Monomotapa Village — Hotel in Mookgopong Local Municipality

It all started when we arrived on Friday 12th August 2018. We booked in after 15h00 which is an hour later that the 14h00 reflected on the booking confirmation. Upon arriving at the chalet we could not enter due to the fact that the key-cards did not work. While struggling with the doors the cleaner came running to open the door and then we saw that the chalet had not been cleaned yet.

Later that afternoon we went to reception to book for the Big 5 game drive the following afternoon. The lady said they will get an extra vehicle in need because we are 4 people.

Saturday morning myself and my son went to play golf on the signature course. What a disappointment!! No rake on the cart or on the course...so we could not rake any fairway bunkers. One Par3 hole had 5 bunkers around the hole with only 1 rake? The greens were full of small rocks and the bunkers were also filled with rocks. The ball and club cleaner on the cart had no water inside so we could not use it.

Saturday afternoon we arrived for the game drive only to find that our booking was only for 2 people and not 4 as requested. Now they wanted to place us all over the vehicles. Sitting all behind each other. We booked as a family and wanted to sit together not all in one single file behind each other. I am paying for this...(it is not as if I am getting it for free)

Sunday morning we went to play the tribute course. Again not one rake in sight and the bunkers were as hard a rock. Sand must have been loosened like a month ago. This course represent holes from around the world. Some original holes have water hazards but here the reeds are in the place of these water hazards. However, in some instances the reeds have grown so high you can hardly see the green. Look at hole 4 & 5.

After the golf we went to the signature course's clubhouse for drinks and upon returning to the chalet after 13h00 the key-card again did not work and the chalet was not cleaned yet???

I must say the chalet is beautiful inside with great furniture and fittings but the service of the Legend personnel is the poorest that I have experienced in a long time.

To summarize: To pay R690 for a round of golf on a sub-standard course is not worth it. I can play better courses i.e. Serengeti, Zimbali , Eagle Canyon or Simbithi for cheaper and the service and the course are in much better state than Legends. Also I wonder if Entabeni actually have the Big 5 on the reserve? In the 3 hour game drive we saw a few white rhino, one hippo, about 6 elephants, 4 jackal a few blue wildebeest and Impala and that was it. Not even one giraffe.

I am sorry to say that for a so called premium resort I will only rate you as a 1 star facility and that is only for the nice chalet. (the lady form Monomotapa assisted us with the key-cards. At least we got service from her! ) I was considering buying some time-share but after such an experience...

Amongst many phenomenal attributes, I must say that the staff at Monomatapa Resort is it's strongest asset. We visit twice a year for a extraordinary bush experience and the staff CONSISTENTLY perform. They go above and beyond to ensure you have a pleasant stay. Management right through to cleaning staff, ALWAYS friendly and attentive. You can reach management at reception on WhatsApp and their response is always prompt (within a minute). I really can't over state the consistency of the Monomatapa's staff. The last time as well as this particular stay i requested a late check out of noon! They always allow it with pleasure. Special mention for Dumisani who really is a Gem and an example of the perfect hospitality Employee. ||The beauty of the resort is also something to behold. The beauty is surreal. A perfect setting of home comforts but in the wild bush - just manicured enough but not overly so. The units are very comfortable Villa's with everything that you'd need. We literally see it as a 'home away from home'. The cleanliness is CONSISTENTLY spotless every time. We always comment how the unit always smells like it's been spring cleaned upon arrival and the daily cleaning service is extremely disciplined!||By far and away the best offering from Monomatapa as far as the facilities are concerned is the Game Drives. Honestly one of South Africa's best safari experiences. We see the Big 4 up close and personal every drive we do (Lion, Elephant, Rhino & Buffalo). Even though there are a leopards they are extremely elusive in the Reserve. We also always see Cheetah. When booking a game drive, do yourself a favour and request Aubrey Mosehla who is by far the best Guide I have come across in South Africa.|The facilities of the resort however could do with some small improvements - The games room needs a revamp. I also think there needs to be some sort of restaurant/cafe in order to give guests that don't want to cook an alternative option.|Our fridge upon arrival this time was not switched on and literally took 4 hours to cool enough for us to put our perishables in it. At which point we requested another fridge. I would advise the resort to not only double-check these things before the guests arrive but make sure its switched on from that morning as we are often carrying meet with us. I must say however the issue was dealt with promptly and we were given a brand new fridge. Our main aircon in the lounge was also not working upon arrival but was promptly repaired. Minus those two hiccups it was a perfect getaway!||I will continue to be a returning guest every year!|Do yourself a favour and don't hesitate to give Monomatapa a go and make sure you book the Safari with Aubrey. It really is unmissable if you...

I stayed at Monomotopa Village as part of a work group and the experience was atrocious.

Location: The resort is located in a remote section of Limpopo with no surrounding amnesties The layout inside the resort is very spread out, necessitating a shuttle to move between the rooms and the various venues

Check-in and welcome: Highly disorganised with hand written papers used as table markers We were given only 1 key for 2 people Lunch was delayed by over 1.5 hours when we arrived and it was served cold with no utensils offered

Rooms: Bedding was filthy and the towels clearly discoloured There was a spider infestation in the bathroom The shower was nearly unusable as when opened water splashed everywhere There is no WiFi in the rooms The property had no backup power, leaving us in complete darkness when there was load shedding Open Safari vehicles were used to shuttle us around in the dead of winter and this seemed to be a last min addition. There were also a few Quantum taxis that looked like they had been picked right of the street

Food: The food served was the epitome of a disaster with a few people getting food poisoning. They literally served expired and rotten food. On the first night, we were served rice and stew buffet style for a fancy dinner and what they called lasagna (mince swimming in soup topped with processed cheese) The eggs on the first day’s breakfast were off (expired) and there was a pungent smell coming from them The lunch on the first day was another ordeal, rotten broccoli mixed with raisins, cheese and yoghurt (it was disgusting) At no point were there snacks offered or served and we could not order outside the mass cooked rubbish we ate Meat and chicken were consistently undercooked

Service and hospitality: The staff seemed to have been picked up for a weekend gig. They had no hospitality training, uniforms and some were rude A particularly disastrous character was the chef (although I seriously doubt he has any formal training). He was extremely rude and at one point shouted at me We were reduced to begging and fighting for food while being mouthed of my the chef and other staff

Activities: There are barely any activities on offer except for poorly organised game drives Our game drive started 30 minutes late and our driver/ranger sped past a number of animal sightings in search of lions, that were in the end, not found We were offered nik naks as game drive snacks and fizzy drinks (no water) for beverages

If you are considering booking this place for a personal or work trip, for the love of God, do not. The highlight of this trip was leaving. It was the worst experience I...