Reviews of Motswari Private Game Reserve by NEWMARK 4 stars

Superior experience, we saw the big five in the first 2 Game Drives. Hayden & Patrick( tracker and driver )were fun to be with, knowledgeable and friendly all times , went that extra mile to find the animals we wanted to look out for. Noah, Tim & Prince provided a service with a smile in the restaurant and bar, even remembered our tipple. Food was so delicious and plentiful. The whole team work incredibly well together, this was a holiday of a lifetime , phenomenal hospitality. This is a bucket list holiday for sure. Well worth paying premium rate. You get what you pay for , definitely recommend. Allow for extra cash for the tips , recommendations 600-700 rands per day for driver & tracker , then the support team. The leave as a Family is definitely true , the singing and dancing memories made in the heart forever . Take dark trainers …. It’s very dusty! Thank you.

The location, the staff, the food, the driver and tracker

Nothing, everything was perfect

Clean and well kept with security ushering you thru the night to dinners

There’s no internet in the room—turns out it’s intentional, so we can really disconnect and be closer to nature. Kinda refreshing, actually.

It was amazing. The rooms were excellent. With great views over the river, often frequented by animals. The food was terrific. Our guide and tracker, Noel and David, could not have been better. We saw the big 5 and much more- many giraffes, Zebra, hippo etc. we arrived about 1pm. Lunch is at 2.30, game drive 3.30-6.30pm, dinner at 7.30pm. On the day we left we did the normal 6.30-9.30am game drive, followed by a wonderful brunch at 9.30am. We left at 11. So you get a lot extra. For 3 nights we had 6 game drives. There was good hot water, comfortable beds, great leather chairs with a nice balcony. There is also a nice pool. All staff were super friendly and helpful.

Nothing- it was outstanding.

Accommodation good, food very good. Each night they had dinner in a different area. A lovely boma one night. The bush brekki was different and nice. Prince looked after us well. Game drives excellent with wonderful sightings Lion, leopard, elephant, giraffe etc our game driver Hayden was very informative and Patrick our tracker was good. Enjoyed the drinks stop in the evening and early morning coffee on drives. Went to the main Motswari camp for lunch one day. This was our 3rd visit to Motswari several staff remembered us Timothy got a big hug from him.

We had wanted to return to Motswari main camp but they upgraded us to the Health Retreat we were a bit cross about this!

Game drives were exciting and well organised. Great variety of food options, staff were all wonderful and always went above and beyond for guests. Camp was a good size with different areas to explore, pool area was a bit small.

not cheap but worth the experience, the staff was exceptional and the game drives in the private nature reserve were something else! our bungalow was super clean and cozy, the food was really good and offered a great variety. also worth mentioning that while not having a dedicated spa they offer in-room massages which were amazing as well.

one thing that is missing is a gym - that would really make it heaven on earth (as you are in the middle of the reserve you cannot go for a walk either) conservation fee for the reserve should be included in the price / highlighted somewhere

Had an amazing stay at Motswari. Our room was clean and cozy, everyone super helpful and kind and food was great. The pool had a nice view over a creek where animals come to drink. The game drives were amazing, we did 6 and managed to see the big 5 after 4 game drives. Nice detail is that you get assigned to the same team (guide + tracker) every game drive, so you get to know them better and they know exactly which animals you've already seen and still want to see. We were with Rudolf and Lot, both very good at their jobs and nice/fun guys to be around. The reserve was managed very well, there were never more than 2 cars around an animal sighting which made it feel more special and less intrusive to the animals than in other parts of Kruger. Price was quite steep for us, but after all worth the experience. Would come back.

Details, but the outside seating at our chalet (Zebra) could use a bit of attention as it was not super inviting to sit there.

The people were the best part. The place was luxurious with excellent service . Food and drinks were plenty and overflowing . Our guide and tracker were so good — Josh and David . We saw all the big 5. So professionally run . Very romantic

I'm a bit uncomfortable with the staff having to rely on tips. Maybe it's a cultural thing 🤔....

The whole experience was excellent and I could not recommend this hotel enough. We used an organised transfer by the hotel to get to the lodge; the drive there and back (around 90 minutes each way) was like its own safari. We saw giraffes, elephants, zebras, birds, hippos, baboons and so much more. The driver was happy to stop and let us take pictures. It was an amazing introduction to the whole safari experience. We arrived to a welcoming party of staff who continued to be excellent throughout our stay, they were welcoming, knew our names and went above and beyond to assist us with whatever we needed. I had ordered a parcel to the local post office and they were happy to pick it up for me so I didn't miss out on a safari drive. The rooms are lovely- we had a beautiful bath and separate shower where you could look out and see wildlife. The bed was extremely large and the facilities were comfortable. The communal areas are lovely as there are a small number of guests staying it doesn't feel crowded and there are options to use the pool, sunbathe or relax in a variety of different areas. We often saw elephants, giraffes, water bucks etc throughout the day coming to the river to drink. The safari drives are excellent, the guide and tracker we had were exceptional, we had seen the big 5 within our first two drives and they were happy to do what the group wanted to do, for example go out on long drives where there was a chance we would not see certain animals but they would be beautiful drives. The food is the best food I have ever experienced at a hotel. It was truly excellent and there is so much of it, no one will go hungry. The whole experience was magical and as someone who does not ever return to places and is more of an Air B n B person- I am already looking to come back!

My only slight issue was that there is no Wifi in the rooms however it is easily accessed in the communal areas and only added to our relaxation during the stay. It was the smallest inconvenience that was dwarfed by everything else being amazing.

Everything worked like clock work. It is all very well organised. The breakfast was the best meal of the day for us (we are both vegetarians) There was plenty of variety of food. The staff were welcoming, very friendly and fun, nothing was too much trouble. Our Driver and Tracker were very knowledgeable and experienced, they made every drive different. We would highly recommend staying here.

There is very little not to like, however we would have preferred our food served hotter, but that is our personal choice We also would have preferred better lighting as it was difficult to see, once inside the rooms, of course this adds to the atmosphere and is probably done like that for a reason to fit in with its environment.

We liked everything about our stay at Motswari! The place is managed amazingly in all aspects and food is delicious! We were impressed by our guide and tracker on our 4 drives which allowed us to see all Big 5 plus many other animals. Owen, our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and together with George, our tracker, the team was extremely driven to track down the animals our group wanted to see!

The food was excellent, and the staff in the kitchen and bar were brilliant. We saw many animals because there is so many vehicles going out, there was always a call to go to a location, wasn't about tracking animals, more about go here there is a leopard, go here there is a lion etc.

The rooms smelled like Varnish, we mentioned many times, but nothing was done. A Hairbrush was taken from our bathroom, when we mentioned it, it mysteriously appeared stuffed in our luggage, it was not there before. While we saw many animals on the safari the guide didnt give much information about anything, needed to be prompted to tell us things. More interested to contact his girlfriend to come a and look rather then tall guests about the animals. Constantly messing or on the radio, needs to spend more time talking to guests about animals.

Staff staff and again the staff was amazing service excellence Food perfect and always fresh. Very smooth and efficient operations. No “hick-ups” in any part of the stay.

Guest areas need to be “refreshed” as it feels and looks a little tired

The staff really make this place so incredible; from the amazing chefs to the attentive wait staff to the exceptionally knowledgeable guides/ trackers (shoutout to Josh who found not only the big 5 but the white lion cub too!), everyone went above and beyond.

Would’ve been great to have some sun loungers in the sun to make the most of the free time. Given no WiFi in rooms, having a phone in the room to call reception if you need to leave as you need to be escorted in the dark due to wild animals.

Super friendly staff with warm welcome and attention. The amenities and accommodation were on point with lot of comfort while being made traditionally in the heart of the reserve with respect with the surroundings. The food served four times a day was great with variety and large quantities, making us discover local cuisine. The Safari drives went perfectly fine, we were able to see all the animals living in the reserve with great respect and explanations from our guide and tracker.

Our arrival was not perfect as no one was attending the reception at 6pm and everyone was gone for the safari drive from 4pm to 7pm. Happily a tracker was in the lodge and was able to help us checking in.

Location Staff Game Drives Food

Lunches unnecessarily late at 15:05.very

AMAZING! Such kind people who really understand customer service. Our stay was 10/10! I strongly recommend the experience at Motswari!

Nothing!

The staff was incredibly kind and helpful throughout our stay. A huge thanks to Henry and Jan, our exceptional tracker and guide. Their expertise led us to all the Big 5 within just two days! The spacious and cozy rooms offer a true bushveld experience, even allowing for animal sightings while enjoying the pool. The food is amazing, with a nice variety every day and delicious local meat offerings.

Best safari experience of them all! This was the best safari experience of all we had while in Africa for a month during December to January when we visited South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Our guide Hayden was amazing, taking us off-road into the bush to catch some incredible animal sightings. He and the 2 trackers, Patrick and David, had a skill that others we experienced did not at finding the Big Five up close and often during our 3 days at Motswari. The twice a day schedule was a bit crazy especially the 5:00 am game drives, but missing a bit of sleep was worth it over and over as we had incredible success catching so many animals at this preserve. The accommodations and the meals were also first class considered being out in the wild, and the entire staff was attentive and friendly, particularly in the restaurant and bar. If there is one safari experience not to miss in Africa, Motswari is it!

Nothing.