Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa — Hotel in Lephalale Local Municipality

Mhondoro is one of the greatest places on earth, which I feel everyone should visit at least once in their life time. This place captures your heart, not only by the beauty of the buildings and the stunning interiors, not only by the animals roaming free, but by the people who work there. These people are such beautiful souls inside and out, I have never met such kind, warm, genuine people. Every day, many of times a day we were greeted with such warmth, as if we were family members, everyone had time for us, everyone wanted to take time to know our story, everyone cared and truly looked after us like we were royalty. These beautiful souls, could not do enough for us, this went throughout the whole team, everyone is equal at Mhondoro. Althi (general manager) and René (assistant manager), truly care for their staff and their guests, they were also on hand and always taking time out of their day to chat with us about life in general, which made us feel so very special. The front of house team Isaac, David, Opui, Sam and Lebo, are such a fantastic team, they truly deliver on top hospitality, who truly care for their guest, to ensure we had the time of our lives and without a shadow of a doubt we absolutely did. They were always smiling, always laughing, always game for banter, always on hand should we need anything. They felt like friends / family immediately. The kitchen is led by head chef Betty, who leads a fantastic team of Cheffies, Tshepang, Patrick and Fannas. This team deserves a Michelin star!! Their food each day, four times a day, is absolutely exquisite. I have been lucky enough to eat in many Michelin star restaurants, the food served here beats a lot of them. I truly never expected a taster menu with wine pairings three of my four nights at Mhondoro, and the other a delicious camp fire meal, with native singing and dancing (which was incredible). Betty and her team, would also come out to explain the menu and check all was ok. Truly exceptional. We were truly extremely lucky to have Tish as our ranger. Tish is absolutely outstanding at her job, she is truly passionate about her job and it truly shines through, with the level of respect the other rangers have for her, along with the animals, they total respect her from all the work she has done with them. Tish allowed us to see exceptional sightseeings of the big five, which we were fortunate to see many of times during our four day stay. Her knowledge is out of this world, I have learnt so much, along with seeing the wonderful big five and everything else in between. |I also had an incredible massage from Pauline, as a physiotherapist I am a hard critic, but this was phenomenal. My body has felt so much better for it and training has been good since my return home. |I can honestly say, life will never feel the same again, truly because my soul has been enriched by these beautiful people, my mind has been expanded, I have seen life differently, I have been empowered and my heart has been captured in a completely different way. The words thank you, just are not enough, I will forever be full of gratitude for these beautiful people, who I have had the privilege and honour...

From the moment we arrived at Mhondoro, we were left speechless and even brought to tears more than once. Hospitality and customer service are at the heart of everything they do. We arrived as strangers and left with lifelong memories and friendships.||I’ll never forget Isaac’s warm smile as he welcomed us at reception and how beautiful of a scene was set with a farm fresh meal and glass of South African wine. My boyfriend and I realized this was going to be the African Safari we dreamed of.||Travel from reception to the lodge on a safari vehicle was the perfect start to our trip. We saw some of the Big Five on our way in! We were warmly greeted by a welcome song from the staff and Oupa's smile with a glass of homemade tea that was delicious. ||Every dish felt like a culinary adventure and as foodies from the U.S., we were blown away by what truly felt like five-star dining throughout our stay. The food and water were safe (such a bonus) and we were also in a malaria-free zone. The weather the first week of June was pure perfection, with warm sunny days and cozy, fire-lit evenings. ||The lodge itself, from reception to the rooms, was beautifully decorated with thoughtful details designed for comfort. We especially loved the romantic touches: evening turndown service and sleeping beneath a canopy of netting. Taking a dip in our private pool and using the outdoor shower during the warm afternoons was such a luxury. One unforgettable moment? An elephant stopped by for a drink from our pool at the Honeymoon Suite!||Oupa, Jacob, Isaac, Renee, and Andre truly felt like family by the time we left. Tish, our safari guide, made the early mornings worth it. She kept us laughing, taught us so much, and made it her mission to find all of the Big Five (though that elusive leopard managed to stay hidden!).||Sunrise "Rancher" Coffee and sunset happy hour stops while watching South African wildlife, will forever hold a place in my heart. The views and sounds of nature were magical. ||I mentioned in passing this was a 55th birthday celebration and on our final night, Renee and the staff surprised us with a special dinner by the fire, a song, and birthday cake. We shared stories and laughter - it was a truly memorable moment.||If you’re in the U.S. and feeling hesitant about booking Mhondoro, don’t be. It’s everything a luxury African safari should be and more. The people make it unforgettable. They’ll go above and beyond to make sure your trip is truly the experience of a lifetime.||Tips: Pick a room with a pool, pack warmer items for early morning and evening game drives in the winter months, and book a couples massage to relax. Wake up a bit early for fresh cappuccino and the beautiful sunrise, before the morning game drive. Don't pack a hairdryer - the one provided is powerful. 2 USB plugins are on either side of the bed, so you likely don't need adapters. Make sure to stop by the gift shop for treasures to take home. You'll definitely want a...

What can I say! Having just left a four nights stay at this beautiful location. I’m not sure life will ever be the same again! The location, the staff, the facilities, the lodges, the food, the welcome, the choir, the activities, the animals & the protection of this beautiful game reserve, along with the locals, the decor and the luxuriousness of it all, it was phenomenal. From starting at the farm on the edge of the reserve with a fabulous welcome from the staff and pair of giraffes & goats in gorgeous surroundings. A beautiful lunch of handmade springbok pastries and raw homegrown vegetables with delicious dips and tasty wine to the journey through the game reserve to the lodges and spotting hippos along the way. Welcomed at our villa by no less than 10 of the team singing. We stayed in the three bedroom villa and nothing has ever compared to this accommodation. I will post some photos but none of this will do it justice. I could waffle on forever about the game drives that Zon took us on, rushing to experience the incredibly rare black rhinos, experiencing male elephants many times, eating lunch on a plain as an elephant crossed the path of rhinos, zebras and wildebeest, or the champagne we drank at the top of the hill as the sun was setting, all the many many close encounters we had with different prides of lionesses’s & the stalking we witnessed or the 19 strong elephant herd that walked past us with the baby and up the hill. None of which would’ve been possible without the fabulous guide, Zon. Every single part of our day was taken care of and customised to us. The fabulous team at the villa kept the place immaculate, washed and folded all our clothes, served us the most delicious food (huge thank you Chef Tenby) all lead by our wonderful butler (and so much more) David. From running the kids over to the main lodge watering hole (via tunnel) to witness animals, or taking them to the shop or finding a tooth brush charger we forgot to bring - to the double birthday cakes and balloons for our birthdays. Every single little detail was taken care of. The special South African BBQ was magical, just go with it! I could literally keep writing forever but make sure you don’t forget to have a spa treatment as the girls were amazing and have the kids go out with the guides to make plaster moulds of the animal footprint, a...