Founders Lodge by Mantis 5 ดาว

An amazing stay in a beautiful location. All the staff are absolutely wonderful and cannot do enough for you. Great food and lovely rooms Animals can be viewed coming to the waterhole at all times of day; rhino, zebra ,giraffes and warthogs especially. It’s great to look out of your bedroom window and see a rhino trundling by. Special mention must be made of our guide, Matthew, who went above and beyond to show us a wide variety of wildlife. His passion for conservation of the wild life and land is infectious. Game drives are individually planned in comfortable vehicles and you never see more than two vehicles at a viewing site,;most of the time it’s just your vehicle allowing a fantastic insight into the lives of the animals. The whole experience was much more than we could have ever expected. Recommend a visit to anyone.

What an amazing place this is - where to start!! Ian and Glynnis were on leave the week we called but such is the quality of their amazing team we did not want for anything. The wildlife landscapes created by the hide by the waterhole were amazing and get you right up close to the wildlife. The rooms were vast and well furnished in a colonial style and the game drives were educational and varied to the newbie! Food was substantial and served creatively in different areas of the lodge. Sorry to be a Luddite but after 30 years of marriage we would like to see TV’s in rooms would be my only “add” as the last two places haven’t provided these. The history of the place as the first game reserve in the eastern cape is amazing as is the celebrity guest list over the years which includes John Travolta , Tiger Woods and Cliff Richard. I would be surprised if this place could be bettered in the Eastern Cape!

Just arrived back home after spending 3 nights at Founders Lodge. We want to thank Craig and Glynnis for a tremendous time and helping us make memories from our first (but not last!!) safari. Here are some of the highlights: genuine warm welcome and lovely greetings after every game drive- Craig and Glynnis were really interested in our drive experiences and couldn’t do enough to ensure we had the best stay. Founders ensure you get the same Ranger for all of your game drives- we were so lucky to have Scrumbo (sp?) for 6 game drives- this meant that we got to know each other and he was able to tailor each drive so that we got to see all the animals- one time we asked to see Hippos and within 30 minutes we had tracked them. He was also knowledgeable about the fauna and flora- loved that he used a bird calling app to attract the bird life. The lodge is great iwth some unqiue features- you can eat out and be within metres of rhino, zebra and warthogs. The ”Hide” esnured we saw animals close up drinking out of the water hole- unreal! The food was delicious and very varied- we loved that we could have an intimate dinner in different aspects fo the house (terrace, library, bar, lawn) but also have a group dinner (a Brae- delicious bbq) in which we were lucky to have some real laughs with other guests that night. Beetroot and Rocket from the lodge garden- great food! We stayed in the honeymoon pod that has unreal views and amazing sunset rises. we really liked the colonial decor and interesting photos and books dottred around the lodge- the sunken bar is huge. We highly recommend this place- we are very fussy travellers so we really appreciated the attention to detail that ALL the staff provided. Thank you all.

Everything about our 3 night stay at Founders Lodge was exceptional……. We fitted in 6x 3 hour game drives, and got to see so many animals ,in their natural habitat. James,our guide was brilliant . He even managed to find a cheetah for us on our final drive! The welcomes on arrival, and after each game drive were really nice. And the hot towel and different drink to welcome us back from each drive added to the staff’s genuine greetings. The food was just extraordinary- so varied , plentiful and delicious. It was the only place we ever stayed , where there was a large cooked breakfast menu, and a different set of cooked breakfast menu choices each day.! The hide viewing area was an extra treat. We got to see rhinos , giraffes, and zebras up close at the Founders watering hole. That was in addition to our 6 x 3 hr safari drives! And the view from our room was so good, that as soon as we opened the curtains in the morning, we got to see animals at the watering hole . Thank you for making our stay so perfect. Margo & John

Founders Lodge was our final destination on the garden route. All I can say is what a way to end our trip. It felt like we were visiting family, nothing was too much for the staff. Everything was personalised and we were made to feel like everything was exclusive to ourselves, even private candelit dining. We felt privileged to be in our own reserve, with the added bonus of the drives into the Shamwari game reserve. Our guide Sikhumbuzo was so knowledgeable and he ensured we were left captivated by the magic of seeing nature as it is meant to be. A fitting testiment to its founder Adrian Gardiner's dream. The amenities provided catered for all our needs and the sunken hide enable you to get an intimate experience with the animals. Founders Lodge created a wonderful atmosphere, rooms, cleanliness, the total experience was second to none. Even the early morning noise of the Cape Weavers readily building their nests was special.