We would like to stay at a luxury lodge for 3 nights in early April for our first safari and we were wondering if there were any good luxury lodges near the Nelspruit airport? We have already purchased a plane ticket from Nelspruit to Cape Town so we would need to only be 1-2 hours away by road.
We would like a lodge with an outdoor bath/pool. It just looks like a great thing to do for us. 
Our maximum budget would be 4000 Rand per night per person. Something cheaper would be better though.
Thanks!
Luxury lodges near Nelspruit airport
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On that budget you may want to consider Djuma Vuyetella. It has outdoor showers but the price (all inclusive) is R4,200 per person. It is better to fly to Hoedspruit when going to Djuma but it is doable in 3-3.5 hours from Nelspruit.
Lion Sands River just got rid of the outdoor shower and they still have summer rates until April 30. MalaMala Main camp also does not have outdoor showers but their rates are $575 per night per person which would be about 4,000 rand and right on target.
I have been to all these places. Lion Sands and MalaMala are two of my favorites in the mid-price category.
Craig Beal
Hoedspruit - (I know you say you have tickets from Nelspruit but since SC brought it up) - SAA flys there, Hoedspruit, HDS, twice daily from JNB. And Hoedspruit is less than an hours drive to several private safari camps in the Timbavati Reserve. Some of which are within your budget. Here's one I've been to and will be going back to - http://www.kingscamp.com/rates/specials.html
Their rate is R4200 but if you stay 5 night it drops to R3360. Does have a nice pool as do most camps in this price range. Safari camps in the Timbavati will pick you up at the HDS airport (for a few R).
But from Nelspruit I'd guess getting to the Timbavati camps would take 3-4 hours driving. So Sabi Sand Reserve camps would be much closer. (But still minimum 2 hours drive). Here's a little map showing both reserves next to Kruger and the safari camps. Also shows Nelspruit and Hoedspruit relationships.
http://tomgraham.smugmug.com/MAPS/Maps-ETC/2791066_s8Vku#716019077_HnkFD-XL-LB
However, most camps in the Sabi Sand reserve are well out of your budget range.
I'm sure there are luxury lodges in the Nelspruit (and Hazyview), area that have arranged day trips into Kruger. Or, can arrange such day trips into Kruger for you. But sorry, I don't know any, I go the safari camps in those two reserves. BTW, mentioning Kruger, most of the camps in Kruger have pools and Kruger will cost you less than R1000 per person day, car rental included. Kruger and private safari camps are two very different experiences.
regards - tom