Search hotels in Makalali Game Reserve

Our three day trip turned out to be absolutely marvellous and we loved every bit of it. First of all, I would like to acknowledge both our guide and tracker, Sharon and Rodney. They were entertaining and very knowledgeable. They not only gave great description of every animal we came across but educated us quite a bit about the local life and even the plant species we came across. There were many Aha (!) moments for us. Thanks to Rodney and Sharon we had one of the most interesting encounters when a pride of lions were strategising to take down a buffalo. They had created a circle around them- however the extremely powerful buffalos were quite nonchalant, walked towards the male alpha and scared him off! No hunting scenes for us but on another day we saw the same pride eating what appeared to be an Impala (they had hidden the food behind a thick bush. The African elephant is a formidable beast. On the first day, seeing it cross our safari vehicle gave us some jitters. These looked more like Woolly Mammoths ( without fur) because the tusks almost touched the ground. Watching a herd of giraffe pass by gave us Jurassic park vibes. Another special moment was when a herd of female elephants walked by our camp to the river below and I could see a tiny elephant baby with a wiggly gait following its mother in the most adorable fashion. Watching every animal is exciting, be it a zebra, wildebeest, impala, kudu, funny warthogs or tortoises! Impalas were omnipresent and were described as McDonalds for lions (fast food, in a way). Among the big 5 we missed the Leopard but watching an extremely lazy Cheetah turning and tossing like like a house cat was endearing. The river lodge were we stayed is extremely beautiful. It is right across the river where we often saw a herd of Kudus and once a giant Hippo. It has all amenities you can think of and is cleaned twice a day by the extremely kind staff which made it so welcoming when we came back from a Safari.

Everything !! It was just perfect. Rooms and all commodities are beautiful. Staff is really gentle and is very careful. Safaris are really good as well : thanks to Adolf and Teddy for their knowledge and searches about Big five 👍 We will come back for sure in South Africa, a beautiful country with a lot to see We will recommend this place, 2 days are fine but 3 days will be better

Peacefeul, organised, lovely location and great staff!

It's a self service. The location is perfect if one wants to be closer to nature and far from the city. I enjoyed it.

The entire set-up was amazing, the staff were extremely attentive and the game drives were out of this world. Our tracker Mosco and our Guide Colin kept us informed and ensured we got picture perfect moments on our game drives

Excellent service from from Kristian and Jenni, they definitely went over and above to provide outstanding service, the food was beautiful and very tasty, the staff was very friendly and professional, always willing to help and the rooms were very neat. The bush walks, night fires camps and game drive were very fun and beautiful, it was a pleasure booking with them. In summary , it was a fun experience of a luxury camping. Definitely do it again

Had 2 wonderful nights, rooms fantastic, beds comfy. Lovely atmosphere, staff amazing Johann very helpful. Food was amazing and enjoyed the boma night. I celebrated a big birthday and the staff all came singing and brought a delicious choc cake to me. All game drives were fantastic, Jerry our guide was amazing and also Alfred our tracker saw so many wonderful animals. Very cold on drives but they supplied hot water bottles and blankets. Wonderful sitting on the deck for meals and watching all the animals come down to river.Would love to return again one day. Thank you Becks family truly amazing.

From our arrival to departure we received the best hospitality. The staff are very friendly and madr sure their guest has everything they need. The room is very spacious. We enjoyed the food, the staff and the whole setting.

The family room was very comfortable. Fan only but stayed cool. Very large washroom. Common sitting area was pretty. Staff who greeted us were nice and informative and allowed privacy. Saw some Buffalo and giraffe and smaller game on way in.

Stayed here many times in the last few years. A perfect little retreat for a couple of days close to Kruger, the Greater Kruger reserves and Hoedspruit. The rooms are very spacious and well maintained. Most of them have wifi, only room 1 has slightly less connection. The restaurant is also great and the accommodation comes with breakfast included. Staff is super friendly and helpful and would not hesitate to recommend the place!