Kaingo is a destination of outstanding scenic beauty, an African Eden. Situated in the Waterberg, 2.5 hours from Johannesburg, Kaingo Private Game Reserve is the malaria-free, safari holiday you’ve been searching for. Accommodating family, friends or business associates, our facilities, coupled with our spectacular location and passion for the environment, make this an unforgettable destination. Sweeping across 22 500 acres of bush veld savannah, river, valley and magic mountain landscapes, Kaingo represents a piece of Africa as it used to be with unique wildlife experiences, thrilling activities and picturesque natural assets in abundance. With the mighty Mokolo river weaving through breath taking landscapes, Kaingo has distilled the finest natural wildlife safari offerings for the enjoyment of guests. As a declared Nature Reserve with the primary objective of Natural Resource Conservation the Reserve is run along pure, sustainable management and development principles.
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
Luxury
Great View
Location
Witfontein Road Bulgerivier District, Vaalwater 0530 South Africa
Our family stay at Kaingo was a return to safari after 10 years of absence. We couldn’t have asked for a better return. The main lodge is beautiful. It is fenced in a subtle way which makes it OK for the us and the children to roam free within the garden but whiteout loosing the connection with the wild game. The diversity of the surrounding landscape is astonishing, and we saw plenty of animals and birds. Another draw is the millennia old cave art that can be found on the property. What made the experience even more outstanding was the dedication of our ranger Andre, who was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, solicitous and this both with my husband and myself and with our two daughters aged 11 and 14. He took us on game drives, on nature hikes and we went fishing too! We always felt safe and we learned a lot. Whenever we came back Etienne and his friendly and helpful team took care that we didn’t go hungry or thirsty and they had no problem catering for our dietary needs. Thank you to the whole team and to the beautiful Kaingo game and nature reserve. We hope that one day we might return.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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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 KaingoGameReserve, General Manager at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 18 Jan 2020
Dear 119marjanb, Thank you for choosing Kaingo Game Reserve, and The Elephant Lodge. Your review of your stay is most appreciated and humbling that you choose us after a 10 year absence from safaris. We are happy you enjoyed the various activities with the educational benefit, we are proud of our culture of conservation and imparting that knowledge to a younger generation that will grow up with a keen interest in conservation. We look forward to welcoming you back to Kaingo Game Reserve in the near future. Regards The Kaingo Team.
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We celebrated a special birthday with family members at Kaingo Game Reserve. The experience was completely unforgettable - from the friendly and welcoming staff to the beautiful lodge, it was just wonderful.
The food served was beyond delicious and no request made was too much for the staff. They really made the weekend so special.
The sightings were some of the best we have ever experienced and the knowledge and enthusiasm of the rangers was just incredible.
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Date of stay: August 2020
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 Wim Berghout, Guest Services / Front Office at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 10 Sept 2020
Dear Jo-Anne Thank you for your positive review and for choosing Kaingo Game Reserve to celebrate Pierre’s birthday. It was a pleasure for the team and I to host your group and we happy that were able to live up to your expectations. I have passed on your compliments to the team and these are always appreciated. Best regards Etienne and The Kaingo Team
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We visited Kaingo Game reserve in January and had an amazing time. The reserve is exceptionally maintained, friendly, and catered or more than our needs. Our guide Andre is friendly, filled with an abundant amount of knowledge across many topics and specifically the animals, including fauna and flora. The reserve was flexible and very accommodating, they exceeded any expectations we had and we highly recommend Kiango Game Reserve. The accommodation was warm, clean, comfortable. Food was spectacular and delicious.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Any of the rooms were wonderful, you can't go wrong with any room
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 KaingoGameReserve, General Manager at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 31 Jan 2020
Dear Gail, Thank you for the very positive review of Kaingo Game Reserve. We are glad you enjoyed your time with us as well the sharing of the knowledge of the reserve, we pride ourselves on exclusivity as well as our focus on "Conservation first" in the Waterberg region. I will pass on the feedback to Andre and the team who made your visit memorable. Best regards The Kaingo Team
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Best Safari experience ever. This is the third Safari we have been on and this was by far the most impressive.
The attention to detail is outstanding. Food superb, rooms spacious and beautiful. Gardens & setting are stunning. Great service at all times.
The best was the guide, Andre, the game drives were amazing, his knowledge and experience made this holiday very special. The approach at Kaingo is quite unique, with the focus upon conservation, we learnt so much, no game drive was the same. We went fishing, got very close to lots of animals, crocs, hippos, elephants etc etc. My 9 year old cried (a lot) when we left because the care and thought that was given to her so she could get the most out of the holiday was so good, she was very sad to leave. She got to name a newborn baby Zebra, eat the fish she had caught that day, collect different stones to take to school and meet some amazing animals up close. Superb, thank you.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Location
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 KaingoGameReserve, General Manager at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 09 Jan 2020
Dear Ellisabeth803 Thank you for your kind words and wonderful review of your stay at Kaingo! We aim to make every safari a unique experience suited to each family member, young and old. The service, lodge and catering tend to be an extension of each staff members passion, as you no doubt experienced! As for the game drives; the real stars are the animals. We hope to see you back soon for a visit to CK, the little Zebra! Best regards The Kaingo TEAM.
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We stayed in the Leopard Lodge which is beautifully finished. (05:00 alarm call of a lion roaring 20m outside the fence!) The food in the restaurant was presented with care and elan, and was very nice. The game drives were fun and the ranger very patient with us and knowledgeable. The bush walk was fun as well. This is a high quality hotel in which to relax and observe game (we saw 4 of the big 5, and a herd of sable - beautiful, and lots more) and learn, it is a not a drive through tick off the animals and go place. We really enjoyed it and would recommend it.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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Cleanliness
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 KaingoGameReserve, General Manager at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 10 Feb 2020
Dear PaulA568, Thank you very much for the detailed review on TripAdvisor, we are very happy you enjoyed the lodge and all of its facilities. At Kaingo we pride ourselves with the sharing of the nature as well as Kaingo's commitment to conservation in the Waterberg . The bush walk is the ideal way to be able to get very close to nature, and i am happy you enjoyed it. Once again thank you for the kind words which I will share with the team. Regards The Kaingo TEAM
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I was originally looking for a stay at the Ivory Tree Lodge or of similar standard. Ka'Ingo however is an un-tapped treasure and I'm so glad we went ! This place is indeed a long 3 hour journey from Jo'burg airport and at one point one does begin to think where the hell is this place and did I make the right decision.? Please be assured...It was worth EVERY minute of that long bumpy drive! Ka Ingo is run professionally and with much passion! Everyone from the Game reserve guys to the cleaning staff would put a lot of us to shame with their politeness ...curtesy and willingness to make your stay as pleasant and as comfortable as possible. The grounds were a little drop of heaven in the middle of the bush! So peaceful.... nothing around for miles...no traffic ...no noise...no city lights...no planes... FANTASTIC ! We stayed for 4 nighst and were prviliged to stay at one of the larger lodges ...which had everything we needed. The reserve itself is run efficiently with much attention given to running the it as near to ''nature'' and as ''natural'' as possible. We were lucky that we had our daily Game drives to ourselves with the company of Haanes ( known locally as Hercules ! ) and every drive was a true adventure. We saw everything from the BIG 5 ...to the smallest of insects....to probably the clearest view of the Milky Way and Orions belt that I have ever seen !.. All the game drivers are very knowledgeable and very dedicated !...Whether it be breakfast/lunch or dinner ...everyone in the lodge met up together to eat ! The evenings we even better as the we all sat down like a big family....and all began discussing with eachother the events/sightings of the day ! Albeit round a lit BBQ or round the bar...or over the dinner table ! You will have a good time....and you will want to return..I assure you. Our sincere thanks to all at Ka Ingo...especially Hercules who made our trip EXTRA special... ! Our lfondest regarsd to all there ..Tony and Rachel ...London . ( happy to answer any e mails re Ka Ingo )
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Date of stay: March 2009
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip 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.
Ka'ingo is absolutely beautiful. It indeed takes just about 3 hours to get there from JNB, including a bumpy dirt road. Upon entering the reserve and driving up to the main lodge, we were greeted by zebra and giraffe! At the main lodge, we were welcomed with fresh drinks and shown to our rooms, which were beautiful. High, vaulted ceilings with ceiling fans (and air conditioners), nice beds, beautiful amenities. Felt very "African", if you will. Very large bathroom, tiled showers with the animal of your room, minibar with water. Every night they leave stories on the beds and almond nougats! Game drives happen daily at 6:30am and 4pm. There is always hot coffee brewing; on breakfast game drives there are hot cooked muffins to grab beforehand. Food at lunch, dinner was excellent, though it does get buggy eating in an open-air dining room, but manageable. Pool is lovely, staff is great, spa treatments a great value! Ka'ingo is to die for!
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Date of stay: December 2008
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Trip 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.
We were fortunate to be invited to a 50th Birthday where the entire lodge was booked out for our party for the weekend. A small team run this reserve and lodge like a tight ship. There are plenty of vehicles to take everyone out on game drives across the reserve and a particular highlight was the river cruise (a boat accommodating approximately 10 people). The accommodation itself is lovely and all the meals were exceptional. The reserve has the big 5 (although we didn’t see them all - possibly hindered by us being a particularly chatty group). A wonderful spot to go if you’re looking for somewhere close to Johannesburg which offers all you need in a game reserve.
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Date of stay: July 2019Trip 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.
Response from KaingoGameReserve, Manager at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 29 Jul 2019
Dear Sarah Thank you for your kind words! It was our pleasure hosting your group whom we enjoyed much as we shared the magic that Kaingo has to offer. I will relay your words of motivation and thanks to the team Hope the experience will linger in your memory for a long time. Kaingo Greetings Wim Berghout Lodge Manager
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Kaingo is one of the best Lodges I have been to. What sets it apart is the green garden that is fenced off at the lodge. It feels like the garden of Eden. The accommodation , food and game drives were excellent. The owners are serious about conservation and you can see it in the way the protect the field. The Buffalo and Sables were something special.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2017
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip 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.
Response from MKamfer, Guest Relations Manager at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 20 Aug 2017
Good morning Illze, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Our garden is truly a Garden of Eden. We hope to see you again soon. Maretha and the team
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Nice place, only 3 hours from Johannesburg. The staff give sterling service, the rooms are tastefully decorated and spacious. We were warmly welcomed by Wim and Andre and all their staff is friendly and provide customised service. Best place for conservation and nature lovers. The game ranger we had, Dumisani is very knowledgeable about nature, he educates one about all insects, trees, birds and wild animals. Pity the cats were illusive and we didn't see them. The chef is extra special, never disappointed with delicious meals served from breakfast to supper. He made an extra effort to make tasty glutten free meals for my son. the lodge does not have network and have Wi-Fi speed enough for WhatsApp and emails but who cares for electronics when you are surrounded by tranquillity and relaxation is what is needed. Half a point lost because the hot water was not enough in our unit. I think the geyser is shared with the next room which was occupied by the kids and there was not enough hot water for all to shower and bath. The wildlife stock is still on the lower side compared to the other game resorts that we have visited. We were told they are working on increasing it. Overall a good experience for the whole family.
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Date of stay: August 2018Trip 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.
Response from MKamfer, Guest Relations Manager at Kaingo Game Reserve
Responded 13 Aug 2018
Dear Mary and family, Thank you for taking the time to write this review. Your valuable feedback is much appreciated. We are very glad to hear that you and your family had a great time at Kaingo. Your encouraging words will be shared with all the staff. We apologise for hot water issue. We will do the needful to address it. We are looking forward to welcoming you back to Kaingo in the near future. Kind regards, Maretha and the Kaingo team
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There are more places to choose from in the Vaalwater area.
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Ka'Ingo Private Reserve & Spa
LOCATION
South AfricaLimpopo ProvinceWaterbergVaalwater
NUMBER OF ROOMS
14
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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