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Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve

3.5 star property

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4 outdoor pools, open 7 AM to 5 PM, pool umbrellas, sun loungers
River Lodge Thatched Suites | View from room
Gift shop
Breakfast, lunch and dinner served
Lounge

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • All inclusive
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Bar
  • Breakfast included
  • Pool
  • Housekeeping

Explore the area

Map
Limpopo, Hoedspruit, Limpopo, 6191
  • Siyafunda Conservation
    ‪28 min drive‬
  • Makalali Game Reserve
    ‪67 min drive‬
  • Karongwe Private Game Reserve
    ‪175 min drive‬
  • Hoedspruit (HDS)
    ‪174 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Main Lodge Superior Room

Main Lodge Superior Room | Premium bedding, pillowtop beds, in-room safe, individually decorated

Main Lodge Superior Room

  • 409 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Large Twin Beds OR 1 King Bed

View all photos for River Lodge Thatched Suites

River Lodge Thatched Suites | Premium bedding, pillowtop beds, in-room safe, individually decorated

River Lodge Thatched Suites

  • 549 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Large Twin Beds OR 1 King Bed

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About this property

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve

3.5-star Hoedspruit hotel with restaurant
4 outdoor pools, a restaurant, and a bar/lounge are available at this hotel. Free continental breakfast is provided, as well as free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and a free manager's reception. Other amenities include a conference center, coffee/tea in a common area, and laundry facilities.
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve offers 30 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and hair dryers. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Pillowtop beds feature premium bedding. This Hoedspruit hotel provides complimentary wired Internet access.

Bathrooms include separate bathtubs and showers and complimentary toiletries. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones. Additionally, rooms include ceiling fans and blackout drapes/curtains. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered daily.

4 outdoor swimming pools are on site.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve is an all-inclusive hotel. Room rates include meals and beverages at onsite restaurants and bars. Other items and amenities, including taxes and gratuities, and access to recreational activities and entertainment may also be included. Additional charges may apply for meals at some restaurants, special dinners and dishes, certain beverages, and other amenities.

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve features 4 outdoor swimming pools. The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast each morning as well as a complimentary manager's reception on select days. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary.

This all-inclusive hotel also offers a library, a terrace, and multilingual staff. For a surcharge, an airport shuttle (available on request) is offered to guests. Complimentary covered self parking is available on site.

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve has designated areas for smoking.

A complimentary continental breakfast is served each morning between 8:30 AM and 9:30 AM. A complimentary manager's reception is offered on select days.
Makalali Dining Hall - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

All inclusive details

This hotel is all-inclusive. Onsite food and beverages are included in the room price (some restrictions may apply).

Food and beverages

All buffet meals and snacks included
In-room minibar (all beverages included)

Languages

Afrikaans, English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free wired internet
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet

Parking and transportation

  • Roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge) on request
  • Free covered self parking on site
  • Free RV/bus/truck parking on site

Food and drink

  • Free continental breakfast available daily 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Coffee and tea in common areas
  • Free manager's reception (select days)

Restaurants on site

  • Makalali Dining Hall

Things to do

  • 4 outdoor pools
  • Ecotours
  • Game drive
  • Game viewing
  • Library
  • Safari

Family friendly

  • 4 outdoor pools
  • In-room babysitting (surcharge)
  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Guidebooks
  • Laundry facilities

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Turndown service

Business services

  • Conference center

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • In a provincial park
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Pool loungers
  • Pool umbrellas
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • No elevator

More

  • 2 floors
  • Communal living room
  • Designated smoking areas
  • Reception hall

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate bathtub and shower
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle
  • Restaurant dining guides
  • Tea bags/instant coffee

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Connecting rooms available
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 4:30 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); to arrange pick-up, guests must contact the property 72 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Destination fee: ZAR 315 per person, per night. This fee does not apply to children under 6 years of age.

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Pool access available from 7 AM to 5 PM
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Property is also known as

Makalali Game
Makalali Private Game Reserve Hoedspruit
Makalali Private Game Reserve Lodge Hoedspruit
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Hotel
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Hoedspruit
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve All Inclusive
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Hotel Hoedspruit

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Reviews

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 28 out of 40 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 10 out of 40 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 40 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 40 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 40 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Zaheer

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent for big 5
Excellent for bush lovers
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Tumelo

Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Carl

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great new hotel - super rooms
We spent a long weekend at this reserve - two adults and a teen. The hotel was lovely - new rooms and well-designed open, communal spaces. We booked two rooms and it was a bonus that they could be made to be interleading. The hotel rooms are exactly that - hotel rooms - and maybe lacking some of the charm of free-standing lodge units but very comfortable and well-appointed. The guide and tracker were friendly and knowledgeable and we enjoyed our game drives. It was great to be able to go off-road to get closer to rhino and cheetah. Whilst this is a big 5 reserve, you do travel the same roads quite a bit but the guide made an effort to vary things up on each drive and to go look for specific animals. The food was nice - and not as "conference-like" as the bigger Ivory Tree Aha resort - but not knock-your-socks-off amazing. The downside of a smaller lodge is slightly less variety and choice - but to me still better than endless buffets. Aha is running some specials where kids stay free. What this meant was that over the long weekend there were lots of noisy children in the pool and running around at the boma dinner. The hotel manager did make a plan for us to go to the quieter pool at the nearby smaller lodge which was very kind of her. Unfortunately though listening to a child play a loud game on a phone all the way through the boma dinner compromised the "peace of the bush" experience. Overall - we would go again. We had a great stay and thought it was good value.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Antony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel and game park, not so good food
Overall the stay was excellent based on the accommodation and the rangers taking us to see the most amazing array of wild animals. The only downside were the quality of the food and too many over attentive waiters and waitresses who must learn to be not so keen to remove your drink or plate, especially when you or your dining partner are still eating!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Brooke

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best customer service
The customer service was absolutely above and beyond. You are treated like family. Room and lodge area is absolutely beautiful and the food was amazing. I will definitely book at Makalali again for my next visit!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Alan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Safarimazing
We had an amazing stay, all the staff were extremely friendly and it was amazing to be living in the bush with all of the luxury conveniences in a very clean and organised lodge. Shout out to Lovedeliah (camp host), Stanley (game drive tracker), and Louise (game drive guide). The wifi was very weak around the property but you're in the bush so it was ok to be off the grid for a few days!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Mariana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful place to stay
Beautiful facilities, super comfortable room, great staff, food was ok but not a highlight. We got to see most animals from very up close on the safari however most of the time we are just driving thru the bushes, I can’t compare to other areas but I guess it’s normal. Only weird thing is paying a lot for an all inclusive resort and having to pay separately for water :/
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

4/10 Poor

Ralph M, Pretoria

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
It has seen its days ... but they are over!
We are repeat guests that will not come back again. The offerings of activities beside game Drives i s zero, food is good prepared but basic (Pap and Chicken and Wors) Far to expensive for what is offered, there is not even a mini bar, the shampoo stinks and the whole lodge has been due for maintennance for more than five years.

10/10 Excellent

Joseph, Albuquerque

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best reserve
A+ Great property, great service

10/10 Excellent

Giuseppa, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A little slice of heaven
Though getting to Makalali is a little tricky, once you get there - it's wonderful. Gorgeous rooms, beautiful views and surroundings, great game drives every day and plenty of food and drink. The staff look after you very well, the rooms have everything you need to relax and enjoy yourself. I had a fantastic stay - saw some amazing animals really up close - and relaxed in a wonderful and peaceful place.

10/10 Excellent

Dave, Seattle, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Superb African experience staying at the lodge
I stayed this November for a few days at the Makalali Game Reserve/Lodge. Everything from start to finish I enjoyed fully. From check in by Caroline to Ranger Lawrence was flawless including viewing all of the animals. The separate rooms are in their own buildings along the side of a dry river bed and allow you to view out from you room, front deck or outdoor shower. You walk along a path to where breakfast/lunch are served in African style. I weather permits you are fed dinner outside in a group setting under the stars. If you have Ranger Lawrence for your guide (he has 20 years of experience) sometime along the safari ask him to give you a "Lawrence African Tale"

8/10 Good

Wai, Hong Kong

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Dedicated rangers
Really nice private safari experience. Rangers worked hard to track down the animals and get really right up close.

8/10 Good

Kfran, F

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Experience!
Over all experience was excellent! Location of the lodge is in the middle of the jungle without fence, you can see animals like Elephant or Impalas walking pass your room. It was a great experience! The location, room, game drives and the staff are the main points of the lodge. Only few flaws. I wish there is more vareity on the food, dining areas should have separate tables in case guest would like to dine separated from other guests and when it says 'all inclusive' the staff should inform the guests what are chargeable and what are not so you dont get surprised when you check out. All in all, we had a fantastic time.

8/10 Good

Fred, Dubai, UAE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room with and African view
The lodge accommodation and room layout is fantastic with a beautiful large and very comfortable bed with a fantastic view out of a floor to roof window and a wonderful fire in the room. The outdoor shower was a great way to wake up. The staff is very accommodating and friendly and unobtrusive. The food had many good ideas and the dinning areas are beautiful while the service was more than satisfactory, but I do think that they could have done better when it comes to the taste. It was almost as if the preparation was rushed. The game drives are really good and the guides are very knowledgeable, but i would have liked a bit more attention to the smaller things like birds, reptiles and insects and maybe a bit of time by a watering hole instead of the constant drive to see the big 5.

10/10 Excellent

amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Incrível , a acomodação é mto boa , quarto amplo , chuveiro incrível. Alimentação boa , e game drive inclusos incrível, com saída as 6:00am e as 4:00pm , com destaque a Isaac e butter os rangers, incríveis ….. Muito satisfeito e retornaria ao local com certeza.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

6/10 Okay

Mert

Liked: Cleanliness
Bad Food and incompetent rangers
Food is much below expectations. Most of the meat served was undercooked including chicken. Service Staff is incompetent as many places in South Africa. We have ordered wine one night and waitress just dropped the bottle in out table and left without opening and serving. Then we had to call another waitress to serve it. You need to tell everything and common sense was missing. English of the ranger for the game drives was not perfect and he was not really talkative or giving information unless asked, he was more like , yeah here is an impala but no information. Also to many questions that we have asked, the answer was “I don’t know”. I think it is worth to stretch the budget a bit more to stay in somewhere nicer.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
非常に洗練された綺麗なホテルで、シャワーやクーラーなどの設備もかなり良かったです。また、宿泊費に含まれている食事もおいしかったし、ゲームドライブも非常に楽しかったです。
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2020

8/10 Good

Rennan

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Tivemos de trocar as datas da nossa viagem devido à pandemia do Covid-19 e fomos muito bem instruidos e atendidos pela gerente de reservas. Esperamos pela estadia em Novembro.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Lugar incrível ! Estrutura do hotel impecável, funcionários super atenciosos e simpáticos !! Vimos vários animais em casa Safari, inclusive um grupo de leões caçando GNUS! Carros do Safari com cobertor e capa de chuva ( precisamos !) e com guias muito bem informados !
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Raphaël

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rangers very good. Place and location very good. Food: not good . Very average and always the same. A shame...
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
un séjour inoubliable
magnifique hébergement ,personnel aux petits soins,repas variés et de bonne qualité,des safaris extras bref rien à dire! sans oublier l'apéro en fin de safari du soir en pleine brousse et le café lors de celui du matin! le plus dur est d'arriver (et d'en repartir!)car la piste est ravinée mais après c'est que du bonheur!
notre chambre avec douche intérieure et extérieure
1er safari
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

THIAGO

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Monica E

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excelente experiencia
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019