4-Day Kruger National Park Big 5 Safari & Panorama Route Tour

Traveler Reviews

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  Daniel

  February 23rd, 2026
  Mixed experience – good location but service inconsistencies TOURS: safari team and Panorama driver where very good....
  Mixed experience – good location but service inconsistencies TOURS: safari team and Panorama driver where very good. The region is beautiful. ON THE OTHER HAND A CONSTRUCTIVE REVIEW: We stayed at Kruger Adventure Lodge as part of a safari package. The safari activities and location near Kruger National Park were enjoyable, and staff were generally friendly. ACCOMMODATION Kruger Adventure Lodge Room type: However, several issues affected our stay. Our booking confirmation mentioned a Private En-Suite Lodge Room, but we were accommodated in a safari tent, which created confusion. (See pictures) HOTEL TRANSPOSITION We were also charged 150 ZAR for a very short (≈1 km) transfer to a nearby mall, while the exact same service was provided free the following day, suggesting unclear pricing policies. CLEANNESS & HOUSE KEEPING In addition, housekeeping was inconsistent, as our room was not cleaned after the first night. No fresh towels, trash cans not empty, bed undone.... MEALS The food was good overall, but the service was less welcoming. Important: One waitress seemed reluctant to assist guests and lacked basic hospitality skills. Improved service training or management would enhance the dining experience. OTHER REVIEWS After our stay, we noticed similar concerns mentioned by other guests in online reviews, particularly regarding room expectations and transport charges. IMPROVEMENTS Clearer communication and more consistent service would greatly improve the experience. PARTICULARLY what is included and what is paid, and be Crystal cleat about the room type. The hotel seems to lack of management or even an operations person. The staff are working on 12 hours shifts without management, as a result Quality and transparency is affected.Show more
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  Traveled in February 2026
  

  Reply from: The Mzansi Experience

  Hi Daniel, Thank you for your review and feedback. As discussed, we have thoroughly investigated your complaint, and issued a partial refund as a gesture to compensate for the inconvenience experienced. We are glad that you had a good time on the game drives and Panorama Route tour, which is an essential part of the overall package. All the best, Leon Steyn Managing Director - Mzansi Experience

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  Samuel

  February 6th, 2026
  Smooth transport and comfortable accommodations. Good value!
  Traveled in February 2026
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  Dmitriy

  December 25th, 2025
  It was a good tour. Let's start from the very beginning: travelling from the city by bus is comfortable. There...
  It was a good tour. Let's start from the very beginning: travelling from the city by bus is comfortable. There were some difficulties with finding our bus, but other bus drivers helped us. It would be great if you could send us the bus number in advance. Kruger Park: You ride a safari in the park and spend the night in a lodge. The first trip about an hour after arrival - in the evening and then a good dinner. The next day there was a long safari and we were brought back at about 15 o'clock and after that there was absolutely nothing to do in the lodge. That's the main disadvantage. We went on a night safari for a fee, but we were unlucky with the weather. But the option is good. The next day - a trip around the neighbourhood. Similarly, we returned to the lodge after about 15 and there was absolutely nothing to do. I think this trip could have been extended. On the last day in the morning, you can go for another safari for an additional fee, but we're already tired of it. After breakfast, we couldn't do anything interesting. The departure back to the city was around 12 hours and you spend the next 5 hours on the bus. The most unproductive day. The park itself is cool! It was our first trip to Africa and we collected 4/5 big five.Show more
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  Traveled in November 2025
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  Sarah

  July 9th, 2025
  Loved every moment of this tour ! Kruger was absolutely amazing !! Loved where we stayed ! Food was really good
  Traveled in May 2022
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  Max

  May 24th, 2025
  Really good experience with lovely staff, nice tours and an amazing lodge
  Traveled in May 2025
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  Janina

  February 7th, 2025
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  I have booked the group tour Kruger National Park: Big 5 Safari & Panorama- Route - 5 days with The Mzansi...
  I have booked the group tour Kruger National Park: Big 5 Safari & Panorama- Route - 5 days with The Mzansi Experience via Tourradar. The Tourradar website is very clear and the booking process is simple. After I booked the trip, I received an email that the trip still had to be confirmed by the tour operator. One day later, I received confirmation that the trip would take place and that the booking had been confirmed. The money for the trip was only debited from Tourradar from this point onwards, which I found very serious and transparent. The tour operator then got in touch with me directly and sent me the exact information: pick-up time, starting point, what to bring, etc. The trip started early in the morning at the bus parking lot at OR Tambo airport, where a Safarilink bus arrived to pick us up. A few days beforehand, the tour operator gave me the exact pick-up time and information about who was picking us up from where, which was very good. At check-in at the Kruger Adventure Lodge, I was given a note of our itinerary with the individual daily programs and the respective start times. The note also contained the information that lunch was not included, but that breakfast and dinner were already included, i.e. exactly as described in advance in the travel description. The safaris in Kruger National Park were wonderful! We saw a lot of animals, it was really great! On the 3rd day we did the Panorama Route through Mpumalanga. Here I have to issue a little warning about our driver! He tried to take us around the fantastic Bourke's Luck Potholes. As we were driving along the scenic road, we passed the entrance to Bourke's Luck Potholes. At first I didn't think anything of it, but after 20 minutes I asked the driver if we were still going to visit this place. He told me that he would skip this place because it wasn't safe for us tourists there. He also told me about an illegal gold mine there and that these people would attack us tourists and take everything from us. Then he said that if we really wanted to do it and go there at our own risk, he could take us there, but he wasn't liable for anything. I found that very funny! Because the other participants were discreetly holding back, I first told him that we would then do without the Bourke's Luck Potholes. During lunch at the Garden Shed Restaurant, I asked the other participants again and researched this supposed gold mine on the internet, but couldn't find anything. I then told him that we still wanted to go there, and he drove us there again without any objections. Once we got there, there was no sign of any criminal energy. It is a totally safe tourist resort! He just wanted to rip us off and save the entrance fees for us participants, which was a really tough thing to do. Watch out for rip-offs, that's all I can say about this driver! So, long story short. I can really only recommend the trip with The Mzansi Experience! But, if you do the panoramic tour, please ask the driver during the trip if you are going to stop at Bourke's Luck Potholes and if he tells you such a silly lie, then tell him anyway that you want to go there, it's really beautiful. Apart from that, we experienced the tour exactly as it was described in the tour description. There were no hidden costs either, which was great! I can only highly recommend Tourradar and will be happy to book another trip on the platform.Show more
  Traveled in January 2025
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  Patrick

  January 20th, 2025
  Unfortunately, my tour was not as full of expectations as the reviews here suggested. I booked the 4-Day Kruger...
  Unfortunately, my tour was not as full of expectations as the reviews here suggested. I booked the 4-Day Kruger National Park Big 5 Safari & Panorama Route Tour. It was agreed that I would be picked up personally by a driver at Kruger Park. On the day of my arrival, my flight was delayed and only arrived 3 hours later. I contacted Mzansi Experience to inform them that the driver should be informed about this. Here there were the first problems with the agency, I received a wrong telephone number from the driver(?) to contact him, and I only received delayed information on how to proceed. When I arrived at the airport, the driver was not in the reception area as indicated. I tried, more badly than right, to find a solution with Mzansi Experience. After half an hour without any help or solutions, I left the airport on my own, only to find that the driver had been waiting for me outside the airport the whole time. Mzansi Experience obviously doesn't want their clients to be able to get in touch with Adventure Lodge, otherwise I can't explain the back and forth. I was also unable to do my afternoon game drive on day 1 due to the delay. The bad experience continues here: Because of my missed afternoon game drive I was offered a morning game drive for the last day, but I didn't want to take it. The morning game drive goes until 11am, but the pick-up and shuttle service picks me and all the other guests up at 11.30am. Unreasonable for me on my vacation and too much stress, which is why I didn't use the morning game drive. I also asked at the lodge whether it was possible to change the game drive times, but was told no, as this is linked to a full game drive at the same time. So I had no choice but to miss the morning drive. I asked Mzansi Experience for compensation or a small refund as I had not received some of the services I had booked. However, they blamed me and thought I should have used the Morning Game Drive. Pretty much eat or die. I think that's a shame, because we're talking about a small amount of money (is it so necessary to insist to keep?) that obviously can't be refunded for customer hapyness. According to information from the lodge and their direct prices, Mzansi Experience takes over 1/3 of the fees for itself. Next time I will therefore book directly and avoid problems such as delayed indirect communication and prepaid services that I cannot use at the end.Show more
  Traveled in January 2025
  

  Reply from: The Mzansi Experience

  Hi Patrick, Thank you for the review. I would like to respond factually to this review, as you are painting a picture here that is not correct. 1. You had a flight delay and eventually landed in Kruger International Airport, letting us know by 14:16PM you arrived. This was already too late (even if you found the driver immediately) to make it to the lodge in time for the afternoon game drive departure. 2. Not being in time for the game drive, due to an outside delay, technically counts as a no-show. But we were very accommodating and offered the game drive on the last morning, so you still get all your game drives. 3. The driver's number was not wrong. The call simply did not go through to him. I tested this very number and the driver answered. This could be due to mobile network problems - but I would rather not speculate yet mobile signal can be affected by adverse weather. I acknowledge the fact that the driver was no at arrivals at the time, but he was there was a long time before your arrival, to be there once you arrived so you do not have to wait for an hour for him to get there from the lodge. This already shows we went above measure to accomodate your flight dealy (which we do not have to do). The fact remains, the flight was already too late to make the game drive in time. 3. You chose (own decision) not to take the morning game drive on the last day, which was entirely possible to do. Saying you had no choice but to miss it in this review, is incorrect. 4. Saying we placed the blame on you is also incorrect. The flight delay is with the airline, and that is what caused you missing the game drive on the first day. You are not recognising this as the source of the problem, and keep on saying we (as Mzansi Experience are in the wrong). Did you reach out to the airline perhaps to try and recover costs? I do not think so. Creating the impression that we were not helpful and accommodating is grossly inaccurate. Also - we did not keep the fees of your forfeitted game drive for ourselves. Those fees are paid to the lodge for costs such as the guides payment, already paid entrance fees at the Kruger gate, fuel costs, levies and vehicle maintenance. We do not keep one cent for any game drives. As communicated, I advise you contact your travel insurance to receover costs incurred due to your flight delay, being the main reason for this situation. Wishing you all the best. Leon Steyn Managing Director

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  Rheanna

  August 29th, 2022
  Great Value for the Tour, lodge was lovely and food was good.
  Traveled in August 2022
  

  Reply from: The Mzansi Experience

  Hi Rheanna, Thank you for the great review. We are extremely glad that you had a good time on tour with us. Kind regards, Mzansi Experience Team

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  Jesse

  October 25th, 2021
  Amazing staff and hospitality. Would recommend to anyone going for a safari tour.
  Traveled in September 2021
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  Mahendra

  July 14th, 2021
  We really enjoyed our trip and had really good time. Only thing I was disappointed was they should not have charged...
  We really enjoyed our trip and had really good time. Only thing I was disappointed was they should not have charged extra for bottle water we had with dinner.Show more
  Traveled in July 2021
  

  Reply from: The Mzansi Experience

  Hi Mahendra. Thank you for the positive review. We have taken your notes into consideration for future tours. We have filtered tap water available at the lodge at no cost, but do understand clients' need for bottled water.

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