Day Safari at Pumba Private Game Reserve

Wonderful experience and saw many animals. Our guide, Cleo, was also amazing. Only thing to note is it is quite a long dirt road to travel on to get to the reserve, so it may be difficult to get to should there be some rain.

Fantastic game drive, very well prepared by the staff, including a lovely and very tasty lunch ! Definitely one of the best game drives one can wish for.

AMAZING, service was brilliant. Our game driver Mzi was lovely he was very helpful answering our questions. Great Guy ! We all love it would definitely recommend.

Our cruise ship stopped in Port Elizabeth for the day and we booked a day safari excursion at Pumba reserve. We traveled by tour bus from the port which took about an hour and 30 min. The drive is beautiful as you climb up into the green, very thick bushy hills of the South African Veld. We arrived at the gate lodge and were welcomed by our drivers and with refreshments of lemonade and tasty bran muffins. After loading up in the safari vehicles (10 guests per vehicle) we were off on our adventure. It didn't take long until we were surrounded by a herd of grazing giraffes, gazelles, impala, gnus and warthogs. After spending some time getting some amazing pics we moved on to try find other animals. Pumba reserve is not on the flat savannah, so you have to drive around on the rough roads through the hills and hunt for the animals in the thick brush. I'm sure the guides have an idea of where to find specific animals and they communicate with each other to spot the game. We drove around for quite a while looking for the elephants and came across a large water monitor lizard, kudus and hippos. Finally, our driver located a large bull elephant, and we stopped to watch him. Shortly after we stopped, two younger bulls emerged from the brush and began to push each other around practicing for future fights. At noon we were taken to the dining lodge and were fed a delicious lunch of local meat dishes, side dishes and salads. We also tasted some great South African wines. After lunch we got back on the vehicles and searched for more animals. We were delighted to see a herd of Cape Buffalo, two large female rhinos and a large herd of hippos lounging in a lake. It was a great adventure, but we were disappointed to not have seen any of the rare white lions or other predators on the reserve. The lodges on the reserve are beautifully built and situated just above lakes and watering holes for great viewing of the animals. I would love to return someday and spend a few nights there.

Mega Safari - dreamlike - pure Africa. We had done a lot of research before our trip and since we were in South Africa for the first time and the cruise company also likes to change routes and departure times, we decided to book directly through our Cruiseline Puma. Even the homepage and the story behind Pumba made our expectations very high and what can we say - it was the best trip in the 3 weeks of boat trip. We were picked up in Port Elizabeth by Tony, who accompanied us with many reports on the way to Pumba. There we boarded open safari buses and from there we felt it would be an adventure. There were about 5 vehicles at our disposal and the passengers could spread themselves to the vehicles as they wished. We were lucky, there were only 8 + drivers in the vehicle, so there would have been room for 2 more passengers. Our vehicle was the only one that was not fully occupied. We were also lucky with the passengers, there was a family with their son in the back, then my husband and I, in front of us an older couple (older than 70), in addition to the driver also an older gentleman from Bremen. Everyone held up bravely, no squeaking, no murmuring, no whining, no bitching. We got along magnificently and shared the many impressions. Our driver looked more like a Scot than a South African (Sorry I don't remember his name), but he had a mega-wild but safe driving style and was just brilliant. The drivers exchanged ideas with WalkieTalkies who saw what and where. As a result, we saw not only many antelope species (nicknamed MCDonalds), but also rhinos, buffaloes, pumbas (warthogs with babies), zebras, elephants, giraffes and also a pair of cheetahs. The air was filled with a herbaceous scent of foreign herbs, the plants and colors uniquely wild, it was postcard-like and you felt like you were beyond Africa. But if you expect a civilized tarred runway here and can't tolerate a wild riding style in Defender and are spit bag-tested, you're out of place here. Everyone knows the documents about the SUVs how much gradient they can, you take that with washed-out roads, rocky, dusty and wild - you swallow quite a lot of dust, you get dirty. Not suitable for sensitive city bunnies. For those who want to experience pure Africa, in style - thats it. At noon there was a buffet at the lodge (I forgot before the start of the ride there was a welcome drink, very sweet, very delicious and without %, just right), there was also iced tea here at the start (although it was amazing, there were passengers who did not know what iced tea was, strange). The buffet was great. In the roundtop was an open fire, the smoke drove away the little curious primates hanging in the trees, looking for prey). The food was delicious and fresh. Vegetables, potato salad, pasta salad, rice, salad, grilled kudu, grilled buck, sausages and South African wines. The staff was very friendly. In short, just perfect and you should consider this is a 5-star lodge, not a hostel. Afterwards we went through the wilderness again, we saw nippons, buffalo, and also a lion, white lion which was a lazy lion, as it had probably made ample prey at night. In short, for us a mega dream, all expectations were not only fulfilled but also exceeded and we will come back, then for several days with overnight stay. Thanks to the Pumbateam, you were great!!!!

Fantastic- Mzi our driver was knowledgeable The Land Rover very comfortable Amazing sightings Would definitely recommend

What a fun tour! Early in the morning we called if they still had room for 6, this was immediately arranged. That way and very nicely received. The tourguide was also very friendly and gave us a great time and made sure we would get the most out of the tour as far as animals are concerned. There is advertising with the Leopard, now this seems to be a false advertisement because they have seen the leopard for a long time and assume that he is no longer there. In addition, there are skulls along the route that seem a bit laid out for the show because they are so perfect and you will not find any bones. For the Leopard, I'd find another game reserve. Furthermore, the food was mega tasty and we are also well spoiled there. All in all highly recommended.

Fabulous guides in an amazing game reserve with stunning views and a wealth of animals to see up close. Fantastic 3 course lunch with drinks overlooking stunning views on the terrace.

We have been to 4 day safaris at different private game reserves on this holiday. All have been excellent, provided unbelievable experiences and incredible value. However just like in 2020 when we visited South Africa, Pumba wins hands down as being the best. You are treated as VIPs as soon as you arrive and feel the same throughout the day until you eventually say goodbye. Every member of staff make you feel special. Nathy?was our tour guide and he provided so much information as he searched out and found the animals. The drive itself was comfortable albeit the vehicle is driving on rough tracks. Lunch was an unbelievable memory. The server just asked what you didn’t want on the menu and you got served the rest as well as a generous amount of wine. Still can’t believe the day we had or the price we paid

Very friendly and professional staff i.e. from reception, game drive rangers and catering. Great experience, loved and enjoyed every moment of the game drive.