Plumbago Guest House — Hotel in Mbombela

Where to start, since there are so many good things to mention! But first: Stop browsing and book this now, you will not be disappointed.

This is the place to stay before/after Kruger or even visiting the place daily. We staid for four nights with our two 11 years old girls before heading thought to Mjejane through Kruger. Booking was done through their own website.

Start of the day is a bliss: breakfast that makes many 5* hotels look like amateurs. The place is just beautiful - classy colonial feeling with history and beautiful flowers. Big outdoor patios for summer but also cosy indoor facilitates for cold winter nights.

For the day: South-Africa is a beautiful country and from here you can do daily trips to see nature wonders such as three rondevals, gods window and panorama route. For family there are elephant whisperer, reptile park and moholoholo rehabilitation center. There's a lot to see other than Kruger.

After the day there the big pool. Refreshing and relaxing just to sit and enjoy the warm weather. Enjoy a beer (there is a fridge in the room) or ask for a cocktail - the bar selection is great.

During the evening you can have private dinner with very high quality. We ate here and checked all the three restaurants in Hazyview: Pioneers Grill, Kuka and Topolions. Ilara was the best of three four and with a decent price. If you eat ourside - her recommendation is Pioneers Grill and would recommend the same.

Beds were perfect and the sheets/bedding very high class

Our girls, and we, loved the pets: Willow, Millie, Wendy and the newcomer cat Mr. Shelby. They all are adorable.

And last but not least - When visiting a place with a small amount of rooms, you always wonder, how it will be - do I have my own privacy, how will be the owners? But rest assured, Ilara and Robbie are extremely warm hearted and make you feel...

Although we live almost on the other side of the globe, we just completed our 6th visit to Plumbago Guesthouse. Of course, it is a magically beautiful place, but its secret ingredients are Ilara and Rob, the proprietors. One thing we especially love is having Ilara’s superb dinners there. We knew that Ilara was a highly talented, trained chef, but it wasn’t until this visit that we learned she previously served as chef for the Finish Embassy to South Africa. She prepares inventive dishes that consistently surprise and delight us. (We have never had a meal there that we didn’t absolutely love!) And of course the outdoor candle-lit setting with fresh flowers - both in vases and sprinkled on the table - only elevates the experience! ||||If that all were not enough, we had the added bonus that Ilara’s mother came to visit during our stay. Her accent and demeanor seem elegantly British to us, but we learned she is a native South African. Whatever her origins, she is quintessentially charming, and it was a genuine, special treat to see her again. Finally, the visit would not have been complete without seeing Rob, who always has spellbinding not-to-be-missed stories about his encounters with leopards and pythons.||||Plumbago is one of those unforgettable places of warmth, comfort, beauty, and happiness that always stays with you. Thank you for another...

As a local, few places have struck the perfect balance between luxury and authenticity like Plumbago Guest House!

From the moment you arrive, it’s clear that this is no ordinary guesthouse. The attention to detail is exceptional. Very neat and clean rooms, with Africology®️ toiletries, and everything you need. Bar fridge, coffee and tea station, gowns and slippers and complimentary sherry. The comfy bed and linen contributes to this tranquil experience the room, that opens up to your own private verandah overlooking the quarry, offer.

A lovely dinner by Ilara was perfectly wrapped up with homemade Malva pudding and their special peppermint crisp ice cream. Breakfast on the verandah was a feast with a fry up including delicious pineapple, after fresh fruit, yogurt and muesli.

The hosts are the soul of Plumbago. Whether it's a thoughtful recommendation for a nearby hidden spot, or the perfectly timed glass of wine on the verandah, they go above and beyond without ever being overbearing.

Watching juvenile owls get a flying lesson in the quarry was a...