Iwamanzi Game Lodge

Great hunting experience! Thanks Jacqueline & Stan Burger

What a wonderful huge game reserve, What a great accommodating hosts (especially the lovely Jacqueline) and all of her family members and friends. We hunted in their amazing lodge with 2 of the best professional hunters ever (Mr. Stan & Mr. Tavi) and we had a awesome unforgettable 2 days (which were definitely not enough to fully appreciate and enjoy their place).

Best place to have the ultimate African experience.

Iwamanzi, in one word: WOW! We had the most incredible time from the moment we arrived. Jacqueline's warm and welcoming nature made us feel right at home. Her husband Stan and their son Sebastian possess an immense wealth of knowledge about the wildlife and the African bush. The privately owned landscape is absolutely breathtaking, showcasing nature's wonders at every turn. The abundance of diverse wildlife provided us with endless opportunities to track and observe magnificent animals. It was an experience like no other. We are already planning our return in the near future! To Jacqueline, Stan, Sebastian, and the entire Iwanmanzi staff, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for providing us with such a remarkable experience. Thank you so much!

We had a truely lovely stay. The staff is very kind, willing to help and personally welcome you. We had dinner with many of them and the food is tasteful as well. The Safari will be with ranger Ben who has lots of experience and is passionate about everything in bush. The rooms are clean, large and the view is amazing. Would recommand the accommodation to anyone.

Very isolated so very relaxing, gorgeous locations, fantastic food, friendly and helpful staff, luxurious rooms and lodge. There is very limited internet so be prepared to relax.2 game drives a day, an incredibly diverse selection of animals over a massive private game reserve. Giraffe, buffalo, so many types of antelope, rhino... the list is very long and varied. Great for birdwatchers too. Some animals you can even get very close to so I took some fantastic photos. This is a place created and rehabilitated by people who love nature and animals. It is also overlapping two types of terrain, so you'll see savannah but also heavier forest.Travel: go in through the Koster side, not through Derby as that will accidentally lead you through a squatter camp which is very hard to drive through. You will have to drive a very long dirt road to the gate, and the lodge itself, but I have an I20 and managed the terrain easily.

What a hidden gem! They offer a fantastic mountain bike safari, which I went on with Ride Confident MTB Skills by Don (Google them) with some of my mates. Such a brilliant idea. If you love the bush and love mountain biking this is for you. Heck, even if you don't like the bush but enjoy a good cycle then you should do it. Be warned though - a certain level of fitness is required so make sure you're not entirely unfit before attempting this one. It's not a difficult ride but we did gain 360m of elevation on our first ride, which is quite a lot. The downhill sections are awesome though. The whole ride in fact, was amazing.About the lodge itself - wonderful! The friendly Dutch owner/host, Jacqueline, is an absolute joy and adds a personal touch to every interaction at the lodge. She is very passionate about animals and conservation and it shows! She has an excellent sense of humour and is wonderfully entertaining. The park is beautifully maintained and the animals are all well fed and healthy. The facilities are fantastic and everything is neat and tidy. Jacqueline's staff are all very helpful and friendly and the game drive operator (he accompanied us on our second ride, due to us being in a part of the park with more dangerous animals) was extremely knowledgeable and was always quick with a small little fact of information. I was told they offer ethical hunting as well, so if you're into that then go for it. What amazed me most is the variety of environments. The one section of the park looks like Highveld where another part is entirely different. There are lush green thickets and wide open savanna and rocky gorges, all within the same park.They have a wife variety of animals. We saw zebra, blue and black wildebeest, red hartebeest, Springbok, Gemsbok, Sable, Warthog, Impala, Blesbok, Kudu, Ostrich, Rhino and Hippo. They also have very diverse birdlife which is great if you're a keen birder.This is an excellent place to come to just relax and unwind and enjoy the bush and it's not too far from Johannesburg or Pretoria. Would definitely recommend you come here. You will not be disappointed!

I had the pleasure of spending a few days at the breathtaking Iwamanzi Game Lodge, and it was an unforgettable experience. The location is stunning, surrounded by untouched nature and a captivating wildlife. The luxurious accommodations, knowledgeable guides, exquisite cuisine, and incredible flights from their airstrip exceeded my expectations. Highly recommended!

A superb getaway lodge with amazing animals and beatiful accomodation in the northwest region putside derby area 2hours from jhb

Great staff, the owners are super friendly.The food is of the highest quality. This is one of the greatest lodges I’ve stayed at.