Honeyguide Khoka Moya Camp — Hotel in Bushbuckridge

Our most recent six night stay at Mantobeni in early June 2024 was our 4th stay at this camp and once again, we had a wonderful time. There is not too much more to add to what is covered in my previous reviews of this property. Very little in terms of the guest experience had changed from last year which in my opinion was a positive. Unfenced, wild, immersive and as their moniker goes, ‘closer to nature’ which is just how we like it on safari. Our tent was perhaps beginning to show signs of wear and tear (zipper/shower pressure) but the general standard of accommodation, the food, the incredible staff and the reserve itself, were all as good as we remembered.||Our guide this year was ‘Twice’, who we got along great with and who looked after us well while also ensuring to get us into position to experience some wonderful sightings during our 12 game drives with him. I would humbly suggest Honeyguide look into supporting their guides further by revisiting their current policy of not employing trackers to assist the guide. This was a feature at their camps pre-COVID, one which is once again commonplace at the majority of Greater Kruger lodges and camps and a feature which makes not only aids the guides but which elevates the overall guest experience. That being said, we still did enjoy some exceptional game viewing in the Manyeleti again, which if pushed, would stand as my favourite reserve ascetically in the Greater Kruger area including Sabi Sands. We managed to spot the ‘magnificent 7’ within only 7 game drives and went on from there to witness multiple other memorable and varied sightings across a multitude of landscapes and different areas of the concession thereafter. ||A big reason guests stay at Mantobeni, particularly in the dry winter season is for the Elephant interactions at the swimming pool. This aspect or feature certainly did not disappoint as the Ellies arrived frequently, often in numbers, day and night to drink. A more important aspect and reason why we always return to Mantobeni, is because of the staff. In my experience they are all simply wonderful in every aspect and make it so we truly feel like we come home to an extended family each time we visit. This not only adds to the enjoyment of our stays and our experience but it provides an immediate sense of comfort and contentment that we do not experience at many other safari lodges and properties. ||It was again wonderful to spent time btw game drives with Brilliant, Michael, Mavis, Mumsy, Ranny, and Previous as well as meet some newer members of the Mantobeni family. I truly hope Honeyguide and Albatross are continuing to support and uplift their staff at every opportunity because they are an absolute asset to the company and should always be viewed with that in mind and treated as such. Quite frankly, alongside the beauty and wonder of the Manyeleti reserve itself, the staff are what makes our stays at Mantobeni so special and memorable. ||If you would like a more lengthy endorsement then look back and read my previous reviews of this property. It is a great value hidden gem in a world class game reserve. The best endorsement I can give is that we have been on 20 something safaris and we will once again return to Mantobeni for a 5th stay when next visiting the Greater...

What an amazing experience!!! The staff at Mantobeni Camp made our stay so special and Michael was an amazing guide!! We stayed for 5 nights which in hindsight may have been too long but we enjoyed it nonetheless. There is a lot of downtime in between game drives and as the weather was so hot, we were not able to stay in our tents, perhaps have a nap in between drives, because the tents get so hot. So we just lounged by the pool where elephants came to drink on a daily basis. There is also no wifi in the tents but to be honest, the time we did spend in the tents (to sleep mainly) we were not interested in being on our devices and just slept in preparation for the next morning’s game drive. ||We slept so comfortably in the tents - I was very pleasantly surprised as I normally have trouble sleeping in new places. The bed was huge, the pillows were amazing, the bedding clean and smelled fresh and the mosquito net was set up every night by the staff so when we returned to the tent after dinner everything was all set up. ||We managed to see all of the big 5 during our stay and other equally amazing and fascinating animals. All thanks to our guide Michael who is so knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. He really did make our experience that much better. I appreciate their way of operating during safari. They do not overcrowd the animals and the different lodges respect each other and take turns to allow their guests to view the animals. So everyone gets equal time. They have a real respect for the place and the animals which I love. ||The food was also really good. My only “complaint” (if you can call it that) was that the lighting during dinner is so dim that I could hardly see what I was eating. I understand why they do this. It is a natural environment and having bright lights disturbs the environment - and the elephants who still come to drink from the pool even at night. So it’s really such a minor thing that it’s barely worth mentioning but I have in the spirit of honestly. ||I will definitely be coming back! This was our first proper safari experience and man...

We stayed at Mantobeni Camp in the Manyeleti Game Reserve which is owned and managed as a private reserve by the local Mnisi tribe. It borders on Kruger and the animals roam freely within Manyeleti - so, the benefits of Kruger without the density of tourists and with the freedom of private concessions and their small limit of jeep numbers at sightings. The camp is run by local people and seems to be quite large and the 10-seater jeeps were mostly full to capacity but game drives,on the whole, felt quiet as there are fewer jeeps and fewer camps in the Manyeleti area. Our guide, Twice, was excellent and we had some great sightings of a large pride of lions, their cubs left behind alone, cheetah sightings, rhinos, leopard and many more. The jeep experience, however, is largely dependent on who’s on the jeep with you. Most of our game drives were wonderful and we shared with like-minded people but we were unlucky with two game drives when we shared with a loud and obnoxious large family group who repeatedly disrespected the rules that had been explained by the excellent guide at the outset. We’ve been on three other safaris in Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana and have never experienced anything like this! It is no fault of the camp whatsoever but we would urge the camp to consider allowing temporary transfer to another jeep in special circumstances. ||The camp is high end, comfortable and unfenced. It is visited daily by a large herd of elephants once or twice a day. Lovely to watch the antics of the babies. Our last morning had the added excitement as we finished breakfast in camp, of impala alarm calls and a lioness approaching the waterhole close by. The tents are huge and are well sited and private. The dining area, lounge, bar etc were well-maintained and pleasant. Staff were excellent - efficient, charming, friendly and very good-humoured, especially Mumcy! Thank you to the team for the surprise, magical bbq and delicious dinner by the fire...