The &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge is located on the Ngala Private Game Reserve, an unfenced private concession wedged between the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park. &Beyond leases the land from World Wildlife Fund South Africa and donates a portion of its profits to the South African National Parks Trust. As a result, the trust has been able to fund special projects and maintain West Coast National Park, located just an hour north of Cape Town.

Conservation efforts aside, &Beyond Nagala Safari Lodge is most known for offering a luxury safari experience. Guests can spot wildlife from the lounge, then be completely surrounded by the bush in their air-conditioned rooms. Have breakfast under the shade of an enormous weeping boer bean tree, while away hours at the pool with a book and your favorite drink, and indulge in a fireside dinner, surrounded by lanterns and candles. During their stay, guests even enjoy a dedicated vehicle and tracker team to guide them on twice-daily drives, bush strolls, and walking safaris. The lodge is about an hour’s drive from Hoedspruit Airport, but Airlink also operates daily direct flights from Johannesburg and Nelspruit to Ngala’s private airstrip.

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Sleepy Kitty At Ngala Game Reserve South Africa

We were so close we could hear him snoring. Ngala Game Reserve is a private game reserve off of Kruger Park. This private reserve is special because it is one of a handful of private reserves that is not fenced off from Kruger Park and all the animals. Therefore it has a dense population of elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, wild dogs. We also saw hippos running and splashing about, leopards eating their impala kill up a tree, warthogs, giraffes, ostriches and of course all the many impala at Ngala. This place is a safari dream come true.

And Beyond my expectations !

I have been on safaris before and nothing compares to the beyond amazing experience of Ngala Game Lodge. This place is truly magical! We saw everything ! Lions with their cubs, cheetahs, leopards eating their impala kill in a tree, elephant herds trumpeting and a new born they we protecting, giraffes, rhinos, ostriches, wildebeests, zibras, warthogs with their babies by the pool, hippos running and swimming, baboons and all the impala at Ngala. This place is now in my heart forever.

Leopards Eating Dinner -Ngala Game Reserve SA

We were lucky enough to catch this amazing sight of these 2 leopards in a tree eating an impala at Ngala Game Reserve in South Africa. Leopards are notorious for dragging their kill up a tree so no on else could steal their kill away. Patiently waiting below was a hyena ready in case the leopards dropped the impala.

Christmas Crepes While On Safari In South Africa

During each game drive at Ngala Game Reserve we stopped for drinks and snacks but on Christmas we had a little extra surprise waiting. Homemade crepes (thin pancakes) with choices of chocolate, mango, and guava fillings, and coffees, cocoa, juices, and liquor awaiting our arrival. The setup is always lovely but on Christmas it was extra special.

Protective Parent

Family is the most important thing. Here is mama lion protecting her young. To the left awaits other male lions we suspect are not part of this tribe. Male lions like to show dominance by killing a cub and taking over as the new main male lion. This mama is on fierce watch and so is her cub.

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