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Fly to George Airport (GRJ), roughly an hour flight time from Cape Town or Johannesburg — then a 35–45 minute road transfer to the reserve, alternatively self-drive about four hours from Cape Town or Gqeberha along the N2.
With four suite tiers the choice comes down to height and aspect, our guests rave about the lower, river-facing tents (the Deluxe and Super Deluxe) where animals drink at the water just metres below your deck and several have their own private jetty, the recently renovated Superior suites bring the most up-to-date finishes with smart-TVs and double-glazing for year-round comfort, while the Luxury Tented Suites trade river frontage for sweeping mountain views and a fireside lounge, all on raised wooden walkways linked to the main lodge.
The Fireplace Restaurant serves hearty, authentic South African fare in an open-plan dining room that opens onto a wooden deck over the river, meals are part of the full-board and all-inclusive rates, with fireside dinners, riverside breakfasts and sundowners out on the drives.
Layers for warm days and cool mornings, a warm jacket and beanie for open-vehicle drives in winter, neutral tones for the bush, closed shoes for walking and horseback safaris, sun hat, sunscreen and binoculars, plus swimwear for the pools and spa, no malaria precautions needed here.
Stay two nights and you can swap one game drive for a horseback safari, stay a third and swap a drive for a complimentary one-hour spa massage, ask for a lower river-facing tent for waterhole action right below your deck, and since you're between George and Mossel Bay it pairs beautifully with the rest of the Garden Route, from Oudtshoorn's caves to Knysna's lagoon.
A family-owned, privately run reserve of around six thousand hectares of protected fynbos and river habitat, the Tented Lodge runs on solar power on sunny days and buys local to support the surrounding community, ongoing work focuses on reintroducing and protecting endemic species, with thriving habitats now supporting elusive residents like the caracal alongside the reserve's free-roaming plains game and big cats.
