Motswari Private Game Reserve
Enkhulu Gate, Argyle Road, Kruger National Park 1380 South Africa
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Room & Suite (160)
Dining (86)
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What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitised in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for guests in public areas
- Hand sanitiser available to guests & staff
- Stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
- Staff required to regularly wash hands
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Updated 20/06/17 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
Updated 20/06/17 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#3 of 5 B&Bs / Inns in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Travellers' Choice
An African dream beckons – one that is defined by extraordinary scenery, an authentic atmosphere and warm hospitality. This is Motswari Private Game Reserve, a family-owned and operated luxury safari lodge. Here, majestic creatures, including the Big Five, offer incredible viewing opportunities as they bask in their natural habitat. Motswari means “to conserve and protect” in Tswana and that is what the reserve aims to do. Motswari Private Game Reserve, located within the Timbavati and Umbabat Private Nature Reserve, stretches out over 150 square kilometres. It has been in existence for over four decades and its friendly staff members are intrinsic to its success. Great emphasis is placed on personal attention, ensuring that each guest instantly feels at home in this stunning setting. Artworks by owner, Marion Geiger-Orengo, additionally bring the lodge to life and add to its visual appeal. "Arrive as visitor, leave as a friend."
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Free breakfast
Entertainment staff
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Airport transportation
Full body massage
Parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Infinity pool
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Special diet menus
Poolside bar
Massage
Gift shop
Mosquito net
Outdoor fireplace
Outdoor furniture
Shared lounge / TV area
Shops
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
24-hour front desk
Private check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Desk
Housekeeping
Interconnected rooms available
Private balcony
Coffee / tea maker
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Safe
Seating area
Wardrobe / wardrobe
Private bathrooms
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Hair dryer
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Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Location
Full view
Contact
Enkhulu Gate, Argyle Road, Kruger National Park 1380 South Africa
Getting there
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938Reviews94Q+A100Room tips
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Everything about our stay was excellent, from the accommodation, food, staff and of course the game drives. We saw so many animals, eating, with their cubs and even fighting and viewed the big 5 and more. Our guide Wesley and tracker Hendry were extremely knowledgeable and clearly cared about giving us the best experience possible giving us as much information as possible even taking us to places only Hendry knew as well as talking us through tracks and a bush walk. All of the staff were so welcoming, friendly and professional always greeting you with a smile making it a warm relaxing environment . We waited 3 yrs due to COVID for this special trip for our family of 4 and it did not dissapoint and was well worth the wait Thank you for making it an experience of a lifetime!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Wrap up warm for the early and late drives it can get cold with the wind as you drive in the jeep.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
First class all round. We were very well fed at breakfast, luch and evening meals, all incuded in the price. Room very large. Very well looked after by Byron the guide and Hendry the tracker. Thanks to all the staff there who made us feel very welcome.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip: Ask for Byron and Hendry.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi Neal, it is great to hear you felt welcomed, ate well and enjoyed Byron and Henry on Safari. We would love to host you again, please do come and visit again
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Outstanding staff, particularly the guiding which was to a very high standard. We had Mbungeni and Yan. Both really know their stuff and we’re eager to impart it with a passion. We thought they were superb! Loved the hot chocolate shots, the 2pm talks and the food was notably good, healthy and portions not too big. Jeremy went beyond the call of duty and was incredibly kind with his time and expertise. The game sightings were fantastic. In short, we left feeling embraced by the Motswari family. A place we will definitely return to. Thank you all from The Phillips family.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
We are so glad you had such a good time. Our staff and team really do love what they are doing, and they will love this feedback. We hope to be able to host you again
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Super friendly staff welcome you to a relaxed and authentic bush experience. The game viewing was special (and we've been on countless safaris), the food wholesome, and the staff could not be more accommodating. A resounding thumbs up!
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Ask for a room facing the waterhole.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
Raymond, thank you so much for taking the time to give Motswari a review. We love to hear you had a great time, and with a flight from Cape Town so easily available - we would love to host you at Motswari again
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+1
We had a magical and memorable time at Motswari. We were at the lodge for four nights and did eight game drives with Erick as our guide and Difference as our tracker. This was our first “real” safari, having only been on a one-time 4-hour drive in Sri Lanka in the past. Food - I’m not exaggerating when I say that, like animals in the wild, I was excited for every meal that we had at Motswari. Breakfast was pretty standard serving both continental and hot food items, something that I was thankful for after our morning drives. Lunch always started with a festive procession of dishes from the staff, which felt like a celebration before every afternoon drive. Dinners were wonderful with a live grill station every night. Mostwari was where we had the best steak of our two week Southern Africa trip! Wildlife - we saw giraffes, impala, elephants, hippos, and wildebeests just on the drive in from the airport! The richness and variety of animals that we saw throughout our stay was definitely a function of our guide and tracker team. Erick is very knowledgeable, checking animal tracks on the roads and looking for clues that the wildlife may have left behind to signal where they are. On our 3rd drive, he spotted a hyena under a tree, which to me was cool enough, until he pointed out the leopard that was eating an impala slung on a branch! On another drive, another team had radioed in the location of a different leopard, and when we got to the area, Erick correctly predicted where the leopard was headed and intersected it, allowing us to take magnificent portraits of the creature. On our 5th game drive, we saw all big 5 within a 3-hour window! Community - we were very sad to leave Motswari because of the community it welcomed us to. Every evening before dinner, there was always a socializing hour where we were able to meet the staff as well as other guests. We enjoyed getting to know the community and even made plans to meet up with other guests in future safaris! Other things to keep in mind: - During the winter, it gets really cold at night during the drive as well as in the rooms. The Motswari team tries to mitigate this by providing fleece blankets and hot beverages during the drives, but be sure to layer up! Scarves and hats or beanies are a must! The rooms also get very cold, and with stone floors, you’re gonna want to bring slippers. - The rooms don’t have hair conditioner, which I found bizarre given how many other amenities they happily provided. Be sure to bring some for your trip! - There is wifi only in common areas, which was a welcome pause. Our room, Sable, was close enough to the verandah to get some wifi on the porch, so I suggest requesting for Sable if wifi is a concern. - We also glad we brought a music device (a Facebook Portal) because there wasn’t one in the room.…
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Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip: Sable, was close enough to the verandah to get some wifi on the porch
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
Thank you for writing such a detailed review. We love that you had a great time and that you felt a part of the Motswari community. We always endeavour to try and make sure that all aspects of your stay are thought about, and our team will really love hearing feedback about your trip. We hope that you get to return one day.
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Absolutely amazing experience. Great atmosphere, great rooms, fantastic guides and trackers. The animals seem to appear as if by magic. The lunch was delivered by smiling, singing staff- so wonderful. Evening dinner around open fires under the stars……
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Go for it!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
We are so glad to hear you really enjoyed your time at Motswari. The evening ambience with fires and singing is something we love...
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The entire experience at Motswari was wonderful.. the staff were very hospitable and happy to serve .. I am a vegetarian and they made sure that I had plenty of choices to eat at Lunch and Dinner.. The Guide and the Rangers were fantastic!! They made every effort to ensure that you get up close and have fantastic viewing and time spending with the game.. Thank you everyone at Motswari 🤗🙏🙏
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
It is an absolute pleasure. Our chefs really pride themselves on ensuring everyone gets incredible food - so they will love hearing this. Thank you for the review
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I wrote a long review about my recent 3 night stay at Motswari which disappeared when I was interrupted. The short version is I loved everything about my stay. The accommodation, the food, the game drives were all wonderful but most of all it was the warmth of the hospitality from everyone working there that I Will remember.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Don’t expect to be surrounded by wildlife every time you go out on a game drive. Your guide and...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
It is wonderful to hear you loved your stay, and that the Motswari magic really rubbed off. Please do come and visit again
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+1
What an absolutely incredible experience this place has to offer! Unfortunately the maximum I can score for this review is 5, otherwise I would be saying higher! This was a bucket list trip for us on our honeymoon, and with all honesty, not knowing exactly what to expect as this was our first safari experience. I think flying into Hoedspruit airport and seeing warthogs running alongside the runway set the tone! About an hours taxi ride to the reserve, seeing multiple different animals along the way as the taxi was kind enough to stop and show us what Hoedspruit had to offer. The welcome on arrival was fantastic and the resort/reserve was so rustic and earthy, exactly what you might expect being on a safari. This reserve had up to a maximum of 32 guests staying at any one time, meaning they provided a very personable experience and never felt ‘busy’. The lodge we stayed in was great, perfectly kitted out Safari style, huge bath and shower facilities, A/C, spotlessly clean and quiet. Housekeeping were great, attending to our room twice a day. I would go as far as to say this was some of the best food I have ever eaten. Different meals each night, different breakfasts and lunches each day (also singing traditional songs as they brought the food in was a great touch!) as well as different dinner locations each night were great! The veranda - overlooking the reserve, The amazing open-air Boma experience and also the dried riverbed experience, eating literally in the wild with tables set out on the actual dry river bed. The people were incredible at this reserve, so so friendly and attentive, nothing was too much trouble and regularly remembered us by name each time we saw someone. We also experienced a great massage so highly recommend booking! Now onto the Safari itself. We had an amazing guide and tracker, Megan and Jackie. The enthusiasm and knowledge they had made the drives so fascinating and enjoyable! We saw the big 5 within 24 hours of being there and saw so many animals I never thought we’d see! (We were told we had a very lucky truck!) with both morning and afternoon drives, Megan and Jackie led the way, providing a real personable experience and getting very close to ‘the action’. They care for the reserve and the animals greatly and still manage to ensure you have a great, up close and personal experience with the animals. On the first evening drive, we had a heard of elephants walking past is within striking distance and even a pride of lions walking beside us! Incredible experience. We shared our game drives with a couple also celebrating their honeymoon and another couple celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. On the second to last night game drive, the Motswari team decided surprise us all and laid out a spread for us with drinks and snacks, near the runway, surrounded by animals and enjoying the beautiful sunset which was very thoughtful! The whole experience far exceeded any expectation of mine and every single aspect of this was spot on. I would go back again in a heartbeat. Thank you to the Motswari team for making our honeymoon so special.…
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Date of stay: May 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.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
Your game drive vehicle was certainly one that was full of celebrations - and we are so glad that we could do something special to make it so memorable. We appreciate you taking the time to write such an in depth review, and we would love to celebrate your anniversary's with you in the future - please do come back
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My wife and I visited motswari on our honeymoon and absolutely loved the whole experience! The property and rooms are nice and well decorated but the staff make the place so special. Our guide (byron) and tracker (hendry) did an amazing job on all of our drives, we saw the big 5 by our second day and were able to see all the animals we wanted to view. They were also very knowledgeable and provided a lot of information on the animals and area. In addition to the drives, the staff and service back at the lodge was incredible. All of the staff are very friendly and helpful and go out of their way to make sure that you have a wonderful stay. Lastly, the food at motswari was amazing and there is so much of it! Every meal we had there was delicious. Highly recommend staying at motswari for a safari!…
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Date of stay: May 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.
Helpful
Response from Neil Steedman, General Manager at Motswari Private Game Reserve
Responded 1 week ago
It was wonderful that you could enjoy your honeymoon with us. Motwari is magical, and we hope the meories you made here on the start of your journey together, will remain firmly entrenched - until you come back to make more memories!
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PRICE RANGE
US$667 - US$892 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
motswari private game reserve hotel timbavati private nature reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkTimbavati Private Nature Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Motswari Private Game Reserve
What are some of the property amenities at Motswari Private Game Reserve?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Motswari Private Game Reserve?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a desk, and a mosquito net.
What food & drink options are available at Motswari Private Game Reserve?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Motswari Private Game Reserve?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Motswari Private Game Reserve?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Motswari Private Game Reserve have airport transportation?
Yes, Motswari Private Game Reserve offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are pets allowed at Motswari Private Game Reserve?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Motswari Private Game Reserve?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans.
Is Motswari Private Game Reserve accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.