Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa

Mhondoro is one of the greatest places on earth, which I feel everyone should visit at least once in their life time. This place captures your heart, not only by the beauty of the buildings and the stunning interiors, not only by the animals roaming free, but by the people who work there. These people are such beautiful souls inside and out, I have never met such kind, warm, genuine people. Every day, many of times a day we were greeted with such warmth, as if we were family members, everyone had time for us, everyone wanted to take time to know our story, everyone cared and truly looked after us like we were royalty. These beautiful souls, could not do enough for us, this went throughout the whole team, everyone is equal at Mhondoro. Althi (general manager) and René (assistant manager), truly care for their staff and their guests, they were also on hand and always taking time out of their day to chat with us about life in general, which made us feel so very special. The front of house team Isaac, David, Opui, Sam and Lebo, are such a fantastic team, they truly deliver on top hospitality, who truly care for their guest, to ensure we had the time of our lives and without a shadow of a doubt we absolutely did. They were always smiling, always laughing, always game for banter, always on hand should we need anything. They felt like friends / family immediately. The kitchen is led by head chef Betty, who leads a fantastic team of Cheffies, Tshepang, Patrick and Fannas. This team deserves a Michelin star!! Their food each day, four times a day, is absolutely exquisite. I have been lucky enough to eat in many Michelin star restaurants, the food served here beats a lot of them. I truly never expected a taster menu with wine pairings three of my four nights at Mhondoro, and the other a delicious camp fire meal, with native singing and dancing (which was incredible). Betty and her team, would also come out to explain the menu and check all was ok. Truly exceptional. We were truly extremely lucky to have Tish as our ranger. Tish is absolutely outstanding at her job, she is truly passionate about her job and it truly shines through, with the level of respect the other rangers have for her, along with the animals, they total respect her from all the work she has done with them. Tish allowed us to see exceptional sightseeings of the big five, which we were fortunate to see many of times during our four day stay. Her knowledge is out of this world, I have learnt so much, along with seeing the wonderful big five and everything else in between. |I also had an incredible massage from Pauline, as a physiotherapist I am a hard critic, but this was phenomenal. My body has felt so much better for it and training has been good since my return home. |I can honestly say, life will never feel the same again, truly because my soul has been enriched by these beautiful people, my mind has been expanded, I have seen life differently, I have been empowered and my heart has been captured in a completely different way. The words thank you, just are not enough, I will forever be full of gratitude for these beautiful people, who I have had the privilege and honour to have met.

There will always be nice facilities, but what sets the best apart from the rest is its people.||From the team who took care of us at home (David, Chef T, and the list goes on) to the man who showed us his playground (Hein) to Andri (who would check on us regularly if we were OK) - we were never short of care and attention. They paid so much attention to detail to making our stay a memorable one, that next year we will be going back again and bringing more family with us! ||THEY MADE MHONDORO FEEL LIKE OUR HOME. ||Despite coming off a 5-star train ride, we were mesmerised when we saw the Mhondoro setup. The villa was amazing - very clear that the owners had invested significantly to bring an exquisite experience to their guests.||I don’t know how to explain what we experienced and saw, so I hope the pictures do a better job!

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.

We had an unforgettable stay at Mhondoro Safari Lodge. From the moment we arrived, the service was warm, personal and thoughtful - especially regarding our severe food allergies, which were handled with care and professionalism. The accommodation was stunning, with luxurious touches and a private plunge pool overlooking wildlife at the waterhole.||Safaris were a highlight, expertly guided by Tish, and included incredible sightings - from a leopard on our first morning to close encounters with lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and more, and managing to see the big 5! Dining was delicious and safe with the head chef Patrick personally tailoring our meals for us daily.||The lodge offers magical moments - like elephants drinking from the pool at sunset or watching wildlife from the underground hide. Every detail was perfect. We left with full hearts and lifelong memories.|Can't recommend Mhondoro highly enough and hope we can return in the future!

We spent 3 nights at this amazing place in June. The accommodation was perfect, staff could not do enough for us. Food was excellent and our ranger, Hein, was extremely knowledgeable and gave us 5 superb game drives. Loved our Sundowner gin and tonics on the range!! Rene and all staff are to be complimented!!! Hope we can return sometime xx

Where do I begin! ||Who would’ve thought a random Instagram discovery would turn into the trip of a lifetime. ||Upon arrival… we received the warmest welcome and were introduced to all staff members by name. ||I have never experienced a place that is so idyllic in its setting, accommodation that felt like home and staff that went above and beyond. ||Our ranger - Tyrone was friendly, warm and knowledgeable. Showing us around, seeing lots of different animals and breathtaking scenery. |Our early morning coffee & biscuits or afternoon sundown drinks & nibbles to watch the sun setting was an added bonus. ||Our accommodation which featured 2 double bedrooms, lounge and terrace with our own pool overlooking the estate was spectacular and so comfortable. ||We also enjoyed a massage at the spa with Letta and Gift, our amazing therapists. I have been fortunate to enjoy many treatments over time but my massage here was by far the best I’ve ever had. ||All of the chefs (who unfortunately didn’t wear name badges) were incredible, creating delicious dishes every day using such fresh produce, fruit and vegetables. |Our eldest daughter who is a big eater, thoroughly enjoyed every meal, often asking for seconds. |Our youngest daughter, who is coeliac has always struggled with food choices when travelling but the chefs were so accommodating and she has never eaten so well. Even on the game drives, there were always separate tasty snacks thoughtfully made for her. ||All staff made it their upmost priority to ensure our stay was unforgettable. |Special thanks to Jacob, Sam, Lebo and Issac ||To the Mhondoro owners who have created this lodge with such vision, we applaud you. Not only have you created a heavenly escape but have chosen the best staff to look after everyone that visits with such care. ||If I had one wish, it would be that everyone was able to experience Mhondoro at least once in their lifetime. ||As a family, we all left a piece of our hearts behind.

Everything from start to finish was incredible. The staff was super friendly and helpful, the food was beautiful and tasted amazing, the lodge is stunning and the game drives were so much fun and informative. Thank you René, Jaces, Althi, Zaan, Patrick and everyone involved! It was an experience we will never forget.

What an experience! All I can say is WOW! Besides seeing all of the animals (Big 5) on the bush drives, the entire experience was absolutely outstanding. The staff, the facilities, the attentiveness, the food, the game drives.... everything was phenomenal. Thank you for this experience.