River Bend Lodge
Zuurberg Road, Addo Elephant National Park 6105 South Africa
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Avg. R 8,874 /night, 9/14 - 9/15
R 11,590
per night
R 10,232
per night
R 8,874
per night
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4.5
#2 of 4 lodges in Addo Elephant National ParkLocation
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Situated on a 14,000ha private concession within the Addo Elephant National Park, RiverBend is a mere 45 minute drive from Port Elizabeth. Home to an abundance of wildlife including elephant, lion, hyena, buffalo, black rhino and a variety of antelope and over 300 bird species, RiverBend is an ideal malaria-free safari addition to a Garden Route holiday. Children of all ages welcome. Pampering treatments are available at Plumbago Spa. Personalized game drives are led by enthusiastic and experienced guides, who will ensure you have a truly memorable safari experience.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Free breakfast
Canoeing
Game room
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Spa
Secured parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast in the room
Snack bar
Special diet menus
Horseback riding
Massage
Baggage storage
Concierge
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
24-hour front desk
Private check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Ironing service
Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Room service
Safe
Seating area
Minibar
Flatscreen TV
Complimentary toiletries
VIP room facilities
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Room types
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
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
Park View
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Xhosa
Location
Zuurberg Road, Addo Elephant National Park 6105 South Africa
Getting there
Port Elizabeth Airport
63.6 km•
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641Reviews7Q+A85Room tips
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Detailed Reviews
We had a 2 night stay at River Bend Lodge Addo. Staff Profesional, attentive and friendly.
Good birding and game viewing. Great field guides, good food and comfortable accommodation. Nyathi conservancy offers many varieties of terrain and different biomes.
Good birding and game viewing. Great field guides, good food and comfortable accommodation. Nyathi conservancy offers many varieties of terrain and different biomes.
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Date of stay: May 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.
Response from Debbie Carinus, General Manager at River Bend Lodge
Responded 07 Jun 2022
Dear Aem10601, Thank you so much for your review. I am delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us and yes the Nyathi section is just spectacular, and we are so privileged to be able to call it home. Do take care until we hopefully see you again. Sincerely, Debbie & The RiverBend Lodge Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
For us it was e very nice experience, to see the animals in the nature. The guide gave us a lot of interesting information about the behaviour of the animals and about the plants. Food and living were exclusive and we were spoiled by the whole staff. A beautiful place to enjoy. Thank you very mach.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2023
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 Debbie Carinus, General Manager at River Bend Lodge
Responded 23 Jan 2023
Dear mfischerhegglin, Thank you so very much for your most wonderful review. We are so very delighted that your stay with us was everything , and more. Do take care and hopefully we will see you again at your 'home from home' RiverBend Lodge. Sincerely Debbie & The RiverBend Lodge Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We overnighted at River Bend recently and had a wonderful stay! The staff we so welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. The food was excellent! Our guide was Chris & he was absolutely outstanding! We have been to many game reserves & he’s brilliant. Had a memorable encounter with elephant! We can highly recommend a stay there.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2020
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 Michael Price, General Manager at River Bend Lodge
Responded 05 Oct 2020
Dear ToniAndPaulW, Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a wonderful review. We are delighted that you had a wonderful time at RiverBend Lodge with us, and hopefully the next time will be for an even longer stay. Sincerely Debbie and the RiverBend Lodge team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a wonderful time full of interesting experiences. The game drives with Chris were outstanding. We saw in one game drive 4 of the big fives. The knowledge of Chris is really exciting. Thank you very much for all information we could gather.
The food was delicious and the service really great. We loved it and will certainly come back!
The food was delicious and the service really great. We loved it and will certainly come back!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2021
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 Debbie Carinus, General Manager at River Bend Lodge
Responded 23 Mar 2021
Dear Michael V, Thank you so much for your wonderful review, and for taking the time to share your experience with others. Chris and the staff are our indeed one of our biggest assets, and their passion for River Bend is an absolute blessing. Please take care and be safe out there, be safe, and we look forward to welcoming you back to River Bend. Sincerely, Debbie & The River Bend Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This was our second stay at River Bend Lodge. The first trip was ten years ago, Each trip was a unique experience. The accommodations, food and especially Leo, our guide, was first class. We hope to bring another generation of grandchildren in the future.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2024
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 Debbie Carinus, General Manager at River Bend Lodge
Responded 29 Mar 2024
Dear RSPINNER, Wow wow and just WOW. Thank you so much for coming back to your Home from Home and taking the time to write such wonderful review. It is the most special thing to be able to share such a beautiful spot with Guests and have them fall in love with the beauty that is RiverBend. We so look forward to your next visit and to grow a love and respect for conservation with your next generation of family. Trave and stay safe until we see you again. Sincerely Debbie
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The only thing five star at River Bend are the rates! 5 years ago my husband and I had a wonderful stay at River Bend and were excited to share the experience with our young son. Unfortunately we were sorely disappointed! The Lodge is being run by young amateurs who are really just “going through the motions” and have no training (or interest) in giving guests a great experience. Although I must say our field guide Darlington was most enthusiastic and passionate about the bush and went out of his way to please his guests. It’s a pity that his passion has not rubbed off on the rest of his colleagues back at the Lodge! One can see that not much money has been invested in the lodge over the past 5 years – the table linen was frayed and torn, the bed linen is grey and tired and the towels desperately need to be replaced. In fact our room felt like it needed a “good clean” – carpets were dirty and they were alive and dead bugs that had collected in the lining of the cream curtains (totally gross!!)The food was edible at best (cheapest cuts of meat and ingredients used), and the service was painfully slow.
River Bend advertise on their website that they offer complimentary childcare (with trained child-minders) during the day, this however is not the case! After I complained they then got one of their housekeeping staff to act as “nanny”. A disappointing start to the New Year!
River Bend advertise on their website that they offer complimentary childcare (with trained child-minders) during the day, this however is not the case! After I complained they then got one of their housekeeping staff to act as “nanny”. A disappointing start to the New Year!
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Date of stay: January 2011
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.
My family of four (with 4 year old and 2 year old) stayed here March 22 and March 23, 2010. I had visited Shamwari previously, and I naively believed that you get what you pay for -- we expected a comparable experience.
To River Bend's credit, our ranger/driver, Darlington, was a jewel and the best we have had on numerous drives in S Africa. Second, the "niceness" of the staff was unparalleled.
Conversely, are you willing to pay $2,000 for staff to be "nice" to you? Everything else was disappointing. While our rooms were beautifully decorated, the carpet had not been vacuumed and within 20 minutes of our arrival, our 4 year old stepped on a devil's thorn. River Bend has an ant problem, and we had a large colony living in the top right corner of our room (hard to miss by anyone with eyes), which spread throughout our luggage. When we complained, the ants were quickly removed - (why couldn't this have happened prior to our arrival?). We had a wasp nest growing on our balcony. (also very hard to miss and not a new addition) That was also removed when we complained. We could not run an even slightly clear bath ..after letting our bath run (on River Bend's suggestion) The water was not just yellow but a dark brown color in our room. The staff said they had had problems and the water was turned off recently.
All of these complaints would be minor should we be paying US$150-$200/night. But at US$1,100, this is truly unacceptable. Ants, no water for bath, wasps.. We had a much better experience at Kwantu which was one fifth the price!
Finally, on our game drives we saw giraffes, zebra and tortoise but no other "big" animals. Apparently, they are adding lions. I didn't think I needed to see lions, but we didn't seem too many animals at all. It seems River Bend is more of a spa, nature reserve. We had to leave River Bend and drive to Addo Park in our car to see elephants.
And finally, to add insult to injury, upon checking out, we were charged a paltry additional $40 for soda's, apple juices and wine which we had been offered at meals and "tea time". Come on, at $1,000/night, you do _not_ charge for apple juice. Or do you?
I have read other reviews of River Bend and they are glowing. I would suggest that perhaps others did not have small children and weren't concerned about wasps, ants, housekeeping or perhaps they don't expect much for $1,000/night. As an american who assumes that "nice" comes with a hotel stay, this reserve would have been acceptable at $200/night. I felt robbed at the price we paid.
To River Bend's credit, our ranger/driver, Darlington, was a jewel and the best we have had on numerous drives in S Africa. Second, the "niceness" of the staff was unparalleled.
Conversely, are you willing to pay $2,000 for staff to be "nice" to you? Everything else was disappointing. While our rooms were beautifully decorated, the carpet had not been vacuumed and within 20 minutes of our arrival, our 4 year old stepped on a devil's thorn. River Bend has an ant problem, and we had a large colony living in the top right corner of our room (hard to miss by anyone with eyes), which spread throughout our luggage. When we complained, the ants were quickly removed - (why couldn't this have happened prior to our arrival?). We had a wasp nest growing on our balcony. (also very hard to miss and not a new addition) That was also removed when we complained. We could not run an even slightly clear bath ..after letting our bath run (on River Bend's suggestion) The water was not just yellow but a dark brown color in our room. The staff said they had had problems and the water was turned off recently.
All of these complaints would be minor should we be paying US$150-$200/night. But at US$1,100, this is truly unacceptable. Ants, no water for bath, wasps.. We had a much better experience at Kwantu which was one fifth the price!
Finally, on our game drives we saw giraffes, zebra and tortoise but no other "big" animals. Apparently, they are adding lions. I didn't think I needed to see lions, but we didn't seem too many animals at all. It seems River Bend is more of a spa, nature reserve. We had to leave River Bend and drive to Addo Park in our car to see elephants.
And finally, to add insult to injury, upon checking out, we were charged a paltry additional $40 for soda's, apple juices and wine which we had been offered at meals and "tea time". Come on, at $1,000/night, you do _not_ charge for apple juice. Or do you?
I have read other reviews of River Bend and they are glowing. I would suggest that perhaps others did not have small children and weren't concerned about wasps, ants, housekeeping or perhaps they don't expect much for $1,000/night. As an american who assumes that "nice" comes with a hotel stay, this reserve would have been acceptable at $200/night. I felt robbed at the price we paid.
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Date of stay: March 2010
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.
I was just there recently and was looking forward to a 5 star experience. The grounds are certainly beautiful and we were warmly greeted upon arrival. The rooms were large, but very English and Colonial in style with almost no feel of Africa to the place. That goes to people's preferences I imagine.
Our showers did not work properly (neither our indoor nor our outdoor shower) and our air conditioning unit leaked all over my book and materials at night. We got an apology and a promise to have someone look into it, but that was about it. I would expect a little more from a 5 star hotel that costs what River Bend costs.
The place seems geared toward older, wealthy people who want to feel like they are at a country club in England rather than in Africa. Once again, that may suit some, but just not my taste.
We moved on to another game lodge in Amankhala which turned out to be much better in terms of the rooms, service and the game drives. (and it was even less expensive)
Our showers did not work properly (neither our indoor nor our outdoor shower) and our air conditioning unit leaked all over my book and materials at night. We got an apology and a promise to have someone look into it, but that was about it. I would expect a little more from a 5 star hotel that costs what River Bend costs.
The place seems geared toward older, wealthy people who want to feel like they are at a country club in England rather than in Africa. Once again, that may suit some, but just not my taste.
We moved on to another game lodge in Amankhala which turned out to be much better in terms of the rooms, service and the game drives. (and it was even less expensive)
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Date of stay: December 2007
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 such a superb holiday at River Bend recently, having stayed there for 8 nights last week. River Bend was recommended as one of the top 10 destination in South Africa by a very reputable local travel magazine and having stayed at a few of the other top 10 destinations before, we can confidently say that River Bend stands head and shoulders above the rest...
Here are our top reasons to stay at River Bend:
1. EFFORTLESS "NO PROBLEM AT ALL" KIND OF SERVICE
Every single time we needed something, the staff were friendly, accommodating and went out of their way to help. From unlocking our safe, to a special garden picnic, to special gluten-free dairy-free meals, to special times for dinner, to special drives, the staff always responded with a "no problem at all" kind of service quickly and effortlessly. the staff are really geared to entertaining kids - the one waiter played peekaboo with our one-year old at every single meal time and the one meal-time when he wasnt serving us, my son went into the kitchen to look for him (Thanks Moses)... only to find that the entire kitchen was willing to entertain him (we realise just how special and unique that kind of service truly is)
2. LOCATION
I am mindful that the area isn't a mainstream, commercial bush destination and therein lies the difference. Its exquisite, you watch the most magnificent sunsets from your balcony and can see an abundance of game just by opening your curtains in the morning... we watched an entire herd of 80 elephant amble across the plains for an entire afternoon one day.
3. ROOMS
Spacious and luxurious, well maintained and self-contained. The rooms were also superbly turned down.
4. FOOD
When we booked, we had no idea that River Bend had just recently poached a top chef from Franschoek and consequently, we were really treated with the most superb, world-class food... The food was beautifully presented, balanced and creative... Three "MUST DO": 1. Definitely have a braai one night - he had the best braai we have ever had while sitting in the garden, under the stars, listening to the animals; and 2. Definitely, have a gourmet picnic in the garden... it will knock your socks off (and partner it with a great bottle of bubbly); and 3. definitely ask for what i like to call his Death by Chocolate Cupcakes for tea (ganache centre with peppermint crisp icing which literally set my heart racing and the boys running around in circles).
5. GAME DRIVES
The bush teamed with life and we had the most incredible encounters with a herd of elephants, they were so close that you could see their eyelashes and feel the air move as they walked passed. But best of all was our game ranger Steve, who shared his insights into the bush with us and had a fantastic connection with our boys. So much so that when we were saying our farewell, our one little boy burst into tears and asked if we could please come back for his birthday.
A very special place, with warm and friendly people and for us, a holiday of a lifetime.
Here are our top reasons to stay at River Bend:
1. EFFORTLESS "NO PROBLEM AT ALL" KIND OF SERVICE
Every single time we needed something, the staff were friendly, accommodating and went out of their way to help. From unlocking our safe, to a special garden picnic, to special gluten-free dairy-free meals, to special times for dinner, to special drives, the staff always responded with a "no problem at all" kind of service quickly and effortlessly. the staff are really geared to entertaining kids - the one waiter played peekaboo with our one-year old at every single meal time and the one meal-time when he wasnt serving us, my son went into the kitchen to look for him (Thanks Moses)... only to find that the entire kitchen was willing to entertain him (we realise just how special and unique that kind of service truly is)
2. LOCATION
I am mindful that the area isn't a mainstream, commercial bush destination and therein lies the difference. Its exquisite, you watch the most magnificent sunsets from your balcony and can see an abundance of game just by opening your curtains in the morning... we watched an entire herd of 80 elephant amble across the plains for an entire afternoon one day.
3. ROOMS
Spacious and luxurious, well maintained and self-contained. The rooms were also superbly turned down.
4. FOOD
When we booked, we had no idea that River Bend had just recently poached a top chef from Franschoek and consequently, we were really treated with the most superb, world-class food... The food was beautifully presented, balanced and creative... Three "MUST DO": 1. Definitely have a braai one night - he had the best braai we have ever had while sitting in the garden, under the stars, listening to the animals; and 2. Definitely, have a gourmet picnic in the garden... it will knock your socks off (and partner it with a great bottle of bubbly); and 3. definitely ask for what i like to call his Death by Chocolate Cupcakes for tea (ganache centre with peppermint crisp icing which literally set my heart racing and the boys running around in circles).
5. GAME DRIVES
The bush teamed with life and we had the most incredible encounters with a herd of elephants, they were so close that you could see their eyelashes and feel the air move as they walked passed. But best of all was our game ranger Steve, who shared his insights into the bush with us and had a fantastic connection with our boys. So much so that when we were saying our farewell, our one little boy burst into tears and asked if we could please come back for his birthday.
A very special place, with warm and friendly people and for us, a holiday of a lifetime.
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Date of stay: May 2015
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 AntLovell, Manager at River Bend Lodge
Responded 15 May 2015
Thank you for the amazing review! We thoroughly enjoyed having your family stay here with us at River Bend. We pride ourselves on living up to exceptional levels of service and receiving feedback such as this really does give us the motivation to continue to build our levels of service to a whole new level. When (not if) you come back for his birthday, we will most definitely have a couple of surprises ready for him and the rest of the family!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Recently had a return visit to River Bend Lodge and really enjoyed our stay, but it was not as good as the first time. Please don't get me wrong, this is a really special place, and we enjoyed the excellent meals and stunning game drives, but I just feel that it has become way too expensive for local residents. There are now better options with similar standards of service and luxury elsewhere, at a much lower cost. I also feel that the cost has increased over the last few years whilst what's on offer in terms of service, refreshments etc. has actually gone down. This was very disappointing as our family love the place. I don't think we will be back, unless they make their out of season specials a lot more attractive for local residents.
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Date of stay: May 2013
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.
Yes, as others have mentioned, you can. We did this over 2-3 days and saw some game in the Park itself, though not an enormous amount. Often we saw more game on the road from our accommodation to the entrance of River Bend (a dirt road of a few kilometres if I remember correctly, and one which you take to get to and from the Park), so if you do self drive do look out on this stretch. If you do one of the guided tours from River Bend you leave the accommodation in a different direction, but this is not permitted for self-drive.
Game Drives are included in the All Inclusive rate -
but not in the B&B rate
Make sure to bring the hats and sunscreen as I am sure we will be blessed with a beautiful sunny summer day. The elephants came and paid us a visit for our Christmas lunch last year, so let's hope that we are part of their plans again this year! We are looking forward to hosting you this Christmas! See you soon
Good day Sheena,
The Long Hope Villa is a beautifully restored farmhouse set in a private location nestled between the Zuurberg Mountains and is situated on our 14 000ha private concession of the Addo Elephant National Park. The Villa offers a high standard of accommodation throughout and provides a peaceful retreat for families such as yours. When staying at the Villa, one enjoys the luxury and exclusivity of the ultimate African experience as a private chef and personal guide are provided. The Villa can accommodate up to six guests in three en-suite bedrooms with walk-in dressing rooms. The activities provided are tailored to your personal needs and wants; these include morning and sunset game drives, birding, wine tasting, photographic support and pampering spa treatments. The Villa has a private pool and sunset viewing deck with a daybed and is the perfect location for some down-time.
The temperatures in August are mild and range from 5°C to 25°C with the evenings and mornings being fairly chilly. In the Eastern Cape we enjoy summer rains thus August is relatively dry as it falls within our winter bracket.
I know that we will be able to provide you and your family with the most memorable African safari experience.
If you have any further questions/queries please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards,
Anthony Lovell and the River Bend Team
Hi Juls,
River Bend has two options, you can either book Bed and Breakfast or an All inclusive option. The All inclusive option will include two game drives per day.
You can contact their reservations department to make arrangements for you.
"Do take a walk around the grounds, there are so many beautiful birds to observe just in the garden."Read full review
"All rooms are comfortable. The lodge is 7km off the main road and the approach is bumpy so an SUV is a good option. "Read full review
"The WiFi at the lodge can be a little variable - we found that the bar and the pool was best !! "Read full review
"Ask for game drives in main Addo area in case you have a bad back, as the drives within the concession are too much 4x4 too rocky."Read full review
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PRICE RANGE
R 8,022 - R 10,383 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
river bend hotel addo elephant national park
LOCATION
South AfricaEastern CapeGreater AddoAddo Elephant National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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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