It’s said that when it comes to building an outstanding safari destination, location is everything. If that’s truly the case then Bundox River Lodge has everything in abundance and more. Perched on a gentle bend in the perennial Olifants River in the far north of the Balule Game Reserve, this brand-new tented camp has breathtaking upstream and downstream views from its raised position on the southern riverbank.

Views. They’re something that turn an ordinary safari experience into something extraordinary, especially when they involve the unique combination of permanently flowing water slicing through a pristine African wilderness. At Bundox River Lodge, the views over the omnipresent Olifants River create pure safari magic… This is unplugged Africa at its best!

About Bundox

Or is it life-changing experiences in vast, remote wilderness areas filled with iconic wildlife species? We think it’s a little of one and a lot of the other. Bundox Safari Co is not against luxury on safari, we just don’t want our safaris to be defined by it.

Where our accommodation is concerned, we take a more understated approach to luxury, reducing it to a natural, simple form that blends perfectly with the environments in which we work. We ensure that comfort is brought to the fore, using clever, modern design to create spaces that are relaxing, practical and easy on the eye.

It’s our experiences, especially those that connect you directly with wild Africa, that are truly the benchmark of a Bundox Safari Co safari… Out there in the African bush, where all of your senses are immersed in the wilderness and become imperceptibly attuned to it, allowing you to truly understand the raw, untamed power of nature. That’s our brand of luxury. Authentic. Natural. True.

Passion drives our desire to create perfection in our safari camps, lodges and villas, on our expeditions and conservation-based journeys. It’s a passion for simplicity, practicality and authenticity that works hand-in-hand with sustainability and responsibility, resulting in naturally luxurious, infinitely elegant yet effortlessly simple accommodation where the focus is firmly on the experience of being immersed in wild Africa.

Our passion extends to our wonderful team members in each of our camps and lodges, where you’ll find big smiles, warm welcomes and a “can do” attitude that ensures nothing is too much trouble, no matter how trivial. We want you to have the best safari possible, filled with exceptional experiences that create lifelong memories. We also want you to fall in love with Africa and become advocates for its wild places and the incredible fauna and flora that call them home.

It’s the thing that drives Bundox Safari Co – passion – a deep, abiding love for Africa’s last remaining wilderness areas and sharing that love with as many people as possible. It’s a passion that drives every aspect of our business and that’s evident at every stage of your safari, from the moment you first make an enquiry to your final farewell as you leave us, safari done and dusted and headed for home.

A passion for Africa
Passion also underpins our deep commitment to helping protect and conserve wilderness areas and the iconic species that live in them, treating our planet with the respect it deserves and working alongside dedicated conservationists to ensure future generations get to experience the magic of wild Africa the way we do.

A passion for people
It is our passion for people that really defines us… The passion for those we employ and for helping them reach their true potential and thrive in their work environment and for those we welcome into the Bundox family as guests. You may arrive with a handshake, but you will most definitely leave with a hug, knowing you have made a positive difference to everyone involved in your safari.

Our own journey of discovery

Bundox Safari Co evolved from founder Marinus Smith’s experiences in the wild, uncharted territory north of the Zambezi delta in Mozambique where, as a young man,  he built and ran a bush camp for a small safari operator. It was this wild, impenetrable wilderness that was to give his future company its name – Bundox – an appropriation of the word “boondocks”, meaning “rough, untamed country”. In Africa, we call it “bundu”. In Mozambique, they pronounce it “bundox” with no small amount of Portuguese flair!

1994

A young Bundox founder Marinus Smith moves to Mozambique to build and run a safari camp and get his first taste of the “wild” life.

1996

Marinus returns from Mozambique and starts up Bundox Game Capture, taking the Portuguese pronunciation of “boondocks” as his brand.

1998

Bundox Game Capture grows into one of the biggest names in the game capture industry and specialists in capturing nyala, leopards and other big cats.

2005

During the years that Marinus was moving game between emerging parks in South Africa in the early 2000s, he met an integral member of the Wildlife Ranching SA team: Ida Steenekamp, who would later become Mrs Smith. A surprise marriage on a famous mountain at Phinda Private Game Reserve convinced her to say, “I do.”

Ida joined Marinus, and the company truly began to take flight. Together, they established the dynamic brand that grew and evolved from successful game capture and conservation programmes to versatile safari tourism in the Greater Kruger.

2008

Bundox Game Capture branches out into offering game ranger experience programmes and facilitating projects for research students and conservation volunteers.

2010

Bundox launches the Wildside Africa brand and acquires a trail camp in the Balule Private Game Reserve.

2012

Bundox acquires what will become Bundox Safari Lodge on a private sanctuary neighbouring Thornybush Private Game Reserve just outside Hoedspruit. It’s used as a conservation travel hub before evolving into a fully fledged safari lodge.

2015

Bundox Game Capture evolves into a new vision for eco-tourism – Bundox Safari Co – and has a new direction. Wildside Africa acquires Mankwe Bush Camp in Botswana and Bundox Safari Lodge takes off.

2016

Wildside Africa begins to take off but disaster strikes as its newly revamped tented camp in Botswana – Mankwe Bush Lodge – burns down. It takes three years to rebuild.

2019

Mankwe Bush Lodge is reborn as Mankwe Tented Retreat under the Wildside Africa umbrella, partnered with the brand new Bundox Safari Co.

2020

Bundox Safari Co opens its first safari camp offering – Bundox Explorer Camp in the Balule, on the site of its original trails camp. Then COVID19 hits!

2021

Having grabbed the pandemic bull by the horns, Bundox Safari Co uses the downtime of the global lockdown to plan its future path and expand on what it already has accomplished. Bundox acquires the lease of Hippo Pools Resort on the banks of the Olifants River, north of Hoedspruit and begins work on creating Bundox River Villas.

2022

Work begins on the new Bundox River Lodge in the northern section of the Balule Private Game Reserve. Work also begins on building a luxury bush villa on Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate.

2023

Bundox River Lodge opens on 1 April 2023, raising the benchmark for tented safari camps in the Greater Kruger National Park

CONSERVATION LEVIES

The below levies are extra and will be added to your booking

invoice. Conservation levy: R450 per person per stay (all guests).

RATE INCLUDES

All meals, all local drinks (soft & alcoholic), 2 x game drives per day and teas & coffees.

RATE EXCLUDES

Premium drinks, Conservation levies (please see details below) laundry, and gate fees applicable when self driving

A 50% supplement applies

CHILDREN POLICY

Children from age 16 years and over are accepted. When booking the lodge on exclusive use, we can

accommodate children 12 years and over.

ROAD TRANSFERS

The below transfers can be booked through our

reservations office in conjunction with a stay at Bundox

River Lodge. Road transfers are scheduled to tie in with the

flight arrival times into and out of Hoedspruit Airport.

Please note that these are scheduled road transfers and

not private road transfers.

• Hoedspruit/Eastgate Airport to Bundox River Camp or vice

versa: R795.00 per person

NOTES

Rates are quoted in South African Rands. Rates are subject to change without prior notice. Rates Include government taxes where applicable. If taxes increase, we reserve the right to increase the rate accordingly. We reserve the right to review rates at any given point without notice. Conservation levies and Gate Fees are subject to change without prior notice in the event of the Private Nature Reserves amending or adding levies due to budgetary needs.

Ready-to-go Safari Adventures

Bundox Safari Co has carefully curated all of its safari experiences into what we call Wildlife Explorer packages – a range of pre-packaged safaris that perfectly combine the best of both South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park and Botswana’s wonderful African wilderness on the eastern edge of the Moremi Game Reserve and legendary Okavango Delta.

Created to appeal to couples and families alike, the end result is a Bundox safari circuit that’s easily accessible, affordable and filled with a broad range of adventures and activities all designed to give you superlative African wilderness vacations and holidays.

Move effortlessly between all of our camps, lodges and Wildstyle Villas with seamless transfers and enjoy direct air access via Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport and Botswana’s Maun International Airport. Alternatively, you can self-drive and we will assist you with route planning.