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4.5
#1 of 4 lodges in Mabula Private Game Reserve
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Set against a backdrop of lush green mountainous vegetation, Mabula Game Lodge is set in one of South Africa's finest private game reserves. Only two hours north of Johannesburg, this 12000ha reserve is home to an abundance of animal and birdlife, including the "Big 5." All 47 rooms are air-conditioned, contain LCD flat-screen television, en-suite bathroom, telephone, hair dryer, safe and tea/coffee making facilities. Dining venues, outdoor cocktail and whiskey bar, swimming pools, tennis court, children's programme, safaris in open 4x4 vehicles, horseback safaris, archery, paintball, star gazing, eco adventure safaris, guided bush walks, crocodile feeding demonstrations, snake demonstrations and the Ground Hornbill Project and reptile centre. Mabula can assist with all conference requirements, including venues, informal breakaway rooms, private dining facilities and team building activities. Children 0-5 stay complimentary when sharing with parent; 6-11 years pay 50% of the adult sharing rate. 12 years and older pay full adult rate and occupy their own rooms. The lodge is situated in a malaria-free area. Gate entry fees are applicable.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Location
Warmbaths Moretele, Mabula Private Game Reserve 0480 South Africa
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Mabula Game Lodge is widely recognized for its spacious and pristine rooms that boast modern comforts and stunning views, according to satisfied guests. The lodge's atmosphere, vibrant and enriched with cultural entertainment, receives high marks for its inviting ambiance. Reviewers often note that the lodge offers great value, including affordable luxuries and a highly praised spa experience.
The service at Mabula Game Lodge earns rave reviews for staff members' friendliness and attentiveness, especially during safari outings. The cleanliness of the facilities is consistently highlighted, and the range of amenities, from wildlife encounters to various activities, is celebrated by guests.
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Excellent
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Well-appointed
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After checking in at Mabula Game Lodge timeshare I was so pleasantly surprised at the accomodation which was pristine. The room was immaculate having both a ceiling fan as well as airconditioning. I did two game drives with the most informative and great Game ranger calles Tristan. He answered all my questions in full and explained so many things of which I was unaware of. I commend him as he was very friendly and well educated in wildlife ( including flora). It is because of Tristan that I will most certainly go to Mabula again. Thank you Mabula for keeping us safe during this trying period!!!
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Date of stay: October 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked a fully self contained "bush camp" - a misnomer in reality as the camp had 3 private separate chalets sited around a communal house with a very large kitchen, dining room and living room. The compound is not fenced and is 4km's from the Mabula resort. It is as close to nature as one can be without sacrificing the luxuries of a self catering break. The 6 of us - all adults - were most impressed with the layout. And the South African bush did not disappoint. It threw the whole gamut at us. 4 cheetah had me screaming my way through trees and rocks the first morning when I sauntered over to my 4x4 to collect my binoculars for some early morning solo bird watching and found them lazing around my car. My group slept through my loud hysterics. A squirrel attacked me another morning when I disturbed it's slumber, a large baboon sauntered into the kitchen and calmly helped itself to the contents of the fridge and later opened the door to my chalet when I was changing into bathers for a swim. Don't attempt to run away from anything if your legs are entangled in your pants. My group by then had grown so accustomed to my regular and frenzied shrieks that they ignored me resolving that loud meant I hadn't been eaten. We regularly cleared the swimming area and pool of holidaying baboons splashing away happily in the water or lounging on the sunbeds. One of my group from the UK sprinted inside the living room one afternoon shouting "RUN ... there's a langebaan on the patio!" It was a very large leguaan almost half a metre in length. Did I mention the big sky, the fabulous milky way and the utter quiet? It's all there. And it wooed all of us. Hardened South Africans who view the wildlife with habitual indulgence to our newbie guests who no doubt have an arsenal of dinner talk to impress with.
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Date of stay: November 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:The resort offers various accommodation from self catering to hotel rooms to suit all preferences.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Mabula game lodge was the most awesome family holiday we have had in a long time. We were welcomed with such a heart warming hospitality. The staff go out of their way to make you feel welcomed and at home. They can never do enough for you at any point in the day. If you have any questions, they are always accommodating and assisting in every way possible. The management and staff for the restaurant know your room number and surnames.
The food is delicious and tasty. Everyday is a real treat to see what has been prepared and the food is fresh and delicious. The atmosphere of the lodge is heartfelt and each and every staff member is part of their family.
The game rangers are extremely knowledgeable and assist with any questions you have, my family has never ever felt at ease like we did this past weekend.
I can highly recommend a visit to Mabula game lodge and make a trip of it as the clean fresh air and natural beauty with the game reserve and the gorgeous sighting of their beautiful looking wild life is out of this world.
My family and I were blown away by the friendliness, knowledge and love which we received from each individual at the game lodge. They really touched our hearts and wishing many more will visit the beautiful game lodge. Truly remarkable in every way and they had small touches which made my children want to go back.
May the lodge be filled with love and abundance always like they shared with us this past weekend
The Coetzee family
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nick Galpine, Marketing at Mabula Game Lodge
Responded 12 Apr 2021
Dear Tarryn19830107, Thank you for your glowing review. We are delighted you and your family enjoyed your Mabula Game Lodge experience! We look forward to welcoming you all back. Kind regards, The Mabula Team
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We spent a week at Mabula Lodge. The rooms were not ready upon arrival around 2pm which is official check in time. Our room was modern and well appointed. It unfortunately had a leak in the roof. We were then upgraded to a suite which was very larger. The challenge was moving us to the room. It took them over three hours including countless calls from me to check if the room was made up and if the Porter could move our luggage. The food was really very disappointing. My wife and I are vegetarian and chose this lodge for that very reason. We had curry snd rice almost everyday. Little flavour and the lodge even ran out of garlic 🤦🏽♂️. We asked for some pasta. It was totally overcooked. Anthony the F&AB manager was a saviour. He cooked us a fresh batch of pasta with sauce and Parmesan cheese. The problem with the food is the quality and lack of variety. We had stir fry(without garlic) 3 days in a row.
Our game drives were amazing. Dihaan our ranger was really amazing. We saw 4 of the big five. Lions were a real disappointment as they are kept in a separate camp and are fitted with a tracker collar. We still took amazing pictures.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nick Galpine, Marketing at Mabula Game Lodge
Responded 23 Dec 2020
Dear LaluAj, Thank you for taking the time to post your review. We are extremely disappointed to note your dissatisfaction. We will investigate and reach out to you with full feedback. Thank you for bringing these issues to the fore as it is only through regular feedback that we are able to ensure consistent services. Kind regards, The Mabula Team
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Beautiful place, but the manager and staff desperately need customer service training. The service is very poor. The place was understaffed throughout our stay (Thursday - Monday). Our rooms were not cleaned until late afternoon, which meant one couldn't nap as we didn't know when the cleaner would arrive. I was shocked to learn from one of the cleaners how many rooms they each have to clean!!! There were only two people serving at the hot food station during meals, this over the Christmas long weekend. The place was full and this meant having to wait a long time for food (my daily portion of extremely dry roast potatoes in my case).
The food was subpar! Whatever little I could eat anyway! Overcooked is a gross understatement!
I advised the supervisor on the Thursday that as a gastrits sufferer I can't eat anything acidic. I advised that I am happy to eat alkaline foods seasoned with just salt. However, at every lunch and supper sitting, I had to practically beg for something I could eat, when I was again told "this is what is on today's menu". This meant having to wait 30 minutes for chicken to be prepared (we were told that chicken is only served at lunchtime, and even then it was not chicken I could eat due to the seasoning). I was excited to see turkey for Christmas lunch! I had to beg for the turkey during the boma dinner (surprisingly, it again took about 30 minutes for me to get it). My brother finally asked the manager why it was that they still could not prepare something for me to eat, after two days of me begging for an alternative.
Other members of our group were not too impressed with their food either. Staff didn't know ingredients ingredients of the soup of the day, and were unhelpful when asked.
We were advised on the afternoon of Christmas eve that all guests would be driven to another section of the lodge for a bush breakfast on Christmas Day. During dinner we found out from one of our family members that the manager had just told him that bush breakfast had been cancelled. We asked the manager on duty to confirm this to us at our table and he left side stepped the question and said he would get someone to explain to us. The next morning our ranger called to advise that the bush breakfast was on again. Needless to say the food was not worth the trip.
Overall, the food was a horrible experience.
The spa is not even worth mentioning. Stay away! Rather use your money for something else.
The rangers were the only ones who made our trip tolerable. These ladies and gentlemen know their stuff! Kudos to them! Mashudu is simply the best! My nieces and nephews couldn't wait for the next game drive.
The walls are unbelievably thin, so even though I opted out of the 5am game drive, I always got woken up by the wakeup calls/knocking on doors reception made to my brother and nieces. If you're sandwiched by other guests it can be a daily nightmare during your stay.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
An unfortunate 6 night holiday experience from start to end. I'm so sad that we chose our annual holiday at Mabula because we certainly don't feel relaxed. From the moment we arrived in our room we had a hole in the thatch. Our room was turned into a building site whilst it was fixed. The lights didn't work either so we had numerous people traipsing through fixing things all afternoon. Only to come back the next day to fix the roof and lights again because none of it could be fixed the first time round. They were also unable to fix the aircon or get a technician out until day 4 of our trip so we finally were given a new room for nights 4-6 of our trip after asking three times for one and not being taken seriously. The food was mediocre and raw chicken was served in the buffet. They ran out of basic stuff like coffee, wine, whisky, and the list goes on. After day 3, the food picked up and so did the staff attitude. Christmas lunch was wonderful but daily the waiters failed to have water bottles on the table or be around to take drinks orders. But this was better on xmas day. We stayed on a full board package with game drives that were spectacular. When we checked out, they tried to nail us with an additional R500 surcharge for Christmas lunch when we were told the day before it was included in our full board package. The communication was shocking and sadly we won't be attending or having our wedding there next year as we had originally planned.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nick Galpine, Marketing at Mabula Game Lodge
Responded 11 Jan 2021
Dear albentley2020, Thank you for taking the time to post you review. We are disappointed to read your feedback here and would like to apologise for the experiences that were below the standard we pride ourselves on. We have fully investigated and been in touch directly with feedback. Kind regards, The Mabula Team
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We stayed at Mabula for our honeymoon for 5 nights. We booked the superior room which looked very different to what is shown on the website. The superior room does not have a bath, only a shower and unfortunately, if you have neighbours, you can hear everything they say and do. The lodge itself is really beautiful and the staff are friendly and helpful. Big thank you to Sylvia and to our waiter, Eddie. Eddie made us feel at home and was one of the first people to help us get settled in. The game drives were fantastic. We were with Nuria who is so knowledgeable and goes out of her way to make sure you get a good sighting of all the animals. We saw 4 of the big 5 as well as many other animals and we just thoroughly enjoyed every second of being out in the bush. Thank you Nuria! I definitely recommend Mabula if you are looking for a great Bush experience. It also is a very nice place if you have children - theres lots to do to keep them entertained. I hope to be back some day soon
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Date of stay: May 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:The photos on the website are of the suite not the standard/superior rooms. If you have...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nick Galpine, Marketing at Mabula Game Lodge
Responded 26 May 2021
Dear tinaamyc, thank you for your glowing review. We are thrilled you enjoyed your experience at Mabula Game Lodge and look forward to welcoming you back. Kind regards, The Mabula Team
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We visited this lodge for a short family break and were very impressed with the value for money it offered.
Rooms had all recently been revamped and facilities updated. For the entire duration of our trip we had a guide named Louw who was extremely knowledgeable and very professional. Louw had a true love for the Bush and unlike some of his colleagues, he was always ensured that he never interrupted or disturbed the wildlife but rather worked around what they were doing.
The lodge itself was lovely, however we found that on a few occasions the hygiene protocols could have been better. When visiting the restaurant for breakfast, staff did not sanitize after guests left the tables and at the pool we had glass under our loungers which we asked to be removed but remained throughout our stay. The food was great and of high quality.
We also made use of the spa facilities which was really relaxing and thoroughly enjoyed.
During our trip we were fortunate to see all the big 5 and sightings were in abundance. I would highly recommend this property and would definitely visit it again
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nick Galpine, Marketing at Mabula Game Lodge
Responded 20 Nov 2020
Dear staceyleer, thank you for your review. While we're happy to hear that you enjoyed some aspects of your stay, we're naturally disappointed to hear that we didn't meet your expectations in other areas. We'd like to take this opportunity to apologise for the areas where it seems we fell short, and to assure you that these will be addressed urgently. Kind regards, The Mabula Team
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I really enjoyed this Holiday and I was there for the Lions but got so much enjoyment seeing the other Animals on the reserves. I had Job as my guide and he did a great job of getting us where we needed to be at any time the Animals were spotted and In a safe way. We got to see 4 of the Big 5 as the Leopards are very Illusive and we got to see other Animals like the Donkeys with PJ's and Pumba's, Wildebeest, Impala etc. Food was plentiful but a little repetitive at times and food could be a little cold depending on time getting there and how busy it was for fresh replenishment. The main reception and Restaurant were very nice and the Room I had was very spacious and had a patio area with 2 chairs and a table however some sun loungers would have been great there as well. There is a wonderful Fish pond with a stunning waterfall backdrop. There is a pool with Bar, The pool is not deep but looked refreshing (I did not want to do my Hippo Impression in front of people) Baboons do come on site so keep doors locked when not in your room. Staff are always Friendly and will go out there way to do what they can for you. There are extra's you can do Like Cheetah Tracking, Horse Riding and Quad Biking all are currently R620 each. Your locked into the lodge for the duration unless you can arrange things to do off site but you need to arrange this yourself, I do recommend you research what you can do locally before you travel to S.A. I will however recommend Adventure With Elephants (Google Them) Click on contact Us on the website and copy/paste the reservations email address and send an email direct from your email address instead of the contact form as you will get a quicker response, They will come and get you and bring you back for a fee but you need to tell them the amount of people and when arranged then you will need to let Mabula lodge know what time they will be there so they can tell security. Rooms are cleaned Daily and you can have clothing cleaned and pressed and is chargeable per item.
Accommodation 9/10 based on my room Lodge and grounds 9/10 Food in my opinion 7.5/10 Game Drives 9/10 Choice of activities on site 7/10 Choice of activities off site 0/10 Staff 9/10
Over all I would absolutely return and would recommend, but if you want see away from the lodge in between the drives then research and make arrangements :-)
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hayley Knight, Marketing at Mabula Game Lodge
Responded 13 Feb 2024
Dear BrettLeoD, thank you for your lovely review. We are thrilled you enjoyed your experience at Mabula Game Lodge and hope to welcome you back in the near future. Kind regards, The Mabula Team
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There was no cheese at the lodge. How is this even possible? The kitchen was in total disarray and service was in between pathetic and non existent. My son asked for a toasted sandwich for breakfast. They said the can’t make it. I asked for orange juice with breakfast. The lodge did not have orange juice. I was asked how I would like to have my eggs done. I asked for an omelette, I was told the lodge can’t make me an omelette for breakfast. Shocking. No cold breakfast was available except cereal. No cold meats, no pastries. We asked for flapjacks, they replied the cannot make it. We asked for jams for our toast, we were brought two jars of chilly jam. We were only 8 people in the restaurant on both days for breakfast. It is not like the kitchen was busy, the service was just very very poor and seriously disappointing. We specifically booked Mabula for my sons 18th birthday as he wanted to do the Cheetah Tracking Experience, as his birthday gift, as advertised. When we went to reception to book the excursion we were told that there are no rangers available for the week to do it. We would’ve cancelled our trip and demanded a refund if we were told this in advance.
The whole trip was a serious letdown. From reception to the bottom dam there are glass bottles and plastic bags everywhere. The limited Menu, only three things to choose from, was seriously disappointing. The inability of the kitchen to serve or prepare even the most basic meals is beyond belief. We certainly did not get our money's worth and the fact that certain activities and services were withheld from us until our arrival is utterly unprofessional and dishonest.
I will not recommend Mabula to anyone, as a matter of fact I will discourage people from going. There are much better options at that price. As a matter of fact there are much better options at a quarter of the price.
The only highlight of the entire trip was our guide George. If it wasn’t for him we would have not stayed the second night we paid for.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nick Galpine, Marketing at Mabula Game Lodge
Responded 6 Oct 2020
Dear csmit938665, We are extremely disappointed to note your dissatisfaction. We will investigate and reach out to you with full feedback. Thank you for bringing these issues to the fore as it is only through regular feedback that we are able to ensure consistent services. Kind regards, The Mabula Team
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Hi, where I stayed was at the bottom of the lodge area. You couldn't see the bush though, just trees in front of the accommodation. No steps and I had a patio area. There was accommodation above me though, they had a balcony. It was only a 2 minute walk from the restaurant though, so not far away.
There are more places to choose from in the Mabula Private Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
$538 - $735 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
mabula game hotel mabula private game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaLimpopo ProvinceWaterbergMabula Private Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
48
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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