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5.0
#2 of 28 lodges in Marloth Park
Location
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Welcome to five-star service. You deserve to give back to yourself and your loved ones. You deserve to reconnect. And what better way to do so than at an affordable four-star game lodge in the African bush. Warthogs, giraffe, zebra, kudu, wildebeest and impala wander around you get up close and personal with them and the heart of the African bush. At this warm, owner-run lodge, your comfort, your experience, and your needs are our top priority. Delicious local cuisine, African hospitality, and tranquillity complement – African Chic luxury, resulting in the experience of a lifetime. Your time in the African bush will revitalise you and your loved ones. Your memories - the animals, the people, the sounds, tastes and scents of the African bush will live with you forever. If you're looking for a peaceful retreat, to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life; enjoy the hospitality, relax, and soak up the sun at the pool. Let Needles Lodge be your launching pad to the Kruger Park.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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Needles Lodge earns rave reviews for its exceptional value and 'at home' ambiance. Guests frequently commend the comfortable, pristine rooms with thoughtful amenities and the attentive service that adds a personalized touch to the stay.
The lodge's location is celebrated for its proximity to nature, offering guests remarkable wildlife encounters. With its communal dining and an array of excursions, the lodge enhances guest experiences, while the clean, restful atmosphere and sociable areas provide a perfect backdrop for relaxation.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Exceptional
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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Spent 4 nights at Needles Lodge January 2024 with my wife and 2 sons both in their 20’s. Our time at Needles far surpassed my expectations it was awesome! Firstly all the staff were excellent from Denis, Lynn and Philip to the catering and housekeeping team plus the safari guides. The bedrooms are lovely as are the sociable areas. Our 4 nights included 2 full day safari’s, and I mean full day! Plus a sunrise walking tour in Kruger. This was exceptional as we observed a pride of lions only a few feet away at 4:30am by flashlight. We then saw another pride of lions later in the morning whilst walking with 2 armed rangers which was exciting! We also had an additional sunset tour the highlight being 3 cheetah brothers on the hunt that we viewed by flashlight. All the big 5 were spotted throughout our trip but the real icing on the cake was the abundance of animals immediately surrounding Needles in the village of Marloth Park. As we approached the lodge following the journey from Nelspruit Airport we were greeted by giraffe, zebra, warthog etc it was amazing. At breakfast following our sunrise experience we were joined by a dozen or so zebra which was very really special. The nightly bush babies and visitors like the Genet during our evening meals really made this a holiday we will never forget!
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Good camera, binoculars.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis Goffinet, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 28 Feb 2024
Dear N & family, It was our pleasure to have you as our guests! We had a wonderful time with you and are very happy that you had such a memorable stay at Needles Lodge. Thank you very much for the lovely review, we will pass on your compliments to the team. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Warm regards, Denis, Lyn, and the team.
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Needles is a trully gem settled into the bush where you have daily visits from Kudus, zebras and even giraffes. There is even a Bush Baby family resident on a wood house by the restaurant lounge. There are only 8 rooms so is pretty secluded and quiet, where you really feel at home. The rooms are extremely confortable, with Air con and the free goods in the fridge just shows how thoughtful is the service. Hands down to Tobe the Chef and all the team, the food is superb (the calamari was one of the best we ate ever). The dinner is the time where the guests can seat at the lounge or at the boma under the stars to chat and have the most pleasent conversations with the owners Denis and Gail, where you can learn so much about the animals and the environment. Besides the Kruger Safaris, you can do mornimg or sunset walks around the Lodge, and if you have time they can arrange for you even tours to Mozambique and many other places. When you stay inside Kruger you get very expensive lodges with very simple accommodation and no meals included. We thank Dennis, Gail Tobe and all the staff for the memorable stay! We hope to be back!!
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis Goffinet, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 04 Mar 2022
Dear Eduardo, Thank you very much for the amazing review! Much appreciated. It was great to meet you on your world travels! We are happy you enjoyed your stay at Needles and enjoyed the food so much, we will pass on your compliments to Thobile! We look forward to your next visit! Warm regards, Denis, Gail and the team.
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This is one of the friendliest places we've stayed at - the owner is onsite and really cares about his guests. We had some dietary restrictions and they went out of their way to accommodate us. They also arrange game drives etc in advance - this is not something to leave until the last minute. We came in January which is not optimal for seeing game but we still saw all the big 5 and saw them up close. The facility itself is great for unwinding or to have a gin+tonic at the end of the day. Another advantage to this lodge is that it is not so big and so you really get personal attention and don't get lost in the shuffle of 50-60 people as happens at some of the other lodges.We met great people there too, and some were repeat customers.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis G, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 13 Jan 2020
Dear JustAFamily, What wonderful and kind words, thank you very much for the flattering review. And thank you for choosing Needles Lodge for your Safari holiday. We hope to welcome you back in the future. Kind regards, Denis, Gail, Colin and the team.
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From the moment we walked through the door, to the moment we sadly said goodbye, Denis, Gail, Lyn and the team made us feel right at home. The group dinners on the deck, complete with resident bush babies, were a wonderful way to end each day. The food was absolutely delicious, even our special dietary requirements were no trouble at all. Each evening we also looked forward to meeting the surprise dinner guests who wandered up to the deck to say hello; zebras, warthogs and bushbucks were all regular visitors.The rooms were spacious, clean and extremely comfortable, with a great view of the grounds. The game drive they organised for us, including the extremely professional and entertaining driver, was an obvious highlight. Seeing the big 5 almost 3 times over in the one day went beyond all expectations. We would definitely recommend a stay at Needles and look forward to returning ourselves in the not too distant future.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis Goffinet, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 20 Oct 2022
Dear Shannon, It was our pleasure to have you as our guests! Thank you so much for choosing Needles Lodge and a zillion thanks for the wonderful review, much appreciated. You being in the travel industry makes your review very important to us! We look forward to your next visit. Warm regards, Denis, Gail, Lyn and the team.
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This is an amazing place to stay - our third visit - and as always, was embraced by its warm and welcoming hosts, Dennis, Gail and Colin and their delightful staff! Set in the Marloth Park bush the rooms are spacious and beds so comfortable with excellent air con against the heat of the day. We love the communal evening meals, delicious food and with the company of guests from across the world sharing time and conversation. Regular animals visit the lodge - we had zebra, warthogs, a genet, an ostrich family and a lovely group of kudu or seemed to be viewing us as we sat relaxing in the pool! We also saw the resident Bush baby visiting the deck for banana!! It’s about a twenty minute drive into Kruger either at the Malelane or Crocodile Bridge Gates, but ask Colin which gate to use, his incite gave us fabulous sightings of lions and leopards! Thankyou to you all!,
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis G, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 04 Feb 2020
Dear Burtontraveller, Thank you for taking the time to post your kind words and fantastic comments. We enjoyed you company and great conversation around the dinner table. We hope to see you next year for another stay. Best Regards, Denis, Gail, Colin and Team
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We’ve never seen our kids sadder to leave an accommodation. Every morning, they looked forward to the animals that would saunter up to the terrace - zebras and kudos - that they could give game pellets to. Every afternoon they jumped into the icy pool because a pool is a must for them and the one on site was perfect. The cook and other ladies who took care of us and our rooms with friendly faces and lovely personalities made our kids fall in love and us too!
We adults enjoyed the serenity of the lodge with its bush backdrop, cosy and authentic interior design, evening campfires and meals cooked with love and to perfection. The invigorating evening conversations with the owners, staff and other guests was a treat we did not expect and our company of 6 felt fully at ease and integrated in the extended group.
All in all a great success and experience that we will never forget. Thank you NEEDLES LODGE TEAM!
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Date of stay: May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis G, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 19 Feb 2020
Dear Leedinresearch, Thank you for an inspirational review! Much appreciated. It was a pleasure to have you as our guests and we hope to welcome you back in the future. A BIG thanks for choosing Needles. Warm regards, Denis, Gail, Colin and the team.
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My husband and I stayed at Needles for 4 nights and it was a truly fabulous experience. We can only fully endorse all the opinions expressed in the large number of 5 star reviews already provided. We booked encouraged by previous reviews and our expectations were very much exceeded. The accommodation and food were excellent with everyone doing their utmost to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience and the atmosphere is very welcoming and relaxed. Lyn, Dennis and Gail are such great hosts. We went on 2 full day safari drives and the morning walk in Kruger - all organised by Needles. Our guides Tian and Tammy were clearly so passionate about their jobs and getting the best sightings possible for their guests with great success. . We actually saw a much wider variety of wildlife than we had ever dreamed of and had to keep pinching ourselves to check we were actually seeing everything we saw ! The driver Jean who took us to and from the airport and the morning walk was very friendly, safe and punctual. We feel that we could have stayed longer as there are a lot of other activities on offer and were sad to leave. I did extensive research before choosing Needles and and their packages ( accommodation and tours combined ) represent extremely good value. Ever since we arrived home we are telling everyone to go to South Africa and in particular Needles, and we will definitely return for a longer stay.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis Goffinet, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 12 Sept 2022
Dear Aussies, Wow, what a lovely review! Thank you very much for your very kind words, much appreciated. It is happy guests, like you, that motivate us to keep our standards high. We are very happy that we exceeded your expectations. Thank you very much for choosing Needles for your safari holiday. We look forward to welcoming you back. Warm regards, Denis, Gail, Lyn and the team.
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Solo trip and the hosts could not be more accommodating, place is spotless and the food is second to none. If you want to see African wildlife Lynn has all the contacts to make that happen. Such a relaxed atmosphere, you can do nothing or as much as you like.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â All rooms offer the same experience.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis Goffinet, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 04 Jul 2022
Dear David, Thank you very much for the wonderful review, much appreciated. We are so happy that you had an enjoyable stay at Needles Lodge, that's why we do this! And also great that your safaris in Kruger were a great success. We look forward to welcoming you back to Needles. Warm regards, Denis, Gail, Lyn and the team.
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Excellent service and beautiful building. The hosts took care of every single detail to make us feel comfortable. High standards regarding food, room service, linen, reception, excursions and so forth.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis Goffinet, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 26 Nov 2022
Dear Rosario, It was a pleasure to have you as our guests. Thank you very much for choosing Needles. And many thanks for the five ball review, much appreciated. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Kind regards, Denis, Lyn and the team.
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This is wellness for your soul. We had a calm and pleasend stay, after we were welcomed with fresh juice.
The needles Lodge is part of a big park of Lodges next to Kruger (gate Malalane 20 minutes, gate Crocodile Bridge 20 minutes) The Rooms are quite beautiful. In the evening the owners will have dinner with all the guests, so we had 3 times an international dinner with interesting stories from all over the world. Allready told you about the food? You can tell them your preferences, they will cook a nice 3 courses menu for you even if your are vegan or you love the meat like a Lion. The result is every day delicious. If you are not at Kruger during the day you can relax at the pool, which is not getting more than 23 degrees. A perfect refreshment under the sun of ZA. The first hours we were afraid of the snakes, because it is a big snake area, but you don't have to be afraid of. Doors to your rooms are always closed and the staff knows nearly everything about snakes, raptiles and animals. We also got an expert Tipp from the owner where the chance to see rhinos at the Kruger will be high. So we decided the next day to go to this place with our own vehicle and we were very happy to see 3 big rhinos in front of us. All in all we could see the big 5 within 3 days. Thanks a lot for this stay.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Denis Goffinet, Owner at Needles Lodge
Responded 09 Oct 2022
Dear Flo & Theresa, Thank you so much for your lovely review, much appreciated. We are very happy that you enjoyed your stay! Thank you again for choosing Needles Lodge. We look forward to your next visit. Warm regards, Denis, Gail, Lyn and the team.
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Marloth Park, South Africa72 contributions30 helpful votes
Hi Nata-Chri,
All our rooms can either be twin or double suites. Just notify us of your preference.
We look forward to welcoming you to Needles Lodge.
Kind regards,
Denis
Needles Lodge
There are more places to choose from in the Marloth Park area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 2,505 - RÂ 2,715 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaMpumalangaMarloth Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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