Frequent Asked Questions

Royal Ingwe River Lodge is a family-friendly establishment that welcomes children from the age of 12 years. We kindly request that parents be mindful, such that the peaceful environment of the lodge is not disturbed for other guests.

While our guides, trackers and service staff are delightful with children, we do not offer child-specific activities or child-minding services. Due to safety regulations, no children younger than 12 years may go on guided walking safaris.

The adjacent Joy Adamson and George Adamson suites may be booked concurrently to create an interleading family suite that accommodates a total of 4 adults and 2 children.

Children (aged 12-16 years) may be accommodated at 50% of the adult rate, when sharing a suite with one other adult or another child.

Please inform our reservations team, at the time of booking, of any food intolerances, food allergies and dietary requirements that our kitchen and serving staff should be aware of.

Whilst our executive chef and his team take utmost precautions to prevent the risk of cross-contamination in our kitchens, we cannot guarantee that dishes are completely free of peanuts or peanut traces.

We, therefore, strongly advise guests with peanut allergies to exercise extreme discernment when deciding to book their stay at Royal Ingwe River Lodge, with the knowledge that they do so at their own discretion.

Royal Ingwe River Lodge has two separate kitchens and teams – one for the main lodge and another for the private villa. To ensure we cater to every One kitchen adheres to kashrut guidelines for our guests who keep kosher, while the other prepares all the other menu items.

The tap water at Royal Ingwe River Lodge is safe to drink as it is sourced from our private boreholes that have been treated through our on-site reverse osmosis system.

Nevertheless, as a five-star establishment we supply our guests with complimentary still and sparkling bottled water within their suites and throughout their stay.

We understand that life happens and that plans may change. This is why we offer our guests a selection of flexible cancellation options. At the same time, we strongly recommend that our guests have comprehensive travel insurance for all eventualities.

• Cancellations made 31 days or more prior to arrival: Only the deposit amount is forfeited.
• Cancellations made between 30 and 8 days prior to arrival: 75% of the total booking amount is forfeited.
• Cancellations made within 7 days of arrival or in the case of no-shows: The total booking amount is forfeited.

How can I make changes to my reservation?

Guests are welcome to change the dates of their stay, free of charge, up to 32 days prior to their arrival. Contact our reservations office on reservations@royalingwe.com to reschedule your stay.

A reduction in the length of stay will be considered a partial cancellation and subject to the cancellation policy fees based on the revised departure date.

As recent years have shown, life may be unpredictable. That is why we strongly recommend that our guests obtain comprehensive travel insurance. Please share your travel insurance details with our reservation team when confirming your booking.

A reputable travel insurance should include: personal injury, death and disability, emergency medical treatment and repatriation costs. It should also cover eventualities such as: cancellation policies; delayed, cancelled and missed flights;

loss of and damage to baggage and valuables; personal liability; and legal expenses, among others.

Royal Ingwe River Lodge is located in a low-risk malaria area within the Greater Kruger region. We recommend discussing preventative medication and measures with your medical practitioner before your travel dates, especially if you plant to travel during the rainy season between September and May.

Mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn, which is why it is recommended to wear long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, socks and closed shoes to decrease exposed skin.

To ensure a restful night’s sleep, our staff prepare your room each evening during the turndown service. This includes setting up mosquito nets, providing insect repellent and ensuring your room is free of insects. World-class medical facilities are located at Hoedspruit, a 45-minute drive from Royal Ingwe River Lodge.

Our respect for Mother Nature and understanding of the African bush ensures that we always prioritise the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff.

All our staff are trained in first aid; emergency medical supplies are on site at all times; and Africa Safe-T offers world-class, emergency medical response to our guests and staff.

Hoedspruit, a 45-minute drive from Royal Ingwe River Lodge, offers access to a wide variety of medical professionals. Furthermore, Hoedspruit Private Hospital, equipped with a 24-hour accident and emergency unit, is opening in the last quarter of 2024.

Royal Ingwe River Lodge is able to organise emergency medical evacuation to medical facilities in Hoedspruit, Tzaneen and Johannesburg.

South Africa’s tipping culture is generally 10% of the bill. While gratuities are not mandatory nor expected at Royal Ingwe River Lodge; guests are welcome to show their gratitude for exceptional service at their own discretion.

Tips may be paid directly in cash, while settling your bill, or may be added to the ‘general staff’ tip box in reception, which is equally divided among our staff members.

Guests may tip their private guides and trackers separately to general staff. Gratuities may also be made by credit card at time of check out or departure.

Summer months: January – May and September – December

Winter months: June – August

The summer months see temperatures between 25-40°C (77-104°F). Most rainfall happens during this time with humid conditions and afternoon thunderstorms, particularly in November and February.

Winter boasts dry and cooler conditions, with no rain, clear skies and lots of sunshine. Daytime temperatures average 18-25°C (64-77°F), while nights may see temperatures fall to 5-10°C (41-50°F). Spring and autumn bring mild weather conditions.

Average monthly temperatures in Hoedspruit

What clothes to pack for safari to the kruger?

No matter the season, pack comfortable outdoor (closed) walking shoes, sandals, your swimming costume, a sunhat, sunglasses, sun protection, insect repellent and lip balm.

Despite the fact that Royal Ingwe River Lodge is a five-star establishment, our dress code is casual, even at meal times, as we always want our guests to feel as comfortable as they would in their own home. Short trousers, short-sleeved shirts and sandals are perfectly acceptable throughout the day.

We suggest wearing clothing made from natural fabrics that allow your body to breathe. Choose clothes in neutral colours that easily blend into the surrounding African landscape, while avoiding bright and luminous colours, particularly red, yellow and white.

The lodge provides guests with blankets for early morning and evening game drives, particularly during the cooler winter months. We also supply rain ponchos during the rainy season, as our safari vehicles are open to the elements.

Please pack according to the season and remember a warm fleece, light jacket, beanie, scarf and gloves, regardless of the time of year.

For unrivalled wildlife sightings across the Greater Kruger region, remember to bring your binoculars and cameras, with spare batteries and memory cards (more than you think you might need), as well as charging cables.

As we want our guests to always feel at ease within their surroundings and because we understand packing restrictions, Royal Ingwe River Lodge offers a complimentary daily laundry service of one laundry bag per suite.

A price list for any additional items may be found in your suite. Kindly note that while there are no dry-cleaning facilities on site, a number of dry-cleaning services may be found in and around Hoedspruit.

Despite its remote location near the Kruger National Park, Royal Ingwe River Lodge is fully electrified 24/7. The lodge supplies its own power through an on-site solar system with back-up batteries (600kW/h) and back-up generators.

Regardless of what you may have read about South Africa’s power crisis or other accommodation around Hoedspruit, we do not experience any power outages during scheduled power cuts known as load shedding.

What kind of power point is found in South Africa?

The South African Residential Standard electricity voltage is 230 volts at 50 Hz.

All of the suites at Royal Ingwe River Lodgehave built-in European plug points (Schuko/type C with two round pins) and USB plug sockets. We recommend that our guests buy a South African travel adaptor (type D with three round pins) before departure. Devices or appliances made in the United States may require a transformer. Feel free to contact us beforehand about any electrical-related concerns.