Breakfast, lunch and dinner served

Reviews of Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge

5 out of 5
Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge
Skukuza, Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 75 out of 89 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 89 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 89 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 89 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 89 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Bill

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The safari guides were excellent and the staff were all great. We enjoyed the isolated location, food, and total experience.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

4/10 Poor

Stephan

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Shocking experience. Price tag not justified!
The only thing luxury about this stay was the price-tag attached. We and another couple were the only guests due to the flooding in Kruger. Until the day of our arrival, we were not advised if we could actually stay… despite checking with Hoyo Hoyo on every possible channel. The service was shocking. The staff clearly did not care about us. For example, our waiter forgot between our starter and mains that we were both vegetarian… At other times we could not find staff to assist us when we had questions. One small positive were the game drives. Hali (our driver) clearly was passionate about his job. Having stayed at several properties with a similar price tag in national parks both South Africa and other places in Africa, this was by far the worst experience and not the luxury promised by Hoyo Hoyo in its advertising.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing place, amazing animals, great food, amd some of the best staff and guides ever.

10/10 Excellent

Kagiso

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Astoninishing
The stay was amazing. The service was astounding, Harold made us feel welcome and the star of the stay was Given. He catered to all of our needs. The rooms where always clean, the food was bewildering and the game drives were spectacular. Shaun is an amazing tour guide.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Amanda

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
One of the coolest places I’ve stayed. The property was gorgeous with the deck overlooking a watering hole, so you get to watch elephants and other animals that come in to drink while you’re having dinner. Our hut was gorgeous and the staff are extremely helpful and welcoming.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

sandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely experience
We enjoyed being at Hoyo Hoyo enormously and will definitely return
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property lied about their amenities. They claim on the internet and with operators to have Wifi and they do not have wifi, not even a land line. If you need to stay in touch with family, your kids back home or work or your business it is impossible. The staff lies and does not want to help. We had to leave the hotel, go back to Kings Camp, and loose our money. They do not consider it fraud to lie to their clients and did not want to refund. In our 6 people group some had kids back home as small as 6 years old and some our own business and payments to make and work. It was impossible for us to stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Chantelle Els on Nov 22, 2019
Dear Lourdes Thank you for your feedback. We are very disappointed to receive this feedback and whilst we fully sympathise with your dissatisfaction , we would like to note that your extremely negative revue is not correct. As Hoyo Hoyo is in a remote location in the Kruger National Park and we are unable to have wi-fi connectivity we are fully aware of this and therefore at no stage on any platform do we say that we do. We therefore dispute and take exception to your false claim to the contrary. Our investigation concluded and has found absolutely no where on Expedia where we indicated WI-FI access, as Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge is in a remote area which does not allow internet access or Cell phone coverage. In fact we have engaged with EXPEDIA themselves who have also investigated They advised us of the following feedback: “I have combed over our live sites and the amenities you have loaded in Partner Central and nowhere does it indicate that WiFi is offered by the property. In point of fact there are actually guest reviews on Hotels.com where guests mention that there is no WiFi and that they saw this as a positive. There are relevant screenshots to this effect, should you wish to receive them as well.” In addition: We do send out fact sheet with information and directions to all our guests and on the fact sheets sent out, it does state that there is no cell coverage either, so we recommend that the last phone call made is at the entrance gates. “Cellular Phone Coverage: Cellular phone signal is only available at the entrance gates and close to Skukuza, it is therefore recommended to make your last necessary calls at the gate upon entry”. The below fact sheet was sent out at the time of your booking being made and was resend on the 30th Sep 2019, as we want to ensure that all our guests are fully aware important infor

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such a personal service. Brilliant! Wonder Boy was brilliant, and Wes the safari guide was excellent.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Caroline on Aug 28, 2019
Good day, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great service and an awesome location inside of Krueger National park. Loved watching the animals visit the watering hole from the deck. Clean, comfortable rooms.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Caroline on Aug 22, 2019
Dear Mark, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Caroline on Jul 5, 2019
Good day, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback, we look forward to welcoming you back again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff was great the food was great also the safari where very interesting saw a lot of animals.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019
Response from Caroline on May 20, 2019
Good day, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Caroline on Apr 8, 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was a fantastic experience, the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly, the food was good, having a beer whilst looking at a herd of elephants drinking at the watering hole opposite the lodge was a particular highlight and the outside shower was not an all together unpleasant experience!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Caroline on Jan 7, 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback.

10/10 Excellent

Josh, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful stay at Hoyo Hoyo. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Food was excellent. Drive guides were outstanding.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Caroline on Nov 2, 2018
Dear Josh, Thank you very much for the great review, we are glad you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Safari with added Tsongan culture.
Amazing safari stay at Hoyo Hoyo. In addition to the amazing safari, partaking in the local Tsongan culture gave an added experience to the stay. There were no distractions like wifi or TVs. The hospitality of the Tsongan staff, the nature and the always present fauna kept you company.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Chantelle on Nov 22, 2019
Good Day! Many thanks for your email and valued feedback received. Many thanks & Kind Regards Reservations

10/10 Excellent

Winnie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hoyohoyo delivers
A really nice private logde in the Kruger park. The rooms are cosy with a big bed, outdoor shower and a nice terasse facing a dry river, really friendly staff and nice food, the safari experience is superb and the guides are very good. A place we will certainly visit again if possible. Hoyohoyo means welcome and we did feel very welcome.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Lethu Magagula on Sep 19, 2018
Good Day, Thank you for your valued feedback Looking forward to welcoming you back Regards

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hoyo Hoyo!
We had a wonderful stay at Hoyo Hoyo. The service is incredible. Since there are only a few rooms at Hoyo Hoyo you get very attentive personal service. Ralph and Given made it fun with their quirkiness and funny sayings as they served us food and drinks. The lodge is very nice and we could stay for hours watching the animals line up at the watering hole. Elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, warthog, monkeys, civet, antelope and parrots all visited for a drink! There were however, a ton of bees in the area and it did make eating lunch a bit annoying, but you are in the bush! The room was nice, but there is only an outside shower. We showered in the afternoon when it was warmer so it was fine. We came to Hoyo Hoyo from Sabi Sands so it may be a little unfair to compare, but it is worth noting a few things. At Sabi Sands you have a tracker & guide which not only makes the game drives more exciting, you feel like your chances of seeing the big 5 or something unique are greatly improved. Not having a tracker seemed like we were relying on the radio to find something or just plain luck. It is also harder for the guide to drive and look for animals. Our guide was very knowledgeable, but he seemed to lack the go-getter mentality we experienced in Sabi Sands. Everything was a little bit slower and there wasn't the eagerness to find animals like we experienced in Sabi Sands. Overall we had a great experience and stay at Hoyo Hoyo.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Lethu Magagula on Sep 21, 2018
Good Day, I trust that you are well. Please be advised that we appreciate your feedback. Sincere apologies regarding the guide, we will liaise with the guide Regards

8/10 Good

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Response from Carmen Brits on Apr 17, 2018
Thank you for your feedback

10/10 Excellent

Fedor E

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing stay in Kruger parc
When we arrived at the Hoyo hoyo we felt immediately extremely welcome. (Hoyo hoyo means welcome). The people are so friendly and the service is superb. The food and drinks are great. In the lodge you stay like how the locals use to stay in the bush, but with all the luxury. There's no Wifi or phone coverage, but that's actually a relief. They use radios to give you a wake up call in the morning. If you desperate need wifi you can go to the sister lodge which is only 7 km away. The lodge is in the middle of Kruger parc and is not surrounded by a fence. At night they escort you to and from your lodge to the main building. There're many wild animals around the lodge. They made a drinking pool in front of the viewing / dining terrace, where often elephants will drink. At night you definite will hear the hyaena sing. The morning and evening safaris are great. There're not many tourist in the neighbourhood so you will not be watching the wildlife with too many other cars.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018
Response from Carmen Brits on Mar 5, 2018
Thank you for your value feedback

10/10 Excellent

Deborah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a beautiful stay in a perfect location
Wonderful stay and really friendly staff
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017
Thank you for your wonderful feedback, it is greatly appreciated

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very original concept. Fun place for a couple. Nice program!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017
Response from Carmen de Beer on Nov 13, 2017
Thank you very much. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us.

8/10 Good

Anto, BA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Nice hotel
We enjoy our stay at this hotel, the staff was always ready to satisfy us.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Pauline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for value feedback

10/10 Excellent

Gabriel, Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unforgettable experience. Can't wait to go back.
Incredible staff that went above and beyond for the guests, beautiful lodge in the center of Kruger an incredible animal sightings over a 2 nights stay. Thanks again to everyone at Hoyo Hoyo.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Jaco

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful and relaxing lodge
We really had a good time at Hoyo Hoyo. The included game drives were excellent, allowing us to see both lions and leopards, with great and professional guides. The lodge is beautiful, the ideal romantic getaway!
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your value feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A truly memorable stay in Kruger
Hoyo Hoyo really spoiled us through and through! It was the highlight of our honeymoon. A very romantic setting, deep in the heart of Kruger National Park, with no Wifi or cell reception to allow you to truly unplug yourself (they do take you to nearby Imbali lodge for your web fix if you're having internet withdrawal symptoms). The outdoor shower under the stars was a thrill worth experiencing. Room service was great, they left little bookmarks and chocolates/champagne etc for our honeymoon celebration. Food was very well prepared, and no dearth of drinks either. The outdoor patio seating was a clear favourite for breakfast and lunch, from where one could also view the animals at the watering hole. The safaris and guides were par excellence. Even the bush walk was very different activity and informative. All in all, a perfect stay at Hoyo Hoyo (means welcome in their local language)!
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

8/10 Good

Sarah, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Safari Lodge
We stayed for two nights at Hoyo Hoyo. The rooms are in small, quaint bungalows dotted around the reception and dining area. The staff were friendly and we were made welcome at all times. The lodge provided full board although the food was a little hit and miss, the dinner on our first night was fantastic but on the second night less so. Whilst we expected to pay for alcohol we were also charged for water which given the price of the room and the heat (40 degrees) I would have expected it to be included in the room rate. The game drives were good and we saw a good selection of wildlife, although unfortunately no rhinos.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued Feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The staff is friendly and attentive. Antoinette gives a great massage.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Andrea, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing accommodations
Beautiful lodge, staff and surroundings! Friendly staff and lots of lovely food! We had a great stay at this lodge. All game drives included, very knowledgeable guides, saw many animals. Overall much better experience to stay in Kruger park than outside the gates!
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

david, Columbus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Staff
What else can I say ... Everything was amazing .. Simple/Clean rooms and an amazing staff .. Beautiful in every sense .. Can't wait to go back.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Walter & Janine, Austria and Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice secluded accomodation
Great game viewing of the watering hole right in front of the dining area. Saw Elephants, Hyena, Buffalo right there. Phantastic game sighting, leopards, elephants, buffalo and many more
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Rahul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

8/10 Good

Natalie, Eadie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best Staff.... But not worth the cost
When selecting a hotel for the Kruger, I went with the cheapest, the prices were exorbitant. This was the cheapest of the options. The hotel, was ok, nothing to write home about. But the staff were exceptional, truly amazing and very welcoming. The chef was great, dinner was outstanding. We also did a game drive, ask for Jason if you are staying at Hoyo Hoyo. He is so passionate about what he does, it is such a pleasure. It was a one night spoil, I would struggle to justify more than one night to myself.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Maryanne, Sydney,Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
An amazing stay
Warm, friendly, funny staff. Nothing was too much for them. Accommodation is a unique style that offers all the comforts needed. Wildlife and game drives amazing. Sweetboy (yes that's his name) is an amazing tracker, even found leopards which we understand are hard to find. The food is fresh and plentiful. Definitely a recommended stay. 5 stars from us.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Oh, what an amazing place
Our 2 night stay at Hoyo Hoyo was the highlight of our trip to South Africa. The lodge is simply amazing; the staff extremely friendly and entertaining; the food - to die for; the game safaris - excellent; the room - amazing and very private. We saw an abundance of animals, even right at the lodge at the waterhole. I doubt if many people can swim in a hotel swimming pool and have a herd of elephants, baboons and other wild life very visible across a narrow river bed.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hoyo Hoyo - 2 thumbs up !
Had an awesome holiday here. The food just kept coming to the point you were missing meals as you couldn't eat any more. Food was excellent. Staff were awesome.
Response from Carmen Brits on Feb 13, 2018
Thank you for your valued feedback

10/10 Excellent

Dominique

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Schöne Lodge, super Essen, gute Lage, klasse Safari (toller Ranger!), sensationelle Aussicht vom Restaurantbereich auf alle möglichen Tiere! Sehr zu empfehlen!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Très Mauvais rapport qualité prix
Hoyo Holo a besoin de toute urgence d’une rénovation profonde. L’ensemble du lodge est très vieillot et cela se sent, les parquets de la terrasse ne semblent pas avoir été lustrés ou repeints depuis des années, la chambre était plutôt sale, la moustiquaire ne fermait pas, et nous avons dû appeler la réception en urgence au moment de nous coucher, une porte fenêtre de la chambre ne fermant pas. De plus la nourriture est très moyenne, ce qui n’arrange rien. Un point positif cependant, notre jeune et très sympathique ranger Jana, qui nous a fait passer de très bons moments lors de nos 2 safaris avec lions et léopards au menu. Merci Jana !
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lucie

Sejour magique et hors du temps
Tout est absolument parfait au hoyo hoyo Service attentionné, cuisine delicieuse, accueil chaleureux On se sent comme dans un cocon. Nous navons rien d'autre à faire que de nous laisser porter par l'équipe en place. Pas de wifi, pas de telephone, pas de télé.... coupés du monde pour une parenthese de detente absolue et de déconnexion. Mille mercis a l'établissement pour ces souvenirs merveilleux
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Franz J.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Top of Afica
Absolut genialer Ort. Freundliches Personal unbeschreibliche Lage. Geld wert.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Eine wirklich tolle, lohnenswerte Logation
Alles war perfekt. Es herrschte eine angenehme, humorvolle Stimmung. Das Personal ist sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend. Das Essen einfach aber hervorragend. Auf Sonderwünsche wird eingegangen. Weiter so!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020
Response from Chantelle Els on Mar 9, 2020
Good Day Many thanks for your email and valued feedback received. Many thanks & Kind regards Chantelle Els

10/10 Excellent

Bernardo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We loved Hoyo Hoyo
Nuestra experiencia en Hoyo Hoyo fue incredible. We had the best time in Hoyo Hoyo. The staff was super friendly, the place has the right amount of confort without being uncomfortable luxurious. The safari tours were great and the fact that it is in a private concession, allows you get closer to the animals, and the area is not crowded with many tourists.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Chantelle on Jan 15, 2020
Good Day Many thanks for your email and valued feedback received. Many thanks & Kind Regards Reservations

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
On a aimé le fait qu’on est 12 personnes maximum. Il n’y a pas de wifi.,.les vrais vacances!!! Et on a eu toit un spectacle d’elephants en dînant!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Chantelle on Dec 23, 2019
Good Day Many thanks for your email and valued feedback received. Many thanks & Kind Regards Reservations

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from Caroline on May 7, 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback.

10/10 Excellent

Thais

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Experiência incrível
O hotel é relativamente simples pra um hotel 5 estrelas. O serviço é fantástico. Todo o staff é super atencioso e foram muito queridos conosco. Estávamos em lua de mel e prepararam uma mesa especial para a gente em um dos jantares. A comida é MUITO boa. O quarto super confortável. Os games drives são uma experiência e tanto... nunca sabemos o que vamos encontrar pelo caminho. O nosso ranger Kyle foi sensacional. Paciente e bem atento. E todas as vezes que saiamos, parecia que era a primeira vez. Ele ficava tão empolgado quanto nós. Super recomendo o Hoyo Hoyo.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Caroline on Apr 25, 2019
Dear Thais, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback, we look forward to welcoming you and your spouse back again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Valeriy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Caroline on Mar 28, 2019
Dear Valeriy, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Caroline on Apr 1, 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback.

10/10 Excellent

Jackie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
食事やサファリツアーが全て料金に含まれており安心できます。シャワーが建物の外にあり、夜間は野生動物との接触を避けるために使えないのが一番の欠点。通常は夕方のサファリから帰ってきたらシャワーを浴びたいと思うはずです。バスタブは使えますが、頭を洗うのには不便です。その他は素晴らしい設備です。
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from Caroline on Jan 11, 2019
Dear Jackie, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback