Umkumbe Bush Lodge

Sabie Game Reserve Sabie, 1260, Sabi Sand Reserve 1260

About Umkumbe Bush Lodge

This beautifully designed bush lodge can accommodate up to 24 guests in 10 tented style suites, 4 of which are standard, 1 luxury and 5 superior. Each suite has its own private deck/verandah and is fully equipped for a comfortable safari retreat.

Built around a weeping boer-bean, the main lodge overlooks a variety of habitats - a winding drainage line leading to the seasonal Sand River, a forested thicket and a section of open savanna. Guests can wildlife watch, relax and take in the wilderness surrounds in between activities and meals.

Reflecting the beauty of the African bushveld, Umkumbe showcases elegant interiors, from locally handwoven baskets and wooden carvings to delicately dried foliage finishes.

Experience an authentic South African Safari and take time to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of modern living. Here in the heart of the wild you can reconnect with nature at Umkumbe Bush Lodge.

Please note that this text has been automatically translated from English. See original

Bar

Braai-Area / BBQ

Free parking

Laundry

Outdoor pool

Wi-Fi

Air conditioning

Balcony

Bathrobes

Bathtub

Bathtub/shower combination

Daily cleaning

Free Wifi

Hair dryer

Hygiene products

Non-smoking

Patio

Plunge pool

Safe

Seating area

Separate tub and shower

Shower

Terrace

Wake-up service

General information
Type of accommodation
Lodge
Select room

Information about the environment

Please note that this text has been automatically translated from English. See original

General information
Type of accommodation
Lodge
Select room

Rooms availability

Umkumbe Bush Lodge has 11 Rooms.

Booking information
1 Night Travel period
31.03. - 01.04.
Please select a room
Reiseziel
31.03. - 01.04.
Reiseziel
2 Guests
Reiseziel
1 Night

Reviews Umkumbe Bush Lodge

Find all relevant reviews for this accommodation here.

5
88 Reviews
Google Rating
1/5

In February 2025, I had planned a large family trip to Umkumbe. Sadly we had to cancel 9 working days in advance of our trip due to a sudden illness that has left a family member in critical condition. As per Umkumbe's cancellation policy, the late notice forfeited our rights to refund. We did reach out to the owners to see if there could be a concession on compassionate grounds and whether they would consider a postponement. We shared a medical note that had helped us to secure refunds and postponements with our other trip bookings. Unfortunately, this was met with a bitter response from Umkumbe Management. We understand the demands of being in business and that compassion is not always the main driving force. I simply write this review to bring attention to other patrons that it is always worth reviewing the cancellation policies and having insurance. Life can come at us fast, and it's not always forgiving. EDIT: The refunded fees that were mentioned in the lodge's response were only afforded to us only after pushing for this - and the amount refunded totalled: ~13K rand - giving us close to 10% compensation. We had originally reserved a few rooms, each with a 2-3 person occupancy. Upon further consideration, we felt it doesn’t feel quite right that the lodge would profit from the late cancellation of multi-occupancy rooms. Given the circumstances, we were hoping to discuss a fairer approach to the refund, such as adjusting the charges to reflect a single-occupancy rate per room. I understand a late cancellation incurs costs for the lodge, but also would have resulted in various savings, such as staff, food, cleaning, and other logistical services. With this in mind, I believe a more equitable solution could be reached. The Management again responded negatively and not in the tone you expect from a 'luxury' brand.

Google Rating
5/5

WOW! This was my 4th (and most favorite!) safari. Game - So many excellent sightings. Frikke and Lucky are quite the team. We saw the Big 5 on our very first drive and 4 or 5 different leopards (I lost count). Accommodation - The tents are lovely and spacious. Loved the outdoor shower, the veranda and the pool area overlooking the waterhole. Perfect place to spend the hot afternoons between game drives. Food - Insanely tasty and with options to satisfy many palettes. 10/10 recommend.

Google Rating
5/5

We enjoyed an utterly delightful three day stay with the marvellous team at Umkumbe. The lodge is serene, relaxing and fenced. The tents are spacious, comfortable and well appointed with hot water and air conditioning. The food is varied and plentiful. Our guide, Elzaan, was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, showing us all the exciting wildlife. Situated in the Sabi Sands private game reserve we heard from other guests that the wildlife sightings were better here than the adjacent main Kruger park, and being privately owned they have more control over how they run things as well as better anti poaching security.

Google Rating
5/5

Beautiful lodge with a very intimate feel to it. I go to drop off guests there regularly. Saw plenty game just on the way in and then saw a leopard from the restaurant area. Apparently not an unusual occurrence. Apart from the Nyala that sneaks into the parking area to nibble on the plants there. Excellent staff with very personalized attention to guests. Top class and highly recommended.

Google Rating
5/5

My wife and I stayed at Umkumbe Bush Lodge for four nights during our tour of South Africa. Umkumbe was an outstanding lodge in a beautiful area. Before even arriving to the lodge we were greeted by a pride of nine Lions right next to the dirt road. Then when we arrived at the lodge on the way to our room for the very first time there was a Leopard walking past the pool. The rooms and facility were excellent, the food was very good, and the entire staff did an amazing job with every aspect of our stay with attention spent on every little detail of room cleaning and services provided. As perfect as our stay and the services were, I must say the shining star of our trip was our guide Pieter. Pieter is undoubtedly the best guide in the industry and was our favorite part of the entire trip. While on game drives Pieter would hear a slight bark of an Impala, Monkey, or specific chirp of a bird and just like that would tell us there's a Leopard or Lion over there and every single time, no matter how hard we had to search, Pieter would put us within feet of the predator for an amazing viewing. Pieter was extremely professional, intelligent, funny, and patient with every single game drive and bush hike and made it such a great experience. I cannot brag enough on the lodge as a whole, but I can also say that my next trip to the African Safari will start with seeing where Pieter is and planning accordingly.

Google Rating
5/5

Our stay at Umkumbe was great. You never know what you will get on game drives but patience is key. Our guide Frikkie was absolutely amazing, very knowledgeable and friendly and truly made our experience. Delicious food and nice tented rooms. The only issues we encountered were with the office with the transfers and bookings, seemed unorganized - thankful to the guides and staff which helped to mitigate those issues.

Google Rating
5/5

What an amazing experience! Were here in early September and the camp and rooms were amazing, food was wonderful and the game drives and our guide (Ananja) were GREAT. Overall, I highly recommend and would absolutely return! Thank you to the whole staff for making our first safari experience so memorable.

Google Rating
5/5

We weren’t guests here - however we did do a game drive with Frekkie here and I must say this man is a national treasure. He is so passionate about conservation and really geeks out about the wild life in the area. A+ to him for our wonderful sunset game drive.

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