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5.0
#61 of 182 lodges in Kruger National Park
Location
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Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Nestled amidst the lush vegetation in the South-Western corner of the majestic beauty that is the Kruger National Park. Jock Safari Lodge emerges at the pinnacle where the Mitomeni and Biyamiti rivers flow as one – a space for breath-taking wildlife sightings. The lodge with 6, 000 hectares of natural landscape offers guests one of the best Big 5 game viewing experiences in South Africa with its exclusive riverbed traversing rights. Traverse through this exceptional landscape on twice daily game drives as well as wilderness walks with highly experienced game rangers and witness an abundance of bird life and a staggering diversity of wildlife, including the endangered wild dog. Enthralling sightings of elephants, prides of lions as well as a sea of buffalo horns rising from the grass as they lie resting in the growing heat, awaits one. Rich in historical heritage, Jock is the first private game lodge within South Africa’s largest national park and was inspired by the well-known tale of Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, a story of courage and loyalty set during South Africa’s first gold rush era. This colonial styled safari lodge offers guests a unique stay, showcasing elements of history, fauna and flora, tranquillity, conservation and fine cuisine in the 12 individual thatched suites at the Main Lodge or 3 luxurious suites at the nearby Fitzpatrick Lodge.
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
Family
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu
Location
Malelane - Skukuza Road Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park 1351 South Africa
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Nestled in a wildlife-rich environment, Jock Safari Lodge is celebrated for its intimate atmosphere and exceptional service that many guests liken to a family-like experience. The opulent rooms, applauded for their comfort and panoramic views, often feature private plunge pools and outdoor sleeping areas.
Reviewers commend the hotel's cleanliness and luxurious amenities such as outdoor baths and game drives. Although most guests find the premium experiences justify the cost, some suggest the value, especially concerning meals, could be improved.
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Luxurious
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We stayed at Jock's for three nights to start our South African trip and it was the best decision we made!
We self drove to the lodge from the airport and Jock's is so well situated we were down the private road near to the lodge and a huge elephant met us in the road around a bend! Later that day a whole herd of around 13 elephant and 2 rhino were at the riverbed which the pool/dining area overlooks. And this was even before any game drives!
Our room in the main lodge was beautifully laid out and luxurious, and the day bed outside was made up for us so we could also sleep outside for two of our nights. There was a storm but we didn't get wet and it added to the excitement to hear animals rustling below in the night.
The food was plentiful. In fact, there was too much! We were never hungry and it was all very fresh and delicious. We particularly enjoyed the braai on our final night with the whole lodge.
Micah was our ranger and he was ace. The rangers do talk to each other to get info of where the animals are at. He has a great intuitive sense of when to move to get a great view. He also took us to one of the most beautiful locations for a break - on top of a huge high rock looking down on the national park at sunset. It was like nowhere else I have been.
Thanks so much Micah, Carrots and the rest of the team at Jock's.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
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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 SanbonaMarketing, Manager at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 31 Jan 2020
Dear Leanne Thank you so much for your very kind review. We're delighted that you had such a wonderful experience! We do hope that you will find your back to Africa and Jock one day for another exciting safari adventure! Kindest regards The Jock Team
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We were fortunate to visit Jock Safari Lodge during April 2021.
Having visited a number of luxury lodges in other reserves in South Africa, I was intrigued as to what the experience would be in the Kruger National Park, since the roads are accessible to the public.
We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, just before an evening game drive was scheduled to start. Fortunately, the two of us were the only guests in the entire lodge, so the team were waiting for us. We were quickly introduced to the team looking after us, including Jacob our ranger.
After spending our initial few minutes meeting the team onsite, we set off for our first drive. It's on a drive that you realise the value of visiting a private lodge in the Kruger Park - it's almost as if you have the entire park to yourself. Jock enjoys private access to 6000ha of Kruger, where the public is not allowed to go. This provides a truly unique experience.
Of course, wildlife sightings depend on luck, but the advantage of visiting Jock is that the rangers are in constant contact, and they are extremely familiar with the behaviours of animals in their area. Together, these almost guarantee amazing sightings. In addition, rangers have their eyes so tuned to the environment that they can spot animals, birds and insects that you'd never spot without a trained eye. This enables one to appreciate the smaller animals too.
Besides the wildlife, dining is also a luxurious affair. Breakfasts and dinners are 3 courses, while a "light" lunch is available. There is a permanent supply of cookies and coffee, together with pre-drive afternoon tea. The food is of excellent quality and presentation is excellent.
Jock has a wine list which is not as exhaustive as a city hotel but offers sufficient choice by the bottle or by the glass.
Our suite was a haven in the bush. Each room overlooks the river with a plunge pool, outdoor bath and outdoor shower. Inside, the room is air-conditioned with a small seating area. The bathroom is generous with double vanity and double shower.
All in all, visiting Jock is an experience I can only highly recommend. I look forward to my next visit there.
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Date of stay: April 2021
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â All rooms offer unobstructed views of the river bed.
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 Astrid Skjelfjord, Marketing at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 4 May 2021
Dear Grant, What else can we say besides Thank You! Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive review and for sharing your experience, we are beyond thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time with us and the value of being in a private concession. We will share your feedback with the entire team, who are always so appreciative to hear that their hard work has been well received. We hope to welcome you back again soon in the near future for more exciting adventures in the bushveld. Thank you, the Jock team.
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My wife and I (From UK) went to Jock for 4 days to finish off our tour of South Africa and wow did we finish it off the right way. We arrived at Skukuza airport to be met Jany our ranger who was polite, professional and from the off driving back to the lodge was on the look out for animals and educating us. We then arrived at the lodge to warm scented cloths to clean up from the drive, were welcomed incredibly well and shown to our lodge. We got freshened up, a bite to eat and then out for our evening game drive where Jany drove us around the areas he felt we would get best viewings based on where animals had been moving round earlier on, we were very fortunate but a lot of that fortune sits with Jany getting us in the right places to see the big 5 in the first day we were there. This started the 4 days so well and each morning and evening game drive gave us incredible amazing experiences that I thought before going would be once in a lifetime, I am now craving going back and will definitely be to Jock again. The stopping off out on the drives for tea/coffee in the morning and for a beer/wine/soft drink in the evening with amazing views is an unforgettable experience with the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The team at Jock are so polite, welcoming and really go the extra mile to remember who you are, chat to you about your day and your drives and get you anything you need. The lodge itself overall is hidden away in Skukuza and until you are at the gate you wouldn't know it's there due to their own private concession, it's in the trees and vegetation on the river but also completely safe, food is amazing with plenty of options and eating an evening meal on the river bed is completely unique. Our room was private with a plunge pool, day bed with view down the river where animals often walk down close by, the room is stylishly decorated in theme with safari and the history of where Jock originated from and is cleaned daily so no complaints at all there. Overall, I could not recommend Jock enough and have told all my friends and family to get Safari on the bucket list as a must do and to go to Jock as their hospitality and expertise in safari are amazing, I have nothing to compare to but nor do I need to as the experience was simply perfect.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Game drives get chilly when the sun is down due to the truck moving, well worth packing a snood,...
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 Astrid Skjelfjord, Marketing at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 4 Jul 2023
Dear @665robertj, WOW- that more can we say than a huge thank you!! We greatly appreciate your kind words and are thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful stay with us. Your feedback truly means the world to us, as it serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We strive to provide exceptional service and create memorable experiences for all our guests, and we are delighted that we were able to exceed your expectations. Thank you, the Jock team.
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Pretty run down (paint chipping off everywhere) and neglected (grounds not being looked after, fallen leaves and debris everywhere). Little and somewhat grumpy service (starting with having to take your luggage out of the car yourself) and average food. Game driver did his job but nothing to make the drives a real experience. Despite all this still feeling entitled to charge like a top lodge rendering one feeling ripped off.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Value
Rooms
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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.
Jock's is a very special place. Starting with our guide, Laz picking us up at the airport, we saw impalas, monkies, and elephants before we even got to the lodge. 2 drives each day and both were spectacular. We saw the Big 5 by the 2nd drive! Highlights included: watching the leopard eating in a tree branch while the hyena sat patiently under the branch waiting for any leftovers (it was truly mesmerizing), the heard (100+) of elephants that walked right in front of our lodge, and the 6 young giraffe's that were "hanging out" while a more mature giraffe watched over them. My husband's favorites were the cape buffalo and the rhino's. On a pre-dawn drive we saw 3 lionesse and a lion just laying on the road; we just stopped and watched them. The kudu's were so cool to see; they had beautiful color and looked so sleek and strong. Laz surprised us every day with a new journey, but the 5 lions together we watched on our last Safari was most memorable. Laz could spot the wild life from long distances while driving, even at night, he was so knowledgeable about the animals and had great respect for them. The staff and the service "rocked" Precious, Blessing, Phil, and Le Ann, just to name just a few, were always there with a warm welcome and superb service. Our room was very nice with a king bed, double sinks shower heads and a beautiful outdoor space, with netted bed to sleep outside if you wanted to, a plunge pool and fabulous views. This was a trip of a lifetime. Thanks!
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Date of stay: March 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 Mandy Rutherford, Marketing at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 8 Apr 2020
Dear Debie Wow! We are so thrilled that you had such a wonderful time! Thank you for taking the time out to post such a positive review. Once the world has settled down and re-righted itself, we look forward to welcoming you back for a second visit. Look after yourself and your loved ones during this trying time, Best wishes The Jock Team
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Our safari experience at Jock Safari Lodge was just awesome. The service is friendly and welcoming. It's premium (hot towels anyone) without being starchy. The rooms are comfortable with a private, secluded terrace with an outside sleeping area if you're brave enough. There are water filters in the dining room and reception area so you can fill up your water bottle.
The game drives can go on the private tracks in the concession area as well as on the public roads through the National Park so you see so much more. So many highlights - lions feeding, driving up the dry river bed and seeing elephants up close, tea made over an elephant dung fire, the hyena feeding her baby... so many animals in their natural environment. Total respect for our ranger, Lazarus, for sharing his encyclopedic knowledge and genuine love of the area.
Things I wish I'd known: we had quite cool weather and it did get quite cold in the open-sided vehicles. Fluffy blankets are provided and I was glad of my woolly hat but wished I'd packed a second pair of walking trousers and another sweatshirt. We rented some binoculars from the lodge but wished we'd had some of our own. The wifi was a bit unreliable.
All in all, a 5 star experience
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
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.
Response from Astrid Skjelfjord, Marketing at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 27 Oct 2023
Dear @K8697BHkates, Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time with us and that it met your expectations. Our team works hard to create memorable experiences, and it's always rewarding to know that our efforts have made a positive impact. Thank you, The Jock team.
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What an amazing time we had at Jocks from start to finish. We arrived and as we were being shown around the elephants on the river were there too! Our room was fantastic and so comfortable. The meals were plentyful and it just felt like we never stopped eating. The game drives were amazing and we saw everything we expected to see and more. Our guide Jacob had the most amazing eyesight and would spot amimals 800 meters away and he was funny too. The whole break exceeded our expectations and the staff werre just professional and wonderful, thank you all.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
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 Mandy Rutherford, Marketing at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 4 Mar 2020
Dear Babs Thank you so much for taking the time to review your recent stay with us. We are delighted that you had such an incredible time and especially with Eagle-eyed Jacob! We do hope that you find your way back to Jock again one day as we're looking forward to welcoming you back! Kindest regards The Jock Team
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Where to start... The design of Jocks Lodge is absolutely breath taking. We travelled as a family of 4 and shared 2 lodges for ourselves.
Both lodges had a private outside area with an amazing view over the watering hole, an outside bathtub, a whirlpool, and an outside bed with a mosquito net (you can actually spend the night outside if you'd like).
The lodges themselves were extremely well decorated. Modern, while still maintaining the safari flair. Aside from everything being beautifully decorated, the entire team put a lot of effort in making sure every detail is perfect (e.g., when arriving back from a late night (cold) safari, they had put hot water bottles in each of our beds to make sure we warm up). I believe house keeping came by twice a day.
Generally speaking, every meal we had at Jocks Safari Lodge has beat everything we know in Europe and the USA. Upon our arrival we were warmly greeted with "we know how to feed our guests", and the team really kept their promise. Breakfast was followed by tea time, followed by lunch, followed by drinks and snacks, followed by dinner.
Our highlight(s) of the trip were of course the safaris. We had two safaris per day, one in the early morning and one in the evening. Our guide Patrick did an amazing job; he made sure we see the big 5, taught us so much about the animals, and always made sure we're safe. Thanks Patrick, we really enjoyed the safaris with you!
We all loved our experience with Jocks Lodge and highly recommend staying with them. The team was so friendly and attentive, big thanks to everyone and hope to see you again!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 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 Astrid Skjelfjord, Marketing at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 1 Aug 2022
Dear @dirkbohnes, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your recent experience with us. We are beyond thrilled to hear that you enjoyed every element of your stay with us and that the time spent at Jock made such a lasting impression. We thrive off positive feedback like this and will be sure to pass your compliments back onto the team who are always so appreciative to hear that their hard work has been well received. Thank you, the Jock team.
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The guide was fantastic, Jan O is great at what he does. Brilliant game drives with him.
BUT the food and service were disappointing. Staff smile and are friendly but don't really listen to what you're saying. The allergy/diet specifications given during booking (and confirmed shortly before arrival) were forgotten. Our requests were pretty simple, nothing uncommon or complicated, yet ignored far too many times. The food served wasn't good, average at the best times. We felt very overcharged.
They're just not on the same standard as other lodges in the same price range, not even close.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip 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.
I've just come back from a 3-day stay there. Absolutely fantastic! Everything was great. The staff is very friendly, our safari guide (Ike) is very competent at its job and a really nice person. The chalet (#5) is awesome, overlooking the dry riverbed. There is a tent with a second bed outside and we saw elephants and buffalos while just lying there. There is also a bathtub outside (with total privacy, only the animals can see you). The food is great. Everything was splendid. My wife and I loved it and totally recommend it.
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Date of stay: May 2023
Rooms
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 Astrid Skjelfjord, Marketing at Jock Safari Lodge
Responded 8 May 2023
Dear @V7224DJalexandres, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a positive review of our lodge. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us and that we were able to meet your expectations. Your kind words mean a lot to us and will be shared with our team. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the near future. Thank you, the Jock team.
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We stayed at the Fitzpatrick Lodge, which consists of 3 rooms that we booked as a group (3 couples). Our stay was totally customized for our group. We went at the times our guide recommended for the best game viewing. If you have your own guide and vehicle, I would ask the lodge if you could customize the time. Our game viewing was fabulous! The only place we have experienced as good or better was in the South Luangwa, Zambia which is hard to get to.
The game drives go out in the early morning before the park opens to the public. Similarly you are out later in the evening. The drives do share public areas but it was never felt in any sense crowded. I also understand the lodge has some private areas.
The quality of the lodges and the staff were superb.
There are more places to choose from in the Kruger National Park area.
PRICE RANGE
€1,249 - €1,426 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
jock safari hotel kruger national park
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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