Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa

WOW. Mhondoro truly has our hearts! From the minute we arrived at the main gate of Welgevonden Game Reserve and were welcomed with drinks and snacks to the morning we left where we watched the rhinos at sunrise everything was perfect. I had read many reviews and you often can't believe how incredible a place is but even then it managed to surpass all of my high expectations. From all of the places I have stayed so far in the world this experience has beaten them all! The staff are the friendliest we have ever met and I think it helps having such an intimate boutique lodge (only a maximum of 24 guests at any time - there were only 10 during our stay) because you really have a personable experience. They can not do enough for you and always greeted us with smiles and happiness. The food was incredible! Each day we enjoyed a fresh continental breakfast as well as wonderful hot options. Dinner is always 3 course a la carte except for the special Boma evening around the fire where we enjoyed a traditional South African BBQ with dancing which was great. Our favourite meal had to be the lunches though. Every day between the two game drives we experienced gorgeous homemade soup and bread, followed by a meat/fish platter with salads. Plus you get pudding. And who doesn't love pudding twice a day?! We stayed in the honeymoon suite and loved the privacy of our terrace with a large plunge pool and outdoor day bed where we could watch the zebra and impala coming down to the watering hole. The rooms are beautiful and spacious with unique outdoor showers. Plus there is a pillow menu for ultimate comfort. Our favourite thing from the minibar was the Rooiboos iced tea! We miss it! We spent some time down at the main lodge pool too which was magnificent overlooking the watering hole. There is something very surreal about being in the water enjoying a glass of wine and admiring the wilderbeest and warthogs snoozing in the sun. If you are very lucky the pool ellie may come to join too! We saw two pool ellies in our time there which is so special. Also, we went in June for 4 days and the weather was glorious. Don't let anyone tell you winter in SA is not worth it because although we had cold mornings and evenings the winter sun between 10am and 6pm was stunning! Then the game drives. Well the safari honestly changed our lives. You see the animals going about their daily lives and suddenly everything at home seems so insignificant, all the daily worries we have. Nothing matters to the animals in the bush and to be so engrossed in nature was just the eye-opener we needed to escape from our corporate life at home. Welgevonden is home to the Big 5 and we were lucky to see 4/5 of them (the leopards are very elusive!). There are rhinos in abundance and we saw these every day without fail which I loved. We had multiple experiences with elephants and lions and even a couple of cheetah sightings. Every game drive had a stop with either ranger coffee in the AM or a glass

This place is heaven on earth! The location,the view with the animals,the game drives,the people on the resort,the foooood!!!! It was an amazing experiance I will never ever forget! Timmy and Isaac was wonderful and so kind,pauline gave the best massage ever and Biggie was the best ranger we could have. I miss the place so much!!!

From our welcome to the safaris, bush walk and food - right to our goodbye, every member of the team was warm and helpful and our entire stay was fantastic. Thank you to the whole team!

What an experience! It was a surprise to me and my girlfriend from my husband and we loved it all. The safaris with our ranger Zaan was the cherry on the cake. She is so professional and determined to see as many animals as possible. The staff, the location, the food, the spa... we just loved it.

From the arrival at the reception area just out of the Reserve gate you are welcomed in a lovely location. The Lodge itself is amazing, an architecture that blends perfectly with the nature around. We stayed in a room with a private pool. The room is very spacious with lovely decor, the bathroom has a bath and a spacious shower (an outdoor shower is also present). We loved the outdoor space of our room with the heated swimming pool and the patio. Every room has great privacy. Food at the lodge was great, they serve local and fresh fruits & veg and the staff is always extremely helpful in trying to welcome all requests (thank you so much to the chef Betty for being so kind with our son and for making pancakes for him every morning, such a sweet treat!) The main swimming pool where the elephants come to drink is something incredible, and the tunnel which leads to a hidden viewpoint to see the animals is such a precious spot, amazing for both adults and kids. All the staff is very kind and always greets you with a smile, which made us feel very welcome. We definitely recommend Mhondoro for a once in a lifetime experience, it exceeded all our expectations, thank you for the most incredible stay.

What an amazing lodge! The high and friendly level of service, the beautiful decorated reception, main lodge and suites, but especially the food (dinner) was exquisite! The cooperation with chef Luke Dale Roberts has turned out to be a fantastic move for this lodge; for me it was a 'Michelin-star-worth' 3 course dinner. Unfortunately, I didn't try the wine-pairing, but -lucky me- now I have to go back again!