There are plenty of non "big 5" wildlife at Sebatana which are relatively easy to find. We were led to believe that this was going to be included. Each room at Elephants Lodge has a patio, tea-and-coffee-making facilities and a private bathroom. Up until our last drive we hadn't seen any lions but our rangers made every effort to locate them and we were very fortunate to see the western pride out in the open range. calm and professional at all times , also on the safaris through all the game reserves was always on the look out and did not give up looking for animals , he was very interesting and a fountain of knowledge. Sebatana Elephant Lodge Set in a sweeping private game reserve, and with just 10 rooms (including two suites), the Sebatana Elephant Lodge offers a completely unique - and intimate - South African experience. All three lodges are full service lodges with all amneties included, ensuring a personalized experience for all. Sebatana Game Reserve was good but lacked 'The Big 5', although we did do excursions to other reserves that had The Big 5. My only regret that I am not still there. Room types may vary. The reserve is situated in an idyllic location, we have all gotten memories for life. Staff are friendly and cant do enough for you. The staff were amazing and couldn't do enough for us. TOP TIPS The early morning drives were very cold so pack a hat and scarf especially in winter months. Natalie was in charge of the kitchen during our stay and she did a brilliant job. John L. said this would be a trip of a lifetime and he was correct. There was impalas and sables just off the deck every morning and all throughout the day, it was just beautiful everywhere you looked. The reserve is home to one of the richest populations of wildlife in South Africa with more than 75 different mammals, including the Big Five. We took the drinks package which is totally worth it if you like a drink as all prices are in Euros and extremely elevated compared to the rest of South Africa. A lone elephant blocks the road in Welgevonden Reserve, around 30 minutes from Sebatana. Our guide was CASPER . biggest surprise of the tour was the optional Tribal night. ( Shared joy has double the happiness) also in difficult times it is nice to have someone to hold your hand and cry with you.my point of view is i will make shore that i turn my words in action where i realized that knowing is not enough;we must apply. With a total of 14 rooms and panoramic viewpoints this is a true wilderness experience where you will be pampered by our chefs and dedicated staff. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm. This is a MUST see and the best I have ever attended. The food was amazing every day. more. A lioness relaxing at a waterhole was unexpectedly chased off in a rather funny lioness and elephant encounter. This allows you to focus on the "big 5" when you travel to the other game parks. Yes, free parking is available to guests. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. After a bumpy ride we arrived in breath-taking surroundings. Guests staying at the reserve are able to enjoy an extensive list of services, ranging from traditional game drives and Big Five safaris to cultural and historic tours. Too bad Tripadeal will probably lose this venue - it was spectacular in its lack of care for the group, leaving us all to get ourselves home at our own expense with no help or advice from them. Josh was our tour guide and he made our holiday, he has a great knowledge of the animals and wildlife. Outstanding stay but website is a bit misleading, Overall myself and friends had an outstanding stay at the lion lodge having bought package week long deals from travelzoo. Does Sebatana Private Reserve offer any business services? Sebatana Private reserve is one of the best and most unique wildlife experiences in South Africa. SIDE BY SIDE where you can share joy has double the happiness, my name is Thabo Simon Manamela a bartender and waiter at Matswani Safari Lodge working for two-three years. If you don't manage to do it before you arrive then definitely do it whilst you are there . I have been with other Travel companies that offer more for less, if you get what i mean. We will be back and can`t wait!! that we did not bother to take a photo after a few days. This was a problem for most. Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. The staff and accommodation was excellent. The kitchen staff regularly sing which is very entertaining. We were served various forms of game meat each night which was tasty and delicious. Due to the size of the group they split us into two groups to go to Wolvenhargen and stated that the afternoon group would have the opportunity to go in the morning on the second exhibition. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. The rooms are nice. Wow what an amazing holiday from start to finish. It would be perfect with a few more days, so there was time to digest all the impressions and enjoy the swimming pool etc. I went with a group of 6 and we could not fault one single thing. Sebatana Private reserve is one of the best and most unique wildlife experiences in South Africa. We had an amazing guide, Megan, and formed bonds that will last a lifetime. All pricing and payments are in Euros and is paid using credit card. We would recommend the Tribal Night. There is also a kettle in the room The bathroom had plenty of space and lots of storage. It is still in relatively good condition and the service with a smile is unparalleled from all the friendly staff. Yes, Sebatana Lion Lodge offers airport transportation for guests. Thank you to everyone at Elephant Lodge who made us feel welcome and contributed to our amazing experience!! We recommend calling ahead to confirm details. Also please don't expect to see the big 5 at elephant lodge as they only have an illusive leopard, none of the other big five,so you really do need to pay for the additional trips to see them . Our guide Basil was so knowledgable and went above and beyond to make sure we saw as much as possible. calm and professional at all times , also on the safaris through all the game reserves was always on the look out and did not give up looking for animals , he was very interesting and a fountain of knowledge. We learnt a lot about the South African wildlife as well as the stars at night. What food & drink options are available at Sebatana Elephant Lodge? Overall experience was amazing, but did think we would have seen more animals. Knowledgable beyond what you would expect and attention to detail - superb. The. The desserts were out of this world. The same goes for the staff that fed us and kept our rooms nice and tidy every day. Most of our group purchased the non-alcoholic drink package. Some flexibility is needed to truely accomplish guests needs and wishes. Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more. We were in the two rooms closest to the pool and they were tired run down and very dark. My only regret that I am not still there. We were divided into 3 groups to explore the area with our own truck with guide/driver. Especially upstairs where there was no air conditioning and the fan had but one speed.Some hanging room, for drying clothes, would be a good addition to the rooms, as no laundry service is providedOur guide, Carel, was an absolute positive. Our guide Basil was so knowledgable and went above and beyond to make sure we saw as much as possible. Arriving to cold towels from staff at the Lodge, we were greeted by a collection of Kudu and impala from the dining area - then lunch! Special thanks must go to our rangers, especially Caitlin and Jacques, who were very knowledgeable and accomodating. Which room amenities are available at Sebatana Private Reserve? A very privileged experience to do. There was crazy amounts of food, and it was all amazing. Food was exceptional, and we opted for the drinks package which is a must as there was some confusion at the end of the stay with others, that didnt take the package. I won't spoil it by revealing some of the extra activities they arranged, just to say we laughed a great deal! .. If you are interested in becoming a trusted partner please contact our world wide support staff, info@sebatana.com - www.sebatana.com - International sales and support Tel: 0045 7613 4048. I have been to a lot of "tribal (native)" nights over the years and had quite low expectations. The food was so good and was lovely to try new things. Food was exceptional, but far too much for most of us for one day! Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. Everybody in our group had nothing but praise for our stay at Sebatana. Trip of a lifetime! Recommended gratuity was 80 euro which I had no issues with paying. Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our. I cannot praise the staff in the lodge enough for their great service, always smiling, helpful and on hand . Casper was our Guide, he was charming and knowledgable. The program changes from day to day on a weekly cyclus enriching guests with the true African diversity. Recommended gratuity was 80 euro which I had no issues with paying.I (and our group) would certainly recommend Sebatana Lodge! This was thought to be due to the issues with the airline industry, however the original Virgin flights were still scheduled and indeed flew within an hour of the BA flights. There was generous quantities of food with plenty of food left over. We also drove with Jacques who has incredible eyes, he missed nothing seeing animals we would otherwise have missed. Just returned after an amazing week at Sebanta Rhino lodge. Stunning to see the milky way , the Southern Cross as well as all the others in a cloudless sky, a sight I will surely never forget. TOP TIPS The early morning drives were very cold so pack a hat and scarf especially in winter months. The lodge itself is about 4 hrs drive from tambo airport, the minibus picks you up at the airport and transfers you to the lodge , you take a break for lunch part way through the journey, On arrival you are allocated a lodge, which your bags are delivered to while you are given hot. This is a MUST see and the best I have ever attended. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm. On this unique small-group tour, you'll get the chance to . I cannot praise the staff in the lodge enough for their great service, always smiling, helpful and on hand . Some hanging room, for drying clothes, would be a good addition to the rooms, as no laundry service is provided Our guide, Carel, was an absolute positive. Sebatana Private Reserve is a wildlife paradise with a unique collection of 3 seperate 5 star lodges, Rhino, Elephant and Lion. Sebatana Private Reserve operates four lodges: Rhino, Elephant, Lion and the newly-opened Leopard Lodge, which is our home base for the trip. After a bumpy ride we arrived in breath-taking surroundings. All we wished for and more. Outstanding holiday and would recommend to anyone :), We had the most Anazing experience at Elephant lodge , The staff are the true stars that hold everything together beautifully. Had an outstanding trip to Sebatana Private Reserve staying at the Lion Lodge. an excellent standard and very clean. We certainly would not have attended if we had known this The animal life is amazing as are the staff. Saying that, the lodge was very nice, the staff were very nice and helpful, as always in South Africa. We ended up on her cruiser throughout the holiday with 3 other fab couples and we have all.said we will keep in touch, which is lovely. There is a souvenir shop on site, however that you can get any memorabilia from. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. . One cook is very good at making V-dishes. Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant. We were also fortunate to see the big five on our first try, plus numerous other animals day and night. Elephants Lodge is located within the malaria-free Bellevue Forest Reserve, home to wildlife such as lion and buffalo. "It's a solitary bull," notes our local guide, Carel Brown, as he pulls the vehicle to a gentle stop. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans. The resort doesn't offer the Big 5 as advertised which has been fed back, however there is ample opportunity to see them in a mixture of included or optional excursions. There are three lodges on this game reserve, Lion (photo), Elephant (hunting) and Rhino (under restoration) located separately in the reserve. Set against a rugged backdrop of rolling grasslands and golden plains, this is your chance to witness wildebeest, zebras, giraffes and more at home in their natural habitat. This was such an incredible trip and we will be taking in laws and others to this resort, in the near future. The food is good for omnivores, but vegetarians/vegans are in for a more mixed experience. Food excellent. Incredible Trip with amazing staff and facilities. However remember its a bit of pot luck, these parks are huge and animals are not constrained to certain sections. She also answered every question with care and passionately. In between we were waited on 24/7 by the fantastic staff, always with a smile on their face. All of the staff did everything possible to make this stay one of the best we have ever had right from the greeting to our farwell at the airport. What a wonderful holiday . WHERE STORIES BEGIN - SAVE UP TO 15% ON ALL 2023/24 AIR HOLIDAYS - BOOK BY 28 FEBRUARY. Pack plenty of warm clothes. Our group was fortunate to have the wonderful Shumba as a guide/driver, we loved him. .There is nothing bad to say about this resort. Subsequently the same issue occurred on the return journey, not acceptable on a 10+ flight! Also a shout out to Caitlyn and Bazil who were also great. Knowledgable beyond what you would expect and attention to detail - superb. We were fortunate to see them plus a cheetah! We had Caitlen, who was absolutely fantastic and a credit to the lodge. Food was exceptional, but far too much for most of us for one day! Massive variation in rooms. View Hotels Further Information Itinerary changes Hotel transfer times Passports and visas Foreign Office Travel Advice Luggage allowance We were so fortunate to see the big five plus numerous other animals day and night. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details. With amazing panoramic views, Sebatana Elephant Lodge will be your home away from home. Sebatana Private reserve is one of the best and most unique wildlife experiences in South Africa. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. The days were full of early mornings and little time to sit around, although a bit more down-time would have been nice. If you don't manage to do it before you arrive then definitely do it whilst you are there . The BEST trip ever!! Very fishy behaviour and totally deceptive. We stayed at the Lion Lodge which has a small stream running behind it and where antelopes, baboons and vervet . Improve this listing Property amenities Free parking Pool Hot bath Free breakfast Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. The kitchen staff regularly sing which is very entertaining. The kitchen staff regularly sing which is very entertaining. There are a lot of animals close to the lodge, we saw so many giraffes and impalas. Lion and Elephant is the perfect place to stop if you are travelling between Zimbabwe and South Africa by road, it is situated between Beitbridge and Harare. Everybody in our group had nothing but praise for our stay at Sebatana.The "optional tour packages" should really be compulsory and really you should go for the lot.There are plenty of non "big 5" wildlife at Sebatana which are relatively easy to find. We later found that all 14 guests staying at the lodge had also split and seated throughout the BA Flight. However remember its a bit of pot luck, these parks are huge and animals are not constrained to certain sections. The food was wonderful, plentiful and piping hot. But every single member of the kitchen were absolutly amazing, and worked so so hard. Sebatana Private Reserve is a wildlife paradise with a unique collection of 3 seperate 5 star lodges, Rhino, Elephant and Lion. Vegetarian meals catered for but fetta cheese is not to everyone's taste. The newly renovated rooms are divided into 3 different categories allowing for families of up to 5 to stay together in one room. Sebatana Private Reserve is a wildlife paradise with a unique collection of 3 seperate 5 star lodges, Rhino, Elephant and Lion. We stopped half way for champagne and sandwiches, again cared for by a few other guides from the Lodge. No large predators so you can take walks on your own on marked trails. We were a group of 21 in total, all coming from Norway. The lodge features natural gardens, patio's and a lookout lounge overlooking the vast open plains of the Eastern Cape. Does Sebatana Private Reserve have an airport shuttle? All the staff were friendly and happy. Wonderful Time in this beautiful oasis in the bush, My sister and I have not long returned from our amazing holiday in Elephant Lodge. Warthog is more secluded with a great view of a watering hole to see animals from your veranda. See more questions & answers about this hotel from the Tripadvisor community. The other just removes the meat (!). Yes, it offers wheelchair access. Guests staying at the reserve are able to enjoy an extensive list of services, ranging from traditional game drives and Big Five safaris to cultural and historic tours. We stayed at Elephant lodge with our two children aged 12 and 15 years. Feedback from the others was that night Safari was terrible and finished late. We bought a few drinks and 3 wine bottles and paid more for this for 7 days than the price for the package, so that is a must. The. when paying over 9K for this holiday I expected a better service. Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay. The pool is very cold (we were there in winter) The food was out of this world. Nothing was too much trouble for him. willing is not enough we must do as team in Matswani safari lodge for our guest.and my dream is to put more. . Some hanging room, for drying clothes, would be a good addition to the rooms, as no laundry service is provided Our guide, Carel, was an absolute positive. We all swapped photos in a WhatsApp group and had belly laughs daily. Do your sums carefully. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. .. Some of the trips offered are very good. The same goes for the staff that fed us and kept our rooms nice and tidy every day. Holiday of a lifetime that didn't disappoint, What a wonderful experience! Plenty of varieties of antilopes, zebra, wilderbeast, giraffes etc. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. It's hard to pick out highlights but possibly the mother rhino coming out of the bush right in front of us with her little baby trotting behind. The reserve is situated in an idyllic location, we have all gotten memories for life. 1K views 1 year ago Savour South Africa's magnificent wildlife on this once-in-a-lifetime, full-board holiday, based in the four-star Elephant Lodge, with its own sweeping private game. I have been to a lot of "tribal (native)" nights over the years and had quite low expectations. Saw the big 5, Der Sandra, thank you so much for your review, we are very proud to hear this and I will relay it to the entire staff. 5 star luxury lodge in South Africa sold through travel agents world wide on a group package basis. Including Things that we would never be able to try elsewhere (Impala, Kudu etc). From the Hughes party of two from Lincolnshire, England, What can I say, the staff, food, accommodation were all amazing. One tip would be to pack all. Our group was fortunate to have the wonderful Shumba as a guide/driver, we loved him. We have had memories we will never forget, thanks to you all! The bar staff, the kitchen staff , the gardener, and all the back house or not public facing work tirelessly to ensure everyone had a great stay. Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant. The kitchen staff run by head chef Natalie were absolutly amazing too , they worked their buts off day and night to provide amazing food for us everyday we had ostrich, wildebeest, impala , kudu to name just a few meals all beautifully presented and full of flavour (lots of spice used in their food ) so if you don't like spicy food please mention this .we absolutly loved kia (our omelette girl ), she was exceptional and we all loved her to bits , bubbly doesnt come close so full of fun . With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. Natalie the chef couldnt do enough for you and catered for any dietary requirements. Hope the leftovers were not thrown away.. We were advised not to opt for the drinks package and regretted that. I will be back ! Initially booked to fly as advertised with my preferred airline Virgin, this was later changed to BA with no explanation. When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site. One tip would be to pack all. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. What food & drink options are available at Sebatana Lion Lodge? This allows you to focus on the "big 5" when you travel to the other game parks. The "optional tour packages" should really be compulsory and really you should go for the lot. For The Safari Seeker. We were a group of 21 in total, all coming from Norway. The reserve was in idiliic location, with memories that will last a lifetime. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Where to start!!! I also want to mention the guides that are with you all of the time . Checking in a BA we were astounded not to have seats together after booking as a party of 4 and Newmarket Holidays had previously stated it was not possible to pre book seats as this was a. group booking, so we assumed all guests staying at Sebatana would not seated together. The program changes from day to day on a weekly cyclus enriching guests with the true African diversity. The managers, guides and all of the staff looked after us so well and after a week there, we were so blown away by how much we saw, and experienced. safaris were good with lots of giraffes but you need to purchase the additional safaris to be able to see lions, cheetahs, elephants and rhinos. towels and welcome cocktails , and get to meet some of the staff , the 3 barmen are absolutly Fantastic and I mean fantastic we loved each and every one of you guys , Patrick had the most amazing smile , the other 2 were also nothing less than fabulous, they all work so hard and NOTHING is too much trouble , they stay up until the last person goes to bed even if it is 3.30am , they join in and have great banter with you, dance with you and work so so hard , their cocktails are fabulous especially the frozen strawberry daquari . Only other recommendation to the reserve is if the guides had a mic handset as we could not always hear at the back of truck what was said. X, Amazing place, amazing people, amazing animals, The most amazing holiday ever. See more questions & answers about this hotel from the Tripadvisor community. We had an amazing time at Elephant Lodge from start to finish. Despite all this I would recommend this reserve/lodge, esp if you get a good price. We stayed at Lion lodge. FANTASTIC!! The group of people we were with(19 in total) too our guide Carel and Basil were fabulous, including the staff that fed us and kept us in drink and to all the other staff were out of this world. We truly had the best time with you guys and can't recommend you enough. Left a sour taste in what was otherwise a wonderful experience. Airport pick up and drop off is available for guests. We got to see 4 out of 5 of the big 5 as the cats were nowhere to be found. The bar staff were incredible, Patrick, Solly and Gillean were incredible and made the evening at the bar all the more enjoyable. But when you get to the Lodge, you need to spend a lot more money to get the 'full safari experience'. Loved the experiencetrulybut a few things lacking. Now the trips we plumped for the full package at 349 euro pp . Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Why did we not have pre-booked seats together? Great thanks to our guides Shumba, Carel and Megan, they were all fabulous. The rooms were great as well, very clean, a bit rustic but still higher end with great showers and water pressure. What are some of the property amenities at Sebatana Private Reserve? He was excellent and very professional, and helped a great deal when needed something sorted out in the lodge. Louis was our main guide he was so knowledgeable and was always telling us about the animals, landscapes and shrubbery. Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay. Unfortunately the website for the location and correspondence from the lodge indicated a heated pool, which was NOT the case. Each has kitchen, bar, pool etc. Best Regards Matswani guest relations, Everything about this visit was excellent from the attentive staff, the comfort of the rooms and the management. The optional tour package was 350 euro. Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more. So thanks to everyone who we spent time with you were all awesome . The reserve was in idiliic location, with memories that will last a lifetime. We were so fortunate to see the big five plus numerous other animals day and night. We were collected from Jo'burg airport by shuttle and taken overnight to the Holiday Inn Airport Hotel - 8am next morning we left in the Sebetana bus to tour Pretoria's sights. With more than 40.000ha in size this malaria free paradise offers guests a truly intimate experience. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC. The location only 270 kilometres north of Johannesburg allows for smooth travel arrangements and easy access to the Reserve. The newly renovated rooms are divided into 3 different categories allowing for families of up to 5 to stay together in one room. If you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience at a safari, this is the resort to visit. Everybody in our group had nothing but praise for our stay at Sebatana. I would highly recommend this lodge and have some amazing memories. Ask for a room removed from the restaurant/kitchen/office to avoid noises. We were also fortunate to see the big five on our first try, plus numerous other animals day and night. The location only 270 kilometres north of Johannesburg allows for smooth travel arrangements and easy access to the Reserve. We bought a few drinks and 3 wine bottles and paid more for this for 7 days than the price for the package, so that is a must. Is parking available at Sebatana Elephant Lodge? The optional tour package was 350 euro. We had an amazing guide, Megan, and formed bonds that will last a lifetime. This was the story for the whole group. Amazing safari lodge. From start to finish it was amazing and the staff go above and beyond to make sure you are happy and comfortable. OK, i need to say i am an experienced safari traveller to many African countries. Does Sebatana Private Reserve have an airport shuttle? Loved the experiencetrulybut a few things lacking. Game drives were brilliant and we were very lucky enough to see four of the big five, although we saw leopard tracks the animal was very elusive. Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. We had Josh as our guide and wow he is so passionate about his job not to mention funny and always ready to get the best for you. WOW what a fabulous experience. We were also fortunate to see the big five on our first try, plus numerous other animals day and night. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. We only took the Pilansberg national Park one. This was my early birthday present from my brother and I can't say enough about it. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details. Especially upstairs where there was no air conditioning and the fan had but one speed. It's a busy trip so be prepared for early rises and not much sleep. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.
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