Mantis Founders Lodge

A little bit late writing this review, but better late than never as they say! Our stay was fantastic (we stayed for 3 nights), from the moment we arrived until the morning we left, we were very well taken care of. The staff at Founders Lodge are very good, nothing is too much trouble and you never had the feeling of being rushed. It was all very relaxing. The food was excellent, especially the braii (the chef and team excelled themselves) and the locations to eat change daily, with the most beautiful views across the reserve. Every game drive was amazing. We saw so many birds and animals everyday (nobody can deny the beauty of a water buffalo!). Our Ranger, Cillie, was incredibly knowledgeable, from learning about tracking when we spent time tracking a leapard’s paw prints to understanding how an elephant is feeling just by how its ears move. It was an incredible unforgettable experience everyday. Thank you for giving us a beautiful suite (no 3, opposite the watering hole), the sunrises from our room were gorgeous and a beautiful start to each day. The view of the watering hole and all the animals that visited it was lovely to watch. We were addicted to going to the hide and to get up close to the animals drinking from the watering hole…now home, I love watching the live feed of it on You Tube. If you are thinking of staying here, please do! You will have a wonderful time! Myself and my husband would like to thank Glynnis and her team for a very lovely stay and to Cillie (our Ranger), thank you, the drives were amazing (and the views for the Sunrisers and Sundowners beautiful). Thank you :)

What a fantastic place! All the staff were friendly and went out of their way to make sure we had a great experience. The room was amazing, looking out over the waterhole and with a little veranda we could sit on to watch the animals. The bathroom was enormous with a deep claw- foot bath and a separate shower cubicle. The food was delicious and exceedingly high quality. The game drives were well organised and we saw lots of animals. The addition of the viewing area at the waterhole meant we saw lots of animals up close. It was an amazing experience and we both wished we could have stayed for longer!

Wow, Founders Lodge is an amazing place. Craig and Glynis are the most welcoming hosts and the lodge is just beautiful. Our meals were served each day in a different part of the lodge with outstanding food. We were unlucky with the weather but this did not take anything away from our time here. Cillian our driver was so knowledgeable and was happy to answer all our questions. We will definitely be returning 2 nights was not enough!

Craig and Glynis have created something truly magical at Founders Lodge! The setting is stunning with beautiful views across the game reserve and rhinos, zebra, sable to mention a few strolling to the waterhole about 100m from your veranda. The service is exceptional with nothing being too much trouble. They went out their way to accommodate our children and make them feel welcome. The food was delicious and eating in different parts of the lodge at each mealtime added to the experience of being in such a stunning place. The team were super friendly and professional and made Founders feel like a home from home. Cilliè, our guide, was really knowledgeable and great at answering all our questions! The waterhole hide is a great spot to go and relax and get really close to the animals. And the icing on the cake for the children is that the action is live steamed on You Tube so it feels like we’ve brought a little bit of Africa home to the UK. This morning the children were watching warthogs at the waterhole!

I stayed here for a few days my wife and my six year old son and only left today - had to write a review immediately to say thank you and how wonderful things were. Really couldn’t see how things could be better. People so friendly. Room beautiful. Awesome wildlife!

I travelled with my mum, and we had no idea what to expect. We were given such a lovely welcome by Glynnis and Craig and quickly felt at home. The rooms are wonderful, food really good and the staff just lovely. We went on our first game drive and were then hooked! Cilliè was so knowledgeable and if he got fed up with our endless questions, he never showed it! All the attention to detail (eg. decanter of port in the room, a fire in the lounge when it was chilly, a brai for all guests one evening, coffee, sundowners and nibbles on the game drives) whilst making it look effortless is a real art. There will be many a day to come when I wish all I have to worry about is whether I see zebras, rhinos or baboons when I open my bedroom curtains! The Founders experience will stay with us forever.