We read the great reviews of Notten's Bush Camp and we were not disappointed. Everyone and everything was extraordinary. We were greeted warmly, and during our entire stay, everyone went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. We stayed in a family suite (Room 8) with two bedrooms, two baths, outdoor shower, and long porch facing the bush. This room was at the very end, away from the watering hole. One night, we awoke to the sound of 4 rhinos snacking on grass just feet from our porch! With our faces pressed to the screens, it was truly an amazing experience. The Summer House was perfect, with small, comfortable seating areas facing the watering hole, where the animals were on constant parade. The food was great, the lodge was beautiful and low-key, making you feel right at home. We loved the candle and gas lamp lighting, but make sure you unpack during daylight. so you don't have to go looking for a toothbrush in the dark! Our game drives were exciting and Joe, our driver, and Rydant (spelling?) our tracker made sure we had the best animal viewing. We loved the cocktails in the bush! It was great fun to come back from our evening drive and sit at the community table and share stories with the other guests. It was very clear by the repeat business that people love the Notten's Bush Camp experience. When we checked into another hotel in Timbavati and told them we had been to Notten's, they commented on the great family who run the camp. Shout out to everyone, especially Joe, Rydant, Suzie, Gift, Sipho, and Dale.
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Date of stay: May 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Rooms facing the watering hole will give you great animal viewing. Our room (Room 8) at the end...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Our family stayed for 4 nights with another family (total of 9 people, 5 kids) in the middle of a two week vacation and we were blown away! Both families stayed in family suite rooms which were very spacious, clean and well appointed. The back porch looked out over the bush and was often visited by a lounging warthog, monkeys and impala. Though there isn't electric lights there is a power strip available in the room 24x7 for device charging.
Outside of the room the grounds are beautiful. Flowering bushes, green grassy spaces and plenty of buildings overlooking the bush. The day begins with a 6:00 wakeup call and a thermos of hot water for tea or coffee (snack tray is always stocked and in the room) and consists of plenty of eating and two game drives. The morning game drives get chilly in the winter (warm hats, gloves are helpful) but the days warms up quickly in the African sun. Evenings are also cool but the rooms stayed comfortably warm at night despite not having heaters.
Between game drives time can be filled with lounging, a spa treatment (some of us got 1 hr massages which were wonderful), a bush walk (highly recommended), a visit to Skukuza golf course (did this too)! Jeffrey, our amazing guide, lead the kids in pellet gun shooting two days in a row which was a big hit!
The food and drink are plentiful and delicious. I was concerned about being able to eat and drink everything but we did (salads, ice, etc) and didn't have any ill effect! The evening caps off with a lantern and candle lit dinner complete with an Amarulla nightcap!
We saw the big 5 shortly after starting our game drives and were incredibly impressed with the skill and patience of our guide, Jeffrey. He worked tirelessly with the other guides to find big cats or whatever we were hoping to see that day. We also learned a great deal about the bush from a man who is a third generation safari guide (his grandfather was the first black guide in Kruger).
Notten's will continuously delight you with its ambiance and superb customer service From the free bag of laundry during our stay, Jeffrey's patience while the boys shot cans with a pellet gun, to Dale's perseverance getting us a tee time at Skukuza, we can't say enough good things about this place.
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Date of stay: July 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Our family of four stayed at Nottens for 4 nights in the family suite and it is quite simply superb. The game drives, the Rangers, the food, the service, the experience, the location, the gin and tonic sundowners are just brilliant. Loved the place and did not want to leave. To top it off we saw the big 5 in the first day and got up close to 6 leopards on separate occasions during our stay, including 2 cubs. Cannot fault and recommend highly.
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Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
