Lion Sands Ivory Lodge

The best vacation experience of our lifetime to date! Lions Sands and the staff exude enthusiasm and meet every early morning drive with warm smiles, tremendous field knowledge and professionalism second to none. We visited with our UK besties and we intend to return for my 60th in 2026.

There are no words to describe our experience at this lodge. From the moment that we were picked up at Skukuza Airport by Gus, we immediately felt welcome. On our drive from the airport to the lodge, we already began seeing animals. Ty warmly welcomed us, and introduced us to the amazing staff. We were given lemon-grass scented hand towels. Our room was stunning and contained a private pool, outdoor shower, sitting area, and more. After a delicious lunch served by the amazing Solley, we were taken on our first official game drive by Gus and our tracker, Tony. They could not have been more knowledgeable and hospitable. Three days of complete tranquility and bliss. We watched endless animals make their way to the Sabie River as we plunged in our pool. Herds of elephants, a giant African buffalo, giraffes, zebra, and more appeared right on the river. The staff surprised us with an amazing boma dinner, where we watched a performance by the staff followed by an exquisite meal featuring local Africa cuisine. The food was second to none. We got zero mosquito bites and there were almost no bugs! It was heavenly. Besender walked us to our rooms every night, and could not have been more friendly. He constantly repeated how much he loved his job. The staff all seemed so happy to be there, and their happiness was so obvious. I’m pretty sure we will go the rest of our lives and not be able to replicate this experience, unless we are lucky enough to return to the Ivory Lodge. This is truly a once in a lifetime destination!

What do you do when you leave a certain place, ie, Lion Sands, Ivory Lodge, to return home & all you do is think about how to return? Lion Sands, you will be in our hearts forever! Somehow, thank you does not seem like enough for every single person we came in contact with. To name a few Gus our driver, Brian our spotter, Mr. G ( always smiling)Eliza, You ALL are perfection in your jobs, as well as others, I have not mentioned. As soon as our boots hit the ground @ LS, we were totally engrossed and completely delighted WITH everything! We stayed in the Family tent & the accommodations/attention to detail while looking out the front of the tent, at all the “natural inhibits” was a chance of a lifetime. We had lunch under the trees, breakfast while out in the mornings & dinner in the “main tent” with other guests from around the world! A delight! Apology to the chef, can’t remember (jet lag) but your food was healthy & delicious. Never felt like we had overate greasy/fried food with that bloating feeling. Being served coffee in the morning, was a dream come true & got this non-morning person up & ready to jump in the keep.

If you are wondering to stay @ Ivory Lodge, do not hesitate for one second. It is a slice of heaven and you will never regret it. All the staff are exceptional and take care of everything without hesitation. Lion Sands, Ivory Lodge, is worth everything and more! The safaris are worth every second. The animals/environment are way beyond your expectations. The only problem is once you return home, I am finding myself craving safaris. The accommodations are clean & very well thought out and the food soooooo delicious (I am still dreaming about) are all on point perfectly. Everyon of the staff are the nicest people I have met and have a permanent place in our hearts. We feel so fortunate to have experienced Lion Sands. Definitely, my best vacation ever. If I could return sooner than later, we would for sure! Please excuse any errors which are due to, I am writing this jet lagged but wanted the review to go out so if others are wondering whether to book? Yessssss …

Had the most amazing time at the Ivory Lodge. Our family of 10 occupied 3 of the 8 villas, but we all spent most of our days together hanging out comfortably in the spacious 2 bedroom Fish Eagle Villa. Having a kitchen in the Villa so that our personal chef can prepare and serve our meals fresh was a true luxury. Indoor and outdoor areas were well maintain and kept pristine throughout our entire stay by our attentive attendants and butlers. The Fish Eagle also has it's own private gym and spa for in-room massage treatments. Game drives were eventful and very comfortable. Guides and trackers were top notch. Had the opportunity to stay in one of the Tree Houses over night, which was such a unique experience. Ivory lodge and it's staff delivered on what felt like a once in a lifetime type of experience.

Our experience at this lodge was a 10 out of 10. The lodge is in the perfect setting, the food is excellent and the all staff members are extremely friendly and go over and above to accommodate each guest. The game drives are amazing as you get extremely close to the animals. Your driver and tracker are also extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this lodge.