Mateya Safari Lodge
Madikwe Game Reserve South Africa
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#19 of 21 lodges in Madikwe Game Reserve
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Luxury
Romantic
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Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Free breakfast
Airport transportation
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Non-smoking hotel
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The Madikwe Reserve does not disappoint. Plus it’s a malaria-free zone. And, Mateya Safari Lodge is a very unique, intimate, special spot. You will feel very much like you are part of the family here. TY Christine, Werner, and Judith for the warm welcome, and Cuxton and Helen who provided nourishment before and after drives. Tracker William and ranger Devine provided expert insight for animals/birds large and small. And you don’t need to go far from your plunge pool to see rhino, elephant, baboon, zebra, etc passing by.
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Date of stay: September 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.
Helpful
This is a fabulous lodge to stay and enjoy a safari. Saw so much wildlife in Madikwe game reserve and not too many other jeeps (maximum of 3 allowed at any sighting). As the lodge is fenced it is safe to walk to and from ones villa which made a nice change, especially as they are quite a walk (up and down steps) to the main building. Our villa was exquisite and beautifully kept, we certainly had everything we needed there and one advantage of going out at 5.15am and getting back about 8.30 we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the facilities before going out again after 4pm. We loved looking at the collection of art and antiques everywhere, they make it very special. Contrary to other reviews we did not find the food very good (apart from breakfast and one or two dishes). Maybe the chef changed just prior to our visit. Shame when everything else was so perfect.…
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Date of stay: January 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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from MateyaSafariLodge, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 08 Feb 2020
Thank you for taking the time to wright this wonderful review for us. We are please to hear that you enjoyed the lodge, art and game viewing. Our apologies that you found the food not to be that good. It is important for us to know this in order for us to improve on the menu. Hope to see you again in the future. The Mateya team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Just returned from a 4 night stay at this wonderful safari lodge. Everything about this facility was excellent. Out stay exceeded our very high expectations. The service, food, game drives, accommodations and staff were more than anyone could ask for. One surprise was our access to their spectacular wine cellar. Each day I was able to personally select wine for the meal! The entire experience was exceptional. The staff could not have been more attentive. The food was as perfect as the setting. Our guide Francois and our tracker Thomas were knowledgeable and very attentive. Our suite could not have been more comfortable or private. If you are thinking about a South African safari it will be hard to top the Mateya Safari Lodge.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Helpful
Response from MateyaSafariLodge, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 04 Feb 2020
Thank you very much for the great review you did for us. We really appreciate you taking the time to do this. We've taken the liberty of sharing your review on our staff bulletin for all to see. Hope to see you in the future again. The Mateya team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Working in the travel industry, I have been lucky enough to stay at some amazing places over the last few years and Mateya is definitely up there with the best of them. Originally built as a personal residence and for a lady who later decided to open it up as a lodge, all of the personal touches you'd expect in someones home are still there - it is one of the most unique places I have stayed. The main sitting area has an incredible collection of art that could keep you busy all day! The rooms themselves are enormous and extremely comfortable. Our pool overlooking the waterhole was areal highlight, we had elephants walking right past the room every afternoon that we were there! The food was excellent, the first morning we were the only guests staying there and were presented with the most amazing breakfast I've ever seen! There are various different settings in which you can dine, our favourite was the fireside dining option but you can also have dinner in the wine cellar which sadly we didn't have time to do. The menus are fairly concise but Rose seemed more than happy to deviate from the menu if we wanted something a bit smaller than the huge portions on offer each day! We did 5 game drives in our 3 night stay and I have to say that although we were slightly unlucky with our wildlife spotting on a couple of drives, they were by far the most engaging and enjoyable safaris we have done. Special thanks to Werner and Christine who are great people and truly excellent hosts. I would highly recommend a stay here - you won't regret it!…
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Date of stay: August 2019
Location
Service
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.
Helpful
Response from MateyaSafariLodge, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 04 Jan 2020
Thank you very much for the wonderful review of the Mateya Safari Lodge property. We really appreciate you taking the time to do such a detailed review. We are pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us. It's always nice for all of us to hear that the hard work doesn't go unnoticed. It was a pleasure having you with us over the festive season. Hope to welcome you back in the future. Warmest regards from the Mateya team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mateya Safari Lodge is an unrivaled experience!We have enjoyed every second.The luxurious facilities,outstanding location,attentive staff,great meals and wonderful safari drives with great guides and trackers-both guide and tracker cooperate in each vehicle!- all combined to provide us with a memories that will last for many years.No lodge in Madikwe compares with Mateya with its collections of African art and a stunning library. Werner and his team enabled us to sight all animals and stay in a very private property with just 5 suites,private tables for meals,well stocked bar and stunning views.We are going to return soon.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
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Room Tip: Suite 1 is the best...
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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.
Helpful
Response from MateyaSafariLodge, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 04 Jan 2020
Thank you very much for your kind review. We just love knowing that our guests enjoyed their stay at Mateya Safari lodge. I've taken the liberty of sharing your comments with all the staff. We are looking forward to welcoming you and your family back in the future. Warmest regards from the Mateya team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We spent 4 days in Mateya. 4 splendid days perfectly organised by Francois and Tom. We saw many animals and we enjoyed thoroughly our time in Mateya. The food was great (Rose is a great cook). Everything was so perfect. We cannot find anything to be improved. Thanks a lot to everybody in Mateya for this great experience and see you soon.
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Date of stay: October 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from PhilipH2641, Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 22 Oct 2019
Thank you so much for visiting Mateya and for your kind review. We are delighted that you enjoyed the lodge, the food and your time with Francois and Tom. We hope to welcome you back again soon. Warmest regards from all of us at Mateya Safari Lodge
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
If you are going to the Madikwe Game Reserve, the Mateya Lodge is a fabulous place to stay. The resort was over the top beautiful. You will stay in your own private cottage which is very spacious. The bathroom alone is larger than most hotel rooms with a large soaking tube and indoor and outdoor rain showers. The food and service was excellent. All the common areas have an amazing display of African art. We had a private vehicle for our game drives and the guide and tracker were excellent. The unique thing about Madikwe was we had multiple close up and personal encounters with white rhinos, something we did not see anywhere else in our month long tour of Africa.
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Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Room Tip: They are all beautiful. If you have trouble with walking up steps, get a room closest to the main...
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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.
Helpful
Response from PhilipH2641, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 25 Jun 2019
Thank you so much for visiting us at Mateya and for this kind review. We are truly delighted to have met and spent time with you and it was an absolute pleasure having you stay with us. We are very happy that you could have such amazing close up and personal encounters with white rhinos. We look forward to welcoming you back. Warm regards from all at Mateya Safari Lodge
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The staff and the setting made this trip! Everyone was incredibly accommodating and helpful, and we saw so many animals! The spa treatments were fantastic, the food spectacular, and the lodging and amenities unbelievable. Can't wait to go back!
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Date of stay: July 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
Rooms
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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.
Helpful
Response from PhilipH2641, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 13 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for your review, we truly appreciate the kind comments. We are delighted that you had a special time and we hope to have you visit us again in the future. Warmest regards from all of us at Mateya Safari Lodge
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mateya Safari Lodge will give you an experience like no other. The attention to detail at every moment is what makes this place so special. The safari experience alone is filled with every animal you would hope for as well as birds, bugs, trees and plants, plus the knowledge and stories that our guide Werner and tracker Paul share will make you feel like you've stepped into a National Geographic photo shoot. The food is spectacular, thank you Chef Cuxton. The accommodations are stunning filled with African art, a wine cellar, private plunge pool with every room and a view of animals from your room just wandering the reserve. The staff treats you like royalty and make sure you have a memorable experience. Thank you to Judith, Christine, Cornelius and all the behind the scenes staff that made this an unforgettable stay. We traveled with 2 other couples and we loved every single minute of Mateya Lodge. This will go down as one of the best spots I have ever stayed in and certainly was a big part of making our trip to South Africa the trip of a lifetime.…
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Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Helpful
Response from PhilipH2641, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 18 Feb 2019
Good Morning Thank you for your kind review of Mateya Safari Lodge! Its wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the lodge, the suites, the food and the Safari experience We appreciate your compliments to our staff, everyone here at Mateya Safari Lodge wants each guest to leave with great memories. Kind Regards The Mateya Safari Lodge Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our first time on safari and we happened on Mateya by recommendation from a colleague. What an amazing experience. Firstly, the lodge itself is an immaculately kept luxurious privately owned treasure, very exclusive but homely and friendly at the same time - our lodge host was Christine who along with the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful. Our safari trips were led by Werner (ranger) who was assisted by the unbelievably skilled Paul (tracker). Werner was hugely knowledgable about all aspects of the animals and plants on the reserve (and beyond). Werner and Paul were with us exclusively for our safari drives (8 in all) and made sure we saw everything there was to see which included all the ‘Big 5’ and much more beyond. All of the safari drives (early morning and evening) were made in great humour with no stone unturned to make our trip a truly memorable one - Werner even persuaded (almost) my wife to overcome her fear of bats! Simply can’t recommend it enough - feels like we spent 4 nights living in a luxurious David Attenborough documentary - fab! Must emphasise how valuable Werner and Christine were to our whole experience.…
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Date of stay: November 2018Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from PhilipH2641, General Manager at Mateya Safari Lodge
Responded 25 Dec 2018
Thank you very much for the taking the time to write this great review. We really appreciate the feedback and the kind words and will let our staff know how much you enjoyed your stay. Thank you for choosing Mateya for your safari destination. Hope to see you again soon. Warm regards from all at Mateya Safari Lodge.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ALSO KNOWN AS
mateya safari hotel madikwe game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaNorth-West ProvinceMadikwe Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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Frequently Asked Questions about Mateya Safari Lodge
What are some of the property amenities at Mateya Safari Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Mateya Safari Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Mateya Safari Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Mateya Safari Lodge have airport transportation?
Yes, Mateya Safari Lodge offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.