Sebatana Private Reserve
Sebatana Private Reserve
Hermanusdorings Road, Vaalwater 0530 South Africa
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About
4.5
#17 of 22 lodges in VaalwaterCleanliness
Service
5 Star luxury accommodation
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Pool
Free breakfast
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
Spa
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Room types
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
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
Hidden Gem
Luxury
Location
Hermanusdorings Road, Vaalwater 0530 South Africa
Getting there
Polokwane Airport
153.3 km•
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Car Hire
4Reviews3Q+A1Room tip
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Detailed Reviews
We had a very good time there - once we got there. When we arrived at the airport (8:30 PM) there was no one to meet us. I had previously emailed "Johnny" about sending me details regarding transfer from the airport to the lodge but he never responded. The only phone # we were provided with apparently is for their home office which is in Denmark. They were not helpful at all. After a tense hour + of working with a Johannesburg policeman, we were able to contact the actual reserve and tell them about our lack of ride to their location. They were able to procure a local Uber driver for us which the policeman confirmed was legit and said we would be safe. The Uber driver turned out to be a very nice person for our THREE hour trip to the reserve. It was about 1:30 AM by the time we arrived at the reserve and after a 24 hour flight we were exhausted. It was very harrowing for us 2 women to know who to talk to about our problem until we found the policeman inside of the airport who was very helpful.
The program at the reserve was very good and we took advantage of all of the optional tours, otherwise we would not have seen the big 5. We stayed at the Lion Lodge which has a small stream running behind it and where antelopes, baboons and vervet monkeys came to every day.
The program at the reserve was very good and we took advantage of all of the optional tours, otherwise we would not have seen the big 5. We stayed at the Lion Lodge which has a small stream running behind it and where antelopes, baboons and vervet monkeys came to every day.
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Date of stay: September 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.
Es una reserva con dos lodges separados entre sÃ, cada uno de ellos con caracterÃsticas distintas. En el que estuvimos nosotros, tiene diez cabañas divididas en dos habitaciones cada una, perfectamente separadas, por lo que la intimidad es total. Pocos habitantes atendidos por una cocina propia, servicio más que suficiente exclusivo para los clientes.
Gran calidad humana y profesional, en especial los guÃas.
Una experiencia muy aconsejable.
Gran calidad humana y profesional, en especial los guÃas.
Una experiencia muy aconsejable.
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Date of stay: August 2019
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Todas las habitaciones son igual de tranquilas.
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.
Absolutely Fantastic !
We booked this 2 years in advance, but it was so worth the wait, and the almost 24 hour journey to get to this amazing reserve. You have to be at the airport 3 hours before your 11 hour flight, then its a 4 hour drive from Johannesburg Airport to Sebatana.
The reserve is 18km along a dirt track from the main road.
We were met at the airport by Jacob, who also turned out to be our guide throughtout our stay, and what a source of information ! He was also waited on our table, carried bags to our lodges and collected glasses !
This was truly an amazing adventure, in an intimate setting, there are only 34 thatchds lodges at Rhino Lodge, all well equipped with air conditioning, ceiling fan, shower, corner bath, mini bar and tea and coffee making facilities. There is no television or internet in the lodges. Internet only available in the main building.
Upon arrival at Rhino Lodge we were met by the Manager who then introduced our group of 26 to the Chefs, the Guides, the bar staff and the kitchen staff. All of whom could not have worked harder or been more attentive to make our stay so amazing.
The reserve is in the middle of the bush and at one with nature, it has a conservation and non interference ideal, nature does what nature does. The only interference comes when essential veterinary action is needed to prevent the spread of disease from other animals.
We did at least one safari every day, sometimes getting up at 04.30 but again oh so worth it. On the reserve we saw, Impala, Zebra, Wilderbeest, Ostrich, Warthogs, mongoose, Giraffes, Baboons and crocodiles amongst many others. One of the early mornings was a 3 hour walking trail, I dont think we walked 3 miles in the three hours, Jacob would point out animal tracks, explaing how he could tell which animal made them and when. He explained why Zebras always appear bloated and why calves eat what they eat, similar to other animals taking taking milk from their mothers.. such a great learning experience.
We did a night safari in search of Leopards, aardvark and porcupines, another night was a traditional village setting, with traditional dancing and food...no cutlery here !
We went to a number of other reserves in search of the big 5, we saw 3 of them. I think Jacob was as frustrated as we were not to see the other 2 but it was not through lack of effort. The animals find you, not the other way round. We got up close to Cheetahs, Elephants and Rhinos.
There are so many highlights, like sitting in the hide watching Giraffes drink from the watering hole, this is when Giraffes are most vulnerable to attack apart from when they are sleeping.
Everyday was a full day sometimes with a chance for a dip in the pool between safaris.
The food at the Lodge was superb especially when you factor in the location. Breakfast was buffet style, continental or cooked, pastries, fruit juice and hot drinks. Lunch and dinner were served at the table. The menu is displayed daily and the Chef is happy to offer an alternative to the warthog ribs, impala shank, ostrich burger or wilderbeest steak.
The scenery is breathtaking with some beautiful sunsets especially at Sunset rock, a huge plateau of rock overlooking the valley where you can see the sun slowly sinking whilst drinking cold champagne !
The bar staff are happy to mix your cocktails, serve you a cold beer (no draft beer) champagne or soft drinks and they are not slow in refilling your glass.
The housemaids do a great job in keeping your lodge clean and well presented.
This really was a faultless amazing experience that we would happily do again. I cant praise all the staff enough, they work extremely long hours, always with a smile to ensure we had a fantastic time, they succeeded...
I took close too 1000 photographs over the week and I'm no photographer, if you've got a high MP camera you can get some amazing photos. Make sure you get travel adapters suitable for your destination.
Thankyou Sebatana for providing a great experience in stunning surroundings with amazing staff.
We booked this 2 years in advance, but it was so worth the wait, and the almost 24 hour journey to get to this amazing reserve. You have to be at the airport 3 hours before your 11 hour flight, then its a 4 hour drive from Johannesburg Airport to Sebatana.
The reserve is 18km along a dirt track from the main road.
We were met at the airport by Jacob, who also turned out to be our guide throughtout our stay, and what a source of information ! He was also waited on our table, carried bags to our lodges and collected glasses !
This was truly an amazing adventure, in an intimate setting, there are only 34 thatchds lodges at Rhino Lodge, all well equipped with air conditioning, ceiling fan, shower, corner bath, mini bar and tea and coffee making facilities. There is no television or internet in the lodges. Internet only available in the main building.
Upon arrival at Rhino Lodge we were met by the Manager who then introduced our group of 26 to the Chefs, the Guides, the bar staff and the kitchen staff. All of whom could not have worked harder or been more attentive to make our stay so amazing.
The reserve is in the middle of the bush and at one with nature, it has a conservation and non interference ideal, nature does what nature does. The only interference comes when essential veterinary action is needed to prevent the spread of disease from other animals.
We did at least one safari every day, sometimes getting up at 04.30 but again oh so worth it. On the reserve we saw, Impala, Zebra, Wilderbeest, Ostrich, Warthogs, mongoose, Giraffes, Baboons and crocodiles amongst many others. One of the early mornings was a 3 hour walking trail, I dont think we walked 3 miles in the three hours, Jacob would point out animal tracks, explaing how he could tell which animal made them and when. He explained why Zebras always appear bloated and why calves eat what they eat, similar to other animals taking taking milk from their mothers.. such a great learning experience.
We did a night safari in search of Leopards, aardvark and porcupines, another night was a traditional village setting, with traditional dancing and food...no cutlery here !
We went to a number of other reserves in search of the big 5, we saw 3 of them. I think Jacob was as frustrated as we were not to see the other 2 but it was not through lack of effort. The animals find you, not the other way round. We got up close to Cheetahs, Elephants and Rhinos.
There are so many highlights, like sitting in the hide watching Giraffes drink from the watering hole, this is when Giraffes are most vulnerable to attack apart from when they are sleeping.
Everyday was a full day sometimes with a chance for a dip in the pool between safaris.
The food at the Lodge was superb especially when you factor in the location. Breakfast was buffet style, continental or cooked, pastries, fruit juice and hot drinks. Lunch and dinner were served at the table. The menu is displayed daily and the Chef is happy to offer an alternative to the warthog ribs, impala shank, ostrich burger or wilderbeest steak.
The scenery is breathtaking with some beautiful sunsets especially at Sunset rock, a huge plateau of rock overlooking the valley where you can see the sun slowly sinking whilst drinking cold champagne !
The bar staff are happy to mix your cocktails, serve you a cold beer (no draft beer) champagne or soft drinks and they are not slow in refilling your glass.
The housemaids do a great job in keeping your lodge clean and well presented.
This really was a faultless amazing experience that we would happily do again. I cant praise all the staff enough, they work extremely long hours, always with a smile to ensure we had a fantastic time, they succeeded...
I took close too 1000 photographs over the week and I'm no photographer, if you've got a high MP camera you can get some amazing photos. Make sure you get travel adapters suitable for your destination.
Thankyou Sebatana for providing a great experience in stunning surroundings with amazing staff.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Takes cash for tipping, take appropriate plug converters, make sure you have sufficient available...
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.
Attention pendant les excursions, il propose des boissons sans vous dire qu elle sont payante, et se méfier des tarifs proposé au bar, il double les prix et la note peut s avérer très sale. Juri est un guide formidable
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip 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.
Unfortunately not a service offered for the time being.
"Takes cash for tipping, take appropriate plug converters, make sure you have sufficient available memory on your phone or taken a good camera for some amazing photos"Read full review
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LOCATION
South AfricaLimpopo ProvinceWaterbergVaalwater
NUMBER OF ROOMS
14
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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Claim Your ListingSEBATANA PRIVATE RESERVE - Lodge Reviews (Vaalwater, South Africa)
Frequently Asked Questions about Sebatana Private Reserve
What are some of the property amenities at Sebatana Private Reserve?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
What food & drink options are available at Sebatana Private Reserve?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Sebatana Private Reserve?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Sebatana Private Reserve?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Sebatana Private Reserve have airport transportation?
Yes, Sebatana Private Reserve offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Sebatana Private Reserve accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.