Reviews of Quatermain's 1920's Safari Camp – Amakhala Game Reserve 3 stars

It was a great outing

Im not sure where to start! The location is incredible as it is in the game reserve and unfenced, but we never felt unsafe as they have thought of everything (regular checks, whistles in the rooms) and to hear elephant and lion roars whilst relaxing in your private hot tub is an experience like no other. The lack of electricity didn't bother us at all, in fact we found it delightful to have a detox. Having said that, you do get patches of phone signal, for me on o2 from the UK, this was typically in higher areas when we stopped for sundowners which meant I was able to send photos of the incredible sightings to friends and family. We did the overnight trail and cave experience which i cannot recommend enough. Riyan and Miguel were knowledgeable and made us feel safe. It was amazing to learn about the smaller things that you wouldn't ever see on a game drive. Getting to the cave is accessible with a degree of challenge. The set up once we got down there was slick with Riaan cooking an epic braai, open fire, wine and talking as we stargazed. The staff at the camp also work tirelessly to make this luxury. Coming back from an evening game drive in the dark and being greeted with an amarula hot chocolate and enthusiasm on what we saw that day (especially by Nick who was so knowledgeable and great to talk to) and to find our hot tub fires roaring and hot water bottles tucked under the duvet are all extra touches we weren't expecting but made the trip feel that much more exclusive. Finally a huge shout out to our main guide Tinash, whom we nicknamed 'Tenacious Tinash' as he was so dedicated to finding us the very best park sightings to the best of his abilities (it's nature afterall). He managed to secure us the best sighting of a female cheetah and her tiny 4 cubs trotting down the path at dusk as she found somewhere to tuck them in for the night.

We loved every bit of the experience. The game walk was one of the best and most interesting experiences we've ever had, highly recommend. All staff was extremely friendly and we felt very spoiled. The tent has everything and more than we needed and sitting in the hot tub at night will remain unforgettable. Huge thanks to everyone at Quatermains for making this experience possible.

Simple, pure outdoor old school experience.

Nothing

Just booked to return next year for my 3rd visit, need I say more !.

Our stay at Quatermains was a 10/10. With just 3 tents each 2 beds available, there is a very family like atmosphere. The tens are clean but simple and let you have the real Safari experience. The Rangers David and Johan take you on safari 2 times a day and really take their time to explain, educate and spot all the wildlife. Julie and Rian care for each of the guests and make the stay a long lasting memory. Thank you so much!

Everything about this whole experience was phenomenal. We had no expectations but what we saw and did was beyond our comprehension. We are very grateful to have the opportunity that Quartermaine’s provides. We got 4 game drives, unexpectedly 3 of these was just us with the guides Liam and David as the other 4 guests were out on walking trail. These guides are extremely knowledgeable, great people and sense of humour. Went out of their way to make it all memorable. Our game drives were fantastic, with 2 very close encounters with the Elephant Herd and later Lion immediately beside or around us. Saw all the other animals at close range too. The animals and scenery were unforgettable, we appreciated stopping at the middens of early human camps. Full explanations of all the animals and plants When we had a bit of rain and wind, we got rain ponchos, blankets, even hot water bottles. The camp itself was very 1920s authentic with twists of luxury. The Hot tubs under South Afrikan skies - sensational. Loved all the food cooked on the fires, the home made bread & food, delicious. Hot and cold drinks and snacks are available at all times, even on drives with amazing views. The Lions roaring at night and the Elephant outside our tent at night added extra thrill, always felt safe though. We don’t have the words to describe the experience or to say thank you enough. I understand now why people keep returning - we also hope too. Not enough room for all the great photos. THANK YOU 🙏 from 2 very grateful New Zealanders x

Everything was 100% perfect

This is such an amazing place with passionate and delightful people looking after you throughout your stay. A very special place. We stayed for three nights and took up the option of a walking trek and overnight stay in a cave/ overhang shelter on a cliff edge. What an incredible experience! A ig thank you to Rhian, Julie, all the fantastic guides and everyone at teh reserve that made our trip so special:)

It was a very authentic safari experience without giving up creature comforts. Our tent was very clean and we really appreciated the places for storage, the flushing toilet, shower, and hot tub! Our accommodations were cleaned after each game drive so typically twice a day. The days were well organized and we noticed all the small touches like the welcome drinks upon returning from a drive, the hot water bottles for chilly days, the drink and snack breaks, etc. The meals were fantastic and they were great about dietary restrictions/preferences. Our walking tour with Rhiann and Liam was great even if we had a rather intense encounter with lions lol. Both of them are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate. We really appreciated that Liam was firm with guests about respecting the animals (which should be a given of course). We didn’t see as many animals as on other smaller reserves but the experiences we had were SO memorable.

Not to say it was something we didn’t like, it’s just a difference: Amakhala is a large reserve and thus you need to drive much greater distances to see animals. If you’re limited on time and really want to see a large variety of species, then another small reserve would probably work better. The drives here are approx 4 hours long, twice a day, which could be too long for some.

Beautiful tent, well looked after and staff were amazing. Guides are knowledgeable and eat with you in the evening

Nothing

Exceptional experience and superb staff! Only 6 guests in the whole camp and on the game drives. Sleeping in the bush can be a bit unnerving for safari beginners :-)

There was nothing not to like!

Can’t tell you in a few words how special this place is. If you want a real bush experience led by fantastic staff, this one is for you!

It’s so remote and disconnected - felt like we truly got away! Everything was beautiful! The stars in the hot tub were absolutely incredible!

It was comfortable and had all the amenities you would want but was homely and fitted in with bush life. The addition of the hot tub was a lovely luxury.

Nothing to add.

The hosts sent lots of valuable information before our arrival.

Everything about Quartermains was fantastic. The location, the guides the food the experience were all amazing. We had a real sense of being close to nature.

Nothing

An unique experience, we enoyed every second of this trip. Thank you so much Riam, Johan and Dave😊

Everything was superb! Friendly staff, luxury accommodation and they made us feel extremely welcome. I would highly recommend Quartermains Safari camp. The animals seen, was an added bonus to the whole experience! We will definitely be back

Nothing

We loved our stay here! If you are looking for an authentic experience in the bush we would highly recommend! The guided were exceptional, the food was great, we had a lovely stay!

Nothing!

It was fantastic to sleep feeling so connected to the nature surrounding and listening to the sounds of the bush whilst to slept. The facilities perhaps a little quirky for some were perfect and we loved the hot tub in the evenings