Black Leopard Mountain Lodge

Reviews

• "Peaceful environment"

  08 January 2020

  "Loved the place as it was secluded away from the noise and bustle of the city. The bush environment was exceptional and tents not close to the tents of other guests was a bonus. The staff was pleasant and helpful"

• "Having a Chef take care of our meals."

  02 January 2020

  "The entire experience was excellent, staff were helpful and courteous, stunning location."

• "A fantastic three days!"

  14 March 2018

  "Outstanding hospitality! Excellent service! What more can one say?The "stars" below say it all!"

• "Had to be the Bush baby making contact with my 5 year old!"

  03 October 2017

  "I have become a huge fan and we will be back. This was great, fantastic, awsome, superb etc etc"

• "Amazing Stay"

  07 December 2015

  "We simply LOVED our stay at BLC, the staff were friendly, the guides were informative and so full of life. This really is a little piece of heaven."

• "A bit surprised"

  08 October 2015

  "Our stay at BLC was good. The only thing that bothered us a bit was the fact that we had to leave our vehicle all the way at Oppiberg in the sun for three days. We feel that a roof should at least be provided if the vehicles stand there. We only found out at the restaurant when the guides came to fetch us that the vehicle had to stay behind and we had to leave some of our valuables behind because we had been travelling the Low veld for a week before our stay at BLC. Another factor that bothered us is the prices of cool drinks and condiments. We feel that there should be catered for South African guests too. It was very expensive, especially since we already paid so much to stay there. We wanted to take our own drinks with but had to put the coolbox back. There is no place on your website where you state that own drinks are not allowed. The food served at dinner was plated in stead of the buffet that we expected. We expected more of variety. The rest of the stay was enjoyable and we learned a lot from the game drives and the staff is friendly, we just feel that more activities for your guests should be considered at your lodge.<div><br /></div><div><em><strong>Establishment Response:</strong></em></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><em>Dear Ms Burns, thank you very much for taking the time to submit a review.</em></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><em>We would like to bring to your attention that our confirmation and directions e-mail states the following with respect to cooler boxes and leaving your vehicle at our pick up point Oppiberg restaurant;</em></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><em></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: candara, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #663300;">...This rate does not include bar / beverages, cash bar available at the lodge (no cooler boxes permitted).<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></span></em></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: candara, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #663300;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></span></em></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: candara, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #663300;">And,<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></span></em></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: candara, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #663300;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></span></em></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: candara, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #663300;">....You will park your car here, and then be met by your guide/host and transferred by a 4 x 4 game drive vehicle, on a slow game drive through the reserve, to the Tented Camp. This transfer will be about an hours drive.</span></em></strong><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: candara, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #663300;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></span></em></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: candara, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #663300;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: black;"><em>Due to a late group cancellation you two were the only guests in camp for the weekend and hence we did not offer our usual buffet but instead plated the meal.<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: black;"><em>There are a few additional activities (over and above the included 1 game drive) these include guided (R50 pp) and non guided (free of charge) bush walks as well as additional game drives (R150 pp) if you so wish, I will talk to my staff as to why these were not offered to you.<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: black;"><em>We strongly believe that we offer good value for money (Under R1000 pppn) for a luxury tented lodge in a spectacular wildlife reserve and 70% of our clients are South Africans we are proudly a very South African lodge!<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"></div></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: black;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"><em></em></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16.9px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; color: #333333; background-color: #fefef0;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: black;"><em>As of 1 November 2015 Black Leopard Camp is offering a self catering option which may be more appealing for you, plus we have just opened a rustic tented self catering camp called Buffalo Thorn Camp in another spectacular setting on the reserve, we hope to see you back at BLC.</em></span></div></div>"

• "Amazing expereince"

  05 May 2014

  "This is a spot that is really far away from everything but you do not have to travel 5000km to central Africa! It is a marvellous bush experience with friendly people and everything you need."

• "A weekend to remember!"

  28 October 2013

  "My husband and I treated ourselves to a weekend at Black Leopard Camp to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. And what a treat it was! From the minute we were met at the pick up point by our friendly, knowledgeable, helpful guide, Dylan, to welcome drinks on arrival and non stop, top-class service, we felt so welcome and so spoilt all weekend. There is nothing hosts Alan and Lynsey won't do for their guests...they are passionate about providing an outstanding experience to their guests! The tents are beautifully situated, spotlessly clean and our outdoor shower and bath were stunning. Black Leopard Camp is a real gem...we felt like we were in another world...I highly recommend it!! Thank you!!"

• "Wonderful - go there for 3 nights"

  04 June 2013

  "Nice camp, really nice people, lots of wildlife and beautiful surroundings! Bumpy roads with excellent views of the area."

• "Disappointing Black Leopard Camp"

  02 April 2013

  "Although the views were stunning and the staff at the camp friendly, the 4 star was not apparent. The tent we had was a bit tired, and looked a bit like a dumping ground for old furniture and gym equipment. Wasn't impressed that they crammed 12 of us into an 11 seater vehicle, and had children on laps for game drives.<br></br> <b>Establishment's response</b><br></br> <i>Well to say that we are shocked is an understatement, the Tugwells portrayed themselves as very happy customers and enjoyed themselves with staff and guests in the bar until closing most nights. Hugs and kisses were dished out and promises to return on their departure, so I feel obliged to respond to the points she has raised:<br></br> The Tent. This unit is one where we have tried to be creative. Because it’s our largest unit we have included a dining room table with 6 seats as well as a real leather lounge suite and a small gym. Because we have used so much wood in our decor we tried a different vain with this unit by including more modern furniture to break the wood-only feel.<br></br> Game Drives. As this was Easter weekend we were fully booked and because there were 6 kids in the lodge they became friends and begged to sit together on the game drives, we pride ourselves as a family destination and encourage this sort of thing. One of the kids was too small to sit by herself on drives and the mother insisted on holding her on her lap (hence the 12 on one game drive). There was another vehicle available and on almost every drive people were split if the numbers dictated so.<br></br> Clean Towels. We are an eco lodge and have a sign up in the room that says that because of saving water and the environment we change towels every 2 days, but if guests prefer to use them longer they should hang the towels up and we will leave them, when they want them changed they are to leave them on the floor.<br></br> Game Guide. I have questioned the guides and asked them if they spoke for 3 days about the 1 weird American guest we had last year? As you can imagine I was met with blank faces because of the absurdity of the question. I have asked other guests from that weekend what my guides spoke about and every single one of them lauded the fact that they were so knowledgeable and that they learnt so much on each drive.<br></br> Leopards. I am astounded at this point as Sue knew very well that we run a leopard Research program on the reserve to study the behaviour of unprotected leopards i.e. they have been persecuted for so long and are not protected like animals in the Kruger and Sabi Sand. We did a presentation and showed her all the leopard pictures that we had caught on our camera traps over the last month, in fact the very month Sue was here. All pictures are labled to show time and date so proof can be supplied. We also explained that a leopard is a small animal and the grass is still too high to see them in the bush, our sightings increase over winter when the bush is more sparse.<br></br> Game. We have a wide variety of game and I have compiled a list of all the animals seen that weekend: Kudu Impala Water Buck Bush buck Gemsbok Mountain reedbuck Klipspringer Eland Red hartebeest Wildebeest Giraffe Zebra Warthog They also tracked leopard by following the tracks. This excludes all the birds etc.<br></br> Sundowners. There is no nowhere spots on the property and where they stopped for sundowners was a place where we captured and collared a leopard in September 2012 (which the guide recounted the events of that day), which has lovely views of the valley below.<br></br> All in all I do not think that Sue is being fair and this was a last minute booking the day before the weekend and Sue obviously did not look at our website in depth. She mentioned and compared us to Welgevonden constantly, which is a very different bush experience at a far higher price per night.<br></br> We are very proud of our service levels and if you look at all other Safarinow reviews that are excellent. We also have a 5 Star rating on Trip Advisor. We would have moved heaven and earth or all the furniture in that unit if there had been any indication of unhappiness.<br></br> Many Thanks, Lynsey</i>"

• "Black Leopard Camp"

  12 November 2012

  "Wonderful escape in the mountains. Luxury tented accommodation with all the detail. Excellent service. Very informative field guides. Everybody really goes out of their way to make you feel welcome. We will surely recommend this to our friends."

• "What a great weekend!"

  23 July 2012

  "My husband and I had the most fantastic weekend at Black Leopard Camp. This is a real 'home away from home'. The accommodation and meals were fantastic! A big thank you to you all!"

• "Great stay!"

  30 May 2012

  "Thanks to both Mike and Karen for welcoming us for the short one night. They were both very friendly and their camp is an amazing hidden treasure. Really enjoyed our time there! Food was also so yum and relaxing with a sundowner by the bar and warm fire was bliss. Rooms/Tents were lovely and snug for the icey weather at night. All in all what a wonderful place and will definitely be back to spend a few more days there!"

• "Fantastic!"

  25 March 2012

  "My wife and I stayed at BLC for two nights only and that was far too short. The tents were perfect, very clean, very comfortable and had all the amenities that one could want. The food was good "home-style" cooking with nothing fancy but 100% delicious and 100% perfect. The game drives and park itself were also great, we got to see a large amount of animals and learnt a lot each day. We really do recommend BLC as it was great value for money, great accommodation and a great stay all round."

• "Fantastic"

  07 February 2012

  "We had a fantastic stay at Black Leopard Camp. What a beautiful, peaceful environment with Mike and Karen as lovely hosts-highly recommended."