After 3 days of safari in Kruger, we came to Mohlabetsi for two days along with two kids, aged 9 and 11. The hospitality was warm and personal, and the food was exceptional. (The kids would likely want me to highlight the beautiful desserts served at every meal.)

The safaris here offered the perfect complement to our safaris in Kruger. While the density of animals in Balule is not as high as in Kruger, they are all there. And the experience of seeking them out in all-terrain open vehicles made coming across them that much more rewarding. Because the drivers can cut through even extremely rocky terrain to find animals wherever they are, our animal encounters were up close and high quality--and without the crowds of cars that tend to cluster in Kruger.

We especially enjoyed the night drives, which continued after sunset, allowing us to listen to the night sounds and encounter a few nocturnal animals as the stars came out. Because Kruger closes at 5:30, this is not possible in the main park, and was something we really enjoyed here.

For early morning safaris in winter, bring extra layers. The vehicles have blankets, but the kids definitely benefitted from extra bundling up around their faces.

Including Mohlabetsi within our overall Kruger experience added something unique and memorable to our trip. Would highly recommend it to families!

Mohlabetsi Lodge is a unique and beautiful place and we really enjoyed our stay here. Nice staff, great surroundings, exciting safaris with the rangers and delicious food !
You can only feel comfortable here. We will certainly come back:))

The last two nights of our six-day safari were spent at Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge. This included two daily drives in the open safari vehicle with a tracker and a guide from the lodge. Words cannot do justice to what all we encountered on these drives. From more rhinos (3!) and buffalo just meters away from the vehicle to lions feasting on a (stolen) Impala, every drive was an adventure. Our guide, Lucky, and tracker, Enock, were fabulous at finding the animals, but also made sure we felt safe around them. This is not easy when lions are devouring an Impala just meters from the vehicle or when a group of elephants, with young in tow, wander past. 

The staff at Mohlabetsi was fabulous, from Kiddy greeting us with iced tea when we arrived, to Sam (another lodge guide) sharing his harrowing experiences living so close to dangerous and unpredictable animals. Prescilla was justifiably proud when announcing her daily creations from the kitchen - we certainly did not suffer from a lack of excellent food. I hate to leave out the rest of the staff, but there were simply so many people making sure that we were indulged throughout. 

Staying that second night at Mohlabetsi and developing a familiarity with our lodge guide and tracker really made the difference in our trip. Only one night there would have felt too rushed and overwhelming without that extra time.