Kololo Game Reserve
Full view
View all photos(439)439


Room & Suite (74)

Dining (49)
Did you already book this hotel?
Tell us so we can help you plan.
About
#1 of 4 villas in Vaalwater
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Kololo Game Reserve is located in the captivating province of Limpopo, nestled within the picturesque Waterberg biosphere. This exceptional reserve provides a safe haven from malaria, ensuring a worry-free experience for all visitors. Immerse yourself in the natural splendor of the area by exploring neighboring reserves, where you can witness the magnificent Big 5 up close. Alternatively, relish the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these remarkable creatures from the serene surroundings of your villa or chalet at Kololo. Enjoy ultimate privacy and relaxation in our pristine bushveld accommodation. Kololo, a renowned game reserve in Limpopo, is conveniently located just 3 hours from Johannesburg International Airport. Immerse yourself in guided game drives, hikes, walks, and mountain bike trails for an unforgettable experience. The chalets and villas are exquisitely appointed, offering a luxurious and fully equipped haven and the rates are fully-inclusive. Kololo Game Reserve boasts a lavish restaurant that offers an array of amenities, including a refreshing swimming pool, reliable wireless internet, and delectable options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Furthermore, guests can enjoy browsing through the curio shop and avail themselves of the convenient laundry service (upon request). Babysitting services are also available upon request, ensuring a worry-free and enjoyable stay for families. The Fauna: The magnificent diversity of the Waterberg is evident both in the natural environment and in the facilities and attractions. Kololo Game Reserve spreads over 3000 hectares of untouched African bush which consists of open savannah grass plains, thick bushveld, mountains and valleys, making it the ideal habitat for a wide variety of game. View impala, kudu, rooi hartebeest, blue wildebeest, zebra, eland, nyala, waterbuck, giraffe, blesbuck and bushbuck as well as smaller species such as duikers, mountain reedbuck, klipspringer, steenbok, bushpig and warthog. Bird watchers will enjoy over 300 species of birdlife which are indigenous to the area. The flora: The Waterberg is a geographical wonder which supports a biome of some 14 500 square kilometres and encompasses vast tracts of bushveld, punctuated with clusters of trees and tall savannah shrubs. Mountains, gorges, cliffs, open fields, wetlands, streams and rivers, give rise to a rich diversity of flora which supports the animals and birds that thrive in this area . Vaalwater: Vaalwater is the closest village, 29 km of dirt road away from Kololo. It is a small rural village with a supermarket, curio shops, petrol station and one or two basic restaurants. Many of the employees of Kololo live in Vaalwater. Kololo is sponsor of the Waterberg Welfare Society, as such supporting the local community. From Kololo we offer the following activities: Big 5 game drive in Welgevonden Nature Reserve. Big 5 walking safari in Welgevonden Nature Reserve. game drive in Kololo. hiking and cycling in Kololo. bush braai and bush breakfast in Kololo subject availability. bird watching.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Bar / lounge
Bicycle rental
Bicycles available
Children's playground
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Secured parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Shallow end in pool
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Complimentary welcome drink
Kids' meals
Outdoor dining area
Wine / champagne
Poolside bar
Hiking
Entertainment staff
Walking tours
Board games / puzzles
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Highchairs available
Airport transportation
Baggage storage
Gift shop
Mosquito net
Outdoor fireplace
Outdoor furniture
Sun deck
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
Sun umbrellas
First aid kit
Umbrella
Private check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Ironing service
Room features
Desk
Fireplace
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Coffee / tea maker
Electric kettle
Extra long beds
Bath / shower
Safe
Seating area
Sofa
Telephone
Wardrobe / wardrobe
Bottled water
Clothes rack
Private bathrooms
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Mountain view
Landmark view
Pool view
Non-smoking rooms
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 TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
HOTEL STYLE
Quaint
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Dutch
Location
Bakkerspas, Vaalwater 0530 South Africa
Getting there
Polokwane Airport
172.6 km•
See all flights
Car Hire
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 472
- 167
- 20
- 4
- 2
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
We had a 2 night stay at the beginning of August with our 1.5 year old. We were allocated the Fish Eagle cabin, below the restaurant and furthest away from the other cabins. We felt we had the place to ourselves, lovely and peaceful.
Our son has a food allergy which was taken care of by the chef. We were well fed and watered throughout! Staff are all kind but of course our stand out was Joe, our guide, who we spent the most time with. Joe gave us more than we could imagine and even managed to tracked down 5 cheetas, 3 lions and an elephant in one morning drive!! He was extremely knowledgeable, has fantastic stories to tell and just generally gave us a huge SA welcome. Despite having a 1.5 year old we were able to get up close to these amazing animals.
Our room was spotless, it was made up during our morning drive and turned down during our evening drive.
Thank you all so much to the team. Would love to return some day.
Our son has a food allergy which was taken care of by the chef. We were well fed and watered throughout! Staff are all kind but of course our stand out was Joe, our guide, who we spent the most time with. Joe gave us more than we could imagine and even managed to tracked down 5 cheetas, 3 lions and an elephant in one morning drive!! He was extremely knowledgeable, has fantastic stories to tell and just generally gave us a huge SA welcome. Despite having a 1.5 year old we were able to get up close to these amazing animals.
Our room was spotless, it was made up during our morning drive and turned down during our evening drive.
Thank you all so much to the team. Would love to return some day.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
I just finished a four day, three night field trip to the lodge with a group of almost forty 17-18 year olds. This trip had been in the planning stages for months and the Kololo Lodge staff (and in particular Tom and Tanya) could not have worked any harder to make our stay educational, memorable, fun, safe, and joyful. My students were able to complete on the ground research and observational studies for their Science classes and just learned so much in a truly engaging and entertaining way. The game drivers Kololo arranged for us delivered brilliant wildlife interactions and one of my colleagues who has been living in Africa for 16 years was able to see Cheetahs for the first time! We spent 20 minutes with a group of 4 lionesses lounging in the sun on the Fig Tree Plains in the Welgevonden Reserve. The Kololo Lodge is truly unique in that within their private reserve we were able to hike their trails and on our final morning were treated with a group of five playful giraffes. We learned so much about animal tracking and recognizing signs of life. The sunrises and sunsets were just epic and to see teenagers enthralled in stargazing at the milky way was a thing of beauty. The kitchen managed to keep a wide range of students with various food restrictions happy and well fed with delicious meals. No matter how hard staff were working they did so with a smile. After long days out on the trails or game drives being able to get an amazing night sleeps in the comfortable chalets and have a hot shower really is the cherry on top. If you are looking for a location for team building Kololo Lodge also offers a conference area we were able to coordinate two sets of guest speakers for the students. We were able to use wifi in the chalets, conference rooms and restaurant flawlessly throughout our stay. We used the Boma/Bonfire area for a celebration on our final evening and the atmosphere created for us here was just magical. We toasted marshmallows, made S'mores, enjoyed more stargazing and peace. I was able to transport my student group in on a large bus and when I went up on my own to research the Kololo lodge as a prospective site I was able to navigate the road there in a non 4x4 vehicle from northern Joburg in about 3.5 hours. If you are thinking about heading to Kololo Lodge -do it. Whatever your objectives are for exploring the South African Big Five, Nature, or just having some quiet contemplation for yourself the Kololo Lodge is the place to be.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: All chalets are amazing.
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.
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
Travel time about 4 hours from Johannesburg including a stopover for some drinks and shopping.
Very nice game reserve with friendly staff, excellent food. We were upgraded with 3 people to a large type of house fully equipped. Stayed here for 3 nights.
Early in the morning and at the end of the day game drives with excellent and friendly guide. In between lunch and rest by the pool.
The big advantage of Kololo is that the game drives are not as massive as in other parks and that you are often alone with your own company. A few times you meet another Jeep during the drives.
Very nice game reserve with friendly staff, excellent food. We were upgraded with 3 people to a large type of house fully equipped. Stayed here for 3 nights.
Early in the morning and at the end of the day game drives with excellent and friendly guide. In between lunch and rest by the pool.
The big advantage of Kololo is that the game drives are not as massive as in other parks and that you are often alone with your own company. A few times you meet another Jeep during the drives.
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
The staff were friendly but filling out the reams of Covid paperwork when you really just wanted to relax was not a good start. We were also informed that their was a additional nightly "conservation" charge of R100 per person per night (why not just include this?) . Our accommodation looked straight onto the back of another building and no table or chairs to eat at were supplied either indoors or outdoors. THe room was dark and switching on the lights did not help. THe room consisted of two single beds which I am not used to sleeping on. The single bed duvet kept slipping of me through the night and both my wife and I got really cold (no extra blankets were provided). When we inquired with the staff the next day as to why they had not serviced our room we were told "have you not read the covid notice, no room servicing available" . After complaining to management it was implied that our "fussy attitude" was likely due to the fact that we were "spoilt" because we came from Dainfern. Management did however apologize and said the mess up had occurred because they had been off site for the weekend and could not supervise staff properly. They offered to upgrade us to better accommodation but we decided to go home early. We were told that we would need to pay the full bill however and that we would not be allowed off the premises until we had.
Read more
Date of stay: July 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 Kirsten Jansen, Marketing at Kololo Game Reserve
Responded 20 Aug 2020
Good day, We are more than happy to go through the review you have posted, and clarify the events you have discussed. However, it is important for us to stress that due to your behavior on our lodge, on request of several staff members, you have been blacklisted and 2 Housekeepers have filed an official complaint about the way they were treated by you. The COVID19 paperwork is mandatory. All 17 other guest on the reserve complied with it, and for their and our staffs safety, we required you to cooperate as well. The fact that you said “COVID is a joke” doesn’t excuse you from complying to national health & safety rules and regulations. The conservation levy is stated on your booking confirmation and covers costs of the levy payable to Welgevonden. You did not mark the double bed option available on the booking confirmation, nor mentioned it during your check-in or stay. All beds can and will be converted into a double bed on request, as is standard hospitality procedure. Our lodge provides service under the most recent Covid-19 regulations. This means during your stay we could not clean the room if you were in it, and have had to remove all extra decorations and blankets in order to comply with sanitizing. Both during check in and on your in-room-information you have been made aware of this. It also mentions you are more than welcome to contact reception through our various communication portals (Front desk, the radio we gave you and/or WhatsApp) to request extra service. You however didn’t use any of the provided options. We apologize for the missing table (which had been sanded during lockdown and we indeed forgot to place back when we opened up again). Again, you did not contact us through the provided portals to allow us to rectify. Instead, on your second day, you screamed and shouted at our Housekeepers about everything that you felt was wrong. You did so in such an aggressive manner, and without wearing a mask, that our kitchen staff came out to investigate because 2 staff members started crying. Our receptionist was contacted by our staff. When she approached you, you said wanted to leave and demanded a refund. When our staff brought this up with management you changed your mind and decided to stay. Staff placed back the table and assumed the problem had been resolved. However, later that day you informed our receptionist that you still demanded a refund. You stated that in the mean time you had made various videos of our lodge and threatened to place it online to damage our reputation. Management was indeed off the lodge due to a medical emergency, as communicated to you. When they returned to the lodge and were told that you refused to comply with COVID regulations and temperature checks, refused to leave and refused to pay, they tried to contacted you to have a meeting to discuss. The meeting we had with you the next morning has been recorded in full. Your claims that we called you ‘fussy’, ‘spoilt’ and the mess up was caused “due to us not being able to supervise staff properly” are false and simply did not happen. The record does have numerous complaints from your side about ‘the grass not being green enough and us not pumping up enough water to make it lush again’ (it was explained to you it is winter and we are in a drought in South Africa), the porch of your chalet not being large enough, the thatch roof not having a window in it, and there being too much dust on the grass for your outside yoga. Although we appreciate constructive criticism on the aesthetics of the lodge, we are fully transparent on what we offer on all visual aids and booking systems. Up to date pictures of the chalets are on the website, and the season in which you opted to book is a great season to view game, but does come with less rainfall. We offered you an upgrade from a 2-sleeper into a 6-sleeper villa for your third night, because we saw no need to keep you in a chalet that made you unhappy. We however did expect of you to comply with COVID19 regulations, conduct yourself in a respectful manner towards our staff and to pay for the services that you had used and intended to utilize. You agreed to the upgrade, filled out the COVID19 datasheet and went onto another activity with our guides in Welgevonden Big5 reserve. When you came back, you went to your chalet, then at 14.30 before your last night you came back and told us you wanted to check out. You refused to settle your bill and demanded to be refunded again. Your threats unfortunately continued, despite us having attempted to resolve all resolvable complaints. It is 100% accurate that we told you to settle your invoice. No guest should ever behave in the disrespectful manner towards staffs or make threats. Your actions could have exposed our guest and staff members to a COVID19 health risk, you have insulted our staff and have done everything in your power to stay as long as you could on the lodge while showing no intent to pay for it. By no means do I see any other need than an apology for a missing table. Threats and irresponsible behavior during this COVID19 pandemic however will not be tolerated as we are responsible for numerous guests and staff members. As a team we are proud that our procedures enabled us to keep other in-house guests away from being exposed to any possible health risks, were able to upkeep overall guest satisfaction as well as safety, while not compromising on comfort and service available. Kind regards, Kololo Management
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We so much enjoyed our 3rd stay at Kololo! Great staff, beautiful room, excellent food and amazing gamedrives. A must see, just 4 hrs from OR Tambo. For couples, but also with kids.
The attention from every single member of the staff makes you feel a king/queen.
The attention from every single member of the staff makes you feel a king/queen.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Response from Kirsten Jansen, Marketing at Kololo Game Reserve
Responded 12 Apr 2024
Dear Wilm, It sounds like you had an incredible time at Kololo! Your enthusiastic review truly captures the essence of your experience - from the fantastic staff and beautiful accommodations to the excellent food and thrilling game drives. It's wonderful to hear that you felt so well taken care of by the attentive staff. Thank you for sharing your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable stay soon! Kind Regards, Kiololo Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Very nice place to stay. Tanya in reception as helpful as could be, especially when we had to contact our agents when a small problem arose when another lodge that we were due to stay at had over booked and we had to resolve the issue. Constantly on the phone and email to help us sort the problem out. Only problem that we had was that only one game drive was included in the price and we asked for extra. The guide never told us how much it would cost so it was a bit of a shock when we got the bill, but all in all, this is a lodge that we would recommend.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
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.
Response from Kirsten Jansen, Marketing at Kololo Game Reserve
Responded 23 Feb 2022
Thank you for your review John! We loved having you both here. Erik still jokes about the little surprise 'sighting' we did for you in reception. The pricing of the extra drives is in the booking confirmation, but we have also added a sign board outside now so guest on site can see the price if the want to do additional game drives. Thanks for the suggestion! Kind regards, Tanya
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The property is not well maintained, generally the lodge we stayed in and the main restaurant and lounge are run-down.
We did not have wifi in our room, but this was advertised as an amenities. I could not work remotely and this was a big issue.
We had a terrible experience at reception on arrival and during check out, the receptionist did not make us feel welcome. She seemed totally overwhelmed.
The only positive point would be the game drives.
We did not have wifi in our room, but this was advertised as an amenities. I could not work remotely and this was a big issue.
We had a terrible experience at reception on arrival and during check out, the receptionist did not make us feel welcome. She seemed totally overwhelmed.
The only positive point would be the game drives.
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Response from Kirsten Jansen, Marketing at Kololo Game Reserve
Responded 18 Jan 2023
Good day Quentin, We're a bit surprised by this review, especially seeing that the one sent to management by email said: "We have been coming to Kololo for the past 15 years (only for game drives) and have never been deceived by the hospitality we received at reception and during the drives. We (...) have sent many tourists to your place over the years, we have had very positive feedback from our guests. It was our first time staying at Kololo ourselves and we were very sad to have to leave earlier. Our feedback is rather positive except for the unfortunate experience at the reception both on arrival and at check out. We felt that <<Name removed>> was overwhelmed and thus did not have time to care for the guests." Kindly note that we have addressed the issue at the Front Desk extensively with you. Kololo even refunded your second night when you said you had to leave earlier due to a Family Crisis (not due to you not being able to work remotely), even though our T&C's clearly state no refunds are applicable, especially over our peak holiday season. Management did not get any complaints about the wifi from you or form other guests. All rooms have their own router. Should something not work in your room, the only way we can resolve this is if it is reported. All in all, we regret the interaction with our receptionist but we cannot match your review to the email feedback you sent last week. Kind regards, Kololo
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had a wonderful time here. Welgevonden is a great park and the game drive experience with Kololo's rangers was amazing, they took a lot of time to give context and to sheet questions. The lodge in itself is really authentic, makes you feel at home and has an unbeatable value for money!
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Response from KololoGameReserve, Marketing & Sales at Kololo Game Reserve
Responded 05 Feb 2020
Thank you for your review. We do our best to provide our guest with an unforgettable safari experience! Kind regards, Kololo Game Reserve
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Kololo lodge is an exceptional place to visit to explore the magnificence of South Africa. It is unique in that you can explore the private land around Kololo lodge by bike or hiking allowing you to explore the area at your own pace. The game drives in Welgevonden are exceptional and I was able to see five out of the big five on my visit. Additionally the Big Five reserve borders on the Merekele National Park and so you can catch glimpses of the wildlife in that conservation area as well. The Kololo lodge itself is just beautiful and deserves its four star lodge rating. The staff are kind and welcoming and the guides extremely knowledgeable. Just having a cup of coffee and enjoying the morning view or evening sunsets will fill you up with joy but there really is so much more on offer that you are already planning your next visit while you are still enjoying your current one. The final 27km road in can be a bit of a challenge but helps to deter tourists on mass so that you can have a sense of peace while you explore. I did just fine in my non 4x4 vehicle by going nice and slow. Check out Kololo for yourself. I will guess you will be quite happy you did.
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Relaxed and welcoming stay.
Great and friendly service, good structure and facilities, very convenient location.
Everyone makes us feel at home all the time and made sure we were taken care of without being forceful or intrusive, making it a very pleasant and relaxing stay
Great and friendly service, good structure and facilities, very convenient location.
Everyone makes us feel at home all the time and made sure we were taken care of without being forceful or intrusive, making it a very pleasant and relaxing stay
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Dear Carol, We do have availabilty, please send an e-mail to with your request and whishes and we will send you more information (e-mail adres in our profile).
kind regards,
Kololo Game Reserve
Di. They don't have their own transport. There is however a transfer company that they use. It cost quite a bit. I t costs one way R2000. Chalet average standard is approximately R1550 per person per night. However I don't know in what rush you are as I am going to the Dinokeng game reserve which hosts the big 5 about one hour drive from OR Tambo airport. it cost me R2400 for three nights. Me and my wife are going from the 29th April to 1st may 2016.
We are located 3,5 hours car drive from Johannesburg.
"Please be aware that the location is quite remote from main road and supermarket. Before you go to the reserve go to the supermarket."Read full review
…
LOCATION
South AfricaLimpopo ProvinceWaterbergVaalwater
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
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.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingKOLOLO GAME RESERVE - UPDATED 2024 Villa Reviews (Vaalwater, South Africa)
Frequently Asked Questions about Kololo Game Reserve
What are some of the property amenities at Kololo Game Reserve?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Kololo Game Reserve?
Top room amenities include a desk, extra long beds, and a fireplace.
What food & drink options are available at Kololo Game Reserve?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
Is parking available at Kololo Game Reserve?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Kololo Game Reserve?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Kololo Game Reserve have airport transportation?
Yes, Kololo Game Reserve offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Kololo Game Reserve?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Dutch, and Afrikaans.
Is Kololo Game Reserve accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.