Our family of five adults stayed four nights/five days at Fitzpatrick's at Jock Lodge during the December holidays. Fitzpatrick's is a separate three-villa lodge near the main Jock Lodge. Our overall impression of the experience was: Wow! Kruger National Park is huge -- at 7,500 square miles, it is the size of the state of Massachusetts. To have the most complete and authentic experience of watching the "big five" game in Kruger, you must stay at one of the seven lodges that have "concessions" in the park enabling their rangers to take guests off road, into the bush. Otherwise, you will be limited to the game that you may see randomly alongside the paved roads within the park. The most important and rare sightings will be those deep in the bush. We went into the bush with our excellent ranger, Dawid, a great guide and knowledgeable tracker, and we saw all manner of big game and activity, including a lion kill. There are two three-hour game drives per day, the first at 4:30 a.m., after which you return for breakfast, then lunch, then high tea, then another late afternoon game drive, then an excellent dinner. Our lodge had two full-time chefs for the five of us; they were highly attentive to dietary preferences and restrictions. We occupied all three suites at Fitzpatrick's and thus had the staff to ourselves. The lodge manager was Blessing, and he truly personified his name. Blessing and Dawid joined us for many meals, including Christmas breakfast and dinner. Jock Lodge has a charming spa and we all had deep-tissue work from the excellent masseuse, "AB". We spent a week in Cape Town at Cellars-Hohenort prior to coming to Kruger, and I will post a separate review of that wonderful five-star property. Kudos also to the travel agency, East Cape Tours of Port Elizabeth, which booked our visit to Fitzpatrick's at Jock and also our airport transfers. Their work was of the highest quality and attentiveness. This was our first trip to South Africa, and we loved everything about this wonderful country and its people. When we returned home, we asked ourselves: "Was this a dream?" Yes, in a way. A dream vacation. A special "thank you" to Fitzpatrick's at Jock Lodge for making it so.

We stayed 4 days/3 nights at Jock Lodge and loved it. Everything was excellent: the food, service, game drives, accommodations, and efficient use of time. Every morning we would have coffee before our early morning game drive. Upon our return a delicious breakfast was waiting. During late afternoon/evening game drive adult beverages were available to celebrate the animal sightings of the day. Our safari guide Lazarus did a great job of finding animals, explaning how to read animal tracks (e.g., when they were made, by what animal, what information you could gather from the tracks, etc.), and providing general information about animal behavior. As we watched a large male lion snoozing alongside the road Lazarus told us what was likely to happen as he woke up and called his buddy - he was spot on in his prediction - it was an amazing experience. The staff were all pleasant and always eager to help. It was well worth the cost. If you are "game" for a great safari experience, stay at Jock.

Centrally located to the Southern gates of the Kruger National Park. Lodge requires rejuvenation and general maintenance. Friendly staff and amazing game viewing. Beautifully appointed day bed with riverbed views