"It's a solitary bull," notes our local guide, Carel Brown, as he pulls the vehicle to a gentle stop. .. The days were full on with no time to sit around, although abit of down time would of been nice. All three lodges are full service lodges with all amneties included, ensuring a personalized experience for all. With a total of 14 rooms and panoramic viewpoints this is a true wilderness experience where you will be pampered by our chefs and dedicated staff. . Having booked over twelve months ago for a holiday to the Sebatana game reserve, South Africa I feel completely let down on a once in a life time holiday. Our group was fortunate to have the wonderful Shumba as a guide/driver, we loved him. Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay. The whole experience from being met at the airport and a smooth transfer to Elephant Lodge, where we were greeted with smiles and cold flannels. Tribal night was enjoyed by some and thoroughly disliked. But when you get to the Lodge, you need to spend a lot more money to get the 'full safari experience'. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. Loved the giraffes, walking like a long-legged model and looking at us with the eyes with thick and long eyelashes beautiful! My sister and I have not long returned from our amazing holiday in Elephant Lodge. I cannot praise the staff in the lodge enough for their great service, always smiling, helpful and on hand . I would definitely recommend Elephant lodge to friends and family . He was with us day in day out and always eremained calm and professional at all times , also on the safaris through all the game reserves was always on the look out and did not give up looking for animals , he was very interesting and a fountain of knowledge. soft drinks package. After a bumpy ride we arrived in breath-taking surroundings. WOW what a fabulous experience. See more questions & answers about this hotel from the Tripadvisor community. We were apprehensive about doing a group organised holiday as we like our own space and we are both not great social butterflies. We learnt a lot about the South African wildlife as well as the stars at night. Also please don't expect to see the big 5 at elephant lodge as they only have an illusive leopard, none of the other big five,so you really do need to pay for the additional trips to see them . Yes, free parking is available to guests. Sebatana Private Reserve is a wildlife paradise with a unique collection of 3 seperate 5 star lodges, Rhino, Elephant and Lion. Warthog is more secluded with a great view of a watering hole to see animals from your veranda. We all swapped photos in a WhatsApp group and had belly laughs daily. Read more Suggest edits to improve what we show. more. A very privileged experience to do. This allows you to focus on the "big 5" when you travel to the other game parks. We stopped at the Elephant Lodge, this place is amazing & relaxing. Sebatana has a three different 5-star lodges with a total of 34 rooms divided between them. Hermanusdorings Road, Vaalwater 0530 South Africa. This comical sighting was captured on an Africam trail camera that is placed at Naledi Game Lodge in the Balule Game Reserve. We stayed at the Lion Lodge which has a small stream running behind it and where antelopes, baboons and vervet . I have been to a lot of "tribal (native)" nights over the years and had quite low expectations. I would definitely suggest this trip to anyone and I hope that one day I can make it back and do this again. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC. On a final note, Matswani was a nice experience and I do recommend it, but note that the marketing as a very luxury experience is not quite matched by reality. All pricing and payments are in Euros and is paid using credit card. The water is bore water and no one on our group had any sickness. The kitchen staff regularly sing which is very entertaining. Our group was fortunate to have the wonderful Shumba as a guide/driver, we loved him. The location only 270 kilometres north of Johannesburg allows for smooth travel arrangements and easy access to the Reserve. Yes, Sebatana Private Reserve offers an airport shuttle for guests. I can honestly say I didnt want to come home and felt very emotional at the airport. Does Sebatana Private Reserve have an airport shuttle? extremely!!! The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans. We later found that all 14 guests staying at the lodge had also split and seated throughout the BA Flight. There are plenty of non "big 5" wildlife at Sebatana which are relatively easy to find. However remember its a bit of pot luck, these parks are huge and animals are not constrained to certain sections.The biggest surprise of the tour was the optional Tribal night. We had the best time on her lucky truck ,We spent our holiday with the most amazing group of people who made the holiday fun , exciting and memorable, we ccouldn'of asked for a better group of people we made so many fabulous memories to last a lifetime. We stopped at the Elephant Lodge, this place is amazing & relaxing. All the staff were friendly and happy. Vegetarian meals catered for but fetta cheese is not to everyone's taste. Rooms are clean and the water is hot; the menu is simple and the food . We took the drinks package which is totally worth it if you like a drink as all prices are in Euros and extremely elevated compared to the rest of South Africa. The guides were extremly knowlegable and fun to be with. Value 4.9 Sebatana Private Reserve is a wildlife paradise with a unique collection of 3 seperate 5 star lodges, Rhino, Elephant and Lion. SIDE BY SIDE where you can share joy has double the happiness, my name is Thabo Simon Manamela a bartender and waiter at Matswani Safari Lodge working for two-three years. . Amazing Memories from Sebatana Elephant Lodge, My first African safari experience, with my 22 year old daughter, my sister and her husband. Sebatana Private reserve is one of the best and most unique wildlife experiences in South Africa. Loved the experiencetrulybut a few things lacking. View Hotels Further Information Itinerary changes Hotel transfer times Passports and visas Foreign Office Travel Advice Luggage allowance The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans. This is truly a paradise on earth. and the best bit? Most of our group purchased the non-alcoholic drink package. The bar staff were incredible, Patrick, Solly and Gillean were incredible and made the evening at the bar all the more enjoyable. 5* always so well presented. Located in the malaria free Waterberg mountains, just a short drive from Johannesburg airport makes it the ideal place for everybody from senior travelers to families with children of all ages. It would have been nice if the guides had a mic handset, as it sometimes was hard to hear at the back of truck what was said. We got to see 4 out of 5 of the big 5 as the cats were nowhere to be found. Sebatana Private Reserve is a wildlife paradise with a unique collection of 3 seperate 5 star lodges, Rhino, Elephant and Lion. towels and welcome cocktails , and get to meet some of the staff , the 3 barmen are absolutly Fantastic and I mean fantastic we loved each and every one of you guys , Patrick had the most amazing smile , the other 2 were also nothing less than fabulous, they all work so hard and NOTHING is too much trouble , they stay up until the last person goes to bed even if it is 3.30am , they join in and have great banter with you, dance with you and work so so hard , their cocktails are fabulous especially the frozen strawberry daquari . There are a lot of animals close to the lodge, we saw so many giraffes and impalas. Sebatana Private Reserve: Sebatana Rhino Lodge - An Incredible Experience - See 61 traveller reviews, 277 candid photos, and great deals for Sebatana Private Reserve at Tripadvisor. From the moment we arrived, after a 30 hour journey, we were made to feel welcome by the friendly staff who went out if their way throughout the holdiday to make sure we had the best time. Had an outstanding trip to Sebatana Private Reserve staying at the Lion Lodge. The effort the staff go to with table and food presentation is commendable. Guests staying at the reserve are able to enjoy an extensive list of services, ranging from traditional game drives and Big Five safaris to cultural and historic tours. We truly had the best time with you guys and can't recommend you enough. We only took the Pilansberg national Park one. Be careful to clarify what you are getting with your extra options. We'll worth signing up for the extra tours and the drinks package. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. 5 star Lodge primarily sold as package tours from scandinavia including flights, transfers, meals and acitivities. Food was exceptional, and we opted for the drinks package which is a must as there was some confusion at the end of the stay with others, that didnt take the package. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm. There are a lot of animals close to the lodge, we saw so many giraffes and impalas that we did not bother to take a photo after a few days. With amazing panoramic views, Sebatana Elephant Lodge will be your home away from home. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details. Also the staff were genuine and a happy family to spend our time with. The reserve is home to one of the richest populations of wildlife in South Africa with more than 75 different mammals, including the Big Five. From the Hughes party of two from Lincolnshire, England, What can I say, the staff, food, accommodation were all amazing. Sebatana Private reserve is one of the best and most unique wildlife experiences in South Africa. If you are interested in becoming a trusted partner please contact our world wide support staff, info@sebatana.com - www.sebatana.com - International sales and support Tel: 0045 7613 4048. toiletries and essentials needed as you are a few hours away from any shop etc. 1K views 1 year ago Savour South Africa's magnificent wildlife on this once-in-a-lifetime, full-board holiday, based in the four-star Elephant Lodge, with its own sweeping private game. We were also fortunate to see the big five on our first try, plus numerous other animals day and night. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm. We were unable to upgrade these rooms booking through TripaDeal. Arriving at Waterside at Royal Malewane a fabulous safari lodge that's recently opened in Thornybush Private Game Reserve bordering South Africa's famous Kruger National Park we were delighted to see several spiral-horned nyala antelopes wandering through camp, many with babies in tow, making themselves at home as they browsed on the indigenous flower beds and took sips from the . The location, rooms, set up. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Was the change of flight and random seating Newmarket's way of saving a few pennies ??? The managers, guides and all of the staff looked after us so well and after a week there, we were so blown away by how much we saw, and experienced. What a wonderful holiday . The desserts were out of this world. We were unable to upgrade these rooms booking through TripaDeal. Yes, it offers wheelchair access. The rooms were immaculate and cleaned daily, refreshing in todays climate. We had the bonus of a dressing again plenty of storage There is a small pool and hot tub where everyone could sunbathe and have a drink. On our tour most people took all the optional extra activities. Feedback from the others was that night Safari was terrible and finished late. The group of people we were with(19 in total) too our guide Carel and Basil were fabulous, including the staff that fed us and kept us in drink and to all the other staff were out of this world. The bar staff, the kitchen staff , the gardener, and all the back house or not public facing work tirelessly to ensure everyone had a great stay. He kept our group in chat and laughs. Wonderful Time in this beautiful oasis in the bush, My sister and I have not long returned from our amazing holiday in Elephant Lodge. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. There was crazy amounts of food, and it was all amazing. We took the drinks package which is totally worth it if you like a drink as all prices are in Euros and extremely elevated compared to the rest of South Africa. Seeing the Cheetah, Elephants, Rhino, Zebras, Giraffes, Warthogs and any others was amazing and no fence to be seen. Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. Including Things that we would never be able to try elsewhere (Impala, Kudu etc). The food was very good, better than expected with lots of game meals for dinner. Just returned on the 2 nd July after an amazing week at sabanta rhino private reserve. It's a classic East African-style lodge with a rustic thatched roof, elegant wrought iron chandeliers, leather Chesterfield armchairs and ample artworks depicting the wildlife found on the reserve and beyond. Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. Is parking available at Sebatana Private Reserve? Yes, it offers wheelchair access. Our guide Basil was so knowledgable and went above and beyond to make sure we saw as much as possible. So it meant uncomfortable nights where a cool breeze or cooler night night air could have made the difference between a perfect stay and a less than fully comfortable stay. Good game reserve for photosafari with knowledgeable and nice guides. The days were full on with no time to sit around, although abit of down time would of been nice. We went out on all the excursions missing nothing and we got to see the big 6 as the cheetah was an added bonus. This is truly a paradise on earth. Do your sums carefully. Despite all this I would recommend this reserve/lodge, esp if you get a good price. Hope the leftovers were not thrown away.. We were advised not to opt for the drinks package and regretted that. We were led to believe that this was going to be included. Do your sums carefully. Sebatana Private reserve is one of the best and most unique wildlife experiences in South Africa. Matswani Safari Lodge,a place to remember. Food was exceptional, but far too much for most of us for one day! Our. TOP TIPS The early morning drives were very cold so pack a hat and scarf especially in winter months. Our tour was booked through Tripadeal Australia and 12 of the 14 people on the tour was Australian. The food was lovely, although there was little choice for vegetarians, which in todays world feels disappointing. The reserve is home to one of the richest populations of wildlife in South Africa with more than 75 different mammals, including the Big Five. The food is amazing and if you have fussy children they cater well for this which was much appreciated. more. The days were full of early mornings and little time to sit around, although a bit more down-time would have been nice. All rooms are equipped with a fridge and this is refilled every day by housekeeping. Amneties Restaurant We bought a few drinks and 3 wine bottles and paid more for this for 7 days than the price for the package, so that is a must. There is a souvenir shop on site, however that you can get any memorabilia from. The same goes for the staff that fed us and kept our rooms nice and tidy every day. Recommended gratuity was 80 euro which I had no issues with paying.I (and our group) would certainly recommend Sebatana Lodge! Left a sour taste in what was otherwise a wonderful experience. Sebatana Private reserve is one of the best and most unique wildlife experiences in South Africa. A great holiday ! We had ostrich, warthog, impala, kudu, and wildebeest in some of the meals and it was all outstanding. Upon arrival, I noticed the fly screen were damaged throughout the Giraffe chalet. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. The days were full of early mornings and little time to sit around, although a bit more down-time would have been nice.