Nylsvley Nature Reserve is a birders paradise. Waterbirds, including uncommon species, are abundant when the rainfall is sufficient to sustain water in the vlei. The non-aquatic birdlife is also incredible. My trip in the beginning of March 2022 yielded just over 100 species. Here of some of my favourite sightings: Allen's Gallinule, Slaty Egret, Black-crowned Night-heron, Dwarf Bittern, Glossy Ibis, African Spoonbill, White-backed Duck, Hottentot Teal, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Southern Pochard, Lesser Moorhen, Levaillant's Cuckoo, Black-winged Pratincole, Sedge Warbler, Violet-backed Starling, Purple Indigobird, Marico Flycatcher and African Paradise-flycatcher. The campsite is extremely basic, with no electricity and a small ablution with one toilet and cold-water shower. The stands are nicely placed and have a lot of shade. Each stand has a braai and most have a table with benches. The campsite is an excellent break from the noisy cities and is rather peaceful. There is a large well-kept pool. This was a large bonus after a warm morning of birding at Vogelfontein. Ask at the reception for details on how to access Vogelfontein. I would definitely recommend you stop there and bird inside the reserve, as well as along the round near the Vogelfontein gate. The roads are well kept and can be driven with a non-4x4 or non-high-clearance vehicle. The lookout-point yields amazing views, I added some photos in which wildlife was spotted from the tower. The reserve has quite a few mammals. The reserve has quite a few nice housing options for those who are not into bush-camping.

I have been coming to Nylsvley since 1994 and it remains one of the top birding sites in South Africa, however the game count is sadly depleted and while I’m camping in the reserve I hear the sound of poachers rifle shots in the early evening.

A paradise for nature lovers with lots of game, natural bush, a great variety of bird species and picture-perfect scenery. Great for walking, birding or just relaxing.

We enjoyed visiting this reserve. A must visit for birders. Lots of water species to see. Enjoyed the bird hides, outlook tower, and picnic spots. You can braai here and there is also a restaurant. R50 pp entrance is very reasonable! Worth it!!!

Stunning reserve. Friendly people. This was our second time here. We took our bikes. Cycling in nature was wow. Lots of birds, roan, zebra, giraffe, tsesebe etc. Definitely worth a visit. Restaurant is small, service and food excellent. All in all very good value for money.

Really good experience! I'd been to Nylsvley a few times when I was younger, but was really impressed to go back. Firstly, the staff were exceptional. We were running late coming up from Joburg as we ended up on a longer, more alternate dirt road route (if not in a bakkie, take the Mookophong turn off from the N1 and access the reserve from the R101 as this is a far better dirt road and a lot shorter on dirt) and Patrick went out of his way to wait for us (on a public holiday) and was very friendly and accommodating. The staff were also really friendly on departure. Our chalet was clean and well stocked with necessities. The reserve itself looked well managed and overall, very impressed with the 2 nights spent there. The birding was as good as it's always been and all in all, it was a trip worth remembering. Would definitely recommend for nature lovers and good job Nylsvley staff!

I have visited Nylsvley Nature Reserve since I was born and will always come back. Bring your mountain bikes and binoculars and enjoy the scenery. Plenty of birdlife in summer. The camp site is very basic but has a rustic charm to it. Unfortunately recent fires have destroyed the male ablution hut. The dormitories are well kept and have a kitchen and boma area. Unfortunately safety has become a concern as our vehicle was broken into at a Vogelfontein in October 2018. There have been other reports of break ins at the chalets and even fire arms being stolen just two weeks earlier. This is sad considering what a beautiful area this is. Hopefully crime can be stopped in the area.

Beautiful place, pitty the caravan park is neglected. Bathrooms is really not great. I will really want to go there again but the bathrooms needs to be upgraded a bit. The park is beautiful and its worth the visit.

The cleanliness of the reserve and the efficiency of Patrick and his colleague at the restaurant saved the place from 0 stars. The security guards were totally disinterested in their jobs and in guests. Unprofessional and unwelcoming. The Receptionist was okay but gave no effort into ensuring that we knew where to go or what to look for - there was no inclination to orientate us as eager 1st time visitors. The signage in the reserve is non-existent. The lookout tower ladder is certainly a safety risk.

A very special place for birding. Staff very friendly and helpful. A small number of chalets, but well equipped and clean. Basic campsite facilities. Well worth the two hour drive from Johannesburg.

Beautiful wetland nature reserve ( needs rain+++)

We were pleasantly surprised by the set up. We have been residents of Modimolle for 5 years. The destination should be marketed much better. The breakfast at the restaurant was great! However, I can see directional signage needs maintenance and general maintenance to be done! Route map needs updating as I could not find route to Vogelfontein physical roads and map seems to not correspond! But overall a great day out!

Its quite a beautiful place, animals and plants complete it💯💥

We went to the birdhide. Very beautifull

Seen lots of game driving around Roads are being repaired, one or two not for sedan vehicles

Some road require a 4x4 but there is lots of birds and animals to see

Beautiful small reserve. Even though the wetlands were still dry, we saw some resident birds, antelope, giraffe and jackal. Safe to hike in the reserve.

The number and variety of Waterbirds is something special. A birdwatchers paradisr

Place of adventure

Very unique habitat, not to be found elsewhere. Well maintained including roads. Thanks also to Friends of Nylsvley for your efforts and contributions!

Great place for birding, especially in the wet season.

Lovely well lept nature reserve. Great birding experience.

Very friendly and interesting. Hard to find your way since there is minimal signage. Lots of different bird species and good blind locations. Has a great potential for improvement.

A wonderful place to visit the bushveld. Lots of game and fantastic bird life. One can walk safely through the reserve as there are no dangerous animals.

Loved the place

It was a lovely outing! Sooo much water after all the rains - the whole vlei is spectacular. Saw many birds, flying mostly as they then dissapeared in the grass. Staff at reception most helpful, altogether more than worth the travel

The camping area is not great at all. We love bush camps with no power but here the mens ablutions burned down completely and doesn't look like it will be fixed soon. There's no drinking water and no place to wash dishes. I made a booking months in advance and also upon checking in no one told us that the water was not fine for drinking and that there's no mens ablutions. Luckily I asked if there's warm water, and then reception advised that we can shower at the restaurant but the only problem is the gate closes st 18h (supposed to, we wanted to shower at 17h30 but gate was already locked) so when gate is closed you cannot get to restaurant. We camp a lot, and this was the worst camp I've been at. Next time I'll stay outside the reserve and just go in if needed.

water and froggies everywhere lovit

Absolute must for birders

Nylsvley in flood 31 Jan 2021

Beautiful place for birding. Friendly staff, neat picknic areas and bathroom

The place isn't well kept. Upon entrance you are excited but the disappointed once you're inside the reserve??! Especially because it's government owned; you'd think they would want to look good in the public eye. I was there for a Radio Workshop; the conference hall and bathrooms were fine and I liked the dining area as well. My problem was all the ants around the dining area that were EVERYWHERE that was supposed to be grass. It just looked like a deserted park. Sad.

Special place.

Lots of water and frogs

Great for birding. Comfortable accommodation and lovely camping facilities

Surprising abundance of game and birds. Seems to be a clean and professionally run conservation area of high standard. Excellent bird hides and well kept dirt roads accessible by most vehicles. Can easily be navigated using the provided map. Haven't tried hiking routes, but signage seems decent. Bicycles and binoculars available for hire, but haven't personally tested. Nice little restaurant. Decent food though service is a bit slow. Very dry at time of review, but will be absolutely beautiful when the rains come! Personally well worth the entrance fee, especially for birding in the wet season.

Exciting

Night sounds are awsome

Big birding day was a hot with friends at Nylsvley

Beautiful peaceful reserve. I couldn't see all the birds but I loved the quiet.

If you love birds please go to Nylsvley, there's more than 100 different species of birds. And you can even get closer to them.

Beautiful area. Even in winter. Camp site was clean and tranquil. Would love to visit in summer when the migration birds are present. Wildlife was scarce and seemed frightened, apparently there was a capture operation in progress.

A top birding spot. Quite and peacefull. Situated in the upper catchment area of the Nyl River, and covering about 20% of the floodplain, the area boasts some 370 bird species - of which more than 100 are waterfowl - and during peak floods, over 80,000 birds are to be seen. The reserve is also home to roan antelope and tsessebe. The only stands of wild rice in South Africa, Oryza longistaminata, are to be found here. The name 'Nylsvley' originated in vlei, a pan or seasonally flooded area, and in the word for "Nile". In the 1860s, a Voortrekker group of farmers saw a large flooded plain and a river flowing northwards and thought it might be the Nylrivier (Nile river).

Great for bird lovers and there a quite a few animals to see when there. It's a nice activity for a lazy day in nature and it is a great stress reliever.

Its a great place to get away from the world

Good

Nice place

Great accommodation. Friendly staff

Ons of our favorite spots, either Chalet or Camping, fantastic friendly staff and always clean and tidy

Really enjoyed our time at Nylsvley. Saw many birds which we had not seen before and lots of animals. The restaurant was also enjoyable. We had a lovely day out and will definitely be going back for another visit. ?

Nice place lots of birds and game. It is best to approach the reserve from the R101 side only 8km of dirt road rather than the 20km from the other side. Had a good day there will by going back there.

They serve very wonderful food and service providers are very polite. The area has a wide range of animals and wild natural sites. Its management strategies for wildlife are very convenient and its security might not be questioned. There is also a swimming pool and rest rooms that are very tidy and the bathtubs are so relaxing. The service providers are very welcoming. Also the area is good for couples.

A great place for an inexpensive conference centre with plain but clean, comfortable accomodation, spacious kitchen facilities, twin bed rooms with limited bathroom facilities but adequate, or chalets. Nature reserve. Pool. Squirels, monkeys, with that lowveld touch. Time to recharge sitting around a flickering fire, watching the moon and stars, swapping stories, eating delicious braaied meat.

Staff very helpfull

True Bushveld Atmosphere.

Lovely and quiet!

Clean and relaxing

Full of nature

GOOD FOR THE NATURE LOVER!TAKE YOUR TIME TO CLOSELY OBSERVE MANY BIRDS AND OTHER WILD LIFE.WELL WORT VISITING IF YOUR IN THE AREA.

Love this place....... a real Gem

Brings you closer to nature, love the fact that there is no electricity in the camping area.

Not Great.Vlei dry. Very birds and game was sparce

(Translated by Google) Beautiful and quiet! Excellent bird life! (Original) Mooi en rustig! Voëllewe uitstekend!

Sooo dry even some of the usual birds seemed absent. Still a great get-away!

An unexplored jewel in the Bushveld wetlands

If you're a camper and a birder, then this is the place for you. Very remote. Wetlands

What a great day! Well spent!

The reception personal are friendly and helpful. First impression is that it is clean and a fairly high standard is applied. The nature reserve is in a good condition and fuana and flora is abundant. The signage and path for the hiking trails can be clearer. The gravel roads can be negotiated by any vehicle. Timekeeping is not the best. This nature reserve is recommandable.