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5.0
#10 of 71 lodges in Hoedspruit
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Kuname River Lodge is an exclusive 5 star, 5 bed game lodge situated in the Karongwe Private Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province. Kuname which is 4.5 hours drive from Johannesburg and 45km from the Kruger National Park is easily accessible by both air and by road and offers some of the best big 5 game viewing and bird watching opportunities in Southern Africa.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Great View
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Xhosa
Location
R36 Highway Karongwe Private Game Reserve, Hoedspruit, Kruger National Park 1380 South Africa
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Kuname is a small lodge offering 5 chalets and the manor house, but what stands out is the setting and the friendly staff. From the warm welcome upon your arrival until your departure, the staff at Kuname ensure that your every requirement is met - nothing is too much for this team. Rooms are clean and well appointed, and in addition to the indoor shower, offer an outdoor shower and bath, set in your own enclosed garden. The meals are exceptional and offer a great variety. Our Ranger Eddie and tracker Mosco were knowledgeable, professional and ensured all our questions were answered. They went out of their way to ensure that the best sightings were seen, the vehicle was clean and that our eats, which were individually packed due to covid, were available. For those who want to relax and enjoy nature, this lodge is definitely recommended.
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Date of stay: December 2021
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Location
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Room Tip:Â Chalet 1 or 2 recommended
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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 20 Jan 2022
Kuname is truly a gem within the Karongwe Portfolio and we cannot wait to welcome you back again!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had an absolutely wonderful time at Kuname! We had a lovely warm welcome and things continued to be great throughout our four night stay. Our room was attractive and comfortable with an inside bathroom (and also an outside bath and shower) and a peaceful deck area complete with fridge. The room was very well-serviced every day. The delicious biscuits provided in the room were a real temptation. The dining area, lounge and outside deck area overlooking the river were beautifully and stylishly decorated.
The food (beginning with 5.30 a.m. coffee and snacks before the morning game drive through to a superb dinner at night after the second game drive) was absolutely superb. There is lots of food during the day, and the quality and presentation is a credit to the excellent chefs and the rest of the wonderful staff. The varied places to eat were always beautifully arranged and the stylish crockery and linen had been carefully chosen making each meal an absolute treat.
Our drivers and trackers were fantastic. Jurie and Freddie and Adolph and Mosco were skilled, patient, determined, knowledgeable and great fun (though bear in mind there is absolutely no compulsion to eat any of the strange things they suggest you can eat whilst out on drives . . .!)
The game reserve is very well-run with a limited number of vehicles operating in a vast area. Only two vehicles are allowed at major sightings and there is a limit of staying for five minutes if other vehicles arrive - no limit on time until then. This prevents what can happen on some game drives where a dozen vehicles surround one sighting. We were really impressed by this aspect of the Karongwe portfolio. We saw the Big Five several times and had a fantastic experience.
We would very happily return and may well do so.
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Date of stay: February 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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 31 May 2023
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and we hope we will see you again in the near future.
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We stayed at Kuname lodge for two nights. From the moment the we arrived every need was taken care of. Anita and Andre were always on hand if we needed something and they made sure that we were well looked after. We visited all the lodges while were were at Karongwe and were amazed by the high level of hospitality that every staff member showed. We are looking forward to sending our guests to Karongwe. We know they will be looked after.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2020
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Rooms
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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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 20 Jan 2022
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and we hope we will see you again in the near future.
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The lodge is beautiful with rooms in the outbuildings that provide more than expected amenities. Peaceful surroundings where you can relax with friends or just by yourself and read or talk about the activities of the day. Anita and Andre were our hosts and Adolph and Mosco were are guide and tracker for our drives. Everyone was cheerful, friendly and helpful. The food served was tasty with fresh ingredients locally bought.
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Date of stay: March 2020
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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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 20 Jan 2022
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and we hope we will see you again in the near future.
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A beautiful lodge in a magnificent setting. Wonderful rooms with great outdoor bathrooms. Attention to detail was superb. After reading reviews and staying at another lodge prior I decided to book Kuname to celebrate my 60th with my 2 children who live overseas with their new partners who had never experienced the bush before. We were unfortunate to be allocated a game ranger who wasn’t interested in giving us the best experience in the bush. We went around in circles trying to spot a leopard - which I think was more for cataloguing purposes. Due to this we missed out on so much more in the bush. No information or facts. was given on other animals. We are huge bush travels and enjoy seeing everything from small to large and know that it is a gamble. Sightings were being called in but clearly weren’t of interest to our range. Having been to other lodges before we were most disappointed as I really wanted to give my family an amazing experience. The food was delicious but service not so great, white wine was hot, had to pour our own wine. Plates not removed. The rooms were very comfortable and beautiful.
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Date of stay: March 2023
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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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 31 May 2023
Thank you so much for your honest and helpful feedback and it has been taken to heart and will be looked into.
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The lodge is really well situated over a river and animals process across throughout the day. When we were there the river was dry but there was still a steady stream of wildlife to watch during much of the day. The staff are lovely and the food delicious and well presented. The rooms are delightful and the outside bath/showers offer monkeys as companions throughout the day! We enjoyed having a resident Kudo outside our room too. Thank you very much
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Date of stay: September 2022
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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 31 May 2023
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and we hope we will see you again in the near future.
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I have been to this wonderful place a few days ago, in the month of August. I would like to emphasise all the staff who work there because they are wonderful. The place is wonderful, the houses are beautiful and the food is great, I have nothing negative.
I would especially like to emphasise our guide in Adolf Park, who put everything every day so that we were happy in the car watching animals and our watcher. Also to Robert, the person in charge of all the guests. Thank you for everything, it has been really wonderful. We'll Be Back.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â Wear comfortable clothes for safaris
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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 18 Sept 2023
Thank you for taking the time to send this wonderful feedback. We hope to welcome you back to Karongwe in the future. Karongwe Regards.
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Having been to Kruger a lot, I was apprehensive about the size of Karongwe, but it turned out to be more than large enough, it never felt like we were inhibited by the size. The food was outstanding (and I would consider myself critical with food usually), our guide and tracker were both great guys and found us loads of wonderful sightings. The cheetah walking that they allow has to be a highlight and could be a major drawcard for Karongwe in general.
The lodge is set in a stunning location over the river bed, which I gather is mostly dry, but that didn't bother us as we had that expectation. With only a few chalets, it is lovely and intimate. I would say the rooms leave a bit to be desired (having stayed in other lodges). They're not bad by any means, but they're not very big, and they're also quite close to one another that you don't really have a great sense of privacy in my opinion. However they are nicely set up.
Overall I would recommend Kuname.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
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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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 26 Jun 2024
Dear Nicholas Thank you for sharing your beautiful and valued feedback with us. We are delighted to hear that you had such an amazing stay during your recent visit! We have taken your suggestions to heart as we strive to improve the guest experience we offer at the lodge. We would love to host you again in the near future. Warm Regards Kuname Lodge
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Stayed 4 nights and enjoyed every moment whilst we were there. The dinning room staff were great fun and Gladys tried on my sarong as she had seen me wearing it. The meals we had were 5 star and the kitchen staff should be congratelated. The game drives were a lot of fun and we saw the most of the big 5.
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Date of stay: March 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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 31 May 2023
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and we hope we will see you again in the near future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We have stayed at the Kuname for 3 nights, and we have spent a perfect time there. A confortable room tidied twice a day, excellent food, a very kind personnel. Two safaris a day, one at 5,30 am and one at 4 pm. An unforgettable experience in the wilderness which we owe to Mosco, the tracker, and Adolph, the driver. Thank you, gita, for your professionalism and dedication
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip 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 Karongwe Reservations, Marketing at Karongwe Portfolio - Kuname Lodge
Responded 20 Jan 2022
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and we hope we will see you again in the near future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
It's cold first thing in the morning when you go out on the drive so I'd suggest a jacket. There really isn't any need to purchase "safari clothing" just don't wear bright colours. They have a great laundry service that is cheap if you want to pack lightly. It can get quite warm during the day so tees and shorts would be great. Didn't have any issues with mossies due to the lack of rain in a while but the managers will advise you on that when you arrive.
We did not take malaria tablets for this area. We used sprays to protect ourselves. The best sprays are the ones containing a very high Deet content. We would spray the room and also ourselves. Non of us were bitten once. Hope this helps.
Coalville, United Kingdom10,449 contributions655 helpful votes
Food and drinks are included, i.e. breakfast, high tea and dinner. In addition to this, you are allowed one drink per game drive. House wine is free with dinner, but should you choose a different wine, you will be charged for this. Light snacks are also provided on both game drives.
There are more places to choose from in the Hoedspruit area.
PRICE RANGE
$1,210 - $1,634 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
kuname river hotel tzaneen
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkHoedspruit
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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