Kwaggashoek Game Ranch
R616 Turnoff, Bergville 3350 South Africa
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About
#3 of 5 lodges in Bergville
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Situated near Bergville in the Northern Drakensberg, Kwaggashoek Game Ranch offers guests 9 standard, self-catering rooms, 10 luxury rooms (B&B) and 2 Self-catering Chalets to choose from. Our rooms are decorated in unique African Moroccan fashion. Kwaggashoek is home to a wide variety of game and bird species and guests can embark on daily game drives for close encounters with African wildlife.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Bar / lounge
Hiking
Billiards
Conference facilities
BBQ facilities
Secured parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Restaurant
Darts
Fishing
Table tennis
Board games / puzzles
Gift shop
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
Laundry service
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Room features
Housekeeping
Room types
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Location
R616 Turnoff, Bergville 3350 South Africa
Getting there
Car HireSee all Bergville car hire
84Reviews1Q+A18Room tips
Reviews
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False advertising! Totally overpriced for what you get. It feels like you are intruding on the owners family vacation home, shouldn't be open for public bookings! It doesn't seem like a hospitality destination at all, very disappointed!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Don't book here!
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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 had a wonderful stay here. It is quiet, peaceful, beautiful! The farm is well situated in the Drakensberg, with most attractions in a 50km radius. A special thanks to Erma, always there to assist in a friendly manner. Will return one day...
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip 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
We booked at the very last minute and it was a good decision.we were one of 4 other couples for the time. Friendly welcome at front desk. We had a lovely braai with the best salads .....also the vibe you get ...the restaurant is beautiful thr bar wooowww they lit a fire to make it even more cosy.....our room was small but what more do you need? We overlooked the parking lot and there was a aircon motor or something making a noise kept us up all nite but stil its a beautiful place ...we walked around a bit and it was nice.....only problem is waking up early because of kids making noise but wel that's life hay.....still a nice place...we will definitely visit again
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Date of stay: April 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.
Helpful
Response from Heleem Van Der Merwe, Owner at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch
Responded 29 Apr 2021
Thank you very much for the good response. It was very nice having you with us. We are very glad to hear that you enjoyed the visit. Sorry for some disturbances, but we hope to see you again. Management and staff. Kwaggashoek Game Ranch.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
What an awesome experience ! What a beautiful farm and lodge ! Staff was very helpful and very professional. We had so much fun and we all enjoyed my son’s first hunt. Kwaggashoek made it a real memorable experience. I can really recommend them.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip 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 Heleem Van Der Merwe, Owner at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch
Responded 11 Oct 2020
Dear Marinda and family. Thank you very much for your visit to us. It was a privilege to be part of your son's first hunting experience. We hope to see you again. Kwaggashoek Game Ranch.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The entrance to Kwaggashoek reminded me of the entraceto Jurassic Park, very Grand and Intriguing. I was not disappointed, the main building is extremely well appointed as was my room. The friendliness of the staff was something I have not often felt and I was made to feel genuinely welcome like a lok lost "friend" The views and grounds were stunning however my favourite view was from inside the bar, which despite having a number of "stuffed" animals was perfect including the LARGE screen TV. I had supper and breakfast in the restaurant twice and both were of a high standard. There a plenty of walks for a variety of ages and fitness levels but I am sure there are lots of other activities I just didn't have the time to find out. Would I go back? Most definitely The location allowed to call in and see a client on my way back home, so all in all a most pleasurable short break with a bit of work Regards John…
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Not over the kitchen
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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 Heleem Van Der Merwe, Owner at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch
Responded 11 Oct 2020
Good morning John. Thank you very much for your visit to Kwaggashoek Game Ranch. Looking forward to your next visit. Erma. Kwaggashoek Game Ranch.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
So I have read the review from another visitor for the same weekend me and my wife were at Kwaggashoek. I speak under correction but I am sure that these were the same people complaining about WIFI when one is in Nature on a Game ranch? For us it was one of the most wonderful trips we have been on and we have travelled plenty. Excellent service ,food and people very helpful. The accommodation 5 star. Friendly owner and his family with Game drive student kept us entertained during the whole weekend and shared stories about nature and the farm which one does not learn in books or WIFI........... I will recommend this to any couple looking for that romantic get away or people wanting to take a break from the busy city life.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Book in the lodge for Social and Self Catering for private stay
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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
The service was excellent from reception to the dining room. The food and its serving from the books. Our room was spacious and spotless.We enjoyed the game drive with Willie, and it was a nice relaxing time we had between the animals. If one wants to rest, without telephones and television, and just looking for silence, Kwaggashoek is the place to go.
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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.
Helpful
Having traveled extensively in South Africa - at various types of accommodation, self-catering, BnBs, five stars, camp grounds, you get the picture, I can confirm that I have never had such an awful experience. This in fact includes finding myself in hovels in Asia. The photos of the self-catering ‘chalet’ were entirely misrepresented, the accommodation was overpriced for the quality, space and amenities provided. The only plus was decent pillows. We were under the impression that there were would be four separate bedrooms, it was more like two rooms and a bizarre 3/4 situation. The central living area was rather dismal, with a tiny TV. In tie for most disappointing was the deck of the ‘Superior Chalet’ - it was dark and lacked a view, surrounded by roll-down plastic blinds, which we weren’t allowed to roll-up creating a humid, stale, very hot, and incredibly uncomfortable space for the guests. When eventually rolling the blinds up we were accosted by the manager / owner (?) demanding that the blinds were rolled back down. This was an inexplicable request that we eventually acquiesced to. On the topic of the host, I have never experienced such a present figure, interrupting us with abrupt and uninvited visits multiple times a day, the interactions of which were generally unpleasant and abrasive. Second in place for most disappointing was the complete lack of general activities, the promised spa / massages, the ‘nearby’ walking trails, an ostensible game drive promising underwhelming game like hippo, waterbuck, ‘other’ antelope, think springbok, and maybe a giraffe. The activities that were on offer were difficult to book and we therefore chose not to even engage the host due to the unpleasant interactions we’d had. The pool area is not worth mentioning - imagine a grim fake rock waterhole, and another pool which seemed even less inviting with no views, or umbrellas. Upon going to the pool we were told that we couldn’t take our own drinks, fine, but then the bar was unattended. And so we shamelessly drank our own beverages, no sooner had our favourite host arrived - telling us, she’d let us off the hook. Seriously?!?! When the blessed moment came for us to check-our we were told that we needed to pay an extra +-2000ZAR, for an extra guest, in an 8 sleeper chalet?!? Which ordinarily come at a fix cost per night, we were a total of 7 guests, the request made absolutely no sense. We refused to pay this extra fee, which we felt no shame about as a group. In fact, we deserve and are pursuing a well-deserved discount. Three nights of accommodation with zero nearby activities, and substandard facilities, cost just over 16000ZAR, which honestly felt extortionate given the experience. And when asked to pay more for a seventh guest, the general insult to injury was exacerbated. The absolute cherry on top was the lack of WiFi and reception, which was critical for our guests, and was confirmed by the ‘lodge’ before we agreed to book the accommodation. The lack of connectivity resulted in inexplicable inconvenience to all of the guests. There is absolutely no reason to visit this destination, you can get far better value for at least 30% less. I suspect I will have a sour taste in my mouth for a while. And I am NOT a difficult guest. It just felt like we were lied to and poorly treated. Spend your money elsewhere. Just to send the message home, I have never been so desperate to get the truck out of anywhere in the world.…
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip 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
We arrived at Kwaggashoek at around 4:30 in the afternoon on Thursday and were greeted by who I can only assume was the front desk/general manager of the lodge. We were immediately prompted to pay a R200 deposit for the room key which I have to say is a first. We were accompanied to our room as each unit did not seem to have room numbers and were given a tour of the unit. When asking about Wi-Fi access, we learnt at Wi-Fi was only accessible from the main building, upon investigation we discovered the lodge had no Wi-Fi access. Usually, this would not be an issue when travelling to the berg for a weekend as one seeks the tranquillity of being in the outdoors. In this case it was imperative being a long weekend and many of our friends had to work on Friday. This complication caused a few of our friends to have to travel an hour and a half on the Friday morning to the Engen garage in Harrismith which is completely unacceptable. We were constantly visited by the front desk/general manager who insisted that we were not allowed to roll up the blinds on the terrace effectively causing our outside area to become a sauna. Eventually we were forced to rolled them up out of desperation. Furthermore, there is nothing to do at Kwaggashoek, the bar area is never attended, the pool is completely underwhelming and is the size of a pond. Upon request of a massage treatment as advertised we were told this was not possible. We tried to book clay pigeon shooting but were denied over the phone and were told we had to come to the front desk. We attempted to order ice and request delivery to our room and were refused. In general, this was the opposite of a hospitable experience, grossly overpriced for what you get, and any request seemed to be such an effort to the staff. I must strongly advise that anyone looking for a weekend away in the Drakensberg, stay away from Kwaggashoek.…
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: I personally would not suggest any of the rooms.
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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.
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+1
Only 4 hours from JHB the Drive was very pleasant till the last 20kms which is on a dirt road. The dirt road is in very good condition and so not really anything to complain about. The staff were most welcoming throughout our short stay. It’s difficult navigating the new ways of the world but the team handled it all with grace and friendliness. It was different having booked a night when we were the only table in the lounge or at dinner strange as their wasn’t any atmosphere to enjoy. We made the most of it and the staff were most attentive. I would definitely book again but would select a different room or a self catering unit as for me I found the room too small and the bathroom minute. Wishing them lots of bookings as the leisure Industry recovers
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip 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.
1 Helpful vote
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LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalDrakensberg RegionBergville
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
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Frequently Asked Questions about Kwaggashoek Game Ranch
What are some of the property amenities at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and barbeque facilities during their stay.
Is parking available at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Kwaggashoek Game Ranch?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans.