"Fantastic family getaway."

We were a large group of brothers and sisters from my and hubby's side of the family that went away to Nyala View in February 2023. What an amazing place and the service - just everything. We had basic power during load shedding - TV, lights, Wi-Fi etc. Absolutely fabulous - we will be back!

"We had a great time in spite of some challenges."

We were a large family group gathering to celebrate an elderly member's birthday, and everyone enjoyed themselves despite some of the challenges posed by Nyala View. There are several loose planks on the stairs leading to the property as well as on the upper decking. As someone else mentioned too, there are screws protruding from some planks as well - not great if you walk around barefoot to and from the swimming pool. The quality of material and state of repair and cleanliness of the lodge is not of the highest standard. The bathrooms could do with a deep cleanse. There is a rotting smell coming from a drain somewhere, especially irritating after everyone washed and showered in the morning. The in-built BBQ was a bit of a challenge; small, cooking for 15 people, and we had to place some bricks to ensure the coals did not fall onto the deck or into people's flipflops. The gas BBQ is missing some screws from its legs and we could not use it because it is extremely wobbly. The downstairs/garage/Boma area is a bit of a dump site, not at all pleasant to walk through - it also becomes a mini lake during rain. Some doors are missing locks. In spite of all the above, we managed to have a good time, and the agent and on-site handyman did their best to assist with any small issues such as load shedding affecting the water supply, WiFi needing a replacement cable, so no fault there. For the rate we paid, it was good value for money but we think Nyala View can do with a decent makeover to allow it to be really great.

"A few suggestions for improvements but all round it was a pleasant stay."

Our stay was lovely. Leading up to the stay was challenging with many rules and regulations to meet. When booking it says 10 adults and 5 children. Only once youve paid in full does it tell you that an adult is classed as anyone over 12 years old (which is nowhere near an adult and very unfair that it isnt made more clear upfront). Location is beautiful but quite far from the main mabalingwe site. Downstairs rooms are not able to access upstairs without keys which was a shame. . We didnt know how to turn off pool or jacuzzi so pool got low and needed filling up so made a lot of noise at night and jacuzzi got very green quite quickly - might be helpful to leave some instructions for guests. . Beeping sound kept some of the guests awake during the first night. If some of those issues could be dealt with, however, i would recommend to others.

"We had a very disappointing weekend."

Since the day we arrived, until we left we didn't have any water! Pool net was not on, not even bothered to do that, after it was mentioned, months ago as a major issue for us. Safari vehicle didn't work. Inverter didn't cover some lights, including room lights, no wi-fi as stated!

"Do not recommend."

Unfortunately, our experience was not a good one, we arrived at 13:30, slightly early for the 14:00 check-in. We stood outside until 14:00 so as to not disrupt the cleaner etc. On arrival we were very shocked to find the house still terribly dirty from the previous guest and that they only had one lady in the house trying to get it clean for us. later on, another one luckily arrived to assist her, they only finished up cleaning, ironing bedding etc at 16:00. On our arrival we were also met with a whole group of maintenance staff in the house, trying to fix the glass stack doors, and unblocking drains. They finally packed up and left at 17:00. We had contacted the host to ask about the dirty house and all the staff still inside, but were unfortunately not assisted in any courteous manner, in fact, we were blamed for arriving early, even though we stayed outside till check-in time, and was just told that they cant predict how dirty previous guests will leave the property. So we all sat uncomfortably on the patio till 17:00 till the last staff left before we could start our meeting and unwind. We were also informed that we do not have access to all 7 bedrooms. This was a workgroup of colleagues ─ and we had specifically chosen this house for the number of rooms available, we ended up having to have another guest sleep on the couches. Furthermore, as guests started arriving at Mabalingwe we had difficulty entering 2 vehicles and were told they were not registered onto the system, all 6 car details were sent through on the same documentation. One car was stuck there for 45 min, as the host then also decided to not answer any of our calls for the balance of our stay. That evening as we started washing the dishes the drain they had spent the whole day fixing pushed back up again and we spent a good part of our evening trying to clear the enormous amount of water from the kitchen floor. We also didn't have a working refrigerator, even the maintenance guy spent a good time trying to get it fixed before he left us earlier in the day. All in all, this could have been a much more pleasant experience if we just got some support from the Host of the property but instead, we ended up on the other side of the line in a hostile conversation. The solution we were given was that we could check out a little later the following day, but due to the eventful previous day not one member of our group wanted to stay and in fact, we all left even before checkout time.

"I want to go back."

Amazing place with amazing views. We had a great time and would love to go again.

"Awesomeness and perfection."

We had the time of our lives everything about the place was awesome except for the misunderstandings with our booking but everything about the place and location is good.

"We as a family enjoyed the house and the Bosveld."

Regardless of the bad rain and cold weather that lasted the whole weekend, we as a group made the best of it, at least we were also able to go on a game drive even if we had to wait for the vehicle until 10:00 in the morning and that after i had to call Everything one needed was there. There are a few defects that I sent you by e-mail with photos, such as e.g. the Rhino room was under water due to the rain that ran from the porch under the door, the shower was also blocked and also poured over the floor. The door of the one bathroom with an outdoor shower could not be closed and the wind kept blowing it open. We could not use the kettle as it was cracked and the water was leaking out from the bottom. In the games room we could not use the football table as there was no ball. The pool table's two sticks also did not contain points. One of the 2 table tennis rackets' handle was lumbar and one half broken off. The biggest headache was the pin drop directions that take you about 3 km past the Cyferfontein entrance. Furthermore, the place is beautiful.

"Friends and family made for a lovely visit."

The inverter was broken, so no water during load shedding. Deck has several loose and broken boards. Some of the bathrooms never had hot water. The pool turned green and nothing was done about it, even though we requested it many times. The Jacuzzi was very dirty from day 1. We bought wood in advance, but it wasn't delivered until day 2.

"The unit is very nice, but the road to get there is very bad."

The bedrooms are very nice and spacious with very comfortable beds! Beautiful view! The unit is not recommended for people with disabilities or people who have difficulty walking because you have to climb stairs to enter the unit, but for us it was convenient. The air conditioning was a winner in the hot heat.

"Weekend stay with family at the lodge."

There seems to be no pride in welcoming guests at the security gate. No one knew the number of the Nyala Lodge either, some guests indicating they are staying at Mabalingwe Game Lodge were pointed back to Main Reception. The dirt road is also very bad for any small to medium type cars. WiFi at the lodge did not function and as cellphone signals are very bad, this was making comms with other arriving guests extremely difficult. The kettle needs an upgrade as it burns you when trying to pick it up after boiling water. The Jacuzzi kept tripping the power when running the heater pump. The outside deck area also needs TLC as screws were coming out and made it feel unsafe to walk over. The playroom needs some urgent TLC as well, pool/tennis tables are very unstable and only one pool stick available at the time. Table tennis bat handle also broken. Not enough cutlery and suitable glasses for all people. Specially for children. Braai boma is very nice but the smell around here is rather bad. Seem the french drain breather pipe is located too close for comfort to this. Inverter did function when loadshedding kicked in which was a big plus. No DSTV channels active either.

"Nice to relax in nature but the house is not up to standard."

The woodland nature in Mabalingwe is beautiful, especially after all the rain. The house is unfortunately very dilapidated and needs a lot of maintenance attention. The deck around the pool is about 50% loose and is dangerous. Lots of stuff around the house that doesn't meet current building regulations - dangerous for little and big people. Had to clean the pool myself (no pool scoop net), and the hot tub control system was not working. Quite disappointed with the condition of the house. There are also bats in the house's roof that leave small landmines everywhere.

"Disappointed."

Booking this place I was under the impression it is in the Mabalingwe main area, only to find out we need to travel 7 km on a gravel road in order to get through the main gate. This was not my expectation at all as I have previously stayed in the main reserve and travelling to the restaurant and doing a self game drive was much easier. There was no heads up about loadshedding and that the inverter was not working. We struggled with tall glasses as all this place had was short and whisky type glasses. The bedroom floors were dusty and the upstairs bedroom had not been mopped or swept. The fire pit area was not inviting. Seems like there was work being done but no care to clean up before we arrive. Bricks laying all over and the hose pipe laid out all the way and laying over the stairs. There seemed to be no pride in welcoming guests. The Jacuzzi kept tripping. The outside deck area also needs TLC as screws were coming out and made it feel unsafe to walk over.