Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve — Hotel in Ndlambe Local Municipality

Trevor and his staff at Oceana were wonderful. They met our family of 17 at the gate and transferred us to 2 land cruisers to finish the last stretch (about 5 minutes drive from the gate). We were greeted by staff with welcome drinks at the bar and provided paperwork to sign and get our room keys. Then an array of wraps and quiche for a late lunch knowing we’d be hungry upon arrival. ||With 17 people we used most of the rooms at the resort. We had 6 older teens using the Private Villa House which was perfect, 3 lodge rooms for 2 couples and a pair of young boys and 2 ocean suites for the grandparents and a couple with a young child. There were a few other guests during our 2 night stay but we were given the large dining room to ourselves for all our meals. The 3 lodge suites have a common area (there was a slight musty smell from the carpet) and could hear the furniture moving around when preparing for meals. ||The rooms were cleaned daily with turn down service and lovely welcome and bedtime notes from management. ||The staff was quite lovely including Zet and Kayla on the game drives and Max coordinating the food and schedule. Food was good and the views were spectacular. ||We went on 2 game drives (late morning and afternoon) with lots of animal sightings. The giraffe and zebra come to the watering hole you can view from most room balconies and the lodge. ||We used the pool a little but it’s not really for kids to swim (making pool towels available near the pool would be helpful, we had to ask). The pool is 2 levels and there is no where to sit near the larger upper level - we didn’t mind as the kids also could use the plunge pool at the villa and we didn’t have much time for sitting by the pool. ||The staff arranged for a luncheon on the beach which was delightful. We braved the long, hot walk from the beach platform (where we were dropped off and ate lunch) to the Indian Ocean - about a 10 minute walk over large dunes and hot sand - definitely not for everyone but we appreciated the opportunity to swim in the ocean - waves were large but manageable for our teens. The beach lunch was lovely! ||All in all we had a wonderful stay - Oceana is beautiful and different than a big 5 African safari. But the views are unbelievable and it was a nice place to recharge on our South African trip. Thanks for taking such good care of the 17 of us and...

As the name suggest with Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve you get the best of both Worlds, you live in the Wildlife Reserve with its rustic authentic African decor and luxury and you embrace the sea views from your balcony. From arrival to departure was an unforgettable experience, one must simply experience to really understand honest, true, warm hospitality. Jordan must be named as being helpful, ever present and attentive. The food was delicious at every sitting, breakfast lunch and dinner. The Chef is a big plus factor and I can honestly say a binding factor, as good food is always remembered. The game drive was also unforgettable and to see Black Springbuck, Sable Antelope and Njala a welcome sighting. The rooms are super luxurious with a bath and shower with bush and ocean views. To sleep on a good quality mattress always a bonus. Wine List is extensive enough to cater to every wine drinker's needs and the choice of other drinks welcomed. The snacks including some of the best biltong and dry wors I've tasted in years was grabbed with open arms, which allowed us to watch rugby in the games room, where a pool table adds to some late night enjoyment. All staff we encountered were friendly and helpful, attending to any request or need one may have. The drive from Port Elizabeth Airport was a bit dodgy, as there were roadworks during August 2016 but overall a scenic route. I can highly recommend this Mantis Collection establishment and was highly surprised to find out that they've been in existence for more than 5 years, as the Decor is well looked after, with a personal touch of customised chandeliers and wildlife paintings. Overall a memorable experience, one I will...

Positives: Rooms are beautiful, the view is stunning and the food was excellent (credit to the chef).

The spa treatment (massage) was good and good value for money.

Negatives: Advertised as a wildlife reserve but frankly does not qualify as one IMO. The game reserve is not natural (animals are fed) and is extremely small and although the company still advertises Rhino on their website it does not have any.

The beach is only accessible with the aid of a guide who can only take you for lunch. It would be great to be able to explore the coastline freely but this is not possible. Again not advertised as such on the website.

The service is very good in terms of effort but not in terms of knowing what the guest wants. I found it overbearing, each member of staff would ask me if I’m okay every 5 minutes. Hard to relax.

The gym equipment is old and rickety. If you’re flexible you can work with it but it’s not a comfortable work out.

Overall wished we used our last two nights in SA to visit a real...