Find all hotels by Independent in Umbabat Nature Reserve from $66

"The bungalows are lovely, staff is fabulous (friendly, helpful, and wanting your stay to be the best!), the safaris are incredible, and the food is amazing! I look forward to returning "

"Perfect from the moment we touched down at Hoedspruit airport . Waiting for us was Sandy who collected our luggage and whisked us off through the wildlife ( giraffes and warthogs meandering around the roads) and straight to Elandela where we we received a very warm welcome from Francisco and Sindy. We were shown around the spotlessly clean facilities , greeted by the staff and taken to our beautiful lodge facing the lake. Amazing large room with extra large bathroom with separate toilet, indoor and outdoor shower, large whirlpool bath , sun terrace front and back. Tea and coffee making facilities and well stocked fridge. First class restaurant serving excellent choice of food throughout our stay. Attentive staff ensuring we had an amazing stay. Excellent first class guides on the game drives who would find the impossible possible. So friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend Elandela. Cannot fault it. Everything absolutely first class all the way. "

"What a spectacular place!!! We cannot recommend it highly enough!"

"We had the most amazing time at Motswari — truly unforgettable! Every moment was special. All the meals were excellent, with breakfast and dinner set in different beautiful locations each day, which kept things exciting. Our guide and tracker, Owen and George, were outstanding — incredibly knowledgeable and made sure each drive felt unique. We were lucky enough to see the Big 5 within our first two drives, and got incredibly close to the animals. Elephants and giraffes even wandered right past our room, which was surreal. I’d recommend at least 3 nights to really soak it all in. The lodge’s location is also a big plus — close to Hoedspruit airport, so no need for a private plane. The only small downside is that there’s no phone in the rooms. Once escorted back at night, there’s no way to call staff for something simple like water. On our first night, a short circuit knocked out the lights and hot water, and while it wasn’t serious enough to blow the emergency whistle, it would’ve been nice to contact staff more easily. That aside, Motswari is an incredible place, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience."

"The facilities are in excellent condition, the staff is lovely, the breakfast is very good, and it's not far from the Kruger gate and shops. Unfortunately the people in the adjacent room to mine were blaring music or TV until late in the evening and I had to wear ear plugs to sleep. But the place itself is great. "

"We enjoyed everything about it"

"This is a gorgeous lodge with incredible staff; delicious meals; comfortable and well designed rooms; a very small number of guests to keep the experience intimate; and a once in a lifetime safari opportunity with extremely knowledgeable guides. "