Mabula Game Lodge

We have just returned from a week at Mabula (booked through Newmarket Holidays) i am a firm believer in giving an honest unbiased review so here we are. Mabula is about 2.5 hours transfer by bus, the driver stopped for 20 minutes at a service station which was welcome for a loo break, sandwich or icecream. On arrival at Mabula we were welcomed by a team who ushered us to get checked in with a lovely aromatic hand wash and towel and cold drink. Our bags were taken to our room for us. The rooms are spacious and traditional in design. We had room 17 which was behind some rocks which was home to some fluffy Hyrax and lizards. We didn’t have any unwelcome visitors in our room (spiders) but it is Africa so it is possible as some of our group witnessed. There is a fridge and aircon in the rooms, and daily room servicing with a turn down service at night with a little surprise left on the bed. The rooms are spread out around the grounds, at night the paths are lit by low lighting but we were ok with this. If you are worried take a torch. There are some improvements being made to the lodge at present but the work did not affect our stay in any way. We were on an ‘all-inclusive’ package, we were given a list of what was included to avoid any confusion. Included drinks started at 12noon, i think this is fine for alcohol, but soft drinks could have been served earlier or water even. This isn’t a party place and people were not drinking to excess. The included drinks end at 10pm, and that is late enough as the game drives start early. Sadly the bar staff at both the pool bar and terrace bar are not the fastest or most friendly (Moses and James) and even refused to serve us at 21.55 one evening. We aren’t big drinkers but were celebrating a friend’s birthday. The restaurant is a lovely space serving fabulous meals, the meals are all buffet style with such a great choice, from cereal and fruit to cooked items at breakfast, Theo on the egg station is so friendly and hard working but possibly this should be the start of the cooked items as by the time you have your eggs the other items on your plate are not as hot as when you got in line. Before the morning and afternoon game drives you are served tea/coffee and biscuits or cake. Our drives lasted 2.5 hours. We had Frans as our driver who was always well presented and super knowledgeable, he went out of his way to make the experience fun and we saw so many animals. We were the ‘naughty’ van but appreciated everything he taught us and can now differentiate elephant and rhino poo although that skill won’t be able to be put to use on the streets of the UK. One improvement that needs looking at are the sun loungers, there are a lot of damaged ones and they are quite uncomfortable. There is a new curio shop being built but there was a lack of quality items to buy. You have a captive audience so why not have us spend our money with you instead of at the airport. Although there was no rain umbrellas to buy along

What a wonderful experience. Thank you to all the staff at Mabula who looked after us so we'll. Our guides Khathu, Apollo and Colin were a joy even at 5am. Bush walking with Frances was fascinating and impala poo spitting should definitely be in the next Olympics. Well done to the chefs and the lovely waiting team - always there with a smile. The meals were fantastic and the range of dishes were varied and very tasty. The safaris were a truly superb with Khathu so knowledgeable and so keen to show us as much as possible. Our 2 bush suppers were great fun with the authentic music adding to the occasion. Lorissa our tour manager was always on hand to look after us and did a perfect job. I would have appreciated a trip concentrating on the fascinating bird life and it would have been nice to get a smile out of the pool bar man. All in all the holiday of a lifetime . Thank you all.

Just spent a week at the Mabula Game Lodge and it lived up to our hope of a holiday of a lifetime. Got to see Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Hippos, Giraffe, Hyena, Rhino's, and so many other beautiful wild animals. The only thing we did not see was a leopard. Our guide Ethan was fantastic and was really passionate and knowledgeable about the animals. He also had a good sense of humour. Although you are up early for your morning game drives this was never a problem as we were always excited about what we were going to see. The staff at the Lodge are excellent and so hard working and always greeted you with a smile. The food was great and there was always something tasty to eat at breakfast, lunch and dinner (ate loads of the muffins as they are the best I have ever had). We were in room 16 which was huge and was well cleaned on a daily basis. Would definitely recommend the accommodation and the safari experience and hope to visit again some time in the future.

This was by far a holiday of a lifetime. Mabula Lodge did not disappoint, and I'm more than happy to share our thoughts. Our Drives We had the pleasure of having Ethan as our Ranger for the week, and he was absolutely fantastic. So much knowledge and passion for wildlife and so much care for us on every drive. Ethan went over and above to ensure we had the BEST time. If you are due to visit Mabula, ask for Ethan to be your ranger, and I promise you will not be disappointed. We would come back just to have Ethan as our Ranger again! Morning Drives are early (6.30am) and really worth getting up to see what you can find, and the sunrises are spectacular. Afternoon Drives start at 3.30pm and you'll get to see some stunning sunsets with s sundowner in the most beautiful locations. Food You will not go hungry at Mabula as the food is plentiful. All kinds of delicious meals to choose from. Our favourite was breakfast, and the fresh muffins are to die for! Simon and his team all work incredibly hard around the clock to ensure the restaurant is ready for meal times. Accommodation We stayed in room 36 which is around a 5min walk from the main building and it was really spacious with the most comfiest of bed. The bed was huge!!! Housekeeping came daily with fresh towels, and our room was always clean with thanks to Pricilla. Some mornings, we would wake up to see Antelope happily grazing outside our room. The hairdryer in our room was probably the best I've used while on holiday. Not flimsy at all. Staff Everyone at Mabula can't do enough for you. The grounds are well maintained, and the staff are always on hand to answer any queries. Pool We did have time to lounge around the pool area, the pool is breathtakingly cold so do a toe test before you take a dip. Our only feedback is that the sunloungers could do with an upgrade. They are slightly dated and a bit uncomfortable, but for the amount of time we spent on them, we managed fine. We booked through Newmarket Holidays and have no complaints at all. We'd book with them again. Quad Safari We did a quad Safari and our guide Johannes was brilliant! Such a great way to explore the reserve and go even more off-road. We loved his knowledge of trees and nature. Such a great guide and kept us safe throughout.

Absolutely recommend . From a warm welcome on arrival every thing was fabulous. Our lodge was spotlessly clean and although they had issues with the dryer for the towels they were always changed when required. The food is fantastic especially the salads lots of choice of hot dishes and the puddings were amazing. At breakfast everything was freshly made and delicious with home made bread and rolls and pancakes made to order. Lots of fresh fruit available at every meal. The pool was small but clean and tidy with plenty of loungers in sun or shade and a pool bar. All the staff were friendly and helpful so much so it would be impossible to single out any one person. Nothing was too much trouble. Our guide Job was very skilled and ensured we had the best experience possible. His knowledge of the animals and plants was extensive. We also had an amazing experience on a Bush wall with Franz when he led us to where cheetahs were resting in the shade. We were able to get so close to these beautiful animals. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a safari experience at a 5star game reserve.

The entrance was grand, but sadly it was just a thin veneer. We arrived early afternoon and were told to go to the restaurant for lunch. As soon as we arrived we were told the restaurant had closed. But after a few discussions we were “allowed” to have lunch. Many of the open buffet dishes had flies sitting on & buzzing around them, so we steered clear of those. The rooms looked ok at first glance, but after a while the poor maintenance and poor cleaning became apparent. We were in room 27. The entrance door rattled and would move 3-4cm even when locked, and the lock itself was faulty and the key had to be pushed very firmly in to activate the lock. The rattling was eventually repaired by maintenance. Water from the shower poured out of the gap between the wall and the shower screen/glass, making the bathroom floor very wet. Evidence of a continuing problem was apparent from the caulking applied to both sides of the glass. Hand towels and floor mats were never replaced by our cleaners. We had to request replacements regularly. No towels were supplied at the pool either - we were told to use our room towels! The floor in the room was never cleaned properly, so we couldn’t walk around in bare feet for fear of stepping on something sharp - which happened a few times. Back to the food in the restaurant. Although different dishes were prepared, they all seemed somewhat “samey”. Many of the “hot” dishes were cold. On our 2nd day I had something that gave me a very upset tummy. It could only have been something I ate in the restaurant as we didn’t eat anywhere else during our stay. Fortunately another person who as in our group of 4 had some Imodium that helped me out. We had to leave early for me to get more meds. Unfortunately all of these things led up to us leaving after 3 days of our 4 day trip which was paid for in advance. meaning that we lost 1/4 of what we paid for. When I mentioned this to the receptionist (Martha?), she just said “Oh” and disregarded my comments. Regarding the game drives, although we did see a few animals, we were very disappointed at hearing what other groups had seen after their return from their drives when we had seen next to nothing by comparison. The only 2 of the “big 5” that we saw were lions (in their own enclosure!) which my wife spotted, and 2 cheetahs. All other animals we saw were the more regular herbivores. We regularly got apologies from our driver Monayia for not finding more animals. Although most members of staff were polite, like Sam in the restaurant and Salamina on reception, we came away feeling very let down, and found Manila poor value for money. It was particularly “interesting” that when I paid my bill for our extra drinks/massage, the payment went to “Mabula Primary School”!!! This has since been amended on my card statement.