Founders Lodge by Mantis 5 gwiazdki

We had a really fantastic 3 night stay at Founders Lodge. The staff were all, without exception, outstanding, welcoming and friendly. It truly felt they were all passionate about the property and the service provided. Our guide on the game drives, Juvan, was outstanding. His knowledge of,and passion for, the animals really shone through. He really went out of his way to make each game drive a brilliant and memorable experience. Our room was super, with a view over to the waterhole and hide. Waking up to views of a passing giraffe or rhino is definitely memorable. Founders Lodge is highly recommended.

Second to none - Founder’s Lodge has been absolutely wonderful. Craig and Glynnis are just the best hosts. Service is personalised and personable. Food was delicious. Your experience really matters to them. The guiding was terrific and we saw Lions, Giraffes, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Warthogs, Impala, Springbok, Kudu, Buck, Zebra, Mongoose, Gennet and much more. Watch the animals from your bedroom as they visit the waterhole. Beautiful pool overlooking the waterhole. Enjoy a Braai/Barbeque with other guests. With over 28,000 hectares there’s a huge expanse of land and animals for you to discover. We cannot recommend Founders highly enough.

This was a really wonderful experience for our first safari. The accommodation was lovely with a stunning view and super clean. In addition, the food was amazing and I can’t speak highly enough of all the staff. Every single person made it their business to make us feel special and we really appreciated it. Our guide, JV ,was fab. He had such passion for the animals and was so knowledgeable. Plus his tracking was amazing. Thank you all for a brilliant stay.

What an exceptional place, and what an exceptional experience. It’s a small hotel with about seven rooms, so you are pretty much introduced to all the staff on arrival. The initial vibe of the rooms is colonial, but there are some great modern touches, like the swimming pool, and the underground hide, that allows you a view of the waterhole. We got face-to-face with rhinos while they were drinking and rolling in the mud. Accommodation is spacious and comfortable, with generous complimentary snacks and drinks in the room. The morning and evening game drives were customised as there were only a few of us in a vehicle. The highlight was seeing a cheetah hunting, but we also saw a couple of male lions, rhino, zebra, giraffe, impala, kudu, buffalo, etc. sadly,no leopard, but they did look for them for us. The game drive is about 3 hours with a comfort stop part way through, which includes drinks and snacks. After the drive, the team join you in the bar for a drink so there is plenty of time for questions. The food at the hotel is excellent, but they do have a limited menu on any given night, so make sure you let them know any dietary requirements. They also did a ‘romantic’ meal for us, which was a little ill-judged, as we were in the library surrounded by candles on a sifflingly hot evening! Breakfast, on the other hand, was generous and extensive. It was also served outside so we could watch the rhinos wander past on the way to the waterhole. From the grounds you can see rhinos, giraffe, zebra and warthogs. All in all, a fabulous place and well worth a visit.

From the moment we were met by a welcoming group at the front of the hotel to the moment we left we were excellently looked after. Within moments of arriving, Glynnis had given us a tour of the hotel, Marty had taken our cases and parked our car (which was cleaned before we left….a lovely touch) and subsequently come to find us to check what sundowner drinks we would like on the evening game drives. We felt like we’d met the entire staff in the first hour and all were very friendly. Craig was out on the reserve when we arrived, but soon found us on his return. Such a welcoming group of people. The food was excellent and even though they were not made aware by our travel agent that my husband was pescatarian, luckily fish was an option at the first lunch, they soon accommodated that and all subsequent meals had a fish or vegetarian option (thank you to the chef). The on-site tunnel to the hide on the waterhole was fabulous and gave us the chance to see the animals right up close. To be able to sit by the pool and read a book and look up to see rhino, giraffe and more walk past was amazing. Marty, our game driver and guide, was excellent, we saw some amazing sights. All the staff we came across were helpful and friendly, but a special mention to Ntombi, to whom absolutely nothing seemed too much trouble. The hotel atmosphere was very relaxed which we thoroughly enjoyed and would absolutely recommend a stay here.