Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa

Our stay at Mhondoro Safari was absolutely unforgettable. Every aspect of the experience was so thoughtfully curated — from the stunning lodge and incredible game drives to the exceptional food. Each meal was beautifully prepared and delicious, adding to the sense of luxury and care throughout our stay. Our guide was phenomenal, and the entire team was warm, accommodating, and genuinely kind. It was a truly unique and memorable experience that exceeded every expectation.

Second visit, still amazing. Zaan, our guide, was outstanding. We saw the big 5 within the first 2 drives, including our first leopard. All the staff are lovely. The rooms are beautiful and private. We were lucky that the elephants came to the pool twice during our 3 night stay. We will be back again.

What can I say! Having just left a four nights stay at this beautiful location. I’m not sure life will ever be the same again! The location, the staff, the facilities, the lodges, the food, the welcome, the choir, the activities, the animals & the protection of this beautiful game reserve, along with the locals, the decor and the luxuriousness of it all, it was phenomenal. From starting at the farm on the edge of the reserve with a fabulous welcome from the staff and pair of giraffes & goats in gorgeous surroundings. A beautiful lunch of handmade springbok pastries and raw homegrown vegetables with delicious dips and tasty wine to the journey through the game reserve to the lodges and spotting hippos along the way. Welcomed at our villa by no less than 10 of the team singing. We stayed in the three bedroom villa and nothing has ever compared to this accommodation. I will post some photos but none of this will do it justice. I could waffle on forever about the game drives that Zon took us on, rushing to experience the incredibly rare black rhinos, experiencing male elephants many times, eating lunch on a plain as an elephant crossed the path of rhinos, zebras and wildebeest, or the champagne we drank at the top of the hill as the sun was setting, all the many many close encounters we had with different prides of lionesses’s & the stalking we witnessed or the 19 strong elephant herd that walked past us with the baby and up the hill. None of which would’ve been possible without the fabulous guide, Zon. Every single part of our day was taken care of and customised to us. The fabulous team at the villa kept the place immaculate, washed and folded all our clothes, served us the most delicious food (huge thank you Chef Tenby) all lead by our wonderful butler (and so much more) David. From running the kids over to the main lodge watering hole (via tunnel) to witness animals, or taking them to the shop or finding a tooth brush charger we forgot to bring - to the double birthday cakes and balloons for our birthdays. Every single little detail was taken care of. The special South African BBQ was magical, just go with it! I could literally keep writing forever but make sure you don’t forget to have a spa treatment as the girls were amazing and have the kids go out with the guides to make plaster moulds of the animal footprint, a priceless experience.

Stayed 9 days, unfortunately during a rainy spell for most of the time. Nonetheless, I can recommend the lodge and Welgevonden reserve. Due to the weather conditions, I was not able to obtain ideal photographic conditions, but my guide Zaan made up for this by going above and beyond in her search for rare and hard to find animals. She really made the experience successful by showing me the ''little things'' that you usually miss on game drives. The property itself is splendid, with a well thought out hide in front of a waterhole. Food and service was top notch and all staff were always ready to help and indulge in my every needs.

Again, what a fantastic stay we've had in Mhondoro! With the famous field guide Jaces and our amazing private butler David, nothing could go wrong. And our (first!) experience in the pool, with the elephant's trunk in it too, was really surreal (and also a bit scary, I have to admit). Oh yes, and don't forget to ask for the chef's special pepper-truffle-sauce, to go with your excellent beef fillet; couldn't stop eating hahaha

We were lucky enough to visit Mhondoro for a 3rd time and we had a brilliant time. The reserve, the accommodation and the service were simply perfect. 5 stars are not enough for this very special place.