Marataba Safari Lodge

“A beautiful reserve”

I want to preface this review with saying I think I was a tough audience as it was due to the floods and booking cancellations/advice to not travel to planned destinations that I ended up coming to Marataba and to be honest didn’t want to be there as it meant missing seeing good friends elsewhere. … lisää

I want to preface this review with saying I think I was a tough audience as it was due to the floods and booking cancellations/advice to not travel to planned destinations that I ended up coming to Marataba and to be honest didn’t want to be there as it meant missing seeing good friends elsewhere. I was also disapppointed to get there and find out about limitations of reserve access due to previous weather. I was not going to be easy to impress 🤣 (the 5* review shows how they met and exceeded the challenge 🤣). The lodge is beautiful. My room was stunning, by a little stream/river (I saw a hippo grazing across the river one day from my deck). The food was delicious and service levels as you would expect from a luxury lodge, with a super lovely and friendly team who are there to see to your every need. There are two people I would particularly credit with the turnaround from grumpy to arrive and sad to leave. The first is the ever lovely Nadia who kept checking in with me to see how things were going and making every effort to make sure that the stay went well, and allowing the flexibility to make decisions day by day. The second is my guide Tim. We had some incredible sightings over the 3 days which always helps - lions and cubs, cheetah, rhinos, hippos, buffalo, as well as many many more, But Tim was informative, funny, and went over and above to make sure it was a good trip, including arranging a bush walk, a boat trip and on my last morning making sure I could morning drive and still get to my transfer on time (even arranging a pack Up for breakfast). I’ve been fortunate enough to go on many safaris and the guide really can make or break the experience and Tim really made this one. I would be super happy if there was a Tim at every reserve. I really hope to return one day and see the reserve at its best. It truly is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. I arrived grumpy and left sad and wanting to come back. That’s how good this place is. 🙂

vähemmän

“Top Quality Big Five bush experience.”

We stayed in the Safari Tented Camp. Fantastic location with epic view. Very well appointed tents with everything you would need and would expect from an upmarket "safari" experience. All food and snacks were top quality and more than sufficient. Staff all went the extra mile to engage and be helpf… lisää

We stayed in the Safari Tented Camp. Fantastic location with epic view. Very well appointed tents with everything you would need and would expect from an upmarket "safari" experience. All food and snacks were top quality and more than sufficient. Staff all went the extra mile to engage and be helpful in a refined manner.

vähemmän

“Perfection in the bush!”

Our first safari experience and it was absolutely faultless. Everything from our initial greeting to our morning wake up call through to the game drives and the hospitality was just incredible. Our guide Tim was outstanding, we learnt so much whilst having a great laugh at the same time . We didn’t… lisää

Our first safari experience and it was absolutely faultless. Everything from our initial greeting to our morning wake up call through to the game drives and the hospitality was just incredible. Our guide Tim was outstanding, we learnt so much whilst having a great laugh at the same time . We didn’t want to leave !

vähemmän

“Quintessential Safari”

Marataba is an exceptional safari experience in every way. The scenic beauty of the reserve is unparalleled, the diversity of the environment is phenomenal and the entire staff complement go out of their way to make your stay unforgettable. We have returned frequently, and will continue to do so.