Ukutula Lion Lodge

We loved our stay at Ukutula, staff were very welcoming, room was comfortable, outdoor pool/gardens were great. We had dinner whilst there and food and service was excellent. Guides are very informative and the animal interactions were amazing. We will definitely visit again in the near future.

I just returned from my FIFTH volunteer experience at Ukutula and had a fantastic time. I am not usually one to visit the same place more than once by choice but this rule does not apply when it comes to Ukutula. Typical duties as a volunteer include preparing and feeding meat to the lions and other predators, cleaning out enclosures and collecting vegetables to feed to free roaming animals. On my fourth and fifth visit, I actually assisted the rangers with feeding the lions, hyenas and tigers at 5pm which was awesome. As physically demanding as the work can be, it is also highly satisfying. Furthermore, as a frequent volunteer, I have had the opportunity to see many lions I previously helped care for as cubs all grown up. Whilst I was volunteering, I got to interact with an 8-month-old cub named Harper. She was special to me because she was the offspring of two of my favourite lions - a tawny male called Caspian (whose name I chose in 2019) and a white lioness called Narnia (who I helped to care for on my first visit in 2015). One thing which must be noted is that Ukutula does not breed cubs. Therefore, visitors and volunteers can never be guaranteed the opportunity to interact with them. However, even if there are no cubs to care for, volunteers will never be short of tasks to keep them busy and visitors have plenty of other exciting things to do. The lion walks at Ukutula are simply the best! You get to see the adult lions interacting with the bush in a natural way - if you are lucky you may even see some of them climbing trees. Please note though that the minimum height to go on the walk is 1.5 meters. Additionally, I highly enjoyed the waterhole experience - from the safety of an observation deck, people see four male lions interacting by a waterhole. Hospitality is another excellent thing about Ukutula. Accommodation is top of the range with En suite bathrooms, is cleaned regularly and feels very homely - what makes it even more relaxing is hearing the lions roaring in the distance! Volunteers also get three very filling and appetizing meals each day. As a returning volunteer, I have also been allowed to dine in the restaurant and can honestly say, the cuisine is out of this world! Overall, as a regular volunteer, I would urge anybody to come to Ukutula. AS previously stated, I typically only visit places once by choice so me being a fifth time volunteer who is already saving to go back again, speaks volumes for how incredible this place is! I will absolutely return in the future !

We were very disappointed about not having to interact with lion and cheetah cubs at all!!! I called the lodge to confirm the experience especially for my 9 year old son 2 days before we booked. The lady advised that we would definitely have interaction with cubs (touch ,hold and take photographs). I addressed this with the same lady I had phoned at the reception after our guided tour day. She apologised and said that they haven't offered the experience for months. I reminded her that we spoke 2 days prior to our visit and she confirmed interaction. I suggested to her that the lodge should not offer the attraction to lure tourists,only for them to be robbed of the experience and their money, not to mention the distance and terrible road you travel to get there.