Founders Lodge by Mantis

O Founders Lodge é, de longe, o melhor hotel em que já estivemos. A hospitalidade é elevada ao nível mais alto possível, e tudo acontece com excelência. O lugar é um refúgio, você se sente longe de tudo, imerso na conexão com a natureza. O quarto é confortável, aconchegante, e mantido diariamente com todo o cuidado. A vista da varanda é incrível, seja pelo nascer do sol magnífico, ou pelos rinocerontes, zebras, javalis e antílopes que pareciam morar no jardim. A comida impecável! Cada refeição era uma surpresa, pratos incríveis e ambientes escolhidos e decorados especialmente pra gente! A equipe é magnífica, antecipam cada passo seu, oferecendo e servindo exatamente o que você precisa! Ao mesmo tempo que são extremamente cordiais, são divertidos e amam conversar, você sente que está entre amigos! Os games drives são o ponto alto! Nosso guia, Mathew, foi absolutamente impecável! Fazia todo o esforço para que víssemos o máximo de animais, nos contava curiosidades e nos ensinava sobre tudo que estávamos vendo, sempre checando se estávamos bem e nos deixando apreciar tudo com calma e tranquilidade! Foi uma mistura perfeita de contemplação e aventura! Tínhamos expectativas altas para o safari, mas o Founders Lodge conseguiu superar todas elas! Não temos palavras pra expressar nossa gratidão e o quanto amamos a experiência!

Wow wow wow what an amazing place to stay, Craig, Glynis, our amazing game driver Matt and all of the staff were so welcoming, friendly and so helpful. The two rooms we had were superb with spectacular views of the animals that decided to come and visit the lodge that day, there is also the added bonus of having the watering hole with the hide just a stone’s throw away which made it so you could get really close to the animals and watch them have a drink. The game drives were exceptional, our driver Matt was knowledgeable and passionate about all the wildlife, we still can not believe how close we got to so many animals from elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, a variety of antelope, lions (my sons highlight was watching up very closely a lion eating its kill), a large pod of hippos and we were very fortunate to see two male cheetah’s not long after they had eaten their kill so they we lazing around with very fat tummy’s and even more amazing, we saw a mummy cheetah with her 4 cubs which are the cutest thing we have ever seen. Thank you Craig, Glynis and all of the staff for making our stay wonderful, founders lodge is highly recommend by us and will hopefully be able to return in the future.

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.