Monwana Game Lodge — Hotel in Maruleng Local Municipality

I don’t know that I’ve ever stayed at a hotel or resort that felt like home by the time I left. Now I can say that I have. We traveled from New York and stayed at Monwana for our honeymoon and could not have more amazing things to say about it. The entire experience was just out of this world. Monwana is where adventure meets luxury, truly. The front of house staff, the safari guides, the servers... honestly the entire staff throughout the duration of our stay was as welcoming and accommodating it gets. They made sure we had everything we needed and felt comfortable at all times. The suite we stayed in was magnificent, so roomy and cozy. It had quite literally everything we needed…The heated bathroom floor and pillow preferences were definitely a nice touch! Each meal was delicious and so fresh! All dietary preferences are taken into consideration from time of check in to your very last meal. Snacks, drinks, wine pairings with dinner, you name it, all were so thoughtfully considered and tailored to what we liked. The watering hole each day at lunch was one of our favorite viewing spots- if you’re lucky enough to get visits from the elephants… that will forever be a core memory! The spa was beautiful, relaxing, and intimate. Belinda gave an incredible deep tissue massage. The safari itself - a once in a lifetime experience! Each and every game drive was special in its own way. Alex (our guide) was so knowledgeable and asked what we were eager to see and made it a priority. We saw so much on each drive between the animals, the sunrises and sets, the stars… the time in the jeep went so fast and we felt that we could’ve easily stayed out in for bush for hours on end. Truthfully, we could not get enough of what Monwana had to offer and are eager to make a trip back. Thank you Monwana for giving us the memories of a lifetime and for making our honeymoon the most special trip of our lives. Special shoutout to Alex, Talthia, July, Matimba, Evelyn, Kayleigh, Talissa, Belinda, and Knox! Anyone who gets the opportunity to stay at Monwana, please do yourself the favor and book your stay- you will absolutely have...

We have travelled extensively in South Africa over many Years and with many good lodges in our portfolio. ||Monwana Game Lodge in Thornybush is simply the BEST LODGE EVER we have visited. ||This is judged on all relevant aspects of a Bush GAME safari:|- location|- game population to be reached|- talents and knowledge of Rangers & Trackers|- vehicles & general comfort while driving ( max 6 pax, good binoculars, seats, blankets/ponchoes, cold water/good coffee to go, suspension,driving style, safety etc.)|-design of the lodge in general ( New, excellent architecture, fantastic building materials, wine cellar under the restaurant with glass ceiling)|- design of the suites ( excellent, beautiful, functional, comfortable etc.)|- food ( top of the range at every meal)|- wine experience ( very well stocked wine cellar, wine tasting at high level, wines served to meals or at bar of outstanding quality )|- service ( staff extremely good, helpful, very skilled and with karisma)|- safety ( very good safety and still close to the game population)|- easy accessability ( Thornybush airstrip very close and Hoedspruit Airport 60 minutes on road away) ||It was from Travel Leisure : Worlds Best Awards extended the : No 1 Africa Safari Lodge 2024. It was so well deserved - |It should be repeated in 2025 !||Over 3 nights we experienced more exhilarating game drives than ever before.||This lodge and its staff is a "must" - and we will definitely return||Else Beth and Sven...

Perfection! We were lucky enough to stay at Monwana for 5 nights in September 2022. We simply wish we had more time there. We have been to other lodges and simply Monwana stands at the top. The service, accommodation, and experience is unmatched. The lodge and rooms have beautiful décor with a modern flair but still retain their bush roots. Every staff member cared about us being a guest and treated us like family. The property uses the slogan “Coming Home” and that truly says it best. Monwana became home. The safari viewing was exceptional but as we have seen, that is a product of the passion of the ranger/tracker team. Daniel (our ranger) and Ish (our tracker) (collectively known as “Danish”) poured their heart and soul into ensuring our safari was unforgettable and meaningful. They took the time to teach and enlighten us about the bush and the various species that call it home. They had the patience and determination to actively track the animals that were difficult to see. Monwana is a true luxury experience through and through. The food is of the highest quality and care goes into the presentation of each meal. We feel incredibly fortunate to have stayed here and can not wait for the next time! Highly recommend without...