We visited Tala Private Game Reserve (about an hour from Durban) on our honeymoon – the accommodation there is wonderful. There are several accommodation lodges within the park, the most expensive and highest quality is Leadwood Lodge where the park owners live, which is truly stunning (and I have exceedingly high standards). Everything to do with the accommodation, the food, the infinity pool, the views, the service was perfection.

Within a package you would have your food and 1 game drive a day included (drinks are extra). You could choose the time of your game drive so you didn't have to get up at 5am like other places.

Tala is a private reserve so there is a controlled animal population which is easily visible - we saw loads of zebras, giraffes, buffalo, and springbok to name just a few. They didn't have the cats though. Our guide was exceptional. A really nice guy who also educated us about the animals and the plants in the area. Overall it was an outstanding experience. 2 game drives over 2 days was enough, but I still wish we had stayed longer than 2 nights - just to enjoy the food and the surroundings. I really didn't want to leave.

www.tala.co.za/leadwood.asp

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The accommodation near the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve is sub-standard for the money, which was less expensive than Tala - but far removed from the quality and beauty of Tala. We were booked for 2 nights but decided to leave after 1 night. The River Lodge was a 30 minute drive from the national park - so to do a game drive, you have a round trip of an hour of driving without being in the park. The park is massive and the animals are sparse. We did see an elephant and rhinos which was fantastic, but otherwise our guide didn't have any insightful knowledge beyond the basics, and we spent a lot of time driving around not seeing very much at all. There were cats at the park - but so elusive you seldom saw them. We didn't see any. But mostly the accommodation spoilt the experience of the stay.

We had booked the "honeymoon chalet" since we were on honeymoon and I saw a picture online which showed a lovely freestanding bathtub by a window. However you couldn't use it since the water was thick slug. Overall we found everything about the River Lodge from the food (which was unsophisticated) to the rooms (which smelt musty and had noisy and ineffectual air-conditioning) extremely poor. The "resort" lacked any kind of beauty and catered to groups rather than the independent, discerning traveller. I just wish their marketing had not been so misleading.

The lodge is just outiste the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve
tinyurl.com/27ovd7

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