This camp is simply beautiful. We arrived in the evening and the entire place was lit by candles. It was exquisite. There were fires in all the fire places and the main part of the lodge is open to the bush where we watched elephants and other animals walk past as we enjoyed the most delicious meals of our trip. Our room was huge and also lit by candles and lanterns. It did have fans on the vaulted ceilings and also screens (that could be locked) across the doors so that that you could keep the room open to the outside without worry of any animals coming in. Dale was a wonderful host and attended to everyones needs. He was very involved in the daily activities along with the other employees. The guides and trackers amazed as they followed tracks to show us amazing wildlife. They even had sundowners on the night safari with food, drinks, fire and stories. Joseph knew all the animal calls which he taught us and that came in handy for the rest of the trip. This was winter time, and I wondered about it being too cold, but this was never an issue. In the mornings they woke us with hot water for coffee as we got ready then had hot water bottles and blankets in the truck. Generally by the end of the morning safari we took off our layers because it was warm. We even went swimming in the lovely pool they had. I highly recommend this camp. It is on my list of places I would love to go back to.
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Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Loved every Minute of our time at Notten's and would recommend it to all. Dale is a super Manager and together with other descendents of the Notten's Family, runs a great Safari camp. Little luxuries, but not too much. Game drives with Joe and a great tracker were just amazing and we saw all we hoped to and more. Food was excellent and it was great to sit and eat whilst watching hyena and monkeys. Our room was so romantic. Outside shower plus a large tub to relax in! Wifi is limited to one area, which is wonderful, and means you really turn off from the world. The pool is clean and really inviting and if you desire, you can also have a massage or Beauty Treatment. Overall a great experience and I would love to come back one day. Thank you x
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Date of stay: March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Notten's is the best and I am glad our agent was able to get us a room. Such a wonderful and beautiful lodge with excellent staff. Saw game within minutes of being on the drive. We had been at another lodge prior at another reserve and this reserve has a higher density of game. I think their excellent service has to do with most of the employees having had been there for many many years. Our ranger, Joe, had been there 35 years or so. Our tracker, Rident, for 8 years. They are both locals and learned their skills as children, It is a family run business, passed down thru generations, formally their vacation home. The owner, David Notten, sat with us for dinner and shared stories of the history of the lodge as well as other interesting stories. He is hands on and after chatting with him at various times you can tell he takes care of his employees and thus they are happy. Food was fantastic but as the other reviewers noted, might have been better to be buffet style and avoid waste. Great bush barbeque. Yes, there is no electricity than other to charge your batteries but you get used to it. You just have to be organized and know where you left your things. However, it was very warm and the air does get trapped, even with the doors and windows open. Our room back porch faced the watering hole and at night the buffalo, baboons, hippos, would come by. Overall, the staff is very welcoming and take good care of their guests.
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Date of stay: February 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
Location
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Nottens was a fantastic experience from start to finish.
Our guide & driver Riaan was clearly knowledgable and enthusiastic about all animals from tiny birds up to the biggest rhinos and giraffes - and willing to get very close. Our tracker Raiden (sp?) had a fantastic ability to spot animals in the bush and frequently jumped off to investigate animal tracks, leading to some great leopard sightings in particular.
The evening drives, while perhaps inevitably you see fewer animals once it gets dark, are unrivalled for atmosphere - we came across whole herds of elephants moving across the plains in the dim twilight, bunched together with the roars of lions in the distance. Something I won’t ever forget.
The mid morning bush walks aren’t taken up by everybody, but I think they’re a must - encountering animals on foot is a completely different prospect from within the safety of the vehicle. When a large male elephant catches your scent and starts following you, the adrenaline begins to pump!
The food is great quality - I didn’t expect such great food in the middle of nowhere. 3 huge meals per day, with all the wine / beer / G&T’s you want, and no meal the same. We had no dietary requirements but some other guests did and were well catered for. The evening meals are eaten together at a large shared table which fosters a great atmosphere, and one member of staff sits down as well; some nights a guide with great stories of the bush, another night the owner David Notten cooked the braai and ate with us. He also personally drove us the 2 hours to Mpumalanga airport at the end of our stay.
The view from our room was special - a comfortable wooden cabin with a balcony overlooking a watering hole. Just sitting there in the afternoons we saw herds of elephants, families of warthogs, many impala, kudu and vervet monkeys. The outside shower is a great touch too (there’s also one inside!)
We saw so many animals, including a two male giraffe fighting, a mating pair of leopards ‘flirting’, a leopard hunting impala, a mother and baby rhino (up VERY close), hippos bathing, hyena trying to steal animals skins from the main lodge(!) and many more. We didn’t see any lions unfortunately, but not for want to trying - that’s just the elusive nature of wild animals.
I can’t recommend Nottens enough. Superb.
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Date of stay: April 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Arriving at Notten's Bush Camp, we were unsure of what to expect. The fact that there was no electric lights in the guest rooms was a concern. All of that was forgotten when we met the staff, dropped our luggage in our room and heading out on our first game drive. We could not have imagined a more perfect experience. The rooms were comfortable and well furnished. You quickly forget about the lack of electric lights and enjoy the ambiance of the candles and oil lamps.
The meals were served communally so we were able to meet and chat with other people at the camp. The food was excellent. We will always cherish the memories of eating by candle light and sharing the day's adventures with people from around the world.
The early morning and late afternoon game drives were also memorable. We were able to see the "Big 5" on our first day. Our guide Geoffrey was knowledgeable, friendly, and wonderful with our two children (ages 14 and 11).
I highly recommend Notten's for anyone looking for a unique bush experience.
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Date of stay: October 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
All rooms are at the rack rate per person. Go to their website and it will be there.
Deal directly with them to get the best rate. It’s all inclusive. The only money you will use would be tips and gift store.
There is WiFi, but not in your room.
Nottens fills out quickly. We already have 2019 booked.
Hi Jenny, we booked through Flight Centre. They should have the prices for 2017. Each guest room is standalone, with plenty of space. Ours slept 4 guests, and consisted of one main room with queen bed, armchairs etc, plus a separate bedroom with 2 single beds. Each room had an adjoining bathroom. There was also an additional outdoor shower overlooking the game reserve. Not to mention the large balcony to relax on. We travelled with our son too - there was ample room to spread out.
