Thornybush Collection Mala Mala Game Reserve hotels

"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. "

"Beautiful, we drove in and drove out, which was a great experience. make sure you book the right airport and you won’t have to drive your own car although we loved driving around ourselves in addition to the wonderful game drives. The staff and the Safari drivers were the best. The garden rooms were lovely and we saw many animals and baby hippo, newly born from the view on the train track"

"Love it so much "

"Lovely room, breakfast & dinner were included. Safaris were additional. They had a great spa. Gift shop, coffee shop, a couple bars & pools. We would recommend it for anyone. "

"The whole trip was like a dream. We saw all of the big 5. The service was outstanding."

"Generally incredible stay. Staff were very attentive. Not as luxury as hotels such as say lion sands which is twice the price though you get all the comfort you need given how busy the days are. If you plan on spending more time in the hotel / room maybe look for more luxury but the balance of comfort and access to the park was perfect for us as first time safari travelers Perfect mix of hotel comfort and access to safari with two daily drives with very knowledgable guides. Small negative was the food was only ok but the quality of the surrounding and access to Kruger more than compensated. We had a family of elephants welcome us on our first day with regular hippo and bird sightings from the terrace during out four nights. We also got engaged in the park. The staff and Elof the guide coordinated an unforgettable experience for my partner and I. Truly made the experience special. "