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Woodbury Tented Camp is an intimate, three star bush camp located on the spectacular Amakhala Game Reserve and run by the Gush family, who have lived on the land for five generations. Many of our staff have grown up in the area and take pride in ensuring that your African safari experience is a memorable one. Tucked into a secluded hillside thicket overlooking the ancient floodplain of the Bushman's River, Woodbury Tented Camp is one of the hidden jewels of the Eastern Cape. Ten comfortable en-suite tents on raised bases, each with its own private deck, allow guests to enjoy a rare intimacy with nature. Each tent has hot running water, the option of king-size or twin beds and electric blankets for those cosy evenings. Also in the portfolio are two family tents which connect via a balcony, allowing families to enjoy the African bush together. Twice daily game drives with one of our friendly and professional guides offer the chance for exciting Big Five game viewing.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Quirky Hotels
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Xhosa
Location
75 Km From Port Elizabeth Towards Off the N2, Amakhala Game Reserve 6139 South Africa
Woodbury Tented Camp offers a special experience with overnight stay in a generously equipped tent (including sanitary facilities), a great lodge and a very good concept. All participants come together from the tents, meet by the campfire and sit at a table. It's a great way to get into conversation. We made two safari trips with a very experienced guide and saw lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, giraffes and numerous other animals. The ride in the Land Rover itself was also an experience. A special highlight was the breakfast in close proximity to the giraffes. Very nicely we came into conversation with Thembela, who sat at our table and told us a lot about African life in the villages. Everyone at the camp was extremely friendly and accommodating.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had the very best part of our three-week round trip here! At the thought of this experience I get tears in my eyes again, it was all just so special! From the first second you felt so comfortable and welcome - so definitely come as early as possible! Even if our tents were not ready to move in yet, we stayed outside on the terrace and played comfortably, had a drink and met an antelope and 2 warthogs directly at the watering point. In the tent we felt very comfortable, there was a turn-down service, the food and breakfast with all guests was very cozy and delicious, the all-inclusive refrigerator was always well filled, the grounds very nice and natural, great campfire with wine and cocoa after the evening safari, beautiful pools, sooo dear and courteous staff and the very best: The Safaris!!!! Our guide Greg was so kind and so enthusiastic about his job and the animals! He informed us well, always drove with us longer than intended and through him and his zeal we met all special animals!! We were all in love with him!!
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad we booked this! There is a lot of choice of accommodation on Amakhala reserve and we went for the tented camp as it was a bit more affordable and looked like a good experience. It was BRILLIANT - there is a wide variety of wildlife to see, some of which wanders past the tents and has a drink at the watering hole right outside the dining room! You keep the same guide for your whole visit, which means they know which animals you have/haven't seen, so your drives are as productive as possible. The tents are very comfortable and get housekeeping twice a day. They do get cold at night but electric blankets and throws help, and it all adds to the experience. The main communal area is beautiful with two unheated swimming pools, a self-service bar, fire pit, dining area, etc. The food was delicious and the service from the lodge staff was excellent. All the guests eat meals together which is nice.
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Date of stay: May 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Bring your own binoculars!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is our second trip to Woodbury Tented Camp in Amakhala. The staff are simply the friendliest and go out of their way to make your stay memorable and comfortable. The tents are equipped with en suite bathroom and there is a fan for summer and electric blankets for the colder winter months. The two pools are sparkling clean and the main areas comfortable and tidy. Plenty of deck space for sitting back and watching for wildlife coming to the waterhole. We enjoyed 4 game drives with Tim, our field guide, and he was polite, full of knowledge on the birds and animals we saw, and a very safe driver. The food is homely and plentiful. You will not go hungry! I cannot recommend Woodbury Tented Camp highly enough.
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Date of stay: August 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Note that this is a tented camp. If the wind blows, the tent canvas will flap - it's a fact of...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We slept in a tent on scaffolding in the bush with extensive views over the area. At night you heard all kinds of animal sounds. Truly fantastic! The game drives with our ranger Jessie were beyond expectations. A total of 12 hours that were not boring for a minute. We even spotted the big 5! After the game drives in the morning we sat down for breakfast on the terrace, where we were even surprised with a visit from an elephant. Good morning! There are also two swimming pools to relax by in the afternoon and there is a cozy campfire where we were welcomed with an Amarula (South African drink) in the evening after our game drive. It was also nice that there were several visitors of all kinds of nationalities to share these once in a life time experiences with.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a fantastic experience from the moment we arrived to welcome drinks, until our final breakfast after our final early morning safari. The accommodation was incredibly comfortable and private, we had Tent 10 with the Waiter's tent alongside where my adult son slept. We stayed for two nights and did all four safaris, our ranger, Tim, was incredibly knowledgeable and we were so grateful to have seen so much wildlife over the four safaris. The weather wasn't brilliant for a lot of our stay but even an early morning safari in the rain was an experience worth having. The food was really tasty, as a vegetarian it was great that they were so creative with my meals and the rest of my family really enjoyed their meals too. All the drinks were complimentary, as much tea, coffee, soft drinks or alcohol as you wanted. The staff were all incredibly friendly and helpful and helped make the stay so memorable. Little touches like the Amarula and hot chocolate after the evening safari were perfect. There were two pools available but the weather wasn't really on our side so we didn't really get to use them. I would highly recommend the Woodbury Tented Camp for your safari experience, it was awesome!
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Don't hesitate, just book!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grant and I spent two nights at the Woodbury Tented Camp. The camp is well laid out with a beautiful deck overlooking the plain, 2 swimming pools - one with a view and one with shaded thorn trees, a boma where a fire is lit every night, indoor area and obviously Tented accommodation with private shower and bathroom. The chef serves abundant portions of excellent home cooked food. No request is too big and the food is delicious. The tents have very comfortable beds and a deck. The walkway is beautifully lit at night which creates a wonderful ambience. Brad our ranger was superb. We were fortunate enough to be the only guests and Brad treated us to a relaxed game drive with incredible sightings! Thank you to everyone and especially the friendly staff!
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Date of stay: January 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Woodbury Tented Camp, Marketing at Woodbury Tented Camp, Amakhala Game Reserve
Responded 10 Mar 2021
Hi Donnae, Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful and detailed review! It's great to hear that you had a good time and we'll be sure to let Brad know how much you enjoyed the game drives, too. Looking forward to welcoming you back someday! All the best, The Woodbury Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A real African experience but in luxury. The camp is friendly and informal the large en suite tents are comfortable with great views and the staff are excellent. Our guide Lenny was wonderful and found some spectacular sightings including a lioness with four six week old cubs as well as three cheetah, elephants and buffalo. The camp also represents good value as it is not as expensive as some of the five star camps yet it has everything you could want and is brilliantly situated within the park.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wesley Gush, Marketing at Woodbury Tented Camp, Amakhala Game Reserve
Responded 09 Nov 2022
Hi Sally, Thank you for this excellent feedback. We're very pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us at Woodbury Tented Camp! Our staff continue to do us proud and we will be sure to pass on your compliments, especially Lenny for his first-class guiding. Sounds like you had some fantastic wildlife sightings! Go well and we hope to see you again in the future. All the best, The Woodbury Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We went to Amakhala for two nights on our honeymoon. We chose the tented camp as we’d never had such an experience before. The tents were large, you had your own bathroom, it was raised and had lovely views and a little terrace. The beds had heated blankets as it did get very cold at nights. We had our own guide, Donavan for all 4 game drives and he was fantastic. We saw 4 of the big 5 and lots more behind that, it was truly magical and had some special experiences watching a herd of elephants, hippos with their young, lion pride and cheetahs hunting as well as a few days old giraffe. The game drives were at 630am and 1530pm each day and each on was different and took us to a different part of the reserve which is huge.
Each evening we’d come back to a campfire with hot chocolate and amarula and have a meal with the other residents and owners on the first evening. Staff very amazing, all very friendly and accommodating.
Bring warm clothes and layer up as it does get cold. It if you forget like we did, there are some lovely warm fleeces on sale at reasonable prices as well as other memorabilia.
The reserve also has two pools and a stunning view from the outside deck where you’ll see lots of animals whilst you have breakfast or a drink.
Be prepared to eat a lot of food as it was very generous.
Would highly recommend a stay.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wesley Gush, Marketing at Woodbury Tented Camp, Amakhala Game Reserve
Responded 25 Oct 2022
Hi there, Thanks so much for this lovely feedback! It's wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed your stay with us at Woodbury Tented Camp, from the electric blankets and hot chocolate to the views and the overall safari experience. We'll be sure to pass on your compliments to Donovan and the rest of our staff who continue to do us proud. Thank you for recommending us and we hope to see you again someday in the future. All the best, The Woodbury Team
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The trips twice a day with the large SUV are magnificent and the park offers significantly more than the Addo. The tents themselves (1-5 has good visibility) are suitably equipped. The pools are cool and clean and invite you to relax during the day. Eating and drinking together at long tables. That's a wonderful way to get into conversation. The kitchen performance is mediocre at best, but you don't drive here for the food. Also worth considering is the good atmosphere and the very friendly people in service. We will definitely be back!
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cape Town, South Africa27 contributions2 helpful votes
Hi, I would take a light jumper as the early morning could be fresh in the valleys. The game vehicles are equipped with blankets if its extra cold but I doubt that will be an issue. It's the height of summer so you shouldn't need many layers. Take a cap for the afternoon sun and sunscreen! And don't forget your bathing costume for the amazing pool. Enjoy it.... Amakhala is very special!
Great questions! There are two drives each day with the morning drive returning to camp about 10am. Walking tours are available with a guide and usually a small group and last about two hours or less after that. After the night drive but before diner is ‘Sundowner time’ around a camp fire with open bar! Great to catch up with other campers and find out their experience for the day and travel experience.
Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom57 contributions19 helpful votes
We have just returned after a 3night stay and we felt it was perfect. It is an early start with a 5am wake up and 5:30 departure and 3.5 hours out in the park, but after breakfast the day is yours until your 4pm safari. All the tents are set well apart from each other, so it is like you are on you own. I am sure dietary requirements won’t be a problem and suggest you email them in advance. Have a great trip, we loved our time at Amakhala.
There are more places to choose from in the Amakhala Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
R 6,553 - R 9,439 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaEastern CapeAmakhala Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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