Highlands (just off N2) 100 Kms From Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
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#1 of 17 guest houses in Grahamstown
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2023 Travellers' Choice Best of the Best
Awake to the sounds of the African bush veld as the sun makes its appearance on the horizon bringing with it the prospect of another perfect day. Eco friendly Pumba, a proud member of the Green Leaf Conservation Initiative, is set in the malaria-free Eastern Cape and provides an intimate African safari experience never to be forgotten. Water Lodge offers waterfront chalets overlooking Lake Cariega while Bush Lodge is set on a floodplain with scenic mountain views offering luxury thatch and glass chalets. All Chalets open onto private game viewing decks boasting plunge pools and outdoor showers. The indulgent bathrooms offer free-standing tubs and double basins, and each room is fitted with an earthenware fireplace. Whether dining indoors or under the starlit sky, meals at Pumba are simply sublime. Pumba has recently been recognised by Somak Holidays as one of the Top 5 Safari Destinations in Africa. So, what are you waiting for? Come and see for yourself.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Entertainment staff
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids club
Secured parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Private pool
Sauna
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast in the room
Complimentary tea
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Airport transportation
Meeting rooms
Spa
Facial treatments
Full body massage
Massage
Steam room
Baggage storage
Concierge
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
Sun umbrellas
24-hour front desk
Private check-in / check-out
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Blackout curtains
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Desk
Fireplace
Private balcony
Minibar
Bath / shower
Room service
Safe
Seating area
Telephone
Bottled water
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Hotel links
Location
Highlands (just off N2) 100 Kms From Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
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Amazing view! Unfortunately the Food was not 5 star, but staf is friendly. And head ranger cam made our stay unforgettable. The Waterlodge overlooks the water and the bush lodge the large plain. Borg fantastic. But if you book a bush lodge, ask for the one with the view over the wide plain. Otherwise there is no view from the room.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
Property's Favourite Review
We had a wonderful experience at pumba .The warm welcome on arrival and tour of the lodge was excellent and staff were so friendly and accommodating The reserve has lots of different animals, fauna and floral . Our guide was excellent and extremely knowledgeable and was happy to answer all the questions us and the children had. Our children age 10 and 12 thoroughly enjoyed their game drives and learnt so much from it. Our Msenge Lodge was excellent,clean and comfortable - the bathroom was huge and the views from the lodge and plunge pool area were stunning - we frequently saw warthogs and zebras . The food was good with plenty of choice and an extensive wine list. The staff were highly attentive and service was excellent nothing was too much trouble. The little extras of welcome drinks, snacks and goodnight treats were lovely . There is a pool and gym and spa on site as well as a range of other activities to do. Pumba is a great game reserve for children and adults with plenty of space and children are well catered for. Pumba truly is a 5 star experience …
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Date of stay: August 2022
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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 02 Sept 2022
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to share your kind comments. This will put a smile on the Teams face for the rest of the day! It was a pleasure to have you. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Where to start…it’s truly a magical experience. We have never wanted to rebook somewhere as fast as we have Pumba. We felt so sad leaving, definitely left a little bit of our hearts at Pumba. From the very beginning of the trip right to being dropped off at the airport it was brilliant. Everyone is so friendly, we were greeted and hosted by Hennes (apologies if this isn’t the correct spelling), he is just wonderful, full of knowledge, enthusiasm and super friendly. He gave us a tour of the Lodge, guided us to our room and gave us a depth lesson on the monkeys - they’re hilarious but really really naughty. We stayed at Water Lodge in Room 12/12B which is the end lodge over the lake, we had a very large lounge with a log burner, full size fridge, tea and coffee, biscuits, plenty of water. The children’s room was huge with an amazing en-suite bathroom, think stand alone tub and rainfall shower, underfloor heating. Pure bush luxury. Our bedroom was the other side and was even bigger, 180 degree glass doors and windows, and indoor outdoor shower which the monkeys sleep on in the evening, a spa bath which was massive, an actual outdoor shower. Huge comfy beds, amazing pillows, pitched thatched roofs. The master bed has chairs and tables that you can sit and watch the hippos in the lake. I can actually put into words how incredible the Water Lodge room 12 was, we were woken on our last morning by a white lion pride roaring outside our front door and we could see them literally 100m away. The hippos woke us at night, we loved it. The main lodge is so quiet mainly honeymooners and older couples so we’re the only ones with children (ours were 8&9), but it didn’t matter, they were made to feel so welcome by everyone, they were not a nuisance but enjoyed the main pool which I think is more of a posing/viewing pool than a bombing pool but the other guests enjoyed watching our two having fun. Food…just incredible (5* small amounts but actually so filling!) service is discreet but friendly, staff are always there on hand if you needed them. We stayed for four nights and did game drives every morning and evening, having the children meant when we returned from a game drive in the evening we sat straight for dinner in our safari gear, no one blinked an eye, most guests went and showered and returned. It’s so relaxed, I can’t describe the peace that you feel when you’re there, sitting at the main lodge having breakfast, or lunch and the rhinos are passing by in the distance. It’s actually quite noisy because of all the animals on the water but in a weird way this is also so comforting and peaceful. Our Ranger was Natty - he was great, he is a quiet but very clearly knowledgeable man with. A great sense of humour - he had my son spitting impala Pooh out of his mouth on day 3. Natty found us all the big 5 and more, way more, we did do several drives where we had to drive for quite sometime to find animals but we got to see incredible landscapes and made the find even more sweet when we did. Morning drives just before they end have a stop where you all get off and the back of the handover comes down for coffee and snacks (first one was with the giraffes!!) and the same again in the evening (first one was with a cheetah!). There are no negatives, there is only one way to do this trip the Pumba way - embrace it all, do every drive, come prepared for changing weather albeit we overpacked and most take drives even early morning we’re very warm. We had one drive where we had wet weather but Natty gave us warm ponchos. For three days we had Natty and the Landrover to ourselves and the last day and a half we shared with a German couple which was fine. The animals we saw on ever drive included but not limited to; Hippo, Rhino, Giraffes, Elephanys, Lion, White Lion, Cheetah, Tortiose, Warthog, Buffalo, Impala and so many more. We wish we had done the night walks but having the children meant we needed to be in bed. I want to go back next year, I would highly recommend everyone visits Pumba but also don’t want everyone to go as it’s so special. Thank you to everyone at Pumba for making this a dream come true trip for me and my family.…
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Room 12 had views of the lions and hippo, listen to advice about monkeys. Cant be afraid of bugs!
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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.
Helpful
+1
This safari camp deserves every reward that it has won and more! The rooms are magnificent and will blow you away! The only thing you may regret is not staying longer! We were lucky to stay in the room that Nelson Mandela stayed in - ask for room A if you would like this and it is also closest to the facilities whilst also being very quiet! Staff here are so helpful without being intrusive and the food here is the best we have sampled in Africa! The menu changes every day offering lots of choice all cooked to a high standard. The game drives are phenomenal - thank you to our ranger Matthew who ensured we saw all the Big 5 and plenty more! He really went out of his way to try and get everyone’s wishes covered whilst out on the drives. The drink stops are also great - you just cannot imagine standing with a drink and having a giraffe pass by! If it is cold or wet the rangers provide ponchos which are very welcomed if the weather turns at any point so all avenues are covered. We loved that after each game drive we were welcomed back with a welcome drink and we all sat by the Boma Fire to keep warm! It was a real nice way to relax after your drive with the whole group and share stories from what we just saw out on the game drives. We also really appreciated the totally casual dress here - you can go straight into dinner off your game drive without needing to change from your game drive clothing - it was great because Safari is busy and time is not on your side for such things so casual attire was great for Safari! The staff go above and beyond and every whim is catered for.…
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Ask for room A if you want water hole views and also the same room Nelson Mandela has previously...
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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.
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 4 days ago
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to share your kind comments. This will put a smile on the Teams face for the rest of the day! It was a pleasure to have you. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
What a fantastic experience! First class facilities, food, staff and surroundings. But the safaris- OUT OF THIS WORLD GOOD. You get so close to the animals in their natural environment. We had Hedman as our guide and he was brilliant. A very knowledgeable, likeable and pleasant man who made the safari a joy. His knowledge of the animals and finding them for us was exceptional. He didn’t over talk but just enough to make it interesting and informative. He located all the big 5 animals and more stopping to leave us to enjoy the experience. We hope to return soon..
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Ask for Hedman.
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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.
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 4 days ago
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to share your kind comments. This will put a smile on the Teams face for the rest of the day! It was a pleasure to have you. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
We stayed for 3 nights at the end of our travels along the garden route. We received a warm friendly welcome- we parked our car in a secure car park and were transported to the lodge via a jeep. We were shown around the beautiful property and public areas before going to our chalet. The chalet was was fantastic with a beautiful private plunge pool which overlooked the watering hole (where we saw elephants giraffes rhino lions and many more animals ). The food was lovely and beautifully served. All the staff were brilliant throughout. The safari drives are very bumpy due to uneven tracks, but this didn't bother us & we soon got used to them . An early start for the morning drives were well worth it . Our Ranger - Matthew -was a brilliant guy and very knowledgeable. - we were named the RRF (The retired ranger force!!) We built a lovely rapport with him and as well as being good company during our drives, he made our morning & evening drink stops interesting & fun. Matthew worked hard to find the animals, and managed to find all of the Big 5, as well as many other beautiful animals . The highlight was finding the 2 male cheetahs during our last morning drive & hearing the lions roar from our bedroom in the early morning .. this is what memories are made of ! The only disappointment was the hotel shop . We were hoping to buy lots of souvenirs (fridge magnets, key rings , baseball caps etc for the grandchildren) but it was very sparsely and poorly stocked with tatty jewellery- an opportunity missed by the reserve as a well stocked shop would assist with the upkeep of the property.…
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 4 days ago
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to share your kind comments. This will put a smile on the Teams face for the rest of the day! It was a pleasure to have you. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Our Three days here created memories of a lifetime. We enjoyed 6 game drives with our ranger, Headman. The defender jeep took us around the reserve and up close for fabulous sightings of so many animals. White and tawny lions, cheetah, rhinos,elephants,tortoises, impala,hippopotamus,monkeys and bamboos and many more. The food was plentiful and varied and we were well looked after. The rooms and bathrooms are large and spacious. There is a thoughtful turn down service. You leave your car in a safe carpark on the edge of the reserve and return 3 days later. For us 3 nights was the perfect time to spend here.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 4 days ago
Thank you for all your feedback – we love hearing from our guests and are glad you had an amazing experience. Hoping to welcome you back. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There is nothing about this 3 day visit which was not 5 star . It was everything we had hoped it would be and some Great accommodation wonderful food and drink and knowledgeable Rangers. All staff so pleasant and helpful it was hard to leave
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Be careful of the Monkeys on the external dining deck they can be a pest
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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.
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 4 days ago
Thank you for all your feedback – we love hearing from our guests and are glad you had an amazing experience. Hoping to welcome you back. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a wonderful experience from start to finish. Everything is very efficient from driving through gates. Staff are professional and helpful and it’s a well oiled machine. We were 7 in the group and briefed on safety before going anywhere. Our guide was very experienced and gave us so much information. The safari vehicle felt secure even on rough terrain. We say many animals at close quarters and the guide did his best but sadly no cats. We had a beautiful lunch with wine served in luxurious surroundings before driving back to the gate. We did enquire if they had room availability but sadly full. Next time?
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Stay there as more chance to see the cats
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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.
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 4 days ago
Thank you for all your feedback – we love hearing from our guests and are glad you had an amazing experience. Hoping to welcome you back. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed in the water lodge for 3 nights and enjoyed every single moment of the trip. Headman and Philip are fantastic rangers with a wealth of knowledge that they are happy to share and they seem to have a natural instinct for finding animals in any circumstances. I highly recommend doing the bush walk for a totally different experience, you may feel a bit vulnerable but the rangers will look after you. All of the staff are extremely friendly and a credit to the management team, I would recommend Pumba to anyone booking a safari.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Keep the balcony doors closed as the monkeys will steal your belongings.
Wear sturdy waterproof...
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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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from PE Hotel Group Port Elizabeth, Owner at Pumba Private Game Reserve
Responded 4 days ago
Thank you for all your feedback – we love hearing from our guests and are glad you had an amazing experience. Hoping to welcome you back. Warm Regards, The Pumba Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$578 - US$884 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
pumba private game reserve hotel port elizabeth
LOCATION
South AfricaEastern CapeGrahamstown
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
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Frequently Asked Questions about Pumba Private Game Reserve
What are some of the property amenities at Pumba Private Game Reserve?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Pumba Private Game Reserve?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and blackout curtains.
What food & drink options are available at Pumba Private Game Reserve?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Pumba Private Game Reserve?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Pumba Private Game Reserve?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness centre, and a sauna during their stay.
Does Pumba Private Game Reserve have airport transportation?
Yes, Pumba Private Game Reserve offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at Pumba Private Game Reserve?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Pumba Private Game Reserve?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans.
Does Pumba Private Game Reserve have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the park view available here.
Is Pumba Private Game Reserve accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.