The best overall experience we’ve ever had! Every detail of our stay was perfect. The lodge and communal areas were authentic and comfortable, topped off by impressive art work designed by the owner and local artists. We also had a private outdoor shower, which was a nice touch! The staff couldn’t do enough for us. They were always happy, which created a lovely welcoming family feel. Our room was cleaned during every game drive, so when we returned it was like we had just arrived. The chef and the team were excellent. Every meal was delicious and allowed us to try a range of different South African foods. The evening meals were set in different locations on the resort, all idyllic and created a different ambiance. Our guide and tracker, Byron and Hendy, were first rate. Not only did we see the big 5 up close, Bryron elevated the experience by exploring a different area of the reserve, which resulted in rare sightings of a honey badger and caracal. 100% recommend this reserve to anybody looking to go on Safari.

Stayed in May 2022

The weather

Fantastic staff great game drives were amazing and lovely food.

Stayed in March 2022

There is always something, but considering the amazing stay that you will have these details don’t matter.

This is not the accommodation, this is the experience and we need to start from that. Facilities are great, bit seasoned, but really clean, well organized, spacious, well designed. You can truly feel like an explorer in the wild Africa. the luxury of this place is the service. Every detail is though of from opening/closing windows and mosquito nets for you depending on the time of the day, tidying your room probably 30 times a day whenever you leave, ranger walking you literally to your door step every evening, staff ready to help any second to the different location of dinner every evening, tasty and quality food and candle light dining. Staff is always smiling, with good mood and creates good atmosphere for the guests. But the crown jewel of this place is their safari. Rangers are literally ready to track a pack of lions on foot for you just to make sure you get to see what you want to see. Of course we saw our big 5, of course everything up close, more than once. So this place is not only accommodation it is so much more and worth every penny! One of the best experiences!

Stayed in April 2022

If you are looking for a real rustic but luxurious bush experience, Motswari is the place you want to visit. The entire staff is fantastic and extremely friendly and helpful. The Team will spare no efforts to provide you an unforgettable experience in this peaceful retreat. The Game Drives were unique and the bush dinners magnificent. I only find find good words for this place and will go back rather sooner than later.

Stayed in May 2022

Food was delicious and the staff treated us like royalty! The grounds were beautiful and obviously the game drives were amazing. Can't recommend a stay here enough!

Stayed in March 2022

when we took our first shower, we found a big hair ball in. the drain in shower and sink were quite blocked and espacially the water in the shower took ages to drain. we were standing in water while taking a shower.

The Lodge is so beautiful and super chic! It’s not too big, so you still get the „bush-feeling“ and not the feeling of being in a huge resort. Every night there is a special dinner. Once we had a bush dinner, so really outside in the bush, right after our afternoon game drive. beautifully arranged tables, a bonfire, candles all over… very very nice! The other two dinners we had during our stay were also extraordinary. once by the pool and once outdoors, also arround a bonfire and with a buffet. the staff is very friendly and professional. they made a very happy impression and looked like, they are having a lot of fun working at Motswari.

Stayed in April 2022

the chairs outside the chalet weren’t clean and not comfortable to sit on.

The staff was exceptional, very helpful and generous had a free cake for my birthday .The game drives are the best, top of the range!!! The food , out of this world , we even asked for some recipe, really breathtaking.

Stayed in April 2022

good

Stayed in April 2022

The guide was really knowledgeable and put in the extra effort to make the safaris interesting and worth our while. The food options were great and tasty. The messages were really relaxing. The elephant viewing was very special. The elephants are really relaxed.

Stayed in April 2022

come as a guest, leave as a friend is what they say on their website and we definitely agree. we couldn’t have asked for a better lodge to stay. the whole team at motswari was incredibly kind and made our stay an unforgettable experience. the game drives were absolutely stunning, special thanks to Jan and Mbongheni, as well as the lodge itself. the dinner experiences were a once in a lifetime experience as well. thank you for this unique stay!

Stayed in March 2022

towels had holes, rooms dark

friendly staff and excellent game ranger. very knowledgeable, going extra mile

Stayed in March 2022

no issues for me but there is no Wi-Fi in the rooms.

Everything was perfect, the rooms are very well decorated and comfortable, the food menu changes daily and is well prepared, the pool and surroundings are gorgeous.

Stayed in February 2022

Nothing comes to mind.

after having lived in South Africa for 35 years this was the best bush safari experience of all time. guides and staff were incredible, menu was so good we took some of the recipes home. It really is true that you arrive as a guest and leave as a friend.

Stayed in March 2022

There were limited choices at meal times and although the food was good it could have been better.

Our guide went out of his way to give us the most wonderful game drive experiences. The staff were friendly and eager to please.

Stayed in March 2022

We had an amazing stay at Motswari! The are and the hotel are just perfect! You got everything you need in the hotel and the crew is super friendly and makes always sure you are doing good! We never experienced this kind of service - it’s really amazing! Thank you for making our stay in South Africa unforgettable! You Rock!

Stayed in March 2022

It was a great trip. No complaints.

We saw an abundance of wildlife. Rhinos, elephants, antelope a plenty. We also had an incredible leopard spotting and repeatedly encountered a male lion. Overall an amazing experience made better by the friendly guides, trackers, and staff. Food was also amazing.

Stayed in March 2022

- Breakfast was a bit of chaos. There was a big que for ordering eggs as you wanted, since there was only one chef for it. Also the other choices (like bacon or croissants) were not up to standard (not crispy etc.) - The wild density in the park (Timbavati) is not what we expected. Maybe we were not lucky or maybe the density is higher in Kruger, we don't know. What we do know is that in 1 hour we saw more animals in Kruger than here (and there is a price difference). - Be aware that you will have to pay R230 at the Timbavati gate just for the gate fee. The fee for nature conservation (R460 per person per night) is seperate on that. - Also a thing that is good to know: there is only 1 way in and out: the Timbavati gate! So you won't be able to access it through Kruger or any other way google Maps will try to send you. It would have been nice if this was more clear in the information or confirmation. - The bed in the room is very wide (really nice!) but also short. We (average 1.75m) slept with our feet outside the bed.

- Location: direct at a dry river bank. We stayed in the room 'Roan' which had a nice view on that. We only saw the impala's but at night we heard the hyenas. - Lunch! For the lamb bobotie: please give me the recipe! It was delicious.

Stayed in March 2022

Our stay at Motswari set the bar really high for the rest of our trip. The staff were very friendly and professional, the food was incredible, and our game drives with Mbongeni and Jan were filled with amazing nature and great conversations.

Stayed in February 2022

There is a request for tipping the guide, track and the support team. The management requests from the guests 400-500 R per day per room for guide and tracker. Other than that I wish the rooms had more natural light.

we have spent 3 nights in Motswari. The rooms and the dining areas were beautifully decorated. The food was fantastic and the staff very friendly. When we were there the weather was not good enough to try the little pool. We did all together 6 game drives and were able to spot “the big 5” which was great. On the day when we were leaving we encountered the African buffalo just couple of cm from our car :)

Stayed in March 2022

The only thing that bothered me that they recommended to tip the staff at the end. I really hope Motswari pays their staff well because they truly deserve it and they make this place a perfect 10. Guests shouldn't pick up the slack with the rates we're already paying!

This stay was without a doubt the best property we ever stayed at! Everything was absolutely incredible, from the moment we arrived the staff took the best care of us. Our guides Mbongeni and Jan became like family and the really tried hard to make this the best experience for us. The room was big and spacious and the main building was very nicely decorated. The food was incredible, so many options and even dessert and fruit for each meal. They prepared dinner each night in another area so every evening was a different experience. The game drives were the absolute best part, our guides even prepared coffee on the morning drive and wine or G&T on the evening drive. I cannot say enough good things about Motswari except that you should definetely go and this will be an experience of your lifetime.

Stayed in February 2022

We thought some music could have been played during meal times and the WiFi was very poor (although this is to be expected considering you are in the middle of nowhere)

Truly amazing, from the communication before arrival to leaving, everything exceeded our expectations. We have never spent this amount of money on a stay before but decided to take the plunge after reading reviews. The villas are decorated to a high standard with comfortable bedding and a bathroom with a view. It was cleaned twice daily whilst we were on our game drives with the lights turned on ready for when we got back in the dark. The food is incredible, every meal was different and really tasty, we loved that every evening you have dinner in a different spot, from the dried out riverbed, to the bush. Staff were incredibly friendly and always there to provide anything you needed. The games drives were the best part, our guide and tracker worked together to get us the best view, we saw the big 5 on multiple occasions. They had a real love for the bush and wildlife and incredible knowledge no matter what question we threw at them.

Stayed in March 2022

Everything was AMAZING! Thank You to everyone at Motswari for making our stay so incredible! It really was EXCELLENT!

Stayed in March 2022

it was perfect

The location, the lodging sand the staff are amazing. The food is fresh and healthy and even made accommodations for our vegan family

Stayed in March 2022

Just a dream . Being in the middle of all the animals . Our driver Noel and our tracker are the best in the world . All the catering and housekeeping team were just adorable . Will come back fir Sure

Stayed in March 2022

I can't think of anything that I would improve. The only problem we encountered was the lack of internet reception. Normally I don't have an issue, but since my husband runs a business, it was a challenge. I prefer no reception but for a business person I suppose it's difficult. No negative review from me.

I was blown away. I love the laid back, fun atmosphere. I was expecting the usual 5 * lodge atmosphere but discovered something entirely different. It was an exciting visit that was definitely better than expected. The trouble that Motswari went to with a surprise Valentine's evening bush dinner was exceptional. It was a very special evening. The in-room spa treatment was lovely. I can write a book about the staff - They feel like friends.

Stayed in February 2022