Zaina Lodge

We stayed one night at Zaina Lodge in Mole National Park, and it honestly could have been a wonderful experience — the location has so much potential. Unfortunately, for a lodge in this price range that markets itself as a luxury lodge, it did not feel like a good experience overall. What stood out most was the atmosphere and service. The staff felt unusually strict and, more importantly, very scarce with resources. At breakfast and dinner everything was kept extremely limited. When we asked for additional food, the answer was simply that they “don’t have it.” That approach might work at a budget place, but not at a lodge charging luxury-level prices. Luxury should come with generosity, flexibility, and a feeling of being welcomed — and that was missing here. Another major disappointment was the safari pricing. The lodge’s safari tours were massively overpriced — almost ten times the cost compared to the safaris offered directly by the national park. We were told the lodge safaris are “special” and different from the park tours, but in reality it was the exact same experience. If you’re staying here, I strongly recommend booking your safari directly with the national park instead of paying the lodge’s inflated rates. Overall, it’s a real shame because the place could be fantastic with a more guest-focused approach. But as it is, it felt like an overly capitalist and overpriced setup rather than a genuinely warm, high-quality luxury experience.

This is a lovely lodge with a very personal service. The chalets are very spacious and comfortable with modern bathroom facilities. The infinity pool is cool with gorgeous views over the wilderness including a lake where animals come to drink. The food is varied including vegetarian options, fresh and delicious. While not as extensive as East Africa, there is lots to see on driving and walking safaris laid on by the lodge. Loads of mammals and an amazing variety of birds. Crucially, safaris are not nearly as busy as East Africa. You have the national park pretty much to yourself and we met just one other safari tour in three days, and that was in high season.

Fun for family, but don’t expect to get everything you pay for… Zaina attempts to present an upscale experience but falls short, especially considering the premium price tag: Admittedly, the park view from the pool deck is stunning and the rooms are comfortable. And the on-site staff are mostly friendly. But the restaurant is outside where temperatures soar, and the chairs are full of beetles. The culinary experience was so so. Our three rooms had neither WiFi nor hot water. Additionally, one room had no AC and we had to push for a room change. On our morning safari, our reservation was fumbled and one group member was excluded from the trip and the rest were split up. Inside the park, animal density wasn’t particularly high, but we did get to see elephants on both outings (but this can be hit-or-miss). We brought our grade school-age kids and created some lasting memories. Overall, you’ll probably enjoy this lodge so long as you temper your expectations and don’t mind overpaying for what you get (or don’t). Unfortunately, there probably isn’t a better option in Mole.

Nice spacious room, with wildlife right outside your doorstep. The ice box is a nice touch to keep water cold. Would have loved to have a kettle in the room. Wifi is very dodgy or unavailable in the room. Shower pressure is excellent. Like being under a waterfall. The restaurant food options - especially if you are on full board package is limited. The bar is nice and so is the pool. The sunset is amazing. Expect lot of flies after dusk. You might be lucky to see wildlife right outside by the watering hole. There is also the wild elephant that visits the front of the hotel every evening which is quite cool. The safaris are highly recommended during your stay. Expect to see elephants and lot of deers. Also do go for the night safari. The staff are helpful and friendly but check in and check out can take time. Check your bills line by line when you check out.

Zaina Lodge offers a stunning setting, with wonderful rooms, a beautiful views of the park, and a nice pool. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives largely end. The lodge seems to operate at luxury prices, yet many aspects of the experience feel inflated or underwhelming. Meals were several times more expensive (4x for lunch and 5x for dinner) than the Mole Motel. My 45 minute back massage was really a 5 minute massage done 9 times in a row. The bar did not have fresh fruit for juices and smoothies. They were also out of a substantial amount of the ingredients for cocktails, including non-perishables (local gin and flavored syrup). Their employee seemed disgruntled when I declined to join the safari. In short, Zaina Lodge provides the aesthetics of a high-end stay but delivers a service experience that doesn’t match the cost. For the price, I personally will not stay here again.

Luxury price tag but unfortunately not a luxury experience When we first arrived we were bombarded with all the things we could not do because of the plan we were on. We were then asked to pay for all of these extra things that we did not want before we even had our welcome drinks. The rooms were very basic for a 5* hotel The food was very nice, but you can’t buy just one glass of wine - you have to buy a whole bottle When you wake up at 5am, any other safari hotel we have stayed at offer a quick tea or coffee and a pastry before our tour - we didn’t even get offered a bottle of water The lodge lacks atmosphere The views were stunning, elephants came right up to the reception and there was a lovely little genet who hung around the lodge Because this is the only “luxury” safari lodge, Zaina has no competition and thus no need to actually offer guests a luxury experience

Our party of five visited Zaina Lodge in late August 2025. The lodge was welcoming, clean and well appointed. The tours were well organized and the guides extremely knowledgeable. We did two land tours and the river tour. We saw elephants, monkeys, birds and other animals in their natural habitat. A special shout out to chef David. The meals were absolutely delicious.

The lodge, Locstion, people, service and food were all amazing. We went for 3 days and it was hard to leave. While we have been on maybe safaris in Southern Africa. This place is special and we did see a lot of wildlife - up close and personal.