"Tranquil and amazing animal experiences on our doorstep."

Amazing. Tranquil. Memorable visits from the animals, especially the elephants at night!

"Nice stay! Value for money!"

Very nice and quick getaway! Definitely value for money!

"Excellent stay."

The accommodation was actually nicer than what we expected it to be. Animals pass through, which makes the experience so worth it. Would definitely go again. The staff of the lodge are also very friendly and helpful. Check-in was super easy and convenient.

"We had an amazing time and really loved the chalet and all the animals."

When opening the window, there was a hornets' nest right outside, and I seemed to have disturbed them, so watch out. The ceiling fan was wobbling a bit excessively, and I thought it might fall off at any moment, but these are really small things I thought are worth mentioning. We enjoyed the table tennis and minigolf. It was amazing that we could "borrow" everything without having to pay. The game drives were reasonably priced. I would highly recommend it.

"Was very nice to be among animals."

Very nice stay. Accommodation is neat and comfortable.

"Lekker gerus."

Lekker gerus. The weather is significantly warmer than Gauteng.

"Amazing, value for my money."

Mabalingwe is like our second home, this unit was beautifully located and had everything we needed. Close to the pools and entertainment area. The only disappointment is the lack of communication from the host, she takes ages to respond to any communication and it almost caused a problem, aside from that our stay was amazing.

"The Mabalingwe facility is good, but Elephant lodge is poor."

No - Dirty rooms, blocked drains, incomplete eating facilities, tiny, outdated, broken toilet light, shower water pooling outside front door.

"Disappointed in the unit."

On the post it was mentioned that the bathroom would have a shower over the bath. I chose this unit because we have 2 small children who need to bathe, and a shower would not work for them. The unit actually only had a shower. It is bad to put the wrong information on a post. So I had to make a plan to wash my 2 children (3 months and 3 years old). The cutlery was also minimal. There were no bowls for salad or side dishes when we barbecued. There were also no ladles. There were 3 forks, 2 butter knives, 2 sharp knives, 1 large spoon and 3 small spoons. It was impossible to serve food so that we could scoop up because there were no ladles. The braai facilities were also minimal. There was only one pair of tongs to move wood and grill our meat. The braai didn't have a lid, so your meat was exposed. The microwave is very small and therefore you could not carry the barbecue in it either. We are disappointed in the unit. This is our 3rd time visiting Mabalingwe, but the first time we have booked at the unit.

"Disappointing as we were not allowed to tour the reserve!"

I had to wait for a QR access code at the gate. The loose chairs inside were filthy, and the dustbin at the braai pit was broken. Additionally, I could not enjoy a self-drive game drive because "game management" was taking place. Why were members not informed beforehand? It seems there was a communication disconnect between the staff and members. The ergonomics of the kitchenette were impractical.

"Disappointing."

Aircon not working. Fan makes so much noise that you can't fall asleep. Barely any water at the bathroom's cold water faucet. The dish sink outside against the stove makes it almost impossible to wash dishes. There is nowhere to put the shelf except on the electric stove. Kitchen doesn't even have a toaster in it. Pots are rare. The barbecue outside has no legs. You have to sit on the ground to grill. The Boma's path is not maintained and the thorn trees grow over the road. Will not be able to barbecue there. There isn't even a cupboard in the kitchen to pack groceries. Just left in the bags and looked for what we needed from the bags. We didn't get the entrance treehole's code to enter. Had to go find security to help us. Only the code for the key box at the unit.

"The host wasn’t very communicative."

The unit doesn't even have an iron, we had to go look for it elsewhere in the lodge. The elephant lodge has no Wi-Fi and no network. The place has no network and the host wasn’t even available to assist us with any challenge we faced, the lamp in the Naguil wasn’t even in good working condition we had to use our phones as a form of light when the electricity went off. The unit didn’t have an iron or a mop.

"Quiet, lots of small game that come to visit you."

There really could have been a toaster and at least two small pots. Also no provision for food or coffee if it is load shedding. A small gas plate or stove would be a plus.

"Was disappointed"

Have stayed in units here before but this unit needs urgent attention. On kick-in there were loose, live wires that shocked me when I tried to get them out of the way. I immediately informed the owner (manager) as well as you. My reception was very poor so had trouble communicating. The handle of the wooden door to the outside was about to fall out, the shower window cannot be opened due to a part eaten away by termites, no tongs. the maintenance team did arrive later and sorted out most of the problems. LekkeSlaap also tried to help. The place has potential, I believe if als is brought up to date, it will be worth it again like most there. Make up your own mind.

"We really enjoyed Mabalingwe."

The unit is not bad, but is not very clean and the workers who come to clean do not really make an effort. We were chased twice by the elephants in the camp. The small animals that come to visit are very cute, but the elephants are dangerous.

"Our experience was marred by issues related to the cleanliness and hygiene of our accommodations."

I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding our recent stay at the establishment. The bedding and overall cleanliness left much to be desired, and I suspect that there may have been bed bugs or other pests in the room. This made our sleep experience one of the worst we have ever had during our travels. As guests, we expect a certain level of cleanliness and comfort during our stay, and regrettably, our experience did not meet those expectations. I kindly request that you address these concerns to ensure that future guests do not encounter similar issues during their stay. It is crucial to maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene to provide a pleasant and comfortable experience for all visitors. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I hope that improvements can be made to enhance the quality of stays for all your guests.

"Was very nice, but can definitely make improvements in terms of cleanliness in the cottage."

I booked for 255 A but got a text on the day of arrival that we were staying in a different cottage. Bed linen had stains on it and most of the plates and bowls had cracks in them.

"Not good."

Linnen was smelly (wasn't dried properly before folding). Linnen is not white anymore (yellowish). Airconditioner didn't work. Lots of cockroaches. Sofa dirty. Curtains dirty. Braai on ground (no legs). Wormlike insects fell from roof.

"Value for money."

Affordable unit compliments nature's tranquility, and roaming game at your door step.

"Quiet and peaceful."

The unit is comfortable with everything needed.

"Perfect forest getaway cottage for small family."

Very cute house and everything you need. The location is well placed and is very close to the pool and shop. Every morning the piggies come to say good morning when you eat breakfast.

"Very peaceful and wonderful nature."

The unit is a bit oddly designed with hotplates outside which makes it a challenge when it rains.

"Peaceful and relaxing."

Nice to get out of a busy place and just rest.

"Very good but the place has problems when it rains."

If it rains, the power trips. At first we were under the impression it was load shedding, but then found the power box and it tripped. It would be nice if the stoep roof could be waterproof so one could sit outside when it rains. Other than that it was very nice.

"Very bad experience."

I booked the unit with 254 Kremetart and was very disappointed when we arrived at the units, most of the units lights were not working, there are doors to the rooms to the veranda that could not open, the shower did not work didn't have a drain member where my companion's foot got stuck in and she fell against the wall also the water in the shower pooled and didn't wash away until about 5 minutes into the water. There were some tiles on the porch that were broken, some of the bedding was dirty, there were also loose power wires where there should have been a light. I will not stay at Elephant Lodge again.

"Comfortable beautiful and peaceful."

It is a great place to catch your breath, friendly service and nice and tidy.

"Mabalingwe was awesome!"

The room was full of ants and there was no doom , the toilet light was not working and there was no hand wash soap , the TV didn’t have any adapter “twin” plug and we struggled to open the microwave ended up eating cold food . Otherwise everything was great.

"Good value for money."

Overall a good place to stay. I did report the broken lock to the reception. The front door could not be locked from inside or outside. This is concerning. And bathroom needs new tiles. Tiles behind the toilet door is in bad condition. Toilet light is all faulty and keeps flashing.

"Home is neglected."

Lights broken. Tiles broken.

"Fantastic."

Clean, neat and quiet.

"Have a nice weekend with nice friends!"

Incredibly beautiful farm! Beautiful animals! Beautiful green and lots of water!

"Very good."

Is a place to visit.

"Peaceful bushveld getaway near the city."

We enjoyed the bushveld and boma. It is also not far from the city and thus ideal for a weekend getaway.

"Perfect for being peaceful in nature."

Beautiful surroundings with abundant wildlife.

"Comfortable, but needs some work."

Comfortable stay, although the bed needs to be replaced! Felt broken and old, impossible to sleep on.

"Very peaceful and nice! "

The unit was very nice, although more maintenance could be done. The animals that came to visit every morning and evening are definitely a plus! We really enjoyed the weekend!

"Very close to nature."

Very neat place, we had a great stay. Only a few things need a little attention, among other things the bed can easily be replaced. The doors are very difficult to open and close and the bathtub needs repairs. We also would have liked more pots, there was only one pan in the unit.

"Mabalingwe Nature Reserve was such beautiful place for us as a couple. "

Mabalingwe Nature reserve is a good place one can spend their entire holiday at. Fun is what we looking for and at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve it is galore. However, I wish room services can be improved, things like iron, hairdryer, frequent changes of towels, clean sheets on couches and a telephone for calling the management in cases of some needs nor information. Now, these could make Mabalingwe Elephant Lodge Unit 155 Naguil an exquisite place for a holiday.

"Horrible."

The unit needs urgent attention. Taps are loose. Bath sinks if you run water. Ants are eating the unit. Lock broken. Pots and pans in terrible condition. Ice buckets broken. Extra blankets and bedding not neatly folded and stored. Very unpleasant not a practical unit.

"Unacceptable to charge money for this unit."

We were very disappointed with the accommodation. The TV remote's batteries were flat. There were no bowls to dish up the food. The bathtub and outside taps were broken. The toilet seat was broken. No clean, hot water to take a bath ─ the water was brown! I could not take a bath. No silicon around the bath. No curtains in the bathroom. There is an ant infestation in the bathroom. The pillow was dirty. The towel was stained.

"Very neat, well appointed unit."

The unit was tidy, well furnished and value for money.

"Was a great getaway out of the city."

Lovely place, our kids enjoyed it a lot. And it was great for us moms who were without husbands for the weekend. We felt very safe.

"Excellent service by the hostess Monique."

Thanks for the effort for the extra fans on our second visit. Good luck with your "upgrade" of the bomas. Will definitely stay here again and recommend to friends.

"Wild animals and natural beauty on your porch."

We booked with permission to take our little girl (2½ years) and our baby boy (2 months) with us, even though the unit was advertised for 2 adults only. There is a nice large built-in couch with a soft mattress that we converted into a bed for our little girl, so everyone had their own place to sleep (our little boy still sleeps in a carry-cot). The unit was pretty neat and we were not at all afraid of insects or other creepy crawlies that might crawl in. There are lots of kid-friendly things to do and we were never bored. Moms, you can bring the children with you. The wild animals are very tame and often come around the house looking for food or bugs that are attracted by the lights. We almost saw more wildlife from our porch than when we went on a game drive. Some of the animals we saw at the cottage were; warthogs, partridges, squirrels, nyalas, impalas, blue monkeys and a whole family of mouse dogs. It was a wonderful experience and we would love to holiday here again.

"All you need, surrounded by animals."

Mabalingwe's animals are satisfied and well looked after. So wonderful to see how healthy all the animals are. We also saw the predators and the same can be said about them. Value for money, relaxing and we would definitely go again. All the staff were friendly, well trained and helpful. The restaurant is a bonus. We had some "visitors" every morning and evening which we thoroughly enjoyed. Can't wait to go again, only next time longer than 3 days.

"Very beautiful and quite, customer service was very great."

Both my partner and I really enjoyed our stay, I love the tranquillity and the chalets are spacious and clean. Thank you so much Mabalingwe for your hospitality, we will definitely come back.

"Lovely! Very peaceful and relaxing."

Very peaceful! We really enjoyed the stay.

"Very nice place."

What the owners of the unit can consider is to put a map of Mabalingwe in the house. For those of us who had never been there did not know where what was.

"Peaceful and relaxing."

We had a very nice stay. Unit was clean and tidy. When we had a problem with water, it was solved very quickly.

"Needs attention. "

Bed is uncomfortable en neatness not on standard.

"Place was dirty."

Very dirty. We had to clean the braai ourselves. No soap to wash the oily cutlery. The wire of the kettle was too short to reach the socket.

"Very nice place to stay, peaceful and private."

Great place with enough space and everything you need. You literally only have to bring your clothes, food and drinks. Unfortunately, some of the previous guests' filthy dishes was still in the room when we got there, otherwise a very nice place.

"Very cute places."

Made a suggestion to Monique to put in air conditioners.

"It was awesome."

Next visit I'll bring my whole family as it accommodate children.

"Very nice."

The accommodation and surroundings were beautiful and peaceful.