms, and of course even more amazing species on the safari excursions arranged by the property with two fantastic guides.  Kruger, like all of South Africa, is magic, and the grounds of Kambaku lodge have their own surprise collection of fun living beings that come to visit you, especially the beautiful and endless variety of singing birds.  Ah, the birds!  If you love birds, this is the place for you.

The food at the lodge is very good, fresh, and delcious--although one minor negative is the absolutely set dinner times that are sometimes announced via whatsapp, but sometimes not- and lack of any choice in food options at dinner is odd at first: you eat what is shopped for that morning, for that day, at a time for dinner that appears to be set in stone, likely because of the limitations of the traveling staff who are not on site --which once explained, you will be understanding of- but may still be a new concept and strange for some guests, even if they have stayed in set menu dinner-inclusive properties. I still like to imagine what happens if a meal is ruined, or you cannot consume the item brought at a certain time- even if allergies or preferences are pre-conveyed: there appears to be severe limitations in this regard, and they may have not yet run into the clients who want, for example, two portions of something delcious at dinner - it is unclear if special requests can at all be accomodated, as one would want for such a place- and all this could disappoint those wanting some level of flexibility in multiple aspects of dinner.  But at the end of the day, many people staying here may be self catering and not care about such thing-- and its a very small price as all the food was always so delicious, high quality and done very nicely.  Perhaps in the future some elements of choice or flexibility will be introduced, but even if not, the food is excellent and so most will be very happy.  Breakfast choices are given and discussed each evening and breakfast is plentiful and also delicious. While dinner is set menu, and set quantity- lunch can be set at any time you wish, and you have a number of different options to select from- all excellent, well-priced and quantity is, of course, in your control.  The wine list at any time is extensive and fantastic.

Another aspect of the lodge, common in South Africa and South America, that may require adjusting for some North American or other clients,  is communicaiton: be prepared to have to communicate via Whatsapp -down to any orders placed for drinks or snacks-- this is how you get information on dinner, and dinner times, and all other arrangements, since there isn't really an on site reception or desk.  Everything with this system works well-  but you must be willing to use this form of communication to, say, place a drink order or be attentive to receive notices. You can use email, but whatsapp is clearly the most efficient manner of exchange. The managers or owner have a common account and respond immediately, and everything is delivered exactly as requested, so the system generally works- but for those few averse to Mr. Zuckerberg's companies or use of mobile phones....good luck.  

Food is served outside-You get fires and lanterns lit for you each evening, and you eat at a table on your private veranda/patio area.  It is lovely.  We were worried about mosquitos but there were hardly any and anti-bug measures were provided in multiple forms.   It is quiet, and beautiful.

While all the physical amenities, features and beauty of the lodge are as good as it gets, I think what makes the place, at the end of the day, is the care and attention of the dedicated owner- and staff.  The owner, who clearly loves the lodge a tremendous deal and wants every single person to have the best experience is right there to correct any mishap or miscommunication.    Communication before arrival was excellent with the managers, and was an important factor in selecting the lodge.  There are two managers, Luke and Anzelle, who take on many a task - even cooking- and all queries are answered almost immediately (and we had many)- with exact and specific clarity-- therefore every part of the booking, pick up, excursion planning went like clockwork-- thanks to these dedicated and efficient managers.  The other staff are also very nice, and kind.  We found they sometimes showed up unannounced to set tables or clear them, never intrusive- but we wish they would give some verbal notice of their arrival as the managers and owner did, before stepping into the private area facing the room. This was a minor observation of concern.

At the end of the day, in midst of so many places of beauty, the Kambaku is truly a best-of-the-best. What makes or breaks this place is in good part the owner, who keeps a close eye, has great people and situation handling savvy, and knows how to communicate well with different clients.   It is never possible to know how much of what seems true hospitality is practice and skill, and how much is a genuine from-the-heart caring for guests.....but at the end of the day, it matters little.   If you convey a sense of caring and concern through all your actions, the why or the how of its origin is not relevant--that is all most guests want on their precious once in a lifetime visits to a place like this- to feel cared for- listened to-and you will feel very much cared for at this lodge.    It is a wonderful place.

Peace and beauty: a sublime family-run lodge

We have travelled to many places but the service and level of hospitality we got at Kambaku was on another level. We really felt so comfortable and the food was awesome. The kids loved every bit and would love to come back every year as they said. Keep it up and thumbs up to Anzelle, from the booking to checkout she was so amazing.

Excellent Hospitality

Most extraordinary place, wonderful people, great location - everything one wishes for when going on a vacation like this.
Clean, helpful, excellent food, great guide, nothing to complain - could not be better!

Excellent place

Breakfast included

Free Internet

Suitable for children

Kambaku River Lodge

Popular amenities

Location

Available rooms

Location

Services and amenities

Popular

General

Rooms

Accessibility

Services and amenities

Meals

Internet

Transfer

Languages Spoken

Tourist services

Recreation

Parking

Pool and beach

Business

Beauty and wellness

Kids

Pets

Health and Safety Measures

Conditions of accommodation

Conditions of accommodation

Payment

Payment

For corporate clients