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

This place has a certain magic about it. From the minute you walk towards the reception area, and experience a lovely welcoming hand wash from staff after a 24hr journey to get there, the welcome was amazing! Staff are so friendly and smiley, they greet you like an old friend and that means so much. The lodge itself is beautiful, despite the thatching being replaced , it made no impact on my stay at all. The food was good, excellent choice and all laid out very well. However because the restaurant was being refurbished we had to eat in the function room and because the food was cooked elsewhere it wasn't as hot as it would have been by the time it arrived. However the choice was lovely and it was well cooked and tasty. Waiting staff attentive smiley and friendly. The Safari drives are what make this holiday. Oh my goodness, the lengths the guides go to to get you your first sighting of cheetah or giraffe or elephant are beyond what my expectations were. I was lucky enough to see 4 out of the Big 5 , shout out to Tumelo who was my guide, fabulous knowledge about the animals and also Mash, who took our bush walks. An unforgettable experience which will stay with me forever ❤️

What an absolute fabulous place! The staff are amazing , so friendly and nothing seems too much to ask. A shout out to chef Warren and the kitchen staff - the food was lovely and tasted amazing everyday! The safaris were just incredible , we were so lucky to see everything we did. Our guide was so knowledgeable and knew the spots we needed to be, to either catch a look at some wildlife or take in the breathtaking sunsets.