"Very relaxing."

Very nice, kettle was just broken.

"Had a great time. Really enjoyed the park's facilities and animals."

Peaceful Easter weekend.

"Will definitely use Mabalingwe Elephant Lodge Unit 254 Kremetart again."

Had a great time.

"Awesome place."

Awesome place and always nice to stay there. If we can go, we always stay there and definitely recommend it.

"Bush and place were great."

Loved our stay. Will be back. Thank you.

"Very nice."

Everything was fine, thank you.

"Memorable stay in the heart of the bush and mountains."

Satisfied with the accommodation. House nice and spacious. Had a relaxed and peaceful stay in the heart of the bush and mountains and enjoyed the restaurant and game drives.

"Perfect."

Our stay was great. We had the best time ever.

"Mabalingwe is absolutely beautiful and has all the elements to make it world class."

This is a lovely residence, although we would highly recommend some maintenance, eg. oil on all the doors, hinges, cleaning old merkel on the roof and loose tiles on the porch. I would also advise that the kitchenware needs to be reviewed and upgraded. There is no salad bowl, but 3 x graters?

"At Mabalingwe Elephant Lodge Unit 254 Kremetart I could become human again."

We had a wonderful stay. Elephant Lodge is the place where young and old can relax and enjoy a holiday because there is something for everyone. If you want to make it perfect, you can work on WiFi.

"We enjoyed Mabalingwe and just slept over. Unit sufficient for that."

The room was comfortable with an air conditioner and fan. Kitchen, dining room and living room are open plan, which can get cramped if 5 people stay there. It was sufficient for two persons. It is about time for the sofa bed to be replaced. Units close together and do not offer much privacy.

"Absolute gem, but seriously needs some TLC and a deep clean and paint inside."

Our time at Unit 254 was really amazing. The only thing is that the maintenance and cleaning seriously need attention. You get dirt but this is seriously dirty that you would need to scrub down with sugar soap to get it looking decent again. The pots are burnt inside and the correct cleaning equipment can come clean, we tried to scrub with what we had but it really needs to be TLC. There are no serving containers or dishes for salads or sides and no tongs. Then on the maintenance side, the shower in the one downstairs room with the two single beds shocks you when you try to touch the tap once you are inside and wet. The coffee table is broken, the sleeper couch is really old and is in desperate need of replacing and the broken tiles on the steps outside need to be fixed. It's a beautiful place, amazing value for money but with a lick of paint and some cleaning, this place would be an absolute gem. (i. e. someone even wrote on the ceiling clean me. not sure how long ago. not sure why someone would do this to someone's property but perhaps some love can take place.

"Better."

The place was so beautiful and nice. Unfortunately i have experience dirty water on Saturday until Sunday.

"Die game drives en predator park was awesome."

The unit is not equipped for load shedding or power outages. A gas stove would help a lot. One magnito light between 3 rooms. The upper room's fan was broken. They would bring another one. Do not have.

"Quiet and nice."

The place is very nice, but unfortunately there were a few things that made it a bit inconvenient. The house was very dusty upon arrival. The thatched roof, especially at the loft above, was terribly covered in cobwebs and I feel it just needs a little better maintenance. The boma was full of ashes and papers and the grate had not been cleaned at all; we had to do it on arrival. It's a lovely place and we really enjoyed it, even if a few things weren't right.

"Good but needs some attention to small things."

Aircons need to be checked as the one room the aircon did not get cold. We also saw that someone wrote clean me on the roof in the lounge. The towels smelt a bit damp as well. But other than that we enjoyed our stay.

"Buying cheap is buying expensive."

There were good points about our stay: many animals walked past the unit every day and Elephant Lodge itself is very nice with a nice pool and lots of sports activities to do. There were quite a few negatives to this particular unit: although 6 people can stay there, there were only 3 wine glasses, too few small plates and only enough large plates for one meal. So we had to wash dishes all the time with the quarter bottle of terribly diluted Sunlight soap that was there. When the bin was full, we realized with a shock that there were no extra black bags. As if it wasn't bad enough, the upper room is missing 2 blinds and you wake up early in the morning with the blinding sun and people can also peep at you when you are naked through the window. We had to try to close the window with the 1 blanket that was there for 2 single beds. To top it all off, none of the outside lights worked and we had to struggle for 3 hours in the dark to grill. It was claimed by the owner and caretaker that they supposedly tested the lights that morning, but the electrician they sent said there was no connection for those lights and he then tied the wires together and the lights went off. shone day and night all long weekend. Finally, the mattresses and pillows were terribly uncomfortable and 3 of the 5 people left are now sitting with back pain. I would rather pay more to stay at a better equipped unit next time, where you can see your "host" cares about their property.

"Disappointing."

Was very disappointed. The place is dirty - on the roof in the living room previous guests wrote "clean me". There were no exterior lights that worked. There was a minimum of cutlery (no tongs) and no remote control for the TV. Electrical wires hung from the ceiling in the living room. Upon enquiry, they said, "we're fixing it now". It wasn't fixed until late afternoon on day 2.

"Distasteful."

No, frustrating stay.

"Nice outside for the accommodation."

Accommodation needs a deep clean, dirty burnt pots at your disposal, no salad or mixing bowls. Broken tiles greet you on your way in. Aircon does not work on heat. You feel bad when you get such a bargain tea.

"Lovely place in the forest. Nice braai boma, and house is well furnished."

Lovely unit. Close to swimming pools and shop. We had a very nice stay. Will definitely book again.

"It was fantastic and peaceful."

We really enjoyed it, lots to do, lots of animals to see. Elephants visited us in camp which was an incredible experience. We will definitely book with Mabalingwe again for a getaway.

"Mind blowing."

In the near future get some caretakers to clean every day if it means an extra charge.

"Nice in the forest."

Spacious house with great amenities.

"Very peaceful atmosphere surrounded by animals and natural beauty."

The house itself needs some attention - no locks on room doors, air conditioner in 1 room not working, TV in other room not working, showers not draining.

"Very tranquil, absolutely amazing."

One of the best places to go when you're looking to get away from the city. Absolutely peaceful and the animals paying us visits made it even more memorable.

"Stay was great, activities 100%, but treatment was very bad. "

We just arrived, still unpacking, security was called saying residents are complaining about the noise, we did not even have any kind of music system with us.

"Disappointed."

Cleanliness is a big issue. On arrival the floor was dirty, looking like a run down freezer, with no mop or broom in sight. All the bedding and towels smelled like laundry that didn't dry properly. Place needs a lot of attention even though it is well located. We expected better.

"Nice location."

The place can do with some improvement, and upgrades.

"Nice once we were settled."

The cleanliness and maintenance is a big issue. There was a wasp nest in the mattress that one of us joined. There were used, dirty underwear in the closet. Overall beauty not up to standard. None of the other doors can open, all locks are broken etc.

"Disappointing to say the least."

Although we like Mabalingwe very much and visit there often and I would be able to recommend Kremetart "tongue in kies" if I had to attend to it until then, it is with disappointment that I have to bring the following to your attention. The unit needs maintenance and attention. The doors in the rooms' cupboards as well as the kitchen cupboards are falling off the hinges. The shower in one bathroom's drain is blocked and you stand ankle-deep in water within minutes of a shower. The aircon in one bedroom does not work (it only blows cold air even on the "heat" mode). There are no extra blankets (and believe me it was very cold). The crockery is uneven (there was too little of some things and too much of others). Although the place is set up for 6 people, there were e.g. only 3 large glasses, 5 wine glasses, 3 saucers but again 7 large plates. There were no keys for the sliding doors in the bedrooms and although I sent the owner a WhatsApp message asking where we could get the keys, I did not receive a reply. The electrical wiring of the stove is incorrect and the plates do not work as they should. The plates' heat doesn't work properly either and our food burned twice because the number on the stove is like number 9. The one wall plug in the kitchen doesn't work, which makes it very difficult to operate the kettle, microwave and the "toaster" all with one power point (especially with a small baby traveling along). There were lights that didn't work. With loadshedding, there were 2 lights that clearly worked on solar, but nowhere was there a working "battery backup light" or "rechargeable" light. The unit was indeed cleaned nicely by Willeminah. My advice would be to pay some attention to the unit because it is actually a very nice place and we would love to visit there again.

"Short getaway weekend with friends."

Very nice except for the drainage of water, what a mess. The tub and showers do not drain. The maintenance was there, but the same problem. Otherwise, our stay was very nice.

"Great potential."

We had a good stay with family and friends but the unit is in desperate need of a deep cleaning plus maintenance and repairs are very much needed!!!!

"Great weekend, but home was disappointing."

House was not very clean and just looked neglected. We expected better from photos. Bedding was old and not silver clean.

"Worst experience in my life."

The sleeper sofa was used. There are no handles on the doors. Many tiles were cracked and broken, my boy almost cut his foot open. The bedding and pillow smell sour and have dirty stains on them. The baths are old, the faucet's pipe sprays wet everything but me. Kitchen cabinets are broken. The walls are dirty. The curtains are dirty and not properly hemmed. At the boma the old ashes lie scattered. The table in the living room made of wire is a great danger to my child. Cobwebs everywhere.

"Best."

The environment is very quiet.

"We stay good and safe but the cleanliness is not good."

But anyway our trip was good, thank you so much.

"Mabalingwe is a great place! Accommodation just need some attention."

A lovely place to stay and have fun with family and friends. Accommodation just need some serious repairs. Broken kettle, leaking roof, shattered window. Broken stove.

"It was great. Quiet place to be with family."

Kindly include iron with ironing board in the chalet. Generally all went well.

"Not bad but the unit was dirty."

The only problem is that the place was dirty.

"Pleasant stay."

Unit needs upgrading, especially kitchen.

"Unity is neglected."

Sheets were stained and smelled like wet dog. Lock on room door was broken. Shower water took a long time to drain, almost overflowing. Toilets could not flush. Air conditioners make noise. Tiles on porch are broken and pieces out. TV is on the floor in one room. Barbecue is falling apart and grill needs to be replaced. One crane's head was off. Informed the owner of the problems via WhatsApp the first night, but she read the message but did not reply back.

"Visit Mabalingwe regularly, this time was disappointing."

The unit definitely needs repairs. Only one room had the shower, bath and air vent working (right) and only 1 blanket, was cold and linen was thin. Bedroom 2 (left), no bath plug and shower not working, water only drips from it, also only 1 blanket, air rail not working. Bedroom upstairs: Bed broken, 2 adults had to share on single bed, 1 blanket, shower taps not working, water taps broken, sink taps also a problem, bath no plug, no air vent. The TV was weak upstairs. The poor quality steak knives were broken (then like a clipper when you use them, plastic handles), plates were chipped. Paving tiles must be replaced in places where they are broken, as one can fall there and sustain an injury. The downstairs TV did work.

"Good and friendly place. "

However the unit is very poorly maintained and services is very bad.

"I've booked for 3 nights. Unfortunately, I was only booked for 2 days. It was a hustle to get accommodation for the first night."

I was not happy at all with the treatment.

"Disappointing for what we paid per night."

The front door couldn't lock at all, we waited about 2 hours for someone to help us after calling around everywhere. The 2 rooms' exterior doors cannot open at all. Although the place looked neat when you entered it was not clean at all, in front of the unit's door were used ear sticks and toothpicks, bedding and towels were very old and washed out and no longer white. When we wanted to cancel, the owner was only willing to refund us 30%. The owner was not helpful at all and we struggled to get hold of her by phone. For those who want to book there, do your homework properly first, the photos look very nice but not at all what we experienced.

"Big disappointment."

The lodge was a horrible experience from start to finish. The owner or manager has our double-book. It took us and the other family over 3 hours to sort out. This while the owner simply did not answer her mobile phone. Eleven days later and still no feedback. The place was dirty. Dangerous wires and no plugs. And to top it all off, no provision made for load shedding. This while there was up to phase 6 load shedding. Not a church or a gas lamp. It was a really horrible experience.

"This place is in serious need of maintenance. It is an ant infested dump."

Maintenance needs to be performed to an acceptable standard. The cleaning crew the first couple of days was doing a real bad job and when we complained, the cleaner let the door open for monkeys to come into the unit. The monkeys even took eggs out of the fridge and some juices, select certain crisps and only ate bananas (no other fruit) making it highly suspect that it was actually monkeys that did take some of the items. The stench was a big problem as the cleaning person's mop was filthy.

"Disappointing and dirty."

Everything in the unit was broken (kettle, kitchen light, lights, wall plugs not working, sliding door glass, toilet roll holder and the list goes on). The unit is dirty and creepy and needs a good cleaning and new paint and fixtures. Overall very disappointing and a huge embarrassment to whoever owns the unit.

"Very nice, just lots of ants everywhere that can be maintained."

Fun for kids and lots to do. House is nice and tidy. Nice area.

"Great stay with an amazing atmosphere."

The best place to stay to see animals walk past and to have a peaceful experience.

"Peaceful, beautiful, amazingly wonderful."

We arrive and the unit was neat and smelled and looked clean. We had to go for a sunset game drive and when we returned we where greeted by a herd of elephants right outside our door. Elephant Loge indeed. A little scary but amazing. The issue we had was quickly sorted by our amazing housekeeping manager and her staff. Beautiful place, hope to return soon but will definitely recommend.

"I did enjoy it very much, place is so nice."

I love to visit this place always as its so beautiful.

"Good value for money."

Good location and value for money.

"It was so amazing."

My stay with family was super amazing and what I've enjoyed more was game driving with my family. I'm definitely going to revisit more and more.

"Fantastic."

Enjoyed our stay. The ants are a huge problem in that unit.

"Cleanliness of the unit definitely 2 star."

See stars.

"Place is dirty."

The accommodation was not bad but the bedding was just dirty, curtains terribly dirty, toilet leaking, another toilet whose bowl was broken, bathtubs stained, taps falling off.

"The unit is very neglected"

We were very disappointed in the unit. The unit is very neglected. There is absolutely no maintenance. The door's lock is damaged and you have difficulty unlocking the door. The wood of the doors was eaten away by termites. Curtains are very dirty. Lights hang from wires and there are no light shields on some lights. One bathroom's toilet bowl lid is broken, you can stick your whole hand in it. The other bathroom's faucet runs all the time and you can't close the faucet. The toilet paper holder is loose, the shower heads are disgustingly dirty. DStv decoder hangs just below the TV - very unsightly. The pots and pans are in a disgusting state. In the upper room there was a dirty mattress and sheet standing in the corner. We will not stay in this unit again.

"Will not go there again."

Mabalingwe itself has several activities which were enjoyable, but the unit itself falls far short. The kitchen is sparsely equipped. The pots and pans in battered condition. There is one plastic bowl, can't even make two salads. No cloth to wipe shelves with, only one dish towel for the whole weekend. Bedding upstairs room was dirty. Leaking faucets. Electric plug in kitchen shocked one of our guests. Lights that don't work. The roof leaks terribly in all the rooms. No mop or broom, you have to ask for something. There are ants everywhere, you can't put anything down. I understand we are in the woods, but insect control can be done around houses.

"Doors are broken, roof leaks, door locks don't work, one shower knob was broken off so couldn't use it. Disappointing."

It's a disappointing holiday. The maintenance of the house is shocking. Doors broken, locks broken, toilets keep running. Hot and cold water taps are mislabeled so you burn yourself. Roof leaked. One knob of the shower was off so could not use. One bathtub was dirty. I understand that all items are probably not reported to owners but there were just so many things wrong. After I reported it to the owner, she reported it to management but at no point did she get an apology. Really looking forward to getting away for a bit and was shocked at standards of accommodation.

"It was an absolutely disappointing week. The unit was not up to standard at all. Will never stay at Elephant Lodge again. We go to Mabalingwe a lot and stay in Kubu and Itaga but thought Elephant Lodge for kids was a good location."

The roof leaked, the children had to sleep downstairs on a mattress with their parents. The downstairs bathroom and the upstairs bathroom faucets were off. The mattress of the one bed in the lower room's springs felt like they were coming through when you lay on the bed. The microwave is rusted and we could not use it. Lights in the room are incomplete with only a wire hanging. The doors of the room to the outside could not open. I took a lot of pictures and am going to put them on Hello Peter and all media platforms to warn people, don't waste your money on this accommodation. We were not the only people there who were unhappy with the stay. Many people complained and worst of all we reported it to Christa and nothing was done about it. For what we paid for the unit it is a shame that such a place is rented out.

"Disappointing."

The unit is very run down. Short door handles, toilet bowls are broken. Sink in bathroom is blocked. Lacks a light bulb in room. Curtains, pillows and duvets should be replaced. There was no fresh bedding. Plug in kitchen not working. No dishcloths or tablecloth or place mats. Short sharp knives. Short batteries for remote control for aircon. Front door lock is bent, hard to open.

"The park and facilities are very nice and very clean but the unit was disappointed, there are a lot of things broken in the unit and a lot of things missing to prepare food. The hot water was not available took a long time to get hot water in the unit it was a cold weekend and the one aircon did not work at all."

We were not given fresh towels.

"Magical!"

We fell in love with Elephant Lodge on Mabalingwe. Food for the soul!

"Great getaway, rest for your soul."

Truly a getaway where you can relax and enjoy nature. Elephants walked through the camp a few times - what an experience! There are some things that need fixing in the unit, eg. leaking taps and the power points in the upper room.

"It's nice, we did enjoy and it's clean."

Your place is so beautiful.

"Sublime."

A wonderful, relaxing location! Bushpigs can get a bit much though (such inquisitive animals!)

"Beautiful place and very neat."

Quiet place to stay with your family, the environment is refreshing.

"Perfect quiet environment. Hospitable."

Mabalingwe's staff were perfect. We were placed in Eagle. Bathroom and kitchen utensils were not clean. Faucets not working properly. Unit's agent is lax in fulfilling promises.

"Amazing! Best quality and value for money."

I can recommend Mabalingwe Elephant Lodge unit 154 to anyone. Clean white bedding, spacious rooms, friendly workers. The house has everything one needs. The house was well equipped. The elephants visited us right in front of Unit 154 Kremetart. The boma was perfect for a cozy late night barbecue. The children of course really enjoyed the pool, putt-putt course. There is something of everything to do, game drives, restaurant and many more. Service was very good.

"Our stay was amazing!"

The facility was very nice and we really enjoyed our stay. The house was equipped with everything we needed and even though there was a problem with ants, that was the only thing that bothered us. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone. Thank you Elephant Lodge!

"Break away"

On arrival at the institution we were very excited. One is unexpectedly surprised by some of the animals that come to say hello every now and then. The unit's maintenance and cleanliness has let him down a bit and may deserve attention.

"Nice place to visit again."

Wonderful place, animals roaming around.

"Relaxing, see kudus from the lounge."

The stay was relaxing, see kudus from the lounge, enjoy the game drives.

"Lovely house, and great location, unfortunately not well maintained and clean. "

It is very unfortunate as the house have so much potential. Unfortunately the cleaning lady also doesn't do a great job. But the stay overall was pleasant, and we will return.

"Clean, but needs a lot of attention."

There were a few issues. Top room window latches broken, toilet leaking, bath shower hose not working, door latches broken. The microwave did not work and there was a shortage of pots.

"We had a very nice stay. Will definitely stay there again."

A few repairs are needed throughout the place. Not to be negative. Upper shower head was only scant with water. Needs a cleaning (Shower head). Upper bathroom door lock is broken. Door could not close. Lights out in upstairs room but really didn't bother. We really enjoyed the stay there.

"Comfortable little place in the woods with something for the whole family."

Well located. Wonderful environment. Unit has enough space and all the basics one needs. Very cute boma. Service is good and vining to sort out any problems. Really go out of their way to make things comfortable for your family. Plekkie has a few small maintenance things that could be improved and here and there needs an extra glass or spoon and so on, but nothing that you can't sort out.

"Environmentally friendly and peaceful atmosphere. The scenery is beautiful and the staff receptive!"

Fortunately, we are not spoiled people otherwise we could have complained about a few things regarding Unit 154. It definitely needs a bit of renovation. But the linen was very clean! Otherwise, we really enjoyed the campfire with the wild animals that came to greet us. We had a lovely meal at the restaurant with very friendly staff. Considering the current drought, the game drives were worth it. Overall a very enjoyable experience at Mabalingwe! If the Cape wasn't so far, we would like to go again!

"The condition of the unit was disappointing."

I will definitely not stay in this unit again - sofas were dirty, bathroom tiles broken, kitchen drawers broken, cutlery and other kitchenware very basic, very disappointing, condition of unit not clear on the pictures - I would not recommend.

"Dirty and without electricity."

We clocked in for 2 hours and sat without power after 6 in the evening. The place was terribly dirty with cockroaches, a bag of cement lying around in the kitchen and the boma was unusable with a dirty grill.

"It was dirty! Geyser broken. Ants. No toilet paper."

Cleaning service is pathetic. Brooms and rags are dirty. The place was very dirty. Linen was stained and full of fish moths. Floors were dirty and ants were everywhere! There was no power when we arrived and when we discovered the power board among cans and other rubbish we had to figure out for ourselves the geyser tripping the power. The maintenance team called. They came to check 2 hours later and promised to come and fix it the next day. The geyser was fixed only after dark on Saturday night. Clogged shower drain. Dishcloths obviously dirty. Spider cracks everywhere. On the porch lies a dirty black bag with a bag of cement. It was horrible!

"We stayed very nice and would love to go again!"

The lodge was very clean and tidy and we had a lovely stay! The animals regularly walked past the lodge and our little girl called us regularly when they passed. We will certainly recommend it for people who love the bush and nature. It is quiet and peaceful and a wonderful getaway.

"Had a great time and felt safe."

I can highly recommend the place to anyone. We had a great stay and the animals came to say hello to us every day.

"Beautiful place with lots to do."

Very nice stay with everything you need, without criticizing I believe attention should be paid to the showers they were blocked and shower heads need attention.

"All you need for a quick getaway."

Nice central location in the reserve. Lots of privacy and that innie bush feeling.

"Stay was very pleasant and nice and quiet!"

Drains were clogged (they tried to open with no success - not real equipment or clue). No hot water (outlet pipe at geyser broken and then they turn it off). I had to sweep the barbecue area and had to barbecue on bricks! This was bad advertising for my German tourists visiting us!

"It was a great weekend and beautiful place."

It's a great place to unpack. Nature is beautiful.

"Lovey place but needs serious maintenance."

Lovely unit in great setting with some great interactions with big and small game. However, there is a list of things that need to be done to take this unit from okay to great. It wasn't clean and bathrooms had rings around the basins, spider webs that seem to have been there for years as well. Ants everywhere and in the kitchen cupboards. Almost all the lights don't work. The showers are blocked and upstairs tap broken and no water pressure or cold water upstairs particularly. Kitchen cupboard door hanging off and for a 6 sleeper there were only 5 plates and 2 wine glasses. Also no corkscrew or salad or chip bowls of any description and the frying pan was rusted badly. Doors are also difficult to open and close. These are all things that are easily fixed before charging people money to stay.

"I loved it."

I loved the place, it was nice. The only problem I had was there were a lot of frogs in the unit, especially in the kitchen.

"Disappointed."

The oven didn't work. We found worms in the toilet. The TV in the bedroom also didn't work. The sheets on the bed were dirty.

"A bit disappointed."

Had really high expectations of the place as I paid R2000 a night. Really a very nice place, but there is just too much that went wrong. Braai light not working. Chalet did not have hot water. Refrigerator has trouble getting cold. Stove does not heat up. The Chalet smelled bad after the new curtains they put in. I have to add that our agent was very helpful and sorted out the first few problems, but it was still frustrating that nothing was working as it should. Will definitely go to Mabalingwe Elephant Lodge again but just not at 154 Kremetart.

"Fantastic."

Fantastic spacious unit, great that each room has its own full bathroom. Private boma is awesome. Only negative in December heat an aircon would have been a big plus. We got terribly hot.

"An excellent place to visit with friends or adult children."

We were a family with grown children visiting together. The unit needs some maintenance (eg showers were clogged), but the unit is so well appointed with 3 bathrooms that one still got by just fine. Rooms delightfully private and visiting areas very cozy. Unit conveniently located on resort and within walking distance of pool and kiosk. Private boma area makes for lovely late night snuggles around the fire. Would love to go back again for sure.