"We broke away with friends for the weekend and the place was amazing."

Thank you to Gecko Lodge and Cottage for the excellent service and beautiful accommodation. We stayed there with friends and it was truly a weekend to remember. I would definitely recommend the place. The place was neat and clean and the staff were friendly. Everyone stayed comfortable.

"Amazing views."

Amazing views and a great house to stay in with friends. We had a lovely time.

"Our group of 11 (city kids included) thoroughly enjoyed the weekend."

We had a very nice stay. The house and surroundings are very beautiful. Everything was clean. Good amenities. Lynette was very friendly and always helpful. Very practical. Have fun watching wildlife. The game viewing vehicle we were able to hire was a winner. Thanks for your help too.

"Fantastic spot in the woods."

The rooms are beautiful and newly redone. The view is great. This is a great place that we can recommend anytime.

"Delicious and relaxing."

We had a lovely weekend and everything we could need was available. There were really no complaints and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps the only criticism was the keys to the various rooms, they were pretty well marked but not all the doors could open, and some doors we struggled to lock again!

"Nice, modern, well equipped."

Lovely place with beautiful rooms. Clean, tidy, perfectly equipped, modern.

"A weekend we all did well."

What a nice visit! Gecko Lodge and Cottage has so much space, even though we had quite a few people together, you didn't fall over each other's feet. The place is perfect for a lovely visit with loved ones with a nice barbecue area and an exceptional view. In the morning you hear the lions roaring. It was a great getaway!

"Very nice!"

We had a great stay at Gecko Lodge, Lynette was very helpful! Will definitely book there again.

"Nice"

Very nice after work visit.

"Nice place with nice view."

We were 4 families and really enjoyed the weekend, but the place is not toddler friendly, with 3 different levels. Very nice view, clean, tidy and well furnished (except for a bottle opener). I can recommend Gecko Lodge (if you have no or older children), with the exception of a few things (pool net that was not on as requested, WiFi password that was not correct).

"We had a great time."

The place was not as clean as expected, and some shower taps not working but customer service was 100%.

"Nice, big stay."

The place is spacious and the rooms are cozy. The kitchen is well equipped. A toilet downstairs by the braai area would be nice. Also think the bedrooms could do with sliding locks from the inside.

"A wonderful visit with a breathtaking view."

Gecko Lodge is a beautiful house, very privately located, with a breathtaking view of the nature reserve. We could gather around the fire, with the sounds of the forest around us. Lynette was very helpful in answering all our questions and requests.

"Perfect."

Perfect place for weekend away.

"Had a wonderful relaxing stay."

Had a wonderful time. Only concern was the railings on the deck and stairs to the pool a issue for toddler.

"Fantastic house for a large group with a very beautiful view!"

Enough space and parking, clean and neat and very well equipped. Lynette is also a very good hostess and communicates thoroughly and timeously. Will go there again any time.

"Not value for money at all. Needs a lot of maintenance."

I have stayed at places in this reserve quite a few times. So far everyone has been excellent! This time not so much. It looks like it hasn't been maintained in years and that doesn't make it worth the price at all. Do not visit the place if you have small children as it is not safe at all. The balcony's wood is falling apart, some of the showers' hot water is not working, there is no pool cover, the ceiling fans are not working, etc. I was quite surprised that there was no trash in the kitchen! Wow! We eventually closed the black bags in a room because the maggots got out and because there were no people to come and take them away. Lynette also sent us a WhatsApp a few hours before we had to come and asked for a deposit - sorry but it was nowhere to be seen. And so at last? Quite the wrong bill also sent otherwise it would have been paid and my money gone with it. No what - very very poor place; rather stay away.

"Had a great time."

What a wonderful house! The dishwasher was a big plus and the swimming pool was clean and great to cool off in! The view was great, just wish that we could stay longer! Would just recommend that they buy some gas lamps or install emergency lights for when load shedding hits.

"Nice weekend away. Nice place."

See stars.

"Good value for money."

It is definitely worth the money. The place is slightly neglected and definitely needs maintenance. Already gave Lynette feedback. Potential visitors should just be aware that the road to Gecko Lodge is not suitable for a normal car at the stage. Rather drive with a van or SUV. Also a very nice place to visit.

"Great potential, lovely views."

Our arrival was unfortunately not the most smooth of arrivals. The hostess was under the impression we were arriving a day later, unsure why because payment was confirmed weeks before. The house is situated in Idwala which is a private house, so reception could not assist us with the location. We attempted calling the hostess to no avail and had to contact the website for assistance, reception directed us to Idwala and whilst en route we obtained clarity on the camp location and house number. Upon our arrival at the house, the home had not be cleaned or prepared or beds made, one of the flatlet's shower door was broken, and a poisonous snake was found in the other (luckily we were quickly assisted with this problem), but the pool had a waxy substance along the walls, and there was no game vehicle (which we had paid for the use thereof). The hostess arrived with cleaners and a box of chocolates to apologise, blamed the misunderstanding on load shedding (which was another thing that we experienced - 4 hours of load shedding per day, so it was difficult to keep food and drinks cold). Also, the box of chocolates we received were past their expiry date, but needless to say, after the trauma of the mismatched arrival, once everything was sorted out, we had a wonderful stay. The home is situated on the top of a mountain overlooking the valley, with magnificent views (however, it is to be noted that a bit of trimming of the trees within the line of site, would expose the view to all its majesty). When the game vehicle finally arrived, we had a wonderful day exploring the bush and sighting of animals! It was a wonderful, quality family trip! Last point of contention was that on the morning of our departure the cleaners arrived at 8:30 am, even though departure is scheduled for 11 am, so it was difficult to pack up with them in and around the kitchen, which resulted in us leaving valuables behind and having to turn around to come back to collect same. Honestly, if those factors could be taken into consideration, we would definitely be back because this home has great potential! Thank you for our stay!

"We had an awesome time at Gecko Lodge and Cottage!"

We had an awesome time this past weekend. The facilities, bedrooms, view and service was just perfect. We will definitely go back in the near future.

"Clean and wonderful."

See stars.

"Nice place, but short attention span and stairs are difficult for children."

Nice place, but there are stairs that are very wobbly and make it difficult with children or older people. Not all the rooms have fans and the ones that do don't work well. It's very hot and the mosquitoes eat you up. You can't leave doors open either because of the monkeys. The loft with 2 single beds does not have a fan or a plug to plug in a fan and the windows cannot be opened. The sofa bed is outside so cannot be counted as additional sleeping space for children. The shower drain in one of the rooms was blocked. We arranged for cleaning services at R250 per day, but also had to pay for the Sunday when we had already checked out.