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Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve

3.5 star property
Family-friendly 3.5-star hotel with 4 outdoor pools

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Photo gallery for Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve

4 outdoor pools, open 7 AM to 5 PM, pool umbrellas, sun loungers
Breakfast, lunch and dinner served
Breakfast, lunch and dinner served
View from room
River Lodge Thatched Suites | View from room

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Pool
  • Breakfast included
  • All-inclusive
  • Parking included
  • Restaurant
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

View in a map
Limpopo, Hoedspruit, Limpopo, 6191

Room options

View all photos for River Lodge Thatched Suites

River Lodge Thatched Suites

River Lodge Thatched Suites

  • Garden view
  • 51 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Large Twin Beds OR 1 King Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Main Lodge Superior Room

Main Lodge Superior Room

Main Lodge Superior Room

  • Garden view
  • 38 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Large Twin Beds OR 1 King Bed
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for Main Lodge Superior Room

Premium bedding, pillowtop beds, in-room safe, individually decorated

Main Lodge Superior Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • Free wired internet

View all photos for River Lodge Thatched Suites

Premium bedding, pillowtop beds, in-room safe, individually decorated

River Lodge Thatched Suites

  • Sleeps 2
  • Free wired internet

About the area

Hoedspruit

In provincial park.You'll be 25 mi (40.3 km) from Boabab Tree at Leydsdorp with a stay at this Hoedspruit hotel.

Getting around

  • Hoedspruit (HDS) - 174 min drive

About this property

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve

Family-friendly 3.5-star hotel with 4 outdoor pools
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve is an all-inclusive hotel. Room rates include meals and beverages at onsite restaurants and bars. Other items and amenities, including taxes and gratuities, and access to recreational activities and entertainment may also be included. Additional charges may apply for meals at some restaurants, special dinners and dishes, certain beverages, and other amenities.

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve offers its guests 4 outdoor swimming pools. There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Free breakfast is served daily, and guests can also enjoy a free manager's reception. Public spaces have free WiFi and wired Internet.

A library, a terrace, and multilingual staff are also featured at the family-friendly Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve. An airport shuttle (available on request) is available for a fee. Self parking is free.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this 3.5-star Hoedspruit hotel.

  • 30 guestrooms or units
  • 2 levels
  • Continental breakfast (free)
  • Manager's reception (free)
  • Childcare (surcharge)
  • Poolside lounge chairs
  • Umbrellas for the pool
  • Conference center
  • Coffee in lobby
  • Self-service laundry
  • Front desk (24 hours)
  • Staff is multilingual
  • Library
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gift shop
  • Bellhop
  • Smoking in designated areas
  • Bar or lounge
  • Dining venue
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve offers 30 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and hair dryers. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Pillowtop beds feature premium bedding. This Hoedspruit hotel provides complimentary wired Internet access.

Bathrooms include separate bathtubs and showers and complimentary toiletries. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones. Additionally, rooms include ceiling fans and blackout drapes/curtains. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered daily.

Similar properties

Front of property - evening/night
Nyati Safari Lodge
Hoedspruit
  • Pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Spa
  • All inclusive plans available
4.7 out of 5, Exceptional, 47 reviews
The price is CA $795
CA $914 total
includes taxes & fees
Jun 12 - Jun 13
Nyati Safari Lodge

Property amenities

Family friendly

  • 4 outdoor pools
  • In-room babysitting (surcharge)
  • Laundry facilities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free wired internet
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet

Parking and transportation

  • Roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge) on request
  • Free covered self parking on site
  • Free RV/bus/truck parking on site

Food and drink

  • Free continental breakfast available daily 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Coffee and tea in common areas
  • Free manager's reception (select days)

Things to do

  • 4 outdoor pools
  • Ecotours
  • Game drive
  • Game viewing
  • Library
  • Safari

Accessibility

  • No elevator

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate bathtub and shower
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle
  • Restaurant dining guides
  • Tea bags/instant coffee

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Connecting rooms available
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 4:30 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); to arrange pick-up, guests must contact the property 72 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • Pets and service animals are not allowed at Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • Destination fee: ZAR 315 per person, per night. This fee does not apply to children under 6 years of age.

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, and debit cards. Cash is not accepted. 
    For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher in each accommodation.

We should mention

  • Pool access available from 7 AM to 5 PM.
  • Registered guests are the only ones allowed to be in guestrooms.
  • Connecting/adjoining rooms are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property at the number on your booking confirmation.
  • Pets and service animals are not allowed on site.

Property is also known as

Makalali Game
Makalali Private Game Reserve Hoedspruit
Makalali Private Game Reserve Lodge Hoedspruit
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Hotel
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Hoedspruit
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve All Inclusive
Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Hotel Hoedspruit

Frequently asked questions

How close is Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve to the airport?

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve is 58.4 mi (174-min drive) away from the Hoedspruit (HDS) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

Does Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve have an airport shuttle?

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve offers an airport shuttle on request for a charge.

Does Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve offer free breakfast?

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve offers free continental breakfast every day from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM.

Is there a casino at Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve?

No, there is no casino at this hotel.

What time is check-in at Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 4:30 PM.

Is there free parking at Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve?

This hotel offers free self parking.

Does Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve have a pool?

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve features 4 outdoor pools. Guests can enjoy pool access from 7 AM to 5 PM.

Does Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve have a restaurant?

Yes, there is a restaurant on site.

Does Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve have a spa?

There are no spa services available at this hotel.

How close is Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve to downtown Hoedspruit?

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve is 3.3 mi away from Makalali Game Reserve.

Aha Makalali Private Game Reserve Reviews

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 28 out of 40 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 10 out of 40 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 40 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 40 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 40 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
IncrĂ­vel , a acomodação Ă© mto boa , quarto amplo , chuveiro incrĂ­vel. Alimentação boa , e game drive inclusos incrĂ­vel, com saĂ­da as 6:00am e as 4:00pm , com destaque a Isaac e butter os rangers, incrĂ­veis 
.. Muito satisfeito e retornaria ao local com certeza.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Verified

6/10 Okay

Mert

Liked: Cleanliness

Bad Food and incompetent rangers

Food is much below expectations. Most of the meat served was undercooked including chicken. Service Staff is incompetent as many places in South Africa. We have ordered wine one night and waitress just dropped the bottle in out table and left without opening and serving. Then we had to call another waitress to serve it. You need to tell everything and common sense was missing. English of the ranger for the game drives was not perfect and he was not really talkative or giving information unless asked, he was more like , yeah here is an impala but no information. Also to many questions that we have asked, the answer was “I don’t know”. I think it is worth to stretch the budget a bit more to stay in somewhere nicer.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Zaheer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Excellent for big 5

Excellent for bush lovers
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
éžćžžă«æŽ—ç·Žă•ă‚ŒăŸç¶șéș—ăȘăƒ›ăƒ†ăƒ«ă§ă€ă‚·ăƒŁăƒŻăƒŒă‚„ă‚ŻăƒŒăƒ©ăƒŒăȘă©ăźèš­ć‚™ă‚‚ă‹ăȘă‚Šè‰Żă‹ăŁăŸă§ă™ă€‚ăŸăŸă€ćźżæłŠèČ»ă«ć«ăŸă‚ŒăŠă„ă‚‹éŁŸäș‹ă‚‚ăŠă„ă—ă‹ăŁăŸă—ă€ă‚ČăƒŒăƒ ăƒ‰ăƒ©ă‚€ăƒ–ă‚‚éžćžžă«æ„œă—ă‹ăŁăŸă§ă™ă€‚
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great new hotel - super rooms

We spent a long weekend at this reserve - two adults and a teen. The hotel was lovely - new rooms and well-designed open, communal spaces. We booked two rooms and it was a bonus that they could be made to be interleading. The hotel rooms are exactly that - hotel rooms - and maybe lacking some of the charm of free-standing lodge units but very comfortable and well-appointed. The guide and tracker were friendly and knowledgeable and we enjoyed our game drives. It was great to be able to go off-road to get closer to rhino and cheetah. Whilst this is a big 5 reserve, you do travel the same roads quite a bit but the guide made an effort to vary things up on each drive and to go look for specific animals. The food was nice - and not as "conference-like" as the bigger Ivory Tree Aha resort - but not knock-your-socks-off amazing. The downside of a smaller lodge is slightly less variety and choice - but to me still better than endless buffets. Aha is running some specials where kids stay free. What this meant was that over the long weekend there were lots of noisy children in the pool and running around at the boma dinner. The hotel manager did make a plan for us to go to the quieter pool at the nearby smaller lodge which was very kind of her. Unfortunately though listening to a child play a loud game on a phone all the way through the boma dinner compromised the "peace of the bush" experience. Overall - we would go again. We had a great stay and thought it was good value.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2020
Verified

8/10 Good

Rennan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Tivemos de trocar as datas da nossa viagem devido Ă  pandemia do Covid-19 e fomos muito bem instruidos e atendidos pela gerente de reservas. Esperamos pela estadia em Novembro.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Antony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great hotel and game park, not so good food

Overall the stay was excellent based on the accommodation and the rangers taking us to see the most amazing array of wild animals. The only downside were the quality of the food and too many over attentive waiters and waitresses who must learn to be not so keen to remove your drink or plate, especially when you or your dining partner are still eating!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Lugar incrível ! Estrutura do hotel impecåvel, funcionårios super atenciosos e simpåticos !! Vimos vårios animais em casa Safari, inclusive um grupo de leÔes caçando GNUS! Carros do Safari com cobertor e capa de chuva ( precisamos !) e com guias muito bem informados !
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020
Verified

8/10 Good

Raphaël

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rangers very good. Place and location very good. Food: not good . Very average and always the same. A shame...
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

un séjour inoubliable

magnifique hébergement ,personnel aux petits soins,repas variés et de bonne qualité,des safaris extras bref rien à dire! sans oublier l'apéro en fin de safari du soir en pleine brousse et le café lors de celui du matin! le plus dur est d'arriver (et d'en repartir!)car la piste est ravinée mais aprÚs c'est que du bonheur!
notre chambre avec douche intérieure et extérieure
1er safari
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Monica E

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excelente experiencia
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Danilo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lugar maravilhoso

Lugar maravilhoso, logo ao chegar tivemos uma recepção com nosso ranger Paulie que nos levou a 2 safaris e conseguimos ver 4 dos big five. ExperiĂȘncia inesquecĂ­vel. Comida Ăłtima e todos os funcionĂĄrios do hotel foram muito simpĂĄticos. Recomendo muito
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Aline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Sensacional!

Sensacional! Optamos pelo Makalali pela comodidade, não queríamos nos preocupar com nada (Game Drive e RefeiçÔes) e foi exatamente assim. Atendimento, organização, limpeza, quartos e refeiçÔes excepcionais. Game Drive incrível, vimos os Big Five, eles procuram os animais incansavelmente, entram na mata, inexplicåvel. Nossa melhor escolha!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nathalie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent séjour, belle et grande réserve. Lodge raffiné, personnel attentionné et dépaysement garanti
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Brooke

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Best customer service

The customer service was absolutely above and beyond. You are treated like family. Room and lodge area is absolutely beautiful and the food was amazing. I will definitely book at Makalali again for my next visit!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019
Verified

8/10 Good

Mikael

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

NĂ€ra naturen och djuren!

Du bör ha en 4x4 bil för att ta dig till detta fantastiska hotell. NÀrmare naturen och djuren kommer man inte, dessa stugor ligger lÄngt ut frÄn all annan bebyggelse. Stugorna helt otroliga men maten var inte till belÄtenhet med tanke pÄ priset pÄ detta boende. Snopet att receptionen var stÀngd nÀr vi till slut kom fram, och vi fick köra runt i skogen en stund till vi plötsligt hittade kocken som kunde hjÀlpa oss.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Safarimazing

We had an amazing stay, all the staff were extremely friendly and it was amazing to be living in the bush with all of the luxury conveniences in a very clean and organised lodge. Shout out to Lovedeliah (camp host), Stanley (game drive tracker), and Louise (game drive guide). The wifi was very weak around the property but you're in the bush so it was ok to be off the grid for a few days!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018
Verified

8/10 Good

Bruno

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Muito legal!

A estadia foi realmente maravilhosa! Gostamos do hotel apesar do Safari parecer um grande zoolĂłgico! FicĂĄvamos andando em cĂ­rculos, atĂ© que alguĂ©m indicava onde estĂĄ o animal! Vimos todos os Big five, o que foi bem legal! O serviço Ă© bem exclusivo, a comida Ă© excelente, o quarto entĂŁo, maravilhoso! A Ășnica coisa que nos incomodou foi a hora do check out, aonde incluĂ­ram uma taxa de quase 500 rands por noite, taxa da qual nĂŁo fomos informados hora nenhuma. A mesma taxa nĂŁo foi cobrada de um casal de amigos que saiu horas depois! A diĂĄria jĂĄ era bem cara, realmente a tal taxa foi uma surpresa desagradĂĄvel! Acho que eles poderiam ser mais claros na chegada!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mariana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beautiful place to stay

Beautiful facilities, super comfortable room, great staff, food was ok but not a highlight. We got to see most animals from very up close on the safari however most of the time we are just driving thru the bushes, I can’t compare to other areas but I guess it’s normal. Only weird thing is paying a lot for an all inclusive resort and having to pay separately for water :/
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Christian

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Wird unter Hotels.com als All Inklusive beworben, ist es aber nicht GetrĂ€nke mĂŒssen extra bezahlt werden. Zimmersauberkeit lĂ€sst zu wĂŒnschen ĂŒbrig(dreckige HandtĂŒcher, ĂŒberall Staub und tote Insekten). Ansonsten Super Lodge, die Ranger sind top. Die Lage ist toll mitten im Busch.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tom

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Superbe game reserve

Camp superbe tres exclusif géré par une équipe aux petits soins. Cuisine excellente. Mais surtout deux game drive exceptionnels avec les Big five au rendez vous !!!
Verified

4/10 Poor

Ralph M

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

It has seen its days ... but they are over!

We are repeat guests that will not come back again. The offerings of activities beside game Drives i s zero, food is good prepared but basic (Pap and Chicken and Wors) Far to expensive for what is offered, there is not even a mini bar, the shampoo stinks and the whole lodge has been due for maintennance for more than five years.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Joseph

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Best reserve

A+ Great property, great service
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Giuseppa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A little slice of heaven

Though getting to Makalali is a little tricky, once you get there - it's wonderful. Gorgeous rooms, beautiful views and surroundings, great game drives every day and plenty of food and drink. The staff look after you very well, the rooms have everything you need to relax and enjoy yourself. I had a fantastic stay - saw some amazing animals really up close - and relaxed in a wonderful and peaceful place.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dave

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Superb African experience staying at the lodge

I stayed this November for a few days at the Makalali Game Reserve/Lodge. Everything from start to finish I enjoyed fully. From check in by Caroline to Ranger Lawrence was flawless including viewing all of the animals. The separate rooms are in their own buildings along the side of a dry river bed and allow you to view out from you room, front deck or outdoor shower. You walk along a path to where breakfast/lunch are served in African style. I weather permits you are fed dinner outside in a group setting under the stars. If you have Ranger Lawrence for your guide (he has 20 years of experience) sometime along the safari ask him to give you a "Lawrence African Tale"