"Perfect "

"A very comfortable place to stay with a lovely view and close to many places of interest in the area. Etta and Derek the hosts are wonderful and went out of their way to ensure we enjoyed our stay. Breakfast was superb with delicious freshly baked bread."

"We chose Dungbeetle River Lodge because of their positive reviews and we are so greatly that we made this choice. This sounds corney but what a gem. Simply divine and the credit goes to Etta and Derik, two of the nicest people that you could ever meet. Our only regret is that we did not stay longer..."

"We chose Dungbeetle River Lodge because of their positive reviews and we are so greatly that we made this choice. This sounds corney but what a gem. Simply divine and the credit goes to Etta and Derik, two of the nicest people that you could ever meet. Our only regret is that we did not stay longer. Breakfast was delicious and you must try the bread and home made jams. Rooms were large and very neat and the service was like a five star hotel. Make sure that you arrange a safari drive with Etta. "

"We stayed here for a romantic getaway. Could not have been nicer. Would definitely recommend the afternoon game drive. We will be back."

"Had a brilliant stay here last week. The owners were fantastic and made us feel very welcome. If you are travelling to Addo, it's a must-stay!"

"Was like staying with old friends.

Excellent welcome, nothing too much trouble, excellent knowledge.

Marvelous food. Wish we could have stayed longer. So enjoyed Eta and Derek's company."

"Thanks to Derek and Etta for making us welcome. Both were excellent hosts in a lovely setting."

"Derek & Hetta are most wonderful host's They know everything about Addo park and help in any way they can. Breakfast is perfect"

"Great experience."

"Stayed 2 nights at Dungbeetle River Lodge and it was great. Booked the Elephant Suite and got the Big 5 Suite, a very good and spacious room. Lovely hosts made us feel at home. Loved to sit at the terrace and look over the river to the dunes. Safe environment, walked to restaurant for dinner. Would ..."

"Stayed 2 nights at Dungbeetle River Lodge and it was great. Booked the Elephant Suite and got the Big 5 Suite, a very good and spacious room. Lovely hosts made us feel at home. Loved to sit at the terrace and look over the river to the dunes. Safe environment, walked to restaurant for dinner. Would like to come back and stay longer. Will recommend the lodge to all our friends."

"A lovely lodge, well stocked and everything has been thought of. One of the other guests mentioned that there's a lot of love in the little things and i would totally agree.

ideal if you are feeling sociable and up for meeting and eating with other guests. less suitable if you want complete..."

"A lovely lodge, well stocked and everything has been thought of. One of the other guests mentioned that there's a lot of love in the little things and i would totally agree.

ideal if you are feeling sociable and up for meeting and eating with other guests. less suitable if you want complete privacy. we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and the people we were with were great fun but given the slightly enforced togetherness would recommend this lodge for 2 nights max."

"Wonderful stay. Very welcoming and knowledgeable hosts. Lovely comfortable rooms. Wish we could have stayed longer and hope to return soon."

"Our stay was great, we unfortunately were not there long enough to use the canoes but I would love to stay there again.

Thank you for everything, we felt that it was a home away from home."

"Although we stayed only one night, we had a fantastic time - would have loved to have stayed longer. Everyone was so helpful and friendly - our children had a great time on the Sundays River in the canoes. "

"Derek and Etta were very helpful and friendly and the lodge itself was clean and comfortable. They advised us of the local points of interest, including an unforgettable canoe trip up the Sundays River."

"Could not have been better, the only downside was we were only there for 2 nights, could have spent a week there. Everything was excellent even the game drive with Etta in Addo park."

"What a fantastic couple. We are locals and not foreign travellers. On that note I learned so much culturally about my own culture 'South African' from Etta who makes everything a wonderful lesson about the culture of the area. A truly great place an I encourage everyone to stay there even if they ar..."

"What a fantastic couple. We are locals and not foreign travellers. On that note I learned so much culturally about my own culture 'South African' from Etta who makes everything a wonderful lesson about the culture of the area. A truly great place an I encourage everyone to stay there even if they are local."

"This was the peak of our SA journey with a wonderful room and wonderful people. Edda and team organised all the trips to the Addo Park for us and really gave us the feeling that we were much more than simply guests for a couple of days."

"Wonderfully situated guesthouse very close to ADDO, great hospitality, great dog :-) "

"We thouroughly enjoyed our stay at the Dungbeetle Lodge, and appreciated the personal attention paid to us by Derek & Etta. The accommodation is very comfortable, and they were very informative about the surrounding area and what there is to do and see. "

"Wonderful setting on the banks of the Sundays and close to Addo; comfortable rooms; Derek and Etta are very helpful and considerate - almost like family - and Etta's breakfasts are unbeatable! We'll be back."

"A delightful lodge with all the home comforts. Charming hosts who go out of their way to ensure a pleasant and relaxing stay. Huge comfortable beds and a more than adequate delicious breakfast. Will certainly recommend to friends and family."

"Excellent accommodation, beautifully situated and professionally run. Breakfast was superb. Well deserved its 4 star rating. Extremely helpful and friendly couple of hosts. A lovely touch was their welcoming drink on the deck overlooking the river. Will definitely return."

"We eventually arrived after the longest day of travelling ever, and Etta and Derek were so welcoming! They showed us to the most beautiful rooms and then took us off for a free welcome drink by the river. Bless them! The rooms were so beautifully decorated and the doors were amazing! As we were ..."

"We eventually arrived after the longest day of travelling ever, and Etta and Derek were so welcoming! They showed us to the most beautiful rooms and then took us off for a free welcome drink by the river. Bless them! The rooms were so beautifully decorated and the doors were amazing! As we were only staying for one night, we didn't really get to experience everything, but Etta was happy to let us check out late (as we had a morning safari at Addo), and even made us breakfast when we got back. We could not have asked for a nicer friendlier place to stay. Will definitely be back - and look forward to spending more time there."

"Everything was great thanks."

"Had a great time at the Lodge. Etta & Derek made everyone feel at home and we had a wonderful stay.

Usually we would pass straight through Colchester on our way to PE / Jeffreys Bay but this time we had the opportunity to stay in Colchester at the Dungbeetle lodge. Would definitely recomm..."

"Had a great time at the Lodge. Etta & Derek made everyone feel at home and we had a wonderful stay.

Usually we would pass straight through Colchester on our way to PE / Jeffreys Bay but this time we had the opportunity to stay in Colchester at the Dungbeetle lodge. Would definitely recommend this little piece of paradise."

"Our family of 6 (grandparent, parents and children aged 11-17) enjoyed a very brief overnight here, where we couldn't have been made more welcome without being imposed upon! Derek and Etta went out of their way to make us feel at home, including rising to make us breakfast for 6.45, so that we could..."

"Our family of 6 (grandparent, parents and children aged 11-17) enjoyed a very brief overnight here, where we couldn't have been made more welcome without being imposed upon! Derek and Etta went out of their way to make us feel at home, including rising to make us breakfast for 6.45, so that we could go on an early morning trip to Addo and helping the boys with the canoes. "

"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Dungbeetle. Etta and Derek went above and beyond our expectations to provide a wonderful home away from home, with fabulous food (much of which had a traditional South African story to accompany it), beautiful rooms (there were 10 of us, taking up 5 rooms), and..."

"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Dungbeetle. Etta and Derek went above and beyond our expectations to provide a wonderful home away from home, with fabulous food (much of which had a traditional South African story to accompany it), beautiful rooms (there were 10 of us, taking up 5 rooms), and a wealth of information about local flora, fauna, history, food and activities. We would certainly return for another visit! :)"

"An awesome place to stay in Colchester. We really had a lovely time during our one night stay. The location is perfect. Hard to get any better. Owners and staff are extremely helpful and friendly. They even wanted to provide medication for my friend who was sick to his stomach. They really know the ..."

"An awesome place to stay in Colchester. We really had a lovely time during our one night stay. The location is perfect. Hard to get any better. Owners and staff are extremely helpful and friendly. They even wanted to provide medication for my friend who was sick to his stomach. They really know the town and its surroundings and gave good advice on local restaurants and outdoor activities. We were allowed to take their canoe and explored the Sunday River and the dunes right in front of the Dungbeetle River Lodge. Addo Elephant Park and some Private Game Reserves are just a short drive away. The room was very tastefully furnished, very spacey, clean and extremely comfortable. Another highlight was the delicious breakfast with home-made jelly and Kudu sausages. Hopefully we’re able to come back someday but we’ll definitely tell all our friends about that excellent experience."

"Dungbeetle River Lodge is in an excellent setting and Etta and Derek are great hosts. The breakfasts are very good with wonderful fresh bread and an incredible assortment of jams - as Etta says 'try the tomato'. We also had the most amazing day in Addo with Etta as our guide and her knowledge of the..."

"Dungbeetle River Lodge is in an excellent setting and Etta and Derek are great hosts. The breakfasts are very good with wonderful fresh bread and an incredible assortment of jams - as Etta says 'try the tomato'. We also had the most amazing day in Addo with Etta as our guide and her knowledge of the elephants and the local area taught us so much. Our only disappointment was the weather as the cold wind meant that our time on the lovely riverside terrace was severely curtailed - we did however use the splendid lounge which also has beautiful views. Thanks Etta and Derek for being so welcoming - we wish we could have stayed longer."

"Very interesting and pleasant place to be. The nearby dunes (reachable by car or Dungbeetles's canoe) are amazing! Stay there for three nights. You can do canoeing, Dunewalks, (Cross-)golf in the Dunes, fishing, bird & monkey viewing on the riversides and last but not least safaris inside Addo-park...."

"Very interesting and pleasant place to be. The nearby dunes (reachable by car or Dungbeetles's canoe) are amazing! Stay there for three nights. You can do canoeing, Dunewalks, (Cross-)golf in the Dunes, fishing, bird & monkey viewing on the riversides and last but not least safaris inside Addo-park. It is a good place to start game viewing in Addo (with or without guides). The hosts and guides (Derek and Eta) are wonderful, breakfast is great and with scenic river view. Do not expect high-class restaurants around the lodge, but you can get excellent steaks at the restaurant in Canonville (5min by feet) and the locals in Canonville are very kind."

"We were made to feel completely at home here and our hosts were very knowledgeable. Our room was very clean and big! They arranged tours for us and also took us out on safari in Addo National Park which was amazing. Fantastic setting on the banks of the Sundays River, very relaxing and lovely foo..."

"We were made to feel completely at home here and our hosts were very knowledgeable. Our room was very clean and big! They arranged tours for us and also took us out on safari in Addo National Park which was amazing. Fantastic setting on the banks of the Sundays River, very relaxing and lovely food."

"Dungbettle River Lodge has a home from home feel, very relaxed and friendly. Etta and Derek are very hospitable, giving freely interesting and valuable information about the local area, Addo Elephant Park etc. Enjoyed the fabulous fresh food prepared every morning. We enjoyed our stay at Dungbett..."

"Dungbettle River Lodge has a home from home feel, very relaxed and friendly. Etta and Derek are very hospitable, giving freely interesting and valuable information about the local area, Addo Elephant Park etc. Enjoyed the fabulous fresh food prepared every morning. We enjoyed our stay at Dungbettle River Lodge, will recommend to anyone travelling to SA.
"

"We have wonderful days at the Dungbeetle Lodge. The drive with Derek through the Addo National Park was fantastic and the lodge with our host Esther and Derek was so beautiful. We will come back to this nice place and lovely people. Thank you so much!"

"Fantastic hotel in a fantastic location. Owners are incredibly warm and friendly, they made it feel like home for two days. Beautiful views of the river whilst eating breakfast which I must say was very tasty. The room we stayed in was very nice, it felt like being in a safari lodge."

"After a very busy time in our lives, we decided to take a few days to unwind and to visit the Addo Elephant Park; via the internet, we found an interestingly named B&B called "Dungbeetle River Lodge". From the moment, we started our correspondence to and from the B&B we knew that we were in very c..."

"After a very busy time in our lives, we decided to take a few days to unwind and to visit the Addo Elephant Park; via the internet, we found an interestingly named B&B called "Dungbeetle River Lodge". From the moment, we started our correspondence to and from the B&B we knew that we were in very capable hands! Etta and Derek made us feel totally "at home", both knowledgeable of the area and what to expect from our visit to the Park, which was conveniently positioned just a couple of kilometres from the main gate. On arrival at Dungbeetle, we were shown to our room aptly named "the elephant room", it was superbly furnished and very comfortable.

The breakfast on the sundeck, overlooking the river, was once again, superb! We enjoyed the beauty, the freshness and spectacular views. From the freshly homemade breads, tasty jams to the full-on cooked breakfast - we came away feeling we had too much to eat but it was irresistible!! Etta and Derek are an amazing couple who have gone out of their way to give attention to every detail, without encroaching on your privacy but at the same time, allowing us to explore and ask the questions knowing we would get the right answers.

Dungbeetle River Lodge comes well recommended and we will certainly be visiting Etta and Derek again. Thanks again for an amazing experience and for allowing us to unwind, feel at home and enjoy the surrounding area!
"

"Well, when we arrived, there was a very pleasant welcome. We were taken to the deck to see the river and look at the different birds. We had traveled from Knysna and we were allowed to relax with a drink...a beer from Derek! Then Ettie showed us to our rooms. Quickly unpacking and sorting ourselves ..."

"Well, when we arrived, there was a very pleasant welcome. We were taken to the deck to see the river and look at the different birds. We had traveled from Knysna and we were allowed to relax with a drink...a beer from Derek! Then Ettie showed us to our rooms. Quickly unpacking and sorting ourselves out we then went onto the deck to gaze and relax.

Derek gave us the low down on where to eat in Colchester and the local pub! We found that our hosts could not do enough for us, wonderfully prepared breakfasts with advice on the best ways to see Addo Elephant Park and Scotia safari. Ettie was so involved in Addo and made the place come alive with her descriptions. It surpassed our expectations the next day. Derek talking about his life since leaving United Kingdom many years ago was interesting over a beer. A very pleasant place to recharge your batteries with delightful hosts and a relaxing, comfortable place to stay. The river was excellent...fun to boat on and superb to watch the varied birds. Thoroughly recommended.
mmended."

"An outstanding place to stay. Hosts Derek and Etta made us most welcome and their excellent knowledge of the area helped us to make the most of our stay, including trips to Addo Elephant Park and a dawn trip across the river to the dunes. Nothing was too much bother to them. We loved the Africa deco..."

"An outstanding place to stay. Hosts Derek and Etta made us most welcome and their excellent knowledge of the area helped us to make the most of our stay, including trips to Addo Elephant Park and a dawn trip across the river to the dunes. Nothing was too much bother to them. We loved the Africa decor and the fine views from the lounge and balcony areas. If returning to the area we would look nowhere else for accommodation."

"A big thank you to Derick & Etta at Dungbeetle Lodge! We had a great weekend breakaway in the Sondagsrivier Valley and are very excited to return.

Thank you very much for you kindness, great service and personal touch!

Best of luck for the future!"

"More than highly recommended! The hospitality is amazing, the breakfast awesome, and the peace and tranquility of the river wonderful. We really do hope to have the opportunity to stay at Dungbeetle again!"

"Dungbeetle River Lodge is a great place to stay. Very friendly staff – they are generous and helpful. Etta and Dereck offer to you a beautiful stay in a lovely place, close to many things to see. We do recommend this lodge. We share with everyone a really good time, and an evening braai, typically..."

"Dungbeetle River Lodge is a great place to stay. Very friendly staff – they are generous and helpful. Etta and Dereck offer to you a beautiful stay in a lovely place, close to many things to see. We do recommend this lodge. We share with everyone a really good time, and an evening braai, typically South African moment!
Raphaële & Fred
"

"The hosts are lovely people. You immediately feel home. The house and the rooms are very cosy and the location perfect next to the river with a breathtaking view.

The breakfast is yummy with for example homemade bread and jam!! We will come back again. "

"Dungbeetle River Lodge is a very pleasant place to stay. It is close to Addo and has beautiful sand dunes that are amazing. We had a lovely breakfast on the deck with home made bread and jam, and freshly squeezed juice.

The hosts are extremely friendly and helpful with good local knowledge..."

"Dungbeetle River Lodge is a very pleasant place to stay. It is close to Addo and has beautiful sand dunes that are amazing. We had a lovely breakfast on the deck with home made bread and jam, and freshly squeezed juice.

The hosts are extremely friendly and helpful with good local knowledge. "

"We stayed at the Dungbeetle River Lodge for only one night.

We regretted that we did not book there for a longer time.

Etta and Derek are such great hosts! They show real interest in their guests, trying that you feel comfortable and have a good time while staying there and ther..."

"We stayed at the Dungbeetle River Lodge for only one night.

We regretted that we did not book there for a longer time.

Etta and Derek are such great hosts! They show real interest in their guests, trying that you feel comfortable and have a good time while staying there and there are so many things you can do when staying at the lodge.

We went canoeing to the other side of the river into the dunes.
Wonderful and what we will remember most; the breakfast on the terrasse overlooking the river, with homemade bread (delicious) and everything you could desire.

We have been three weeks in South Africa and at the Dungbeetle River Lodge we experienced the most friendly hosts of all our trip!"