MANTIS FOUNDERS LODGE 5 stars

Family friendly

Where to start with this review…. This place is heaven. From the moment we stepped foot out of the car (after taking the wrong road!!) we were made to feel like royalty. We were met by Glynns and some of the other staff and were given a tour. We were shown down to the water hole and Our kids were amazed by this part, to be able to sit in the peace and quiet and wait for whatever animal was going to show up was fantastic. The food here is to die for, you most definitely won’t go hungry and your clothes maybe a little tighter going home !! The amazing staff Cynthia, Ntombi and Nazi just could not do enough for you, such beautiful people. Our guide Cillie, this man has the patience of a saint. Every game drive was different, he went above and beyond for us. Spent time with my son showing him where things were in the distance when none of us could see!! Explained everything in such detail, all the questions we had and he was so full of information for us. He was brilliant. Glynn and Craig, you guys are fabulous , you made us feel so welcome from the moment we arrived until the time we had to leave. This has been a dream come true and we will remember this forever. Hopefully we will see you guys again xx

I stayed here for a few days my wife and my six year old son and only left today - had to write a review immediately to say thank you and how wonderful things were. Really couldn’t see how things could be better. People so friendly. Room beautiful. Awesome wildlife!

I travelled with my mum, and we had no idea what to expect. We were given such a lovely welcome by Glynnis and Craig and quickly felt at home. The rooms are wonderful, food really good and the staff just lovely. We went on our first game drive and were then hooked! Cilliè was so knowledgeable and if he got fed up with our endless questions, he never showed it! All the attention to detail (eg. decanter of port in the room, a fire in the lounge when it was chilly, a brai for all guests one evening, coffee, sundowners and nibbles on the game drives) whilst making it look effortless is a real art. There will be many a day to come when I wish all I have to worry about is whether I see zebras, rhinos or baboons when I open my bedroom curtains! The Founders experience will stay with us forever.

A little bit late writing this review, but better late than never as they say! Our stay was fantastic (we stayed for 3 nights), from the moment we arrived until the morning we left, we were very well taken care of. The staff at Founders Lodge are very good, nothing is too much trouble and you never had the feeling of being rushed. It was all very relaxing. The food was excellent, especially the braii (the chef and team excelled themselves) and the locations to eat change daily, with the most beautiful views across the reserve. Every game drive was amazing. We saw so many birds and animals everyday (nobody can deny the beauty of a water buffalo!). Our Ranger, Cillie, was incredibly knowledgeable, from learning about tracking when we spent time tracking a leapard’s paw prints to understanding how an elephant is feeling just by how its ears move. It was an incredible unforgettable experience everyday. Thank you for giving us a beautiful suite (no 3, opposite the watering hole), the sunrises from our room were gorgeous and a beautiful start to each day. The view of the watering hole and all the animals that visited it was lovely to watch. We were addicted to going to the hide and to get up close to the animals drinking from the watering hole…now home, I love watching the live feed of it on You Tube. If you are thinking of staying here, please do! You will have a wonderful time! Myself and my husband would like to thank Glynnis and her team for a very lovely stay and to Cillie (our Ranger), thank you, the drives were amazing (and the views for the Sunrisers and Sundowners beautiful). Thank you :)

The stay at Mantis was one of the greatest experiences we have had. High quality service and experience. Being from Iceland, it was absolutely amazing to see all these wild animals free in their environment with really qualified guides. Recommend everyone to visit Mantis.