Mackouwkuil’s 13 beautiful, thatched guest rooms and the 12 newly upgraded luxury rooms, and four luxury tents, and two mountain guesthouses are tucked away amid the bushveld behind the main lodge. The elegant African decor theme continues to the lodgings and all room types.
From the moment you arrive and cross the little bridge overflowing with fresh water you know it's going to be a good weekend. We were welcomed with drinks and all covid protocols were strictly applied, in saying that being in the fresh air for the weekend felt like an escape from the stress of last year.
The accommodation was outstanding, from the luxury bathrooms to private deck pools, views to die for, privacy, wonderful huge beds...the list goes on.
The meals were superb and the chef went out of her way to accommodate extremely picky eating kids for all three meals. Breakfast on the last day was a highlight!
You are able to fish from the privacy of your deck or from various beautiful safe green lawn areas and we even had the chance to be accompanied by the Ranger to a dam with crocodiles. Never experienced anything more exhilarating, and this comes from someone who is extremely scared of animals. Shaun, the Ranger knew what he was doing!
The game drive was a highlight, there's nothing quite like seeing hippos in their natural habitat.
Waking up to the sound of hippos and rain was just amazing, cannot fault the service and staff, they were so friendly and made the stay even more enjoyable.
Would definitely recommend this for a romantic couples or family getaway. If your kids are not into the outdoors the excellent WiFi connectivity will do the trick.
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Date of stay: February 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.
If you think the picture on the website oversells this venue, you are sorely mistaken. The abundance of water on the property makes this arguably one of the most beautiful game lodges in the Waterberg area. The conferencing facilities are first class and with the high-speed free Wifi available to all guests, this is the perfect destination for a conference, team building or incentive break away. The excellent food is only trumped by the excellence and friendliness of the staff. Truly a hidden gem in the Waterberg!
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Date of stay: December 2019
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
A bit of heaven. Experience the bush in 5 star luxury in spacious, beautifully furnished rooms or luxurious glamping on the river with hippos and large variety of antelope and bird life. Scrumptious food and excellent and friendly service. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
Vegan friendly!! The most incredible experience spent at this luxurious venue. The tranquil surroundings, wonderful friendly, kind and caring staff, great food, incredible accommodation. A swimming pool on our deck overlooking the crocodiles and hippos. Waking up to the sounds of the weaver and the cry of the Piet my Vrou. The rumblings of the hippos splashing in front of your tent. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets. This place is a massage to your soul. Revitalizing, invigorating, enriching. Cannot wait for eProperty.Net’s real estate conference in 2021!!
A slice of heaven!!
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
Most beautiful place and friendly staff. Our game drive was very entertaining. Breathtaking views. Peaceful. Abundant animal life, hippo, zebra, giraffe and impala. Neat rooms. Enjoyed our conference and will definitely come back with my family.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
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 didn’t know quite what to expect with Hippo lakes and we were pleasantly surprised. From the luxury and I mean luxury tents to the serene surroundings, the modern food experience, the friendly resort staff , the varied activities and optional extras, the wine and beverages. And I can’t stop there. Andre, Shaun and The crew made sure our game experience and understanding of the country was covered in every detail. Sunset trips complete with a drinks stop in an amazing locations, morning drives with the stop for coffee or hot chocolate, the trips to the big 5 game drives. The talks about animal husbandry. I hope you get the idea this is not your bucket shop game reserve. It’s a luxury , holistic , serene wildlife experience.
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Date of stay: September 2019
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Hippo 3 was huge with one king and two singles.
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.
Our time here was an absolutely wonderful experience. Everything from accommodations (Hard to top the "glamping" experience) to the food (dedicated chef to prepare your meals) to the excursions to the spacing of events (which gave us some quality down time), our time was flawless. We keep saying that this was on our bucket list, we just didn't know it until we got here! Kudos to Shaun, our Ranger, who was on top of ensuring our animal sighting experience was top notch. He loves what he does, and it is reflected in the quality of service.
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Date of stay: May 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.
My wife and I had a brilliant stay at Hippo Lakes in the tented villas - absolutely amazing. We stayed in Hippo 3.
Jacob, Franco and the chef team cooked up incredible fare each day and were superb at dealing with dietary requests. Thank you. Thomas, Mária and Tittus served all fare with delectable service and just the right blend of attentiveness and space.
The Hippos in the Lake are a spectacular sight and welcome each day, and the zebra, wildebeest, giraffes, crocs, antelope, impala and leopards on site are beautiful.
Nearby Andre organised game drives where we saw many elephants, lions, rhinos and had cheetahs walk right beside our truck. Francois from Green Monkey Safari’s was an excellent guide - extremely knowledgable, passionate about conservation, kind, fun and with excellent people skills. He really knew how to make the guiding aspect exceptional, memorable and educational - and really that’s why we’re there. We plan to return and do a five night walking safari with Francoise.
Safety is always at the forefront of all that they do at Hippo Lakes, the service is exemplary and they really do believe in underpromising and overdelivering at every stage.
The rock pool, brai area, lodge, pool table, tv area and lakeside dining spot are a sight to behold and all add to a special experience.
There are so many special touches that Andre and the team put together like the couples dining on the deck, the divine spots in the bush for delightful sundowners, the exemplary finishes in the “tents”, the night lights, the outside showers, the walking safari and the lovely turndown service each evening.
We hope that you have a wonderful experience at Hippo Lakes, the pre trip communication is sometimes a little patchy however the experience and trips while you are there really are 5 star.
Thank you Hippo Lakes for a wonderful stay and especially to Andre for continually going the extra miles.
A very special place and wonderful value.
Many thanks
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Date of stay: November 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.
Beautiful surroundings and settings. Food excellent. Only thing that spoilt our weekend was that there we American big game hunters and they were busy shooting hippos when we arrived and we saw the poor animals being pulled out of the rivers ... when we went for dinner that is althea could talk about. Was a very stressful weekend. Did not enjoy the idea of the big game hunters being in the same lodge as us. On their website it specifically states that they do not do big game hunting. We were not impressed.
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Date of stay: February 2019
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.
Beautiful surroundings, staff, and accommodations! Stayed in Kudu 1 (i.e., one of four luxury tents) and it was perfect for my best friend and I (i.e., girls’ trip)! The twin beds were really comfortable so we slept well. The dual sinks were nice, along with the indoor shower, tub, and toilet. Wonderfully decorated in traditional colonial style and truly 5 star glamping with a 5 star view of a serene lake (hippos included)! Our game ranger, Shaun was very knowledgeable about the bushveld and made the game drives fun! Andre, the manager was a great host and made sure that everyone felt at home. And Franco, the chef made the most delicious food...perfect for foodies! All of the staff was very gracious and accommodating...can’t say enough about the attention to detail and care we received during our 6-day stay! Looking forward to returning with my family in the near future!!!
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Date of stay: April 2019Trip 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.
It gets cool so we suggest long sleeve but thin tops and thin pants. We also suggest layers as morning drives can start cold then warm up during the drive
There are more places to choose from in the Vaalwater area.
LOCATION
South AfricaLimpopo ProvinceWaterbergVaalwater
NUMBER OF ROOMS
31
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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