Makweti Safari Lodge

It was a privilege to experience the African bush in such beautiful surroundings at Makweti Lodge. The staff went out of their way to make my stay special. If you’re after a genuine African safari, look no further.

Makweti Safari Lodge is a lovely property in Welgevonden game reserve, but for the luxury price, our stay felt like a waste of money and a disappointing experience. There are only five rooms, the rooms are well appointed, the art collection is unusual, and the table settings are beautiful. The staff on the property were very courteous. The game drives, meals and service still left a lot to be desired. The ranger has the biggest effect on a safari, and after more than 10 game drives in South Africa, this was the first time we felt so let down. Our ranger barely communicated, didn’t engage with us, and seemed completely uninterested in sightings. Answers were dismissive and careless. Some exceptional rhino sightings came about because of other passengers, not the ranger. On the second evening, we expected drinks for sundowners, as is common practice. The ranger hadn’t brought our choices. For our group of four, he had only two cans of soda and the gin another couple had requested. He hadn’t checked with us before setting off, though he could at least have remembered our choices from the previous evening. The finger food was a sad mix of dried fruit and prunes, with no biltong, chips or even Coke Zero. There was no regret or apology for spoiling the only sundowner for our visiting guest. We’d missed the previous evening’s sundowner too, after wasting time waiting for our turn to drive up to a leopard. The staff were polite and courteous, but the food was poor and portions at dinner were barely enough. After returning from a drive, we waited nearly an hour for dinner, and three of our four meals were served cold. The orange crepes for dessert came without mascarpone because, apparently, they didn’t have any. Why put it on the menu if it wasn’t available in the kitchen? On our last day, breakfast was delayed after we asked at 5am for it to be served at 8am instead of 9am. We’d changed our minds about sitting through another boring morning drive with the ranger and wanted to leave before 9am. Drinks with meals and sundowners are charged on top of the accommodation, which isn’t usually the case. At a much smaller lodge near Joburg, without a Big Five to boast about, we had a much more enthusiastic ranger who made the drive interesting with information on trees and plants, since there were hardly any animals to discuss. When a passenger got sick and the drive ended early, so the sundowner couldn’t happen, he went further and offered free flow drinks for the rest of the drive back at the lodge. That’s what service and engagement, and making up for an inconvenience, look like. We didn’t get that at Makweti. The owners or managers should look at the kitchen operations and make sure there are enough skilled chefs. The rangers need to be pulled up too. This lodge has great potential, but for the hefty price tag, with drinks extra, it was a waste of time, money and opportunity.

We’re so grateful to Makweti for such an incredible start to our South African honeymoon. The location, accommodation and food were exceptional, and the friendly staff made everything comfortable. The game drives were excellent too. We’d recommend Makweti without hesitation and would return in a heartbeat.

My daughter and I had an incredible time at Makweti. Joseph was a fantastic game ranger, the food was delicious and the accommodation was top notch. The staff were friendly and went out of their way to welcome us. It’s also an easy drive from Johannesburg. I highly recommend it.