Makumu Private Game Lodge

This is a very tardy review but I am laid up with a broken leg, so here goes. My wife and I stayed 2 nights at Makumu July 2023. This is the 6th safari lodge we have stayed in. All I can say is it was perfect. We saw it all! The drives were fantastic. If there is an indigenous animal, we saw them. The whole lodge is completed operated by a few teams of rotating husband and wife (and family!) teams. They know the property and area like the back of their hand. Total pros. The food, service, room, lodge, boma all top notch. You cannot go wrong staying here We especially like dining with the guides, their wives.

Where to start... Makumu will forever hold a very special spot in our hearts. Absolutely everything about Makumu from start to finish is perfect. The lodge itself, the lovely people behind it, the food, the rooms, the atmosphere, the game drives, everything is immaculate. The lodge radiates luxury, but also blends seamlessly with the bushveld. The sweeping views, the candlelight and the attentive care everyone lays to ensure that your stay is as memorable as possible, are only a few things I'd like to mention. The entire staff genuinely love what they do and make a great effort to get to know the guests and give them the feeling of belonging. Every dietary requirement was considered and every wish we had was taken into consideration. We had our engagement at Makumu and the entire staff helped me plan the entire day and made sure that it was as memorable as possible. We want to thank Shelley, Ruan, Thomas, Julia, Maggy and everyone else for making this a once-in-a-lifetime stay. We can only recommend Makumu to the fullest. Christian

We spent 3 nights at Makumu during our honeymoon trip. The experience was fantastic!!! We felt as a family while our stay. The Lodge is small, with few rooms and that helps to build an intimate and close relation between hosts and rangers. The day to day Safaris with Ruan and the tracker team was marvelous. We learnt many things about animal behavior and living. We also appreciate that Makumu rangers take care of ethically search and respect animals ecosystem. We are very happy to have chosen Makumu for our Safari experience at Kruger. Thank you to all Makumu team!!

We had a great experience in this amazing lodge. Thanks to Shelley, Ruan, Tom, Julia, Clayde and the rest of the staff for your familiar treatment and for sharing all your knowledge about the wild life in Klaserie’s reserve. The resort offers you an endless views, fantastic full breakfasts and genuine dinners, with a huge rooms with terrace and all the services that you need. During the game drives we sighted leopards, lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, blue wildebeests, hippos and impalas, among others. We only misses buffalos and rhinos. We should come back soon?

I have done 5 safaris in S Africa. Makumu is by far the nicest property. Fronting out to a river (dry now, in their winter), the view is spectacular - hence the lodge's name. Ruan is a very knowledgeable ranger, and Richard's ability to detect recent prints on the dirt road is truly impressive. Excellent full breakfasts and tasty dinners (inside or around the fire), fresh coffee/tea early in the morning, all nice touches. Rooms were impeccably built and furnished, with indoor/outdoor showers, A/C, comfy bed, excellent wifi etc. Saw big 5 in short order. Game was a little sparser than at Sabi Sands but the location and isolation make up for that. I am grateful that owner Stefan has given the public a chance to experience this fabulous lodge that he built.

Jun. 2023 My 60th birthday should have been 8yrs ago, but I needed a couple of major spinal surgeries and haven't been up to the planned celebration Safari trip until recently. We chose Makumu as our 1st lodge and are extremely happy we did. They literally could not have done more to give us the experience of a lifetime. The lodge is stunning; luxurious but authentic and the staff looked after us exceptionally well. Ruan as our ranger/guide and Clyde as our tracker enabled us to see so many beautiful animals up close. Ruan has obviously established the trust of many of these wild animals in the Klaserie region of the greater Kruger National Park, and that allowed us to observe them up close in an amazingly relaxed way. It was such a privilege to see these glorious creatures in their natural environment and it was an experience I will never forget. If you have any qualms about booking Makumu, ignore them, because you'll have the experience of a lifetime. Everything that needs to be is very professional and intelligently run and the rest of it is pure heart and soul; all the people at Makumu are just beautiful. After only 3 nights we felt like part of the family and will remember our time there forever.

The sightings were absolutely breath taking and intimate. The staff is welcoming, caring and committed to making your stay perfect. The food is delicious. Above and beyond any expectations. It was magical and the perfect memory. Will always remember fondly, both the location, the amazing staff and lodge. The rooms are fabulous, comfortable and well equipped. The views are amazing, the storage space is great and the turn down service is incredibly professional. Amenities are numerous, including plugging to charge phones and cameras. Absolutely nothing negative at all.

We had the most amazing Safari experience at Makumu. The staff were all really friendly and thoughtful, always greeting us with the brightest smiles and making sure we were well taken care of. Even though we came from halfway across the globe, we felt right at home! Our ranger and tracker did wonders, and we had such a wonderful time on our game drives, and also learnt a lot! We’re definitely missing it already! The views from our room and the lodge in general were stunning, and it was so clean and cosy everywhere. Everything was perfect, thank you Makumu!