Utterly magical

Although you can be a party of up to 8 people, my husband and I seized this last minute week just for the two of us, and it was utter bliss. Their super-experienced guide drove us to close (& leisurely) sightings of lion, leopard, rhino (including one morning a rhino walk), giraffe, zebra and elephant - and we had more fleeting glimpses of jackals, ardwolf, hyena, mongoose, wildebeest and all manner of bucks. We drove to the river bank one morning and watched hippo and crocodiles. I have not been birding for long, but we spotted over 80 species of birds during our week, most of which were new to me. The accommodation is faultless - thoughtful architecture, sensitive design, delightful elements such as an additional wilderness shower, and game viewing platforms off your bedroom, as well as no expense spared on the luxurious and understated furnishings. Everything is provided for you - being 75km down a sand road makes popping out to the shops impractical - and the fabulous home staff looked after us like kings, to the extent that on our return we put ourselves on a strict diet, but it was absolutely worth it. Email communications with the owners were great and they could not have been more helpful. Glorious memories, including sundowners in the bush watching the setting sun, each evening sitting around the firepit and gazing up at the stars, and a few surprises that were arranged for us - it was truly magical. PS My husband needed to attend a zoom meeting all day one day - this was no problem, & the wifi in the lodge is really good.”

Amazing

It does require a bit of logistics to get there. However the team at Lubbesrust will surpass any expectations when you’re there. Kelly’s food addressed all the allergy requirements while being phenomenal. The pool was comfortable and spotless. The interactions with the animals on game drives felt intimate and unique. The driver is incredibly knowledgeable even about the birds and plants! ”

Spectacular

We were a group of 3 couples and the trip far exceeded our expectations. From the moment we arrived and were picked up by Maifala and team to the moment we left it was an adventure of lifetime. The individual lodges were beautiful and extremely private for each couple. Each lodge was decorated uniquely and were large and very comfortable. The central lodge where we ate and enjoyed the incredible pool was large and a great place for all of us to hang out in. We were so fortunate to see Kudus come to the watering hole while we were in the pool and watched the birds build their unique nests. The food was fantastic and every meal impressed us so much we kept asking for the recipes. The safaris couldn’t have been better lead by our incredible tracker Maifala. We saw so many animals, giraffes, lions, leopards, elephants, zebras, wildebeest, rhinos and even a black mamba. The only word we kept saying all trip was spectacular. If you want a private and personalized experience Lubbesrust is the place. Best trip ever. ”

Great Experience

Highlight of the trip was seeing lion brothers eating a baby elephant! The lodge is beautiful and you will be very comfortable during your stay. ”

Dream Getaway

Wow, this place is beautiful, no amount of photos will capture the wildlife and pleasure you will enjoy. The property itself is marvelous. pitched in the middle of the reserve it has super spacious rooms and a great main house that is perfect for relaxing and playing games while waiting to go safari driving, again! The staff were excellent, Kelly helped me put on an extra 4kg in 6 days, it was so delicious we all keep talking about it all day. Loved it and would do it again!”

Amazing Stay!!!

We had such an incredible week at Lubbesrust Safari Lodge! It exceeded all of our expectations. All of the lodges were so clean, comfortable and nicely appointed. The daily safaris with Muifala were so amazing. We saw so much wildlife. Miafala could spot animals even in the dark. It was nothing short of miraculous. The food was also excellent. The variety and quality was wonderful! Kellie is an amazing chef. Each day we would go on a safari at 8:00 am, touring the beautiful reserve, return to Lubbesrust for brunch, Safari again at 4:00 pm. Each day upon return in the afternoon, the staff had a roaring campfire for us to enjoy, and then an delicious dinner. We felt so pampered! It was truly a trip of a lifetime! If we could give more than 5 stars we would! Thank you for an amazing stay!”

Spectacular taste of Botswana

We began our family dream trip to Africa at Lubberust and were blown away by the incredible hospitality, beauty, knowledge and vibe of this property. Maifala, the private guide, and Kelly , the private chef, are top notch in all that they provide. ”

Absolutely fantastic stay!

We've been at Lubbesrust this January for a week, with a group of 6 friends. We already had some previous experience with high-end Game Lodges, but Lubbesrust sits in its own category! The unique location within a private area of 210km2, the wonderful and extremely competent staff, the architecture and interior design of the lodge and its various buildings are all just outstanding. We very much enjoyed the morning and afternoon drives into nature and were able to seeing a wide range of wild animals. Maifala was the perfect guide, he literally knows everything about the wilderness in Botswana. Coming back from the drives, Kelly had already prepared very tasteful menus with fish, meat and vegetables. We spent our leisure time mostly on the various terraces and pools, only being interrupted by stunning herds of wild animals visiting the close by waterholes. Overall, the stay was absolutely top, we will always remember and we highly recommend Lubbesrust to anyone who is seeking a combination of wild life and luxury accommodation.”

Top of the line

Amazing camp and staff. As it was off peak season so we had essentially a private reserve. Maifala was excellent and Kelli in the kitchen was wonderful. In this time of year your long range visibility is limited but when you find the animals they are very close. Had baby elephant walk right up to us. Wild dogs on a fresh kill. Surrounded by 10 giraffes another day. The lodges are incredible. Highly recommend if near Botswanna. Sylvia was also very helpful in the planning process.”

What a great destination!

We just returned from visiting Lubberust Lodge. The staff took wonderful care of us. The safari guide was knowledgeable and gracious. The food was terrific. And the facilities were all the pictures promised. Highly recommended!”

Amazing experience !

Our family stayed here for Christmas - making it probably the most amazing Christmas day ever - when rhinos elephants zebras & giraffes join in the celebration. The villas in Lubbesrust are absolutely beautiful truly amazing to have this height of luxury on safari total 5* ! The housekeeping team & safari driver are all diligent and very sweet, they also created some super special experiences that we won’t ever forget. If you intend to drive to Lubbesrust from Johannesburg (we also had a lot of Christmas traffic) I would recommend carefully planning the trip. The paved road to the park is tarmaced but takes longer. We came back via the dirt track which is shorter and was in good condition. It takes 7-8 hours when you add border crossings & it’s another 45 mins from the ‘gate’ to the lodge. If you plan the drive as part of the overall experience it will be a fab drive. ”

Trip of a lifetime

We just returned from a week at Lubbesrust and it was an experience we will never forget. We booked it through THIRDHOME less than one month before we departed for Botswana, and things went perfectly. Great communication from the hosts, with all the information we needed for the trip. The description and photos of the accommodations were exactly as advertised, and we could not have been more pleased. A personal luxury resort in the middle of Africa with everything taken care of by the staff. Kelly and her team treated us to excellent food every day, kept our rooms clean and stocked with beverages, washed our clothes when needed, and provided anything else we needed. Maifala took us out twice a day on safari and every day was the adventure of a lifetime. He taught us so much about the animals and the area while making every trip enjoyable and fun. We saw every animal that we expected to see and were amazed at how close we could get to their natural habitats. If an African safari is on your bucket list, this could be the place for you. ”

Perfect in every way!

Our two week stay at Lubbesrust was truly the experience of a lifetime, absolutely everything exceeded our expectations! Our accommodations were over the top, comfortable beds, beautifully and thoughtfully furnished, each one of the four private lodges has its own water hole and viewing platform and the outdoor showers are an absolute delight! Maifala our nature guide was very knowledgeable, charming and accommodating in every possible way, Kelly the cook prepared wonderful meals, and the main lodge was a great place to relax and go for a swim. The best option for getting to Lubbesrust Lodge is to fly to Johannesburg and take a morning connecting flight to Gaborone and contract Phalalo to drive you to the lodge, a bit long but pleasant 5 1/2 hour drive on a good quality paved road, but I assure you it is well worth it! (Phalalo’s contact information is in the online Lubbesrust brochure.) Last, but not least, Lubbesrust is an excellent value as compared to other lodges, and we saw all of Botswana’s wildlife except for cape buffalo and hipos which had been sighted by the previous group. ”

Lubbesrust Lodge, Botswana

The Lodge facility is lovely. It is very open and welcoming overlooking a watering hole thatattracts many animals. The staff provides very good service while the guide is forthcoming, knowledgeable and always available for rides or walks. The experience in the safari is unique because there are very few, if any,other vehicles on the reserve. One draw back is that the vehicle must stay on the roads and cannot go after animal sightings not visible from the road. That said we experienced a good variety of sighting including leopards! The food is adequate, just don’t expect anything but ordinary fare.”

The pool is a beautiful infinity design that overlooked the water hole where lots of wildlife could be viewed.

This property was very comfortable and well appointed. It was not close to an international airport, so after landing we spent an additional 9 hours in a transport van to finally arrive at Lubbesrust (literally in the middle of the bush). Upon arrival we were greeted by the entire staff who introduced themselves and welcomed us to the compound. There is a main lodge where all of the meals are served, the pool and a fire pit are also found here. The pool is a beautiful infinity design that overlooked the water hole where lots of wildlife could be viewed. Kelly was the cook, and I just want to say that the butternut squash soup was fantastic! We had one person in our group with a gluten allergy, which she was able to accommodate (note it in the paperwork they send you before you arrive). Breakfast was optional and was serve yourself (cereal and/or yogurt). The other meals and snacks were cooked and provided by Kelly, meaning no work for you! Maifala (pronounced My-fa-la) was our guide for the game hunts and he really knew what he was doing! An excellent tracker and he was very knowledgeable about the plants and animals. He answered all our questions plus some we didn’t ask, but we were always interested in hearing what he had to say. He had a sharp eye, he was able to spot a chameleon in a bush, at night, without the benefit of a flashlight, while driving by it (he backed up to show us) - wow. The days found an easy rhythm with an early morning (6 AM) game hunt followed by lunch, with free time (for a nap!) before the late afternoon game hunt that ended at a beautiful spot for sunset pictures. When we arrived back at the lodge a fire had already been started and drinks were served fireside while the dinner table was set. There were lots of animals to be seen on the game hunts including giraffes, zebra, impala, elephants, wildebeest and Rhinos; did you know a bunch of zebra is called a dazzle? Maifala did. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any of the lions and although we saw the tracks of a hippo we didn’t see that animal in the wild either. It was enjoyable riding around in the safari vehicle, which has no roof and allows you to see everything without restriction. The housing was very modern and well appointed. Each of the minor lodges were meant for 2 people, we stayed in the Matshwane Lodge. It had a small ‘coffee bar’ type kitchen including a refrigerator, hot water kettle and a few dishes for personal use (all the cooking happens at the main lodge). It also had a small sitting area including a comfortable couch overlooking the deck. The bathroom had double sinks and a large soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and an outdoor shower (loved it!). The king bed was very comfortable – we slept great every night. Make sure to bring a type M converter to charge your computer (3 prongs in a triangle shape)! USB ports were next to the beds for smaller electronics. The wifi worked well. You can pack light because the service here is so amazing they actually washed several loads of clothes for us! Each of the smaller lodges have their own deck and a viewing platform; ours overlooked a watering hole; you can see lots of birds and sometimes some of the larger game like zebra and giraffe. We loved our time here and would definitely recommend it to other travelers who are looking for outdoor adventures and viewing wild animals in their natural environment. Be prepared for the long trip to get there, but once you are there it is comfortable and the staff provides outstanding service! If you want an outdoor experience while being pampered by a staff who have thought about your every comfort – this is the place for you! ”