The gravel road to the establishment and the food was not that great. The chandelier had cobwebs.

Loved the ambience of the place and the masseuse who comes to your room for massages. Bed was very comfortable

Stayed in April 2024

We stayed in the family unit, and the staircase to the loft is extremely steep. The en-suite bathroom in the main bedroom is completely open, we prefer more privacy, especially ito the toilet. We were disappointed that the two hiking options were both quite technical and difficult. It would have been nice to be able to just take a relaxed stroll through the forest (which one can do by following the paved pathway, but that is different from walking in a forest).

We loved the fact that our accommodation was right in the middle of a forest. It was very tranquil and refreshing. The layout of the family unit was very practical, with the sleeping quarters completely separate from the boma area. Our family consist of 50% night owls and 50% early risers, and this way we could all get enough sleep. All breakfast options are substantial and delicious. We really enjoyed it. All personnel were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

Stayed in April 2024

Nothing

The location is exquisite and so sacred. Its peaceful, the nature beautiful, the customer services exceptional. The food was amazing. The bed comfortable, enough blanket though it was cold throughout the weekend but the rooms are so cousy. I loved everything about Serenity Mountain and Forest Lodge. A Shoutout to Janet, she was on the phone with me my whole ride from Pretoria to Malelane, I shared my live location with her and she stayed up late just tracking me making sure I'm fine until around 23:00 when we got there, I'm sorry magogo I made you stay up so late lol, She's the best and the passion she has for this job is unmatched🤗💯. Also Themba very welcoming and kept checking if we enjoying our stay everyday.👌🏾

Stayed in April 2024

Sometimes the schedule doesn't seem so organized. Activities were postponed and the arrangements between external services and us wasn't good. With a better structure we would give 10/10

The Serenity Lodge lies apart from the city and all the turmoil and you are more than allowed to calm down and enjoy the forest and weather. The staff was friendly, helpful and attentive. Prices for activities were fair, the food (breakfast and dinner) was delicious and our lodge was located near to the restaurant, and parking area. Some guests are complaining about the gravel road. The road is ~ 16 km long and hardly doable without an SUV. We drove a Toyota Corolla Quest and needed almost an hour for the way. We would recommend a better car than ours. Due to the fact that the lodge is completely transparent about the road and assists you with help, there's no reason to complain about the road.

Stayed in April 2024

Cleanliness could be better. On arrival the outside table was sticky with someone else's old drink marks and the ashtray was full and dirty with ash. The dinners were a hit and miss with some quite poor (eg rump steak advertised and then received a very tough very dry sirloin which we just didn't eat, smoked trout salad, cheese cake). The packed breakfast (boiled egg, cheese sandwhich, yoghurt, apple) was not great and impractical - not sure how you are supposed to peal and eat a boiled egg in a van. I think guests should be asked what they would like in their packed breakfast. I ate 1 apple, my husband did not eat his at all so they were wasted.

The setting is absolutely spectacular. The rooms are beautiful and well fitted out. The staff were all friendly. The cooked breakfast was very good. Other good meals - bobotie spring rolls, pea and coriander soup, chicken Ballentine, springbok carpaccio, apple crumble, brownie & icecream)

Stayed in April 2024

There was nothing to dislike

On our arrival my sisters and I were welcomed with warmth by a young friendly gentleman by the name of Thato and  we were offered welcome drinks and he took care of us throughout our stay. Our stay was just too magical, it felt like a retreat. We felt at home and the other gentlemen  named Tumelo & Solly also made an effort to check if we needed anything . The food was delicious, we appreciated that the chefs prepared the food with so much love and perfection. We also enjoyed having dinner by the boma area next to our family suite. We had an opportunity to go on a forest picnic and the set up was too gorgeous and we also managed take a refreshing nap by the picnic area. My sisters and l highly recommend the place if you want some peaceful escape from the city. We also appreciated Janet's availability when we needed something, she was easy to reach and very hospitable. We shall cherish the memories created in that harmonious forest.💖

Stayed in March 2024

Nothing

Good

Stayed in March 2024

The location was heaven, photos are not doing justice for that place. quiet and very isolated, surrounded by nothing but nature, exactly what I needed. the staff was so professional and friendly. I'm definitely coming back soon.

Stayed in March 2024

All was perfect!

Absolutely amazing and incredible little piece of paradise. I truly fell in love, everything was perfect: the lush nature, the room, the facilities, the restaurant and amazing food, the bar, the staff. The day of my departure I was truly sad to be leaving, but I hope I will come back again, the next time for a much longer stay. Even the departure was a bit magical, as a giraffe greeted us on the road.

Stayed in March 2024

1. Process to get into the property: After completing the drive through the gravel road ( which isn’t too bad a drive ) , you have to call a specific number to get access to the property. We waited at the gate for about 15 minutes with no answer . Although not a long time , it can feel really long because the place is in the middle of nowhere and there’s limited cellphone reception . I’d recommend looking into another process to provide guests access to the property . My suggestions would be a) a specific guest code that’s generated upon booking / or for a particular day’s arrivals so that guests can punch the code instead of having to call . b) make use of WhatsApp rather since cell reception is limited and ask guests to WhatsApp call / send a message . c) Ask guests to send a WhatsApp when they start making their way through the gravel from the town . This will give a 30-40 mins heads up to expect a call at the gate and limit wait times . 2. Dinner pricing : This is nitpicking and more of a recommendation rather than something I didn’t like .Dinner is charged at R250 for the main meal . You don’t have to have a starter or dessert and these are priced separately. For a different experience and to make sure people can enjoy the amazing food , I would recommend looking at pricing dinner as a 3 course meal and reducing portions to make it possible for people to enjoy all 3 courses. 3. Staff : I was surprised to see that they don’t have any women attending to guests, all the women were part of the cleaning staff , except for Portia the chef. Just a random observation on my side.

1. Staff : The staff are really nice and friendly. Always checked in on whether we have everything we needed . Special mention of Themba, who was a great host from the time we arrived . Tumelo , Thato and Solly were also great , always making sure we were comfortable. I’d come back to this place for the good service alone ! 2. Food : Meshack and Portia are really great chefs. The food was amazing . You’d ask for a medium steak and that’s what you’d get . The food was also very well seasoned . The portions are really huge however, this is just something I’d recommend managing to avoid food wastage. I hardly finished any of my plates ( not because the food wasn’t great but because of the portions). Also had one of the best Caramel Cheesecakes ever for dessert. 3. Location : This was a very nice location . Perfect for a peaceful getaway as a couple or friends . It’s also really close to the Kruger Malelane gate . We did a drive into the Kruger on one of the days and managed to comfortably make it back into the lodge. 4. Activities: we opted for a massage . One of the most enjoyable Swedish Massages I’ve ever had . Would highly recommend. Didn’t do any of the hiking trails because there had been some rain and the rocks seemed slippery .

Stayed in March 2024

The road leading to the property

So pretty!

Stayed in March 2024

Long gravel road to reach the lodge. Our room was a bit smelly (moult and humid smell)

Superb environment. Remote and silent. Very tasty and good dinner and breakfast. Friendly staff.

Stayed in March 2024

As they have limited menu options I think they should ask for dietary requirements before arrival. The picnic location and setup are fantastic but the food lacks creativity and does not consider dietary requirements. I had a chili cheese and don't eat chili at all and the only meat options were ham and salami, my husband eats no pork, there was an overflow of grapes in the box, and it looked like they wanted to get rid of old stock as they weren't 100% fresh. (Poor) Orange juice provided at the lodge is too sweet and not fresh, but a concentrate. Great location and staff but the food served needs a bit of attention to measure up with the rest of the lodge. Their website needs an update and lacks proper information. Still not sure if you pay extra for them to make your bed?

It was a really short romantic break that felt like a week. The staff is friendly, and keen to assist. It is a beautiful location, private, and very intimate. The food was overall great.

Stayed in February 2024

Nothing

The stuff was amazing and the food was out of this world

Stayed in February 2024

Nothing

It's luxurious

Stayed in February 2024

N/A

The food was great, accommodation was great and location was breath taking

Stayed in February 2024

We loved everything

Absolutely everything

Stayed in January 2024

Nothing

The location, environment and unit were so amazing, very aesthetically pleasing and peaceful. Had a very comfortable and welcoming stay, Themba and Thato made sure everything was sorted and ensured we had everything we needed. The food was 10/10 very fresh and delicious. Would highly recommend visiting♡♡♡

Stayed in January 2024

Staff is very friendly and helpful. Everything was up to par.

Stayed in December 2023

Nothing

This place is absolutely amazing, the tranquility, greenery in the most natural form, food (compliment to the chefs) and friendly staff who go out of their way to make your stay a pleasant one.

Stayed in December 2023

Nothing

What a gem of a place. This is an absolute awesome place and we will definitely return. The staff is also excellent under the leadership of Themba. I did the red route walking trail and it took longer than expected. He actually come and look for me.

Stayed in January 2024

Nothing I can think of at all! The place is exactly as it's advertised. We will be back in a heartbeat! A true slice of heaven! The complaints I've seen on this page are completely unjustified and you can tell the owners take such pride in this place. The one morning we let the staff know we would not join for the breakfast we had planned to go to the Kruger and they even offered to organize us a takeaway early breakfast! The Kruger Malelane gate is a short distance away which made it really easy to go for a day visit.

As you enter along the farm dirt road (easily doable for a normal car)you see beautiful buck (like Nyala and steenbok) and we saw giraffe daily! The views just get better and better the further you go. The wildlife and flora are a true nature-lovers dream! We were greeted by the most wonderful staff who went out of their way to make our stay feel like home. The rooms were clean and well-equipped. The beds are comfy and the room had two fans in to ensure that we stayed cool. The air temperature was cooler than anticipated for December due to the location of the rooms situated deep in the beautiful forest. The pictures matched the photos exactly! We stayed at the lake view upstairs unit and the views of the stars and the sounds of the river frogs and owls at night are truly magical! The food is exceptional! We had tried all of the options that we could manage by the end of our stay and every single one was made to perfection! The lamb was the best I've ever had! The set dinner menu changes daily which we loved, and the chef is truly passionate about each meal. I saw some people complaining about the price but the portions are generous and the quality is 5-star. I would happily pay the same for those meals back home! PS ask for the complimentary high-tea! (see my pics) Hikes: For avid hikers - try one of the two Serenity trails. If you have the Alltrails app you can find these on there. Red trail: +- 4.5kms and the first bit is hiking along the scenic river in the forest before you start climbing up the side of the mountain. The views from the top are unreal Highly recommend this trail over the yellow one as you see more and the views are magic. The yellow trail is longer than advertised and around 4.6kms (tracked on GPS), this is much more technical due to the fact it tracks through the forest along the river. You can swim in the beautiful rock pools too! Hiker tips: GOOD hiking boots with good grip. TAKE a hiking pole (offered at the start of the trail).

Stayed in December 2023

The staff, food and location were all exceptional, we loved every minute!

Stayed in January 2024

The water in the bathtub was dirty,they said it was due to water problems in the few days before arrival,which made sense.

The beautiful surroundings,quiet and romantic place.It is good for relaxation.

Stayed in January 2024