A Magical Trip from Kruger to Cape Town – GO!

Christine and Carly from California, United States, travelled with their partners, and shared feedback of their trip from Lion Sands Narina Lodge in the Kruger National Park to Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel in Cape Town, with a foray into our restaurant Upper Union. The one word that summed up their travel experience was ‘GO’.

Lion Sands Narina Lodge

We stayed at the Narina Lodge, and it was magical from start to finish. First, the views from the “lobby” of the lodge are unreal. We saw three of the Big Five just from the lobby alone. You are truly one with nature here in the middle of Kruger! It is a private area of the park but zero fencing or animal intervention which is what we cared about. We really appreciated the safety briefings they gave us as we felt very comfortable on the property. Our suite was later surrounded by 30+ elephants and my mom saw a leopard from her room… anytime we needed an escort or security, they were available.

We had Aaron & Bricks as our field guide team. Best duo over - there wasn’t a single question about anything that they couldn’t answer. They found the Big Five for us and wouldn’t quit until we checked all the boxes! They felt like family by the time we left, and we will be coming back in the future because of these two. Not only did we have the best time, but we learned so much about the animals, their behaviours and nature. I wish we could have stayed longer.

Elan, our butler, is quite possibly the most welcoming & friendly person we’ve ever met while on a trip (my husband is an international pilot, so we travel a LOT). You know when you meet someone whose happiness and smile is contagious? That’s him. He also remembered I love a 1pm aperol spritz and brought them day after day to our room before I could even ask! He was even open to watching a few minutes of college football with my husband and wanted to learn all about the sport (from a diehard American Big 10 fan!)

The management were spectacular - anything we needed at any time was done for us. Cleaners, porters, helpers, all staff - incredible. Everything was so seamless, romantic, and special.

When I say everyone felt like one big family here, it’s true. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to duplicate this experience anywhere else. We will be back!! Love this place to much.

If I could sum it up with one word ... I would say, "GO".

Cape Cadogan

“We loved the hotel and would highly recommend it. We had two rooms, and both were excellent with a delicious breakfast every morning. We walked to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront* from Cadogan (my husband and I are in our 60's and it was easy) and took a $4.00 Uber back to the hotel. All in all, a fabulous experience.”

*Cape Cadogan offers a shared complimentary shuttle service that does a morning and afternoon transfer to the V&A Waterfront.

Upper Union

Our first night in Cape Town, and we had dinner at their restaurant, Upper Union. Quite frankly it was the BEST dinner we had in Cape Town, and we visited two other popular A+ establishments.

If you are looking to experience a Cape and Safari trip, then have a look at our Curated Journeys and reach out to your preferred travel agent or our concierge team for assistance.