Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge
Madikwe Game Reserve 2128 South Africa
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#18 of 21 lodges in Madikwe Game Reserve
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HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Hidden Gem
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Property amenities
Free parking
Pool
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
Room features
Air conditioning
Complimentary toiletries
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Location
212Reviews6Q+A40Room tips
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My stay at Buffalo Ridge Lodge in Madikwe was nothing short of amazing. The wildlife experience was exceptional, with a great variety of animals often visiting the camp, allowing for unforgettable moments. The authenticity of the rooms added a unique touch to the safari experience. I can't praise Josephine, the chef, enough for the incredible food that graced our plates during the stay. The service provided by the staff, including Amanda, Grace, Penelope, and Gabriel, was exceptional and made me feel truly cared for. And let's not forget the expert drivers, Godfried, Ronny, and Israel, who enhanced our game drives with their knowledge and enthusiasm. A truly unforgettable safari adventure.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip 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.
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+1
Amazing community run lodge in Madikwe. Staff were top notch. The food was amazing. Kind of spoiled us for the rest of our trip. Rooms were spacious and comfortable. Guides for the game drives were outstanding. Saw lots of animals including Rhino, Lion, Cheetah and Wild Dog. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
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Service
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
Great weekend spent at Buffalo Ridge. The staff were all very accommodating and the game drives were exceptional even the longer ones with fewer animals sighted but the excitement of tracking down specific species. The food was great and plentiful with an adequate wine selection. Rooms are large and the view from the shower is a wonderful touch. Only reason that I don't give this a 5 star rating was the booking process which required numerous follow ups and lack of response to emails and voicemails.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
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
Our family spent 3 fantastic days at Buffalo Ridge. We are from Canada and our kids are in their early teens. We picked Buffalo Ridge for two important reasons. 1. Unlike the vast majority of Lodges, it is community owned. This means that the profits are recycled into productive community projects, Further, the genuine pride and ownership of the staff is evident in every interaction. 2. Madikwe (the reserve area) is malaria free and so we didn’t require pills (which come with side effects) The game drives (2 /day for 3 hrs each), the accommodation (private huts) food and overall service were truly exceptional. We have some picky eaters and they went above an beyond to accommodate. We cannot say enough, or recommend Buffalo Ridge enough to family and friends who are starting to plan a trip.…
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: The drive from JHB airport is about 4.5-5 hrs.
We used the transfer company the lodge...
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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
We went to Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge Madikwe for a weekend in Oct 2022. We have been to many similar private lodges before in most of the reserves in South Africa. Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge was probably one of the better ones we stayed at. The food was excellent, our room was fantastic - large, well laid out, and had a lovely vista. The rooms were rondavals and thatch, which were nice and cool in the summer heat. The lodge is in the western part of Madikwe, the game drives and viewing did not disappoint. It is a community owned lodge, and the staff were very friendly and happy to see us. overall, we were glad to have visited Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
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
The 3 days stay at the Buffaloridgesafari Lodge in the Madwike reserve was amazing . The place is unique, the staff extremely kind and attentive. The lodge architecture beautiful. I was there with my son of 5 years and we had peaceful and unique stay.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from Chris Rightford, General Manager at Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge
Responded 11 Sept 2022
Thank you for your feedback Marie-Caroline. Even better that you had such a good stay at Buffalo Ridge. Take Care and Travel Safely.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My wife and I stayed at Buffalo Ridge for 6 nights the first week of August. We're both quite seasoned safari goers, and have stayed at a range of camps from eco-lodges to high-end 5*+ camps, and Buffalo Ridge ticks all the boxes that we like when we are on a safari trip. As mentioned in another review, this lodge would not be great for someone with mobility issues, but this, fortunately, does not affect us. The entire camp is set within the hills, which provides stunning views into the valley below from the lodge, from your patio, or even from the glass enclosed shower. The resident family of klipspringer made an appearance outside our room several times over the stay, and judging by the amount of dung around, they weren't the only animals to see the lodge as a great place to wander. As such, at night and early morning, you do need a guide/staff member to escort you to and from your room. Each day saw a fixed menu, something I appreciate. It seems many places since lock-down have been steering away from buffet meals. Mind you, most lodges I've stayed at have had a fixed menu each day. The food was also first class. Cooked perfectly, great portion size, and enough diversity during the week to not get bored. Bring an appetite as you'll have two courses for lunch and three for dinner. The staff were wonderful, and all from a local community, which was one of the main reasons we booked to stay at this lodge. From the maintenance staff, to the waitresses/waiters, front of house staff, and the chefs, we were made to feel like family and it was tough to leave. Our guide for the game drives was Israel, and he is one of the best guides I've had. Always calm, always communicating about what he had planned for us, always asking if we had seen enough at any sighting. I was really impressed with his dedication to not upset or stress the animals out, and his ability to read situations. When we were there the male elephants were all rather grumpy for a number of reasons, and Israel's knowledge and skills saw us out of what could have been potentially difficult situations. Overall, Buffalo Ridge is an excellent place for a short stay or longer stay. My wife Sarah and I are already planning our return visit next year. We know we'll get the same warm welcome and leave happy. Definitely a lodge everyone should look at.…
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
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Sleep Quality
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 Chris Rightford, General Manager at Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge
Responded 11 Sept 2022
Hi Geraint, thank you for your feedback. Its always good positive or negative and we appreciate the time taken to write up about the lodge. Looking forward to your next trip. Take Care.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Lodge is on the ridge and surrounded by bush. This lodge is not suitable with visitors with mobility issues as its all stairs from the carpark to reception to the dining room to the bedrooms. Steep stairs. Having said that the rooms are clean and the outside shower lovely. Mosquito nets over the beds but Madikwe is a malaria free area. Meals were average - not fine ding but substantial. A few animals seen from the deck but mostly on game drives.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: If you have a mobility issue this lodge is not for you.
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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
We have just returned from our first stay at Buffalo Ridge, knowing that it will be the first of many (for as long as the finances allow). We have loved Madikwe ever since our first visit 11 years ago. With our regular lodge not yet open we decided on Buffalo Ridge, in part because we wanted to experience an as yet unvisited part of the Reserve. We are very pleased that we did. Great location with extensive view, spacious lodges, extremely experienced guides, and a group of people determined that your stay will be both memorable and enjoyable. The lodge is owned by a local community, with everyone working there coming from the same village. This means they have known each other for all of their lives, and they work as part of a large family, always with smiles on their faces, and doing whatever they can to ensure that you have a great time. They succeeded! Around the lodge we saw elephants feeding just by the main deck, while klipspringers rested on the steps leading up to the vehicles for the game drives. On the game drives we had great close-up sightings of cheetah, elephants, lions, and so many other creatures. This was very much down to Godfrey who looked after us so well. With his great knowledge, many years of experience, and great people skills, you couldn’t ask for more in your guide. We thoroughly recommend Buffalo Ridge to anyone wanting a top-end experience without having to pay top-end prices. …
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Date of stay: April 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
15 women, all old friends, visited Buffalo Ridge this past weekend. What a wonderful gem in the beautiful Madikwe reserve. The staff, who are all from the community that owns Buffalo Ridge, are delightful - from the amazing rangers (Franco and Israel), the chefs (Tshepo and Julia), Penelope, Lucas, Grace, Godfrey, Priscilla and all the others. They indulged our every whim and ‘madness’. The game viewing is spectacular and the camp really lovely. I can highly recommend a visit and will definitely be back myself.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
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
PRICE RANGE
US$751 - US$771 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaNorth-West ProvinceMadikwe Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Madikwe Nature Reserve (7.0 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.