18 On The Hill: our stay at a tented lodge in the Greater Kruger
We stayed at 18 On The Hill, a luxury tented lodge in the Greater Kruger. The food, the suites, a kosher kitchen and drives that never felt the same twice.
The view from the main deck at 18 On The Hill is the one lodges put on their websites, and fair enough. The bush runs away in every direction, and while we were sitting there elephants came through below and nobody said much for a while.
Then there were the plates. Every meal arrived on a warmed one, breakfast included, which sounds like a small thing until you realise somebody has to remember to do it every single time. We went for the Big Five and came home talking about crockery. That same care turned up everywhere, from the size of the suites to the way the drives were planned.
18 On The Hill opened in 2025 in Maseke Game Reserve, within the Balule Nature Reserve, which shares an unfenced border with the Kruger National Park. The name comes from the original plan of nine suites for 18 guests, on a hill.
- Where: Maseke, in the Balule Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger, about an hour by road from Hoedspruit's Eastgate Airport
- Best for: first safaris, food lovers, kosher travellers and families
- Think twice if: you have very young children, as every suite has its own plunge pool and sits raised above the ground
- The suite to ask for: a super king for couples, or two three-quarter beds for friends or a parent with an older child
- Pair it with: a night in Hoedspruit on the way in, and Cape Town at the end
We stayed at 18 On The Hill as guests of the lodge. The opinions are our own.
Come hungry
What is the food like at 18 On The Hill?
We are still talking about the lamb chops, which tells you most of what you need to know. There was also a salmon pan-fried with lemon, peas and potato, and a breakfast worth hurrying back from the morning drive for.
On safari every meal comes from the same kitchen, wherever it happens to be served, so steadiness counts for more than any one grand dinner. Everything that came out of the kitchen while we were there was right. Meals are served in the dining room, on a deck overlooking the waterhole or around the boma fire, and if food is high on your list of reasons to travel, you will be very happy here.
A kosher kitchen of its own
Does 18 On The Hill have a kosher kitchen?
It does, and a serious one. The kosher kitchen is completely separate from the main one, with its own meat and dairy sections, and it is used only under the supervision of trained and approved Mashgichim. It stays locked unless a Mashgiach is on site for the whole stay, so there is no self-supervision and no grey area.
We plan a lot of kosher safaris, and the kitchen is usually the part that takes the most arranging. Finding one already built into a luxury tented lodge opens up a kind of trip that would otherwise take real effort. Stays over Shabbat can be shaped around it, with a shorter Friday drive or a Saturday night drive on request. Kosher needs booking ahead, so tell us early.
Hills, river and tamboti forest
What are the game drives like at 18 On The Hill?
Varied, which surprised us. The lodge's drives cover 10,000 hectares, taking in Maseke itself and a stretch of riverfront along the Olifants River. A single drive might climb over hills, drop into valleys, follow the river and wind through tamboti forest before the bush opens out again. Our drives felt completely different from each other, and at points we stopped looking for anything in particular.
The afternoon drive ended beside the Olifants with the most stunning sunset. It will never make the list of sightings you tell friends about, and it is the moment we keep describing anyway.
All of the Big Five
Can you see the Big Five at 18 On The Hill?
We did. Between Matt, our tracker, and our guide, we saw elephants in good numbers, buffalo, lions, two leopards and several rhinos, plus more giraffes than we kept count of. Nothing in the wild is ever promised, but the reserve was very generous to us. Rates include conservation levies, and the lodge supports conservation work across Maseke and Balule, including efforts against rhino poaching.
Under canvas
What are the tented suites like?
There are nine of them, each 100 square metres, with a private plunge pool and an outdoor shower. The canvas keeps you close to the bush and its sounds at night, and everything inside it is proper luxury. With an early wake-up call ahead, the super king bed was very welcome. The bathroom was enormous, with twin basins, a green tiled wall, a reed ceiling and a freestanding bath, and we were happy to linger in it after the afternoon drive.
Which suite should you book at 18 On The Hill?
The lodge does not name or grade its suites, so the choice to make when you book is the bed. Couples will want the super king. Two three-quarter beds suit friends travelling together, or a parent with an older child. Spa treatments can be booked on your own deck, and night drives, bush walks, birding outings and photography packages can be added to the days. Tell us early which of these matter, and we will build them in.
Who will love it
Who is 18 On The Hill best for?
Travellers who want the romance of a tented lodge with every comfort in place, and who care about what arrives at the table. Kosher travellers will find a lodge that has thought about them properly. Families are welcome too, though with a plunge pool on every deck and suites raised above the ground, parents of little ones will want to keep an eye out.
It is also a lovely first safari. You get the Big Five on an unfenced border with the Kruger, and a kitchen that takes food seriously, at a gentler price than some of the better-known names nearby. That leaves room in the budget for a few nights in Cape Town, or a longer stay in the bush. The lodge is also building a five-bedroom sole-use villa, which will suit families and groups who want the place to themselves. Ask us for an update.
The lodge's motto is a Tsonga phrase that means “it is plenty”, and it's a fair summary. What we remember first are the small things: the warm plates, the bed, that bathroom, the sunset on the river. None of it would make a brochure headline, and we suspect the lodge doesn't mind. Someone there has clearly sat on the guest's side of the table and thought it all through.
Building the trip
How many nights should you spend at 18 On The Hill?
Three or four nights at the very least. Drives here change so much from one to the next that two nights barely gets you started, and the slower pace is half the point. Anything shorter and you spend the stay arriving and leaving.
We like to add a night in Hoedspruit on the way in, so you reach the lodge rested rather than rushing a connection, then finish in the Cape. Fly from Eastgate to Cape Town and the trip ends with the sea and the Winelands, which we cover in our guide to Cape Town after safari. If you would like us to shape it around your dates, start with a conversation. There is no planning fee.
Vikki & Sian
Frequently asked questions
Where is 18 On The Hill?
In Maseke Game Reserve, part of the Balule Nature Reserve in South Africa's Greater Kruger, which shares an unfenced border with the Kruger National Park. Game drives cover hills, valleys, tamboti woodland and riverfront on the Olifants River.
Can you see the Big Five at 18 On The Hill?
Yes. We saw elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino during our stay. Sightings in the wild are never guaranteed.
Does 18 On The Hill have a kosher kitchen?
Yes. The lodge has a separate kosher kitchen with its own meat and dairy sections, used only under the supervision of approved Mashgichim. Kosher stays must be booked ahead.
How many suites does 18 On The Hill have?
Nine tented suites, each 100 square metres with a private plunge pool and outdoor shower.
How do you get to 18 On The Hill?
Most guests fly into Hoedspruit's Eastgate Airport from Johannesburg or Cape Town. The road transfer takes about an hour, and helicopter transfers can be arranged, subject to weather and availability.
How many nights should you spend at 18 On The Hill?
We suggest three or four nights at least, ideally with a night in Hoedspruit on the way in and a few days in Cape Town at the end.
How do I book a stay at 18 On The Hill?
Through Marula Hill, as part of a tailor-made safari. There is no planning fee, and we will check availability and shape the rest of your trip around it.
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