Balule Reserve

Set on the cool banks of the Olifants River on the 50 000ha Balule Private Nature Reserve inside the greater Kruger National Park, the award winning Pondoro Game Lodge offers its visitors comfort, sophistication, elegance and a canvas on which to create an unforgettable African Wildlife Safari.

Robbie and Lize Prehn settled here in 1997 and immediately went to work with the aim of creating a safari destination without equal. Their years of experience in the hospitality industry combined with a deep love of the bush and a commitment to their customer’s satisfaction has resulted in this award winning safari lodge.

An African Safari at Pondoro is about intimacy, tranquility and the romance of a bygone era. This small, exclusive 16-bed lodge fits the mould perfectly with 8 chalets spread out along the largest perennial river in the Kruger National Park.

Open top Game Drives are conducted, morning and evening, by expert rangers and trackers meaning you’ll have an excellent opportunity to see the African Big 5 and other plains game up close. We also limit the number of vehicles on our concession allowing for quiet, natural viewing of these majestic animals. With no boundary fences between Balule Private Nature Reserve (50 000ha) and the Kruger National Park a great diversity of wildlife is found here. Game drives traverse an area of 10 000 hectares (24 700 acres) and strict vehicle limits at sightings ensure the exclusivity of your game viewing experience. Off-road driving on most areas enables the best possible view of any exceptional sighting and rangers are constantly in touch with each other to keep track of animal movements.

To top it off, our five-star Kitchen offers an extraordinary culinary experience fusing traditional African cuisine with modern European trends, paired with a selection of fine wines from our Award Winning wine cellar. All meals are served on a wooden deck high up in the tree canopy overlooking the majestic Olifants River.