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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.
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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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:Â Suite 1 is the best...
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 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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Amazing experience at Mateya! The resort is extremely luxurious with extremely attentive hospitality and service. The game drives with Evan and Sam are spectacular! Herds of elephants greeted us; our first game drive contained dazzles of zebras, many amazing elephants, so many spectacular giraffes! We saw a lovely cheetah, spent hours with lions lying around the water hole and wonderful encounters with the animals of the bus! Our little house (room 1) was quite magnificent. Highly vaulted with stone walls - the king size bed is draped with mosquito netting; two large lounge chairs were next to the magnificent fire place. The fridge was stocked with waters, soda, Milk and ice. The bathroom is beautiful with huge tub - double showers and you can even take an outdoor shower. Off the back was a large deck with its own (icy) plunge pool, Chairs and loungers. AC and ceiling fan made it very comfortable. We were there I the winter so it was lovely to have gloves and a beanie for Morning drives.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Room 1 it is by far the closest room - the others are a long trek! Winter months make cold...
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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
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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 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 holiday exceeded expectaions by a considerable margin We arrived by light aircraft FedAir from Jo'burg landing at a bush airstrip near the lodge A driver from Mateya was there to greet us and take us to the lodge where staff greeted us at the door We were shown to our room the size and luxury of which exceeded expectations the pictures on their website do not do it justice really large comfy bed dresing area sitting area bath shower toilet two sinks plus outside shower decking outside with table and chairs sunlouners and plunge pool (not heated - only for the brave) fridge coffee maker hettle and well stocked minibar Then the best bit - there is a waterhole outside the lodge so as you sit on your deck in the afternoon drinking your coffee or wine - animals walk passed heading for the water - elephants impala baboons zebra and occassionally lion - you do not actually have to go out on a game drive here you can just sit and watch The game drives were however excellent - up at 5am light snack and tea at 5:30 drive sets off at 6 to catch the animals coming down to the various water hole on te game reserve - second drive of the day at 4pm to catch animals before dusk We saw plenty of elephants plus giraffes zebras inpala other types of deer black and white rhinos small rodents snakes birds hyena with cubs and cheetah with cubs - just about everything you could want to see Dinning was a real treat - there are multiple locations to eat in the restaurant area on the deck arround the fire pit even in the wine cellar - menu is limited beause this is a remote location however if you advise them in advance of any special dietary needs which we did then you are well catered for - the chef the waiter and the wine waiter were all excellent Overall an incredible experience - we will be back !
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Date of stay: September 2024
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Trip 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.
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.
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
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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 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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I have rarely felt like this, a unique, fantastic place. It's difficult to describe it, better to go there directly. The kindness and courtesy of the managers, chefs, waiters and managers was excellent. Fairytale rooms, with unique furnishings. Maximum 10 guests and the quality is very high both in food and in details. We had the room Leopard. I highly recommend Renger is very knowledgeable and engaging The reserve is very beautiful
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Tutto perfetto
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.
I recently returned from my 4th trip to South Africa. I stayed at the Mateya Safari Lodge in the Malaria Free Zone of Madikwe (Northwest part of South Africa). This is the nicest accommodations I have ever stayed at anywhere in the world. I'm well traveled and have stayed in luxury properties around the world but this ranks # 1 for pure luxury, attentive service, friendly staff, outstanding gourmet food including the presentation, and magnificent game viewing with knowledgeable drivers.
I have stayed in nice properties in South Africa including Mala Mala, Singita, and Leopard Hills. Each of these were nice but nothing as special as Mateya. There are only 5 very private suites . Each is huge with large bathrooms, fireplace, outdoor showers, air conditioning, private decks and plunge pools. The main lodge is full of original artwork, furniture and sculptures. There are even spectacular massive wooden doors on the main lodge and each of the suites. They did not spare any expense or overlook any detail. There is a wine cellar that I believe I overheard has 8,000 bottles of wine. Complimentary laundry and internet are included. There is a wonderful spa that offered every service you would find at any high end spa. (I had good intentions but never made it there for a massage and facial). The game drives are in comfortable land rovers with only 4 of us, not the usual 6 people. No more than 3 rovers are allowed at any one sighting so you never felt crowded and the wildlife (including wild dogs) was everywhere. Excellent game drives and I never once saw a mosquito. Mateya also offers bush walks, boma dinners and bush breakfasts. The boma dinners are outside on a round deck with a sunken firepit. It was a magical experience I will never forget.
If you want the very finest, you will want to stay at Mateya. As much as I like to try new lodging and gaming experiences, I'm afraid we were so spoiled that anywhere else will be a let down. Mateya is expensive as all 5 star lodging in South Africa is but I actually considered it an excellent value for the money compared to what I've paid elsewhere for luxury lodging that was nice, but inferior. Mateya gets my highest praise and recommendation.
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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.
Mateya Safari Lodge represents all that a small, exclusive safari experience should be. The lodge itself is beautiful containing an amazing collection of African artifacts and artwork everywhere you look. The suites (only 5 of them) are complete with every amenity you could possibly need or want. The most comfortable beds and devine linens. The outdoor shower is a must! You can even watch herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, etc., coming and going to the waterhole just off the end of your private plunge pool deck...the lions roaring at night was a huge thrill! The staff was always friendly and attentive but not intrusive. The chef is top-notch. The game drive vehicles are super comfortable. We loved our morning tea during our early drives. We loved our sundowners too for that matter...fantastic sunsets! The rangers were very knowledgeable and capable...in fact, we saw the Big 5 the very first full day we were there! However, we never felt as if we were in a Disney setting. It's the real deal. We've been to other lodges in South Africa, many very nice indeed, but Mateya has spoiled us for good! We will definitely return one day soon!
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Date of stay: June 2004
Value
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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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good Day
Please be advised that we have WIFI in our business center which is open at all hours, unfortunately there is no WiFi in any other areas of the lodge or the suites.
We do have mobile signal at the lodge and the network is Vodacom. Each suite does also have a landline phone in the suite where guests can make calls if they need to or would like to
Kind Regards
The Mateya Team
Apologies, for some reason we didn't pick up on this question. From Cape Town Int. fly to OR Tambo. From OR Tambo you can either rent a vehicle to drive up to the park (+- 4.5Hours), or we can also organize a road transfer if you don't want to drive yourself or a scheduled flight up to the reserve that will have you in the park under an hour.
There are more places to choose from in the Madikwe Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 30,520 - RÂ 38,474 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
mateya safari hotel madikwe game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaNorth-West ProvinceMadikwe Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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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