South Africa: Safari luxury at River Bend Lodge

When planning your first South African family safari the Eastern Cape reserves are by far the best. Malaria-free they offer the safest option when travelling with children. We spent three wonderful days at the charming River Bend Lodge.

Best safari in Africa

The River Bend Lodge

It was our final destination after driving the glorious Garden Route, which I highly recommend. An hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth it’s perfectly located.

Within Addo Elephant National Park

River Bend is located in a private concession of the world-famous Addo Elephant National Park. For me, the converted farm dating back to 1911 offers the ideal beginner’s safari for families. The warm friendly welcome on arrival from the General Manager makes you instantly feel at home.

With only eight suites you receive a very intimate and personal safari experience at the lodge. They’re all linked by a path that winds through beautiful, colourful gardens down to the common areas.

The roomy, tranquil suites are decorated in a colonial style with warm and earthy colours – Each with its own private veranda.

Perfect for lounging and viewing wildlife, we spotted many a warthog and a very cheeky monkey (erm trying to steal my camera!) whilst enjoying an alfresco cuppa.

We stayed in one of the two interconnecting rooms available, the girls were over the moon to having a room that looked exactly like ours. Newlyweds can enjoy a honeymoon suite with its own plunge pool and outside shower. For a more exclusive feel, a kilometre from the main lodge is Long Hope Villa. The private three-bedroom villa comes fully staffed with a private chef and game ranger – Next time!

Days on the lodge revolve around the game drives. There are two a day, one very early in the morning and the other takes place late afternoon to early evening. Geared towards when the animals are at their most active. During the day, take a leaf out of the animal’s book and indulge in your own lazing around.

The common areas at River Bend lodge include a central lounge with a mezzanine library level, an adjoining bar and a formal dining room with a long terrace overlooking a waterhole. Fantastic for animal spotting during breakfast and lunch.

The view of the endless plains with zebras, warthogs and elephants meandering across whilst you’re chomping on a croissant is pure magic. It’s everything I imagined when I use to dream about safaris as a teenager.

I’m glad to say the day room, home to a large television and a selection of toys and DVDs hardly saw us. The girls were constantly out with their binoculars trying to spot the wildlife or bug hunting in the gardens which was wonderful to see.

Although the same can’t be said for me, I did make use of the spa. Personally, calling it a spa is a bit of a stretch. It’s a treatment room where you can indulge in a massage, manicure or pedicure. Nevertheless, my masseuse certainly helped to sort out my knotted shoulders.

For those who like to keep to their fitness regime (erm mentioning no names – Mr S!) the swimming pool can help burn off all those yummy calories, you’ll be consuming. Bringing me nicely onto…

The FOOD. It’s a huge part of the River Bend experience. Breakfasts are substantial – yoghurts with fresh berries, a large selection of pastries, jams, cheeses, fruit platters and fresh juices or a hot breakfast cooked just the way you like it. Mine was always two poached eggs on the tastiest and crispiest hash browns.

When on an early morning 6 am game drive, breakfast is served on the plains. I’m talking Amarula spiked coffee, hot chocolates for the kids and delicious African cakes – Living the safari dream.

Classic French cuisine is served in the evening, complemented by some great South African wines. With a choice of three or four dishes for each course, we always had plenty of choices. I loved the way the staff always checked with the girls about what they’d prefer to eat for their next meal. It made them feel very special indeed.

I was a huge fan of the afternoon tea too served in the lounge before the second game drive of the day. Delicious cake and a cup of steaming rooibos, the perfect way to prepare yourself for a 4WD safari.

The guides are brilliant with children and make them feel very special. On their first drive, they received a goody backpack with an animal workbook, crayons and plenty of other things to entertain for those ‘we’ve been driving around for an hour and only seen a dung beetle’ moment. Thankfully we didn’t have many of those.

They also enjoyed their own adventures with the guide without the olds cramping their style. Such a brilliant way to capture their enthusiasm and excitement. For those with very young children, the lodge can also provide babysitting so parents can still enjoy a drive.

River Bend Lodge is a great choice for an intro to a family safari. The incredibly personal service from the ever-smiling, enthusiastic staff made this a special end to our ten-day South African adventure.

Click for availability at River Bend Lodge

• Check the latest flight times & prices at Skyscanner
• Plan your trip to South Africa with this guidebook
• Check reviews on River Bend Lodge at Booking.com
• Explore the Addo Elephant National Park with these easily bookable activities
• Don’t forget! Book your travel insurance

Where did you dream of travelling to as a youngster? Let me know in the comments box below.

Below are more posts from my South African adventures:

South Africa: 5 reasons why it’s great for families
South Africa: Exploring the Cape Winelands with Kids
South Africa: The Cape Peninsula Tour
South Africa: Lunch in Franschhoek at La Petite Ferme
South Africa: 7 Tips for an Incredible Family Safari
South Africa: The Elephant Sanctuary, Plettenberg Bay
South Africa: The Pot Luck Club in Cape Town
Top 5 stops on the Garden Route in South Africa
10 reasons why Cape Town stole my heart

PIN FOR LATER

Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that earn me a small commission but come at no extra cost to you. Thanks as always for your support! See my disclosure policy here.