Emakhazeni Vacations & Trips from $2,352

If you are looking for a unique place close to Kruger then look no further! What makes Highgrove House truly magical is probably a well kept recipe. If I had to describe it, I’d say that you’d need to mix the hospitality and welcome of staying with family with a well polished high end establishment. Combine it all with the fact that you’re dining in a period mansion house. Top it up with a good measure of peaceful countryside atmosphere and you have the rough recipe for this unique place. I’ve stayed at quite a few high end hotels but these sometimes feel a bit impersonal as they have so many guests. Highgrove is a much more intimate setting and the owners get to know you and they truly care about making sure you have a wonderful and stress-free experience. The room I stayed in was an executive suite which had a balcony and an outdoor shower. It was so beautiful Of course my favourite part of the stay was the food (I love eating), I dine at Michelin star restaurants and this place really is comparable to that. Everything I ate was fresh and combined incredible flavours. The thing that I thought was remarkable and which even high end hotels or restaurants don’t always get right is that here they take into account your dietary restrictions and don’t just pretend to adjust the menu, they come up with dishes that don’t make you feel that your dietary restrictions are an issue and they ensure that whatever you’re eating is equal to what other guests are eating.

Our trip to Kruger Shalati was one of the best experiences we've had. It is a magical place and the staff catered to our every need. The room was beautiful (we stayed in a bridge house room), the meals were fantastic (they had wonderful dishes that accommodated our vegetarian diet), and the game drives were experiences we will never forget (our guide Elvis was amazing!). This was our first safari and now we're hooked. We want to do this all the time!

Kruger park was only about 20 minutes away by drive. All of the staff were wonderful. So friendly. Whatever you wanted, they would get for you. I couldn’t single out one staff member because they were all perfect. The suites are gorgeous and spotless with a wonderful view of the Sabe River. The food was excellent and so plentiful. I couldn’t think of a better place to stay to get to Kruger and experience the game drives. The drivers were excellent and it was easy to see their love for the animals and nature of South Africa. Highly recommend.