African Spirit is a privately owned Big 5 game lodge situated 12 km's west of Mkuze. We invite guests to come and experience true luxury and warm African hospitality. The lodge is magnificently set in the heart of Zululand, and situated within the Manyoni Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, against the backdrop of the Lebombo Mountains.Manyoni Private Game Reserve is an endangered species reserve of 24 000 hectares. It was recently proclaimed as a nature reserve and received international recognition for the introduction of 28 black rhino in 2005. The reserve hosts the BIG 5, over 70 mammal species and a diverse bird life of over 450 species.African Spirit Game Lodge accommodation is intimate and consists of 4 quaint, fully serviced chalets. Each comfortable and stylish chalet accommodates 2 people with an en-suit bathroom, air-conditioner, mini bar, ceiling fan, tea/ coffee facilities and a private veranda. The paths are well-lit and connect the chalets to the main lodge. We also offer accommodation in the form of two self-catering units - one 6 sleeper unit and one 4 sleeper unit. These units are fully furnished and fully equipped for self-catering purposes. No meals are provided for these units. Guests supply their own food. Our main lodge features a comfortable and relaxed dining room, cozy lounge, bar with viewing deck, open fire place attached to the lodge and a swimming pool with a thatched gazebo, offering our guest a welcome retreat after a day in the African bush. Our meals are your typical South African cuisine which ensures that you will never go hungry and will enjoy every bite that is carefully prepared by our cooks.Guests can spend time relaxing in their own privacy or indulge in any of the activities offered in our area including game drives, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, animal interaction, Zulu Culture Educational Tours, Horse Riding, Boat Cruises, Scenic Flights, Tiger fishing and so much more. We are in driving distance of internationally renown game parks like Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve and Thembe Elephant Park.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Zulu
Location
2 Km's West Of Mkuze, Manyoni Private Game Reserve 3965 South Africa
African spirit game lodge is a very nice lodge. the rooms are big and have everything one needs. The laundry service is perfect and cheap. The food is great especially the dinners. All the staff is very helpfull and also give you great advice what kind of activities one can do. Furthermore, they are very helpful and do whatever they can to make your stay great. I loved the pangolin experience but also being allowed to take part in a rhino dehorning, a collaring of a cheetah or getting to know how to track animals correctly as well as the elefant experience was a once in a lifetime experience and great fun. The lodge also offer affordable game drives where I saw many elefants, white rhinos, buffalos, many different ungulates, slender mongoose, great birdlife including an owl and a lion on my last game drive.
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Date of stay: June 2024
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Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Â book activities
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 Liezle Brink, Owner at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 26 Jul 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay at African Spirit Game Lodge and that the activities made your experience unforgettable. It's great to know that our spacious rooms, laundry service, and delicious food contributed to your comfort. We’re especially pleased that you had the chance to partake in such unique experiences like the pangolin encounter, rhino dehorning, and cheetah collaring. Your feedback on the game drives and wildlife sightings is also greatly appreciated. Thank you for highlighting our staff's efforts—they work hard to ensure every guest has a memorable stay. We look forward to welcoming you back for more adventures in the future! From the African Spirit Game Lodge Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We just had one night at the lodge but it was all very good. Made better by Nosipho who made us feel very welcome and was a great driver and guide on our game drives.
Unfortunately the Rhino project didn't happen due tithe weather but we all had a great time.
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Date of stay: December 2024
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
We absolutely love Bush holidays, and this was no exception. Just a quick weekend getaway. The lodge is comfortable, and communal areas are well maintained. The 6 Sleeper Zebra Hill chalet was well equipped, comfortable and spacious. Decor was authentic African and tasteful. The bathrooms, however, could definitely use upgrading and modernisation. And the cleaning could be more thorough. Also, a generator or solar power that powers up even just outdoor lighting would be great for times when there is no electricity. Especially when you need to braai/barbecue outdoors at night. A few extras like citronella candles will also be great for that special touch. Game drives were good, given that the ranger was new and inexperienced. I'm sure he will get better with more confidence. But we did have some good sightings. Staff were very welcoming. We would definitely go back, and I do hope upgrades are on the cards as this is one of the nicer, unpretentious self-catering lodges in Manyoni.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Carry mosquito repellent, especially in summer.
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.
Took advantage of a special and was keen to try Manyoni Reserve. The lodge and accommodation is comfortable but tired. In our chalet, floor tiles were chipped, broken and cracked as were various windows. This was mirrored in various other public areas such as the pool. Although the chalet was clean these broken items point to neglect. The food was hit and miss with some meals being good and others mediocre but overall not up to par with other similarly priced private game lodges we have experienced. The menu was very limited and only a choice of 2 main meals; for example on one night we could only choose chicken pie or beef pie. Breakfast was also very limited in options and many traditional standards were not available such as grilled tomato, cold meats, whole fruits or cheese. No lunch is provided but instead a "high tea" is offered. This description was very much an oversell as it consisted of store bought cookies, rusks and only one other homemade offering. Although we completely understand that game drives are "luck of the draw" we were very disappointed in our Manyoni experience. We saw two male lions within the first 10 minutes of our first drive for which we very grateful and consider ourselves very lucky but after that very slim pickings with hardly any animals sighting including the usual suspects. On our second drive we stopped to watch a few Nyala males and saw nothing else. Literally NOTHING except a few guinea fowl. The guide explained that this had been the trend lately and suggested that most of the animals had moved "south" and he couldn't get there. The great redeeming factor was the friendly staff. Marli, Choert and the team were very accommodating and made myself and my family including my toddler feel very welcome. In summary compared to other similar priced private lodges, African Spirit Game Lodge falls behind but nothing a more varied menu and some maintenance cannot fix.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Service
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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 African Spirit Game Lodge, General Manager at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 31 Aug 2021
Good day Thank you for taking the time to write a review. Game drives are generally very good and at times slow, depending on the weather and other factors in nature which cannot always be explained. We are sorry to hear that you found the accommodation comfortable but tired because of a cracked window and floor tiles. We have had a change in management since your stay with us and all the minor repair work we found necessary has already been done. We strive to ensure that our guests are happy and enjoy their stay, especially during this Covid pandemic which has really hit our industry very hard. In order to keep our door open in this difficult time we have offered great specials with the intention of keeping the quality of our service the same. We have addressed all of your comments and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Kind regards Henk & Liezle Brink Owners: African Spirit Game Lodge
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I loved that the folk at hand were genuine and kind and were so eager to build and also extremely accommodating. Thank you. Cuisine could be a little more improved at the tariff in comparison to other lodges. Rusks were stale both on the drive and at the tea station. As were the cinnabon at high tea. Pity that wifi is only available at the main house and the main house was closed off early so did not allow for working late. Definitely more for the guest who is not seeking luxury. Very quiet and peaceful. Stayed one night and got to see lion!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
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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 Liezle Brink, Owner at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 12 May 2021
Dear Sonia Thank you for taking the time in sharing your experience with us. We are pleased to hear that you loved our staff and that they were extremely accommodating. They always strive to go out of their way to make our guests feel welcome and at home. It is unfortunate that you were not satisfied with the cuisine, rusks and cinnabons and also the special tariff we offer to all South Africans, as we always strive to provide quality. Our chef always prepares each meal with much care and we offer healthy and hearty home cooked meals. All our information does mention that we only offer Wi-Fi at the main lodge and our guests are more than welcome to use the facilities. I do apologise if the lodge was closed off early, but you were welcome to stay to work late. Your booking was for a two night stay, but due to personal reasons you could only stay for one night and we were kind enough not to charge for the full booking as per our cancellation policy. We do apologise for any inconvenience caused. Kind regards Liezle Brink Owner of African Spirit Game Lodge
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We were welcomed by Johan who showed us to our lovely room from where we could see 2 buffalo at the water hole. Our one night stay entitled us to one game drive which we decided to do the next morning. Dinner was pleasant and we had a very comfortable night. In the morning Johann took us on a game drive - we came across a lion kill which was very exciting and Johann took us to see the wild dogs in the boma. We came across some vultures in a tree and saw giraffe ,buffalo and other wildlife. We stopped for a very delicious coffee with Marula liqueur and snacks. On our return to ‘camp’ we were served a very tasty breakfast.- Unfortunately we only stayed the one night - next time we ll take advantage of the very nice swimming pool from where one can watch the comings and going’s of the water hole .
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Date of stay: October 2021
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 African Spirit Game Lodge, General Manager at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 14 Dec 2021
Dear Jason G, Thank you for taking the time in writing the review. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay here with us and hope to see you in the near future. Kind regards, Management
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Wonderful hosts! Friendly on arrival and extremely welcoming. Our game drives were filled with pearls of knowledge shared by our experience game ranger along with some unique sightings that included members of the Big 5 as well as a variety of other large and small mammals and birds. The food was delicious and the boma truly is an incredible setting to have your meals. Immaculately clean with many provisions made for hand hygiene. Unfortunately, we did experience driving past some litter on the main dirt road as we entered the reserve which is most likely due to members of the Manyoni community on their commute between town and home. A suggestion would be to have a team from each private game lodge on clean-up duty using a rotating roster to share the responsibility of keeping the reserve clean as it makes a noticeable first impression.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Rooms
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Cleanliness
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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 African Spirit Game Lodge, General Manager at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 25 Sept 2020
We would like you to thank you for taking the time in writing this review. We are very pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay here with us and hope to see you again in the future. The Various Lodges and the Reserve management are aware of the unfortunate litter problem and we try every day to keep it as litter free as possible. The reserve has a "clean up crew" that goes out on a daily basis to pick up the litter and the various lodges has team member going out with the same mission. Unfortunately it is still very hard to control bad habits of human nature but please know that we are trying our best and aim to have it litter free in the near future.
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The African Spirit team went out of their way to create a relaxed environment, making us feel like family., this includes the chef, Tanya and most of all Marli. The personalized game drives were the highlight of our trip; thank you Marli.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2021
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Sleep Quality
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 African Spirit Game Lodge, General Manager at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 14 Dec 2021
Good Day, Thank you for taking the time in writing the review. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay here with us and hope to see you in the near future. Kind regards, Management
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This was our first destination after our wedding and we are so happy we decided to book with African spirit game lodge. They staff were super welcoming and really made us feel like we could just relax. The food was excellent, the game drive and guide was fantastic, we will definitely make a return visit.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2021
Value
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Service
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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 African Spirit Game Lodge, General Manager at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 11 May 2021
Dear Brian Thank you for taking the time in writing a review. We are very pleased to hear that you had such a great experience with us and hope to see you again in the near future. All the best, The African Spirit team
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I can actually brag and say that we saw the Big 5 in 1 weekend. Marli, our "Host" on the drives was an absolute star. She was very knowledgeble and very passionate about her job. I think we all made a good team as we managed to find most of the animals that weekend. The accommodation was very comfortable and very clean. Marli even radioed ahead before we got back from our drive and our fire was ready to braai. The water hole right in front of the Lodge was a treat as there was a few animals that came to drink throughout the weekend. I would definitely go back there again! Thank you so much to Marli and Tanya.
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Date of stay: October 2020
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 African Spirit Game Lodge, General Manager at African Spirit Game Lodge
Responded 26 Oct 2020
Hi Sindy, Thank you for taking the time to write your review. It is wonderful to read about your time spent with us and we are pleased to hear of your return in the future. Kind regards, African Spirit Team
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Good day
July is Winter in South Africa.
Winter (Jun – Aug): are generally mild, comparing favourably with European summers, we do have days when temperatures dive, especially on the back of a game drive vehicle, so be prepared with jerseys and jackets. The grass is shorter and the growth less dense and activity concentration near water wholes. With less vegetation it makes the spotting of animals easier.
Kind Regards
Natasha Lee Lötter
Bookings / Admin
African Spirit Photo Safaris
Hi Teddi - All the answers to these questions are in the information pack Natasha emailed to you.
Natasha will send also send you an email again with regards to these questions.
Dear Carlton.
Game drives: (Minimum 2 people)
All game drives are conducted from our lodge in an open game viewer. We can do game drives twice a day; early morning (anytime from 05h00) and late afternoon (anytime from 15h30) - all depending on the weather.
NO SELF-DRIVES ARE ALLOWED IN THE RESERVE.
There is no meal plan with self-catering. Guests supply and prepare their own food at their own convenience. Our units are fully equipped with cutlery, crockery, pots, pans and cooking utensils.
We do not have an open restaurant or shop on the premises. Our kitchen has set hours, catering for guests that booked for dinner, bed and breakfast only. There are places to dine out in the nearby town of Mkuze; namely: Ghost Mountain Inn for semi-casual to formal dining and Mkuze Cricket Club for more casual dining. Both of these establishments have A la Carte menus.
Please buy supplies (ice and cigarettes included) from nearest towns – Hluhluwe or Mkuze. We would recommend bigger towns like Hluhluwe or Pongola, depending from which direction you are coming from. There is a much larger variety of items to choose from.
Dear Steve.
Thank you for your interest in African Spirit Game Lodge .
We are not situated in the Mkuze Game Reserve.
African Spirit Game Lodge, is situated 12 km’s west of Mkuze inside the Zululand Rhino Reserve (Big 5 Game Reserve).
Regards
Tanya du Plessis
There are more places to choose from in the Manyoni Private Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 1,377 - RÂ 2,958 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalManyoni Private Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
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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