We recently spent three nights at Black Rhino Game Lodge while celebrating our youngest daughter’s 21st birthday and our 26th wedding anniversary, and it was an exceptional experience from beginning to end.
Having visited the Pilanesberg many times over the years, including recent stays at Bakubung and Shepherd’s Tree, we were particularly interested to see how Black Rhino compared. We came away genuinely believing it was our best overall Pilanesberg experience to date.
A huge part of that was the quality of the people.
From the outset, Patricia was exceptionally responsive and helpful with our arrangements. On arrival, Pronia welcomed us with such warmth, professionalism and personality that she immediately set the tone for our stay. Her introduction to the lodge and its facilities was excellent and made us feel at home from the very first moment.
As if perfectly scripted, just as we stepped outside during our introduction, a herd of elephants approached the waterhole, followed shortly afterwards by two hippos. It was a magical way to begin our stay.
Our ranger, Jason, was outstanding. We completed six game drives over the three days and, having been doing game drives for more than 30 years, I can confidently say that Jason is one of the finest rangers we have encountered. His knowledge of wildlife, birdlife and even plant life was exceptional, but equally impressive was the engaging and personable way in which he shared that knowledge.
One morning alone, Jason guided us to an extraordinary 35 rhino sightings, including three black rhino. It was a remarkable experience and one we will never forget.
The broader lodge team was equally impressive. Agnes and Patricia, together with Pronia, were consistently helpful, attentive and proactive in ensuring that every request was handled with care.
The food was another highlight. Head Chef Raymond and Chef Tapelo delivered outstanding meals throughout our stay. The beef fillet deserves a special mention — quite simply, it melted in the mouth like butter.
The bar team of Karabo, Levi and Nico were terrific: always friendly, efficient and seemingly willing and able to make whatever cocktail we challenged them with!
We would also particularly like to recognise Gontse, the Food & Beverage Manager. His professionalism, warmth and genuine care for guests were evident throughout our stay. He engaged with guests every day, checking that everyone was happy and that everything was running seamlessly. His contribution to our overall experience was significant.
The effort the team made around our daughter’s 21st birthday and our wedding anniversary was enormously appreciated and turned what was already a wonderful stay into a very special family memory.
Black Rhino offers a wonderful combination of excellent game viewing, knowledgeable guiding, very good food, a relaxed lodge environment and, above all, an exceptional team of people.
We left with some very special memories and would return without hesitation.
A heartfelt thank you to Pronia, Jason, Gontse, Agnes, Patricia, Raymond, Tapelo, Karabo, Levi and Nico. You are all a real credit to Black Rhino.
