Aha Makalali Private Game Lodge

Josh Doro

Had an amazing experience at aha Makalali. Spent four nights at the river lodge. Service was fantastic! The lodge arranged airport transfer for us from Hoedspruit Airport. Driver was on time and gave us history on the area and animals on the 1.5 hour drive from the airport to the reserve. Game drives are held every morning and every evening and included with the stay. We saw all the species that we hoped to and were able to get up close to many amazing animals. Game drivers and trackers were friendly and super knowledgable, providing interesting information on the animals and the history of the reserve. Rooms were clean and well maintained. Dining was wonderful. Bring a sweatshirt or light jacket on the game drives, even if you are from a colder climate! It gets cold in the open-air safari vehicles. Cannot thank the staff enough for the hospitality and providing us with an absolutely wonderful experience!

Abigail Reynolds

DON'T GO here! It's like a 2 star lodge, not a 5 star lodge. Main problems: FOOD is NOT good-overcooked, served cold, unimaginative. Some days its even awful. It is prepped in a central kitchen for all the 3 different lodges and driven over to the small river lodge. So its cooked long before its served. And there is no chef at the river lodge kitchen. FURNISHINGS in the main building are worn and old. ALL all soft cushions had been taken off the terrace chairs so there was no back support or softness, and the website showed about 8 cushions on each terrace chair!. The Lounge only had 2 couches and 2 soft cushions, where the website shows 2 couches, 2 soft lounge chairs, 2 ottomans and 7 soft cushions! Its NOT worth the money. The staff, our guide and the bush and animals were lovely, and the bedroom was good too- but the food, and main building furnishings RUIN IT ALL! IT is the owner and senior management's problems: they need to put money in and replace the furniture, and hire proper cooks with budgets to make good food.

Ruben Juarez

From the moment we arrived at the private lodge, we sensed an unforgettable experience ahead. The lodge offers two daily safari excursions, one in the morning and another at night, both of which were exceptional. Our tour guide, Wonderboy, lived up to his name by skillfully locating the "big five" animals even within the dense jungle. The quality of wildlife sightings here is unparalleled, with experiences such as a lion walking beside your vehicle or observing a herd of 30 elephants from as close as ten meters. The accommodations provided a private and comfortable setting, enhanced by the presence of animals that roamed freely near our lodging in the evenings and mornings. The food was delightful, with breakfast after the morning safari game drive being our favorite meal, though dinners were also enjoyable after the evening game drive.

Natasha Van Zyl

We visited Makalali recently and had such an amazing time! The staff went above and beyond for us and we are so grateful for everything they did! Thank you to Innocentia, Sandra and Mama Africa for preparing and serving the most delicious food. Thank you to Du, for your patience in dealing with our queries. Lastly, the biggest thank you to Justice, our guide, for giving us the best game drive experiences! If you are looking for a true African get away, Makalali is the place to be! You will feel rested, restored and at peace after your visit!

Judy Soares

What a lovely stay! The staff were excellent all the way around. Our safari team, Isaac and Weaver were so friendly and knowledgeable, which made our safaris so much fun😍 Thank you and, if possible, we would love to come back in the future.