Mavela Game Lodge

My three-night stay at Mavela Game Lodge was the highlight of my trip to South Africa. The lodge provided impeccable service, with incredibly friendly and respectful staff. The common areas are beautifully designed, and the tents perfectly combine modern comforts with unique character. The meals were delicious and thoughtfully prepared, with the kitchen staff accommodating dietary restrictions. We observed a remarkable variety of wildlife, including the Big Five—substituting cheetah for leopard, as the latter are rare to see in KwaZulu-Natal. Our field guide, Caitlin, was exceptionally knowledgeable, warm, and a pleasure to spend our days with. I can't recommend this place enough!

I am getting married in several days and as a treat I brought my family on a Safari. We had the most wonderful experience at the Mavela Game Lodge. The accommodations were amazing and the scenery was gorgeous. But what was truely outstanding were the people. The staff were amazing and truely went above and beyond anything I would have expected. The whole experience felt very personalized to the point that at the end I felt like I had made some friends. A special acknowledgement needs to be made to Anastasia who worked in the lodge and saw to our every need. She truely cared about our comfort and wanted to make us feel as if we were at home. Another very special acknowledgement needs to be made to Jason our guide. He is truely passionate about the animals and the bush. A very knowledgeable person that was able to educate us while making us laugh. He also knew the best spots to take us and was on a mission to make sure we saw what we wanted to see. overall I cannot say enough about the staff or the lodge. it was a paradise that was only elevated by the staff's professionalism and enthusiasm to make sure every guest is cared for and gets the experience of a life time. 100 out of 10 I would go back every chance I get!!!!

What a wonderful experience at Mavela! The staff were incredibly kind, helpful and thoughtful. Each of them gave so much joy to my time there. The game drives were awesome, we saw a great selection of animals, and our guide was super knowledgeable and kind! Lastly, the food was amazing - complements to the chef. Cannot recommend enough :)

Amazing experience with wonderful rooms/tents. The wine and food was also fantastic. Could not believe the luxury and the service at such good price.

Simply perfect. Such beautiful "tents" and such friendly staff and a superbly trained and communicative guide (Caitilin). The tents are so beautifully decorated and very modern. The food was delicious and special too. The safaris were so beautiful and informative, we were able to learn a lot and had a lovely personal exchange with other guests. There was so much action in front of our tents - we even saw a lion killing an animal. On one morning safari we had the bush breakfast. Simply breathtaking and beautiful! We would come back straight away!

Absolutely stunning and amazing place! The best lodge we have ever visited. With such nice, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. The rooms are beautifully decorated. The view is amazing and the food is delicious. Each game drive is a super experience, especially with all the great stories from Roland. We hope to ever be back there. So much worth a visit! A big recommendation.

Unreal time. Such a cool experience with our large group, booking out all the tents and lodge. Would come back, hats off to all the staff.

Highlight of our trip to Sounth Africa. Everything was 5 star. Food was outstanding. Different tables for each meal,including breakfast in the bush. Safaris were excellent. Saw everything but a leopard he was hiding.