Those smilles - It was a safer and exceptional encounter with the wildlife, just as I was expected. The very kindly way Kholiwe staff took care of us touched on us deeply. The room they offered to us after a needed-emergency rearrangement was great. At the end, more than the extraordinary animal diversity, there will still be Esther, Linda, Jabule, Dylon and Pindha’s smilles with us.

Great Safari 3 day visit - A small lodge with 8 guest rooms. The staff were so friendly and the guide was excellent. The guides knowledge of plants, animals and his ability to find the best locations to see the wildlife I would fully recommend this trip

Wonderful Safari Experience - This was an absolutely wonderful introduction to a safari. We got picked up at our Johannesburg hotel and driven to Kholiwe lodge. We spent 2 nights there, going on 4 safaris into Kruger National Park. Transportation: the drivers to and from the airport were on time, very polite, and accommodating. They answered our questions and stopped when breaks were needed. Lodging: the accommodations were great. AC in the bedrooms made it comfortable. Meals were provided and were excellent. The rooms were clean and we felt safe when in the lodge. One day we fed a family of warthogs right at the front door. Another day a couple of silver monkeys came and we fed them. One of us even got the feed a kudu that came up to the lodge. Safaris: the guide we had was Aubrey. He was amazing. He was in constant touch over the radio with other drivers to find the places to go in the park. Aubrey often would spot animals hidden in the bushes. We saw lions on each trip into the park. Elephants, including a herd with very young ones. Buffalo, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, baboons, hyenas, wild dogs, impalas, crocodiles, and many species of birds. It was incredible. Management: Balanta Tours was in constant touch via WhatsApp. They answered questions we had from before we got picked up through the final day we were there. They offered to help with whatever we needed. Very good customer service.

Great experience at Kholiwe - We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Kholiwe! Aubrey was our safari driver and he was incredible - he made sure to help us see rhinos and lions. Elephants, zebras, and giraffes galore. He was extremely knowledgeable and was plugged into the happenings inside the park, often using WhatsApp to localize sightings. The staff at Kholiwe were very nice and accommodating. Sbu took us on a walk, helped us feed a kudu, and see zebras and wildebeests very close by. The lodging was good with AC and a fridge. They were clean. The food was okay and they accommodated our dietary restrictions. Overall would highly recommend Kholiwe and would visit again!

Amazing Time at Kholiwe Lodge on Kruger. - The staff at Kholiwe Lodge were super nice and friendly. The rooms were clean and full of love. We definitely will return

Wonderful Kruger safari experience at Kholiwe - We had a wonderful safari and lodge experience at Kholiwe - our hosts were very welcoming. The bush braai dinner was especially appreciated. The only improvement suggestions to the tour company would be to be transparent about the itinerary prior to going in order that you would know ahead of time that the drive from Joburg is over 7 hours. Also in the description of what isn’t covered you should make sure that the entrance conservative fee is 486R per person/per day and can only be paid with a credit card.

A great experience! - This was a great experience. Leigh and her team, Roger, Sbu and the ladies made our stay so warm, romantic and inviting. It was eleven of us. We were up early in the morning on a beautiful safari each day. You want Aubrey as your driver!! He was phenomenal!!! Very detailed, personable and knowledgeable. We saw different animals and birds each day. Four of the Big 5. The ladies cooked breakfast or prepared a breakfast for the morning safari. The dinner on the second night was amazing. We ate by candlelight and the fire pit. The rooms were clean. If you choose the Elephant suite, please know your shower is outside. The tub/shower extension is within the bedroom without a door so if it’s 2 in that room make sure you’re comfortable with one another. The wharthogs and the kudu come right up to you and there is food to feed them. The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 is because although the food was good, we had to eat what was cooked. Vegetarian option and a meat option that they chose. We didn’t preorder and options weren’t available. An overall great experience.

Traveler beware - Booked this earlier in 2024 for three day trip in January 2025. Got too busy to do more detailed research and find alternatives and as time came near and I saw more reviews, I wished it wasn’t so late and could have switched bookings with another group. Kruger itself is nice. You’ll get to see some though not all of the big five if your safari guide is good. But the Balanta group that this booking was under leaves a lot to be desired. And I mean a lot. They book you into Kholiwe lodge which could not possibly be more mediocre. The overall cost is close to $1000 per person for three days, but totally not worth it. Way overpriced for the kind of accommodations and service they provide. First, a few good aspects. The staff at Kholiwe itself were very nice, friendly, helpful and tried their best with what they were provided. The driver was on time picking us up from our Jo’burg hotel and was a careful driver. The cook was really good and made very tasty meals. And the air conditioning in the rooms was excellent and really helped in that 90-100oF weather. Our safari guide got better over the second and third drives. The first one did not go great. He spent too much time stopping to explain stuff, then we never got to where some lionesses had been sighted. But at least he self-corrected and we got to see them the following drive as well as some cheetahs later. As for the negative aspects, where to start. Very poor communication from the main office. They ask us before we arrive what we want for lunch on the first day, then don’t communicate with those on the ground and we’re given different meals. No communication to the driver for our return hotel at end of tour, despite them asking us prior to trip. Having to keep asking for info ourselves cause they are not reaching out. Then because we’d booked early, we actually got penalized for that. And there’s no other way to describe it. They said our early booking did not included Kruger entry fee and they only added it in October. So we ended up having to pay at the gate each day and that came to over $100 more than if they’d done it. Now a proper tour company would have reached out to those who booked early and offered them the new and indeed better deal, but that would be expecting too much of Balanta. Kholiwe has only six rooms, but no proper lounge area or place to relax. And those provided are completely outdoor and with no air conditioner. Remember that 100oF weather? Unbearable. So you just have to stay in your basic room, which has nothing but beds and a desk and chair. But at least it’s cool. Otherwise, go on a game drive. Which also made us feel very sorry for the staff. The management, which is likely far away in the cities, is not experiencing those conditions and they’re pricing as if it’s luxury accommodations, but their staff is seriously shortchanged and not treated well. Not that any complained at all. But they are working in poor and extremely hot conditions with no air conditioning in kitchen, dining room, lounge areas. Only guest rooms had it. While the meals were good, there was limited variety. They had only one type of concentrated juice. No soft drinks! None. Not a single Coke to be found anywhere. And they didn’t even have regular coffee. Only decaf and one with chickory. Now who runs a lodge for tourists without standard coffee or alternative soft drinks? Basic sodas? We’re not even talking cocktails. After seeing the premises, we didn’t even dare go there. We’ve done several safaris, mostly in the Eastern African region, and this one was so substandard, that we cannot recommend to anyone. Yes, I’ll grant that in Kenya and Tanzania, they’ve mastered the safari experience in the premium parks, but this one was so poor, that I’d advise anyone to look for alternatives. And Kruger is no novice for safaris. It’s an international destination. If Balanta want to use Kholiwe, then either get those accommodations and services upgraded ASAP, or price it appropriately. The experience wouldn’t even be worth half of what they charged. Traveler beware.

Disappointing in several respects - Viator passed me on to Balanta -- an organization lacking in organizational skills and creating misleading impressions. They said they would pick me up at JNB airport bus terminals at 6.30 a.m. There was nobody there at that time. Nor was their business phone number up and running. Later their driver appeared in an unmarked car end we eventually had to help him extricate himself from his disallowed parking with a car where only busses were allowed. Balanta does not provide accommodation inside Kruger park, as I hoped and assumed. There was no indication that their lodge was located about 30 minutes drive outside the park, so one hour each day had to be spent just driving to and from the park. The meals offered were substandard e.g. meat far too salty to be healthy; last breakfast included processed meat, cold pancakes with only frozen butter to put on them. What saved Balanta from being a total disaster was the excellent driver and guide they had on visits in the park. He was courteous, efficient and knowledgeable. A Balanta official did talk to me courteously about my problems and I was glad to detect a constructive spirit and a wish to improve performance. Perhaps performance will improve through appointment of a more competent chef, but it remains to be seen if they will be more open about their logistics of meeting and returning clients in Johannesburg and not providing lodging within the Kruger Park. Meanwhile for my next trip, I will give Viator a wide berth -- it should have acted as a reliable agent to put me in touch with an efficient agency and it failed miserably to do that.

I won’t recommend it. - I liked the tour guides. I don’t think this tour is truly what’s advertised. I don’t recommend staying at Kholiwe On Kruger Lodge.