Motswari Private Game Reserve

Kruger and surrounds, South Africa

Virgin rating

Waterbuck Room
Lion Room
Elephant Room
BOMA
Geiger's Camp
Geiger's Camp, Motswari Private Game Reserve
Geiger's Camp, Motswari Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Geiger's Camp
Giraffes Nest
Giraffes Nest
Waterbuck Room
Lion Room
Elephant Room
BOMA
Geiger's Camp
Geiger's Camp, Motswari Private Game Reserve
Geiger's Camp, Motswari Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Geiger's Camp
Giraffes Nest
Giraffes Nest

The hotel

Private and serene, Motswari Private Game Reserve is small and intimate with no more than 30 guests present at any one time, allowing for peace and quiet aplenty. Family-run and All Inclusive, you’ll enjoy Southern African hospitality at its best here. Individual bungalows, each slightly different, offer a superior level of comfort with luxurious bathrooms and stunning views of the surrounding wilderness from your terrace. The owner has personally added her own unique touch with individual art pieces across the property. Extended game-drives at sunrise and sunset allow plenty of opportunity to spot the 'Big Five' as does a guided walk through the Savannah with one of the resort’s highly experienced and very friendly trail guides. If the sun feels too warm, it’s not a problem, enjoy a refreshing dip in the swimming pool any time of day. There’s also a lovely lounge area overlooking a waterhole where you can admire the visiting wildlife as you relax. Meals are served in the lounge or in the boma, a traditional fire side meeting place. Season dependent, you can also head into the bush for a picnic style breakfast or an early evening dinner under the stars.

Amenities

  • Safari
  • Bar
  • Internet Access
  • Laundry Service
  • Restaurant
  • Swimming Pool
  • Near National Park

Where is it

Set in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, part of the Kruger National Park Conservancy. Transfer time from Hoedspruit Airport: 50 minutes.

Hotel information

15 bungalows, 2 per unit. All with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, a terrace offering unrivalled bush views, safe, hairdryer and some with outdoor shower offering a serene and peaceful environment. Standard Rooms are naturally furnished to reflect the African surrounds with 1 king-size bed or twin beds, generous sitting area and en-suite bathroom, sleeping maximum 2 adults or 2 adult and 1 child.

All Inclusive of: all meals and soft drinks, local wines, beers and refreshments on game-drives. Daily game-drives and a guided safari walk.

Conservation fee is payable locally on departure.

Standard Interconnecting Rooms also available which are perfect for families, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 2 children.

Geiger's Camp is a nestled a few kilometres from the main lodge and offers an escape to African beauty, tranquility and comfort. The lodge comprises of 2 stone houses with 4 beautiful en-suite bedrooms, a large communal lounge area/library and it's own swimming pool with breathtaking views of the Nhlaralumi River. Geiger's Camp is also available for exclusive hire - perfect for groups and families.

Why not spend a romantic night under the stars in your very own private treehouse? Add a night in the Giraffe’s Nest Treehouse to a stay in either camp.

Meals are served either in the lounge, inside the Boma or on the breakfast terrace. Bush breakfasts and dinners can be arranged locally. Bar. Infinity swimming pool. Library. Gift shop. Extended sunrise and sunset game-drives. Daily bush walks, bird watching and local community village tour. Giraffe's Nest Treehouse*. Complimentary WiFi access in the Indaba Room (public area). Library and art gallery. Curio shop. Laundry/dry-cleaning facility*.

2 nights between 1 May-30 Sep and 3 nights between 29 Dec-2 Jan.

* Denotes local charge.

Please note: children should be 6 years and older for game-drives, 12 years and older for bush walks and 18 years for the Giraffe's Nest Overnight Experience.

Please note: guests having dinner at Geiger’s Camp are requested to dress in smart/casual attire. Gentlemen are requested to wear long trousers and closed shoes.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (976)
  • Very good (45)
  • Average (16)
  • Poor (8)
  • Terrible (2)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating All-Around Incredible Experience

Nov 27, 2024 ealeater Washington DC, District of Columbia

We just spent 3 nights at the Motswari Lodge and it was incredible! The whole experience exceeded all our expectations and was quite magical. This was our second safari (but first in South Africa) and the level of professionalism and service, diversity and number of animal sightings, and quality of the lodge food, rooms, and facilities was… Read more
We just spent 3 nights at the Motswari Lodge and it was incredible! The whole experience exceeded all our expectations and was quite magical. This was our second safari (but first in South Africa) and the level of professionalism and service, diversity and number of animal sightings, and quality of the lodge food, rooms, and facilities was unmatched. Our guide, Josh, and tracker, Difference, were a phenomenal team. They were so kind and funny and extremely skilled at spotting animals, traversing the terrain (a lot of off-reading which was so fun), and educating our entire group along the way. We were very fortunate to see each of the Big Five at least twice! Any we did not just see individual animals, but rather groups of rhinos, three different leopards, four lions, hundreds of Cape buffalo, and countless elephants. The rooms were very private, clean, nicely decorated, and comfortable - even including air conditioning and overhead fans. The housekeeping staff cleaned the room multiple times each day while we were out on game drives. The meals, snacks, and mid-game drive sundowners and tea breaks were all incredible. The chefs at Motswari did an amazing job serving delicious, local, diverse food and desserts that I am still dreaming about. If you are considering a Kruger safari, you should choose Motswari for its location on a private reserve and top-notch staff and accommodations that take the whole experience to the next level. I would recommend this lodge to anyone! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Our honeymoon dream at Motswari!

Nov 24, 2024 Rachael H

This was our honeymoon dream and it certainly was everything we wanted and more (despite having a lot of rain!) The rooms were gorgeous and the food was delicious throughout our stay. Owain and George were our guide and tracker and were fab and did everything they could to find us a leopard...which they did!! We loved the different settings for… Read more
This was our honeymoon dream and it certainly was everything we wanted and more (despite having a lot of rain!) The rooms were gorgeous and the food was delicious throughout our stay. Owain and George were our guide and tracker and were fab and did everything they could to find us a leopard...which they did!! We loved the different settings for dinner at night, we just wish it had stopped raining so we could have enjoyed the outside more! We felt so safe and created memories forever. Thank you Motswari team! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Unforgettable Stay

Nov 17, 2024 377patrycjaz Dublin, Ireland

We stayed at Motswari for 4 nights and it was the most incredible experience of our lives. Going to start of with the facilities themselves, Our room was perfect, exactly as described with a bath and shower, a patio overlooking the riverbed, it was absolutely spotless and I was worried about bugs being in the bush but there was none that got into… Read more
We stayed at Motswari for 4 nights and it was the most incredible experience of our lives. Going to start of with the facilities themselves, Our room was perfect, exactly as described with a bath and shower, a patio overlooking the riverbed, it was absolutely spotless and I was worried about bugs being in the bush but there was none that got into our room. The common area was nice and relaxed and same with the pool with animals coming in and out it was incredible. The onsite shop was full of cute souvenirs and clothes and local art. The chefs and kitchen staff did an impeccable job for every single meal! There was so many options and possibilities of trying new things. The rusks served every morning before drives were so good I had to pick some up before we left SA The main call out of the people of motswari, the staff working in all areas from bar to restaurant, to facilities and reception, you feel like you are joining a family and they also treat their guests as family. Special call out to Prince and Jan who make the atmosphere so fun! Tamara at the reception is so lovely and caring. We were due to stay in the giraffes nest but storms made this impossible and absolutely everyone who knew we were due to stay here made an effort to ensure we made it back safely- big shout of to Gideon who drove us back! Lastly and the most important is a big big big thank you to our tracker Difference and our guide Joshua. They made our experience unforgettable. We got to see the magic of the big 5 in 24hr, and as the guys said the magnificent 7 as we were lucky to see cheetahs and wild dogs. This was amazing but the experience itself from Joshua and Difference, the knowledge they shared was incredible and we learned so much but also had so much fun and laughter and we will never forget this so a big big thank you to both of them, we will miss our sunset drinks and chats l! Hopefully we get to return one day but for anyone reading this do not hesitate and book it! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Highly Recommended

Nov 13, 2024 Phillip D Manchester

First visit to Motswari. Lodge and room was excellent. Breakfast buffet was very good as were all the meals.Lunch was accompanied by the local singers(staff) !! Evening meal was in the boma. Game drives were great with lots of lion sightings and a male leopard. We had lion tracks by reception one morning.We saw the big 5 over our 2 days but much… Read more
First visit to Motswari. Lodge and room was excellent. Breakfast buffet was very good as were all the meals.Lunch was accompanied by the local singers(staff) !! Evening meal was in the boma. Game drives were great with lots of lion sightings and a male leopard. We had lion tracks by reception one morning.We saw the big 5 over our 2 days but much more due to our excellent guiding team of Owen and George who gave us lots of information about the area and animals which makes all the difference. All the staff get 5 stars from us. We can recommend the book "the women of motswari " which is available to buy in reception. About an hours drive to the lodge from Timbavati gate but also animal sightings to keep your drive interesting. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A Truly Wonderful Experience

Nov 9, 2024 GPaCalgary Calgary, Canada

This spot was perfect for us. It would rate as about a 4.8 on the 5 star scale, and would rate higher only if the accommodation was a built more recently. As it was, the individual lodges are well outfitted with everything you could want, and provided us with a very comfortable experience. Our Guide Hayden and our Tracker Patrick droid a great… Read more
This spot was perfect for us. It would rate as about a 4.8 on the 5 star scale, and would rate higher only if the accommodation was a built more recently. As it was, the individual lodges are well outfitted with everything you could want, and provided us with a very comfortable experience. Our Guide Hayden and our Tracker Patrick droid a great job…..we even were able to see not only the Big 5, but also the Cheetah and a Wild Dog Pack, thanks to the quick and expert driving of Hayden. The food was served buffet style and there was plenty of delicious food for every meal. Our Protein dinner dishes included Kudu , Duck Confit, Beef, and Warthog. All Excellent. Read less