Independent Mala Mala Game Reserve hotels

"Our stay at Lion Sands River Lodge was excellent! From the time we arrived at the Skukuza airport to the time we departed, our expectations were far exceeded. The Lion Sands River Lodge was amazingly decorated with thatch roofs. Dining and sitting areas overlook the river with spectacular views. The lodge also had a well equipped gym with treadmills, bikes and weights. The staff were friendly and customer service was excellent. Our every need was taken care of promptly. Our villa was beautiful and overlooked the river with stunning views. While sitting on our porch, we watched hippos, elephants, crocodiles and nyala. The food was delicious with healthy options as well as comfort foods. The game drives were spectacular. Our safari guide Mendrew, and tracker, Brian were excellent at their skill. We stayed for 4 days and saw leopards each day on the game drives. We saw the big 5 as well as many other animals and birds. Overall, everything about Lion Sands River Lodge is exceptional and we will be back. Many thanks to Mello and the River Lodge team "

"Spectacular stay this time. Warm welcome, welcome wine and sweet and savoury platter in our room. Personalised treatment for dinner and the game drive amazing. "

"Incredible staff. Loved the room. An overall wonderful experience!!!!"

"Elephants, hippos and monkeys right outside of door. It was a peaceful and beautiful experience. The staff were the best I’ve ever encountered in my travels. Absolutely genuine and beautiful people. A new resort that is still flying under the radar. Take advantage of it while you can. "

"The service here was unbelievable… WOW ! Such a wonderful stay !!! Should have stayed here longer. "

"Hamiltons is s a tented camp and the rooms were very large and comfortable. They fed us well, and our Safari guide Harley was very knowledgeable and friendly. We were in tent 1 which had the best view of the river and animal crossing. We travelled with 4 people and we all enjoyed our stay very much."

"The minute we arrived we were greeted by lovely staff and elephants at the pool. What followed was a once in a lifetime experience. The positives - Beds are super comfy with electric blankets for those cold nights and a fan for the warm days. The food was AMAZING. I LOVED being seated with fellow safari mates and getting to know people from across the world even though we are total introverts. Our guide Leighton was brilliant, knowledgeable and an excellent driver. And the wildlife…. Wow. I still can’t believe we saw so many lions, leopards and cheetahs, not to mention everything else. Being birders we were worried that we would be ignored and never get a moment to identify a bird but Leighton balanced the needs of the guests so well and had an excellent knowledge of all animals. The only downsides… when we arrived we were so hungry but because our flight was delayed we missed the afternoon safari and had to wait until everyone returned before we could access any food - a wait of 2 hours was really tough and no one explained what was happening. Highly recommend explaining the daily itinerary to people on arrival and having snacks available for purchase. Loved the Couples shower but unfortunately not enough hot water for 2 people. "