Honeyguide Tented Safari Camps

We were extremely disappointed with this establishment. We are South African and have been to many private lodges in the Kruger area and sadly this was our worst experience. Firstly, the central booking didn’t inform us that as a couple (telling her we were celebrating an anniversary and a birthday) that we were placed in the kid friendly camp and would have to endure noisy, squealing foreign kids on every game drive and at every meal (we had to share tables for meals with our vehicle occupants). We were there for a long weekend and they needed to employ a freelance ranger to accommodate all the guests. He was beyond pathetic and cost us multiple exciting cat sightings because he was too afraid to go off road without the head ranger’s permission. Once he had communicated with the head ranger, the cat was obviously out of view already and the sighting lost. He also didn’t feel confident asking for a standby at sightings and had no light for night game drives which isn’t very helpful! Worst of all, when we complained, we felt management was pretty disinterested. It was, ‘Ooops, sorry’ attitude. There is no managerial presence at the lodge. We are used to friendly front of house interacting with guests and DEALING with issues raised. There is no personalised service or attention to deal in accommodation, food serving etc. no value for money at all.

Honeyguide Mantobeni is a very beautiful lodge with wonderful views to a picturesque waterhole under trees where animals come to drink. On top of that, different elephant families come to drink to the pool, so one can experience these amazing creatures up close personal. We stayed 3 days and they came every day, on one day 40 ellies. That is an absolute highlight. The tents are quite big and very beautiful too. On cold nights, they have even a heating matress. All 3 meals per day were excellent. The only thing, not everyone might like is, that it is a very big lodge with a lot of safari cars. Add to that the ones of the "sister camp " Khoka Moya. They are all connected through walkie talkies and if one guide discovers a special animal (lion, leopard, rhino f.ex.) many of the other cars rush there. Often there were 4-5 cars chasing the same animal which made me feel a bit unconfortable, like hunting...

Me and my girlfriend visited Honeyguide Mantobeni for 3 nights in May 2024. I highly recommend staying at this camp. The Manyeleti is awesome, we spotted all the animals we could imagine (big 5, cheetah, wild dog). The camp & tents are beautifull and comfortable. They go out with 4 vehicles, our jeep was never fully packed. The pool is very nice and often elephants come to drink from the pool, you do need to keep your distance from them ofcourse! Also the camp is unfenced, this gives you the real experience! Sometimes there is an elephant in front of your tent, so you have to wait to get to your tent. The food was the best we've had in South Africa. Every day you can choose from the menu what you want for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Drinks are affordable. Also no kids at this camp, that's a huge plus for us!

You can't go past your first ever African safari. That being said, Dan was the most passionate & enthusiastic guides on all the safari's we did over the 5 countries visited. Maybe viewing the big 5 helped but we heard many a good comment about Honeyguide Mantobeni while staying here. A good alternative to the big name parks in the Kruger region this camp offers great game viewings, spacious tents with hot running water & electric blankets, filtered water & provided bottles, plentiful food, structured days & lovely staff. You can't go past the unfenced camp to see elephants & other wildlife wandering through. Amazing! Food was from a choice of 3 selections daily & there was a well stocked bar. Boma night was wonderful!

Our most recent six night stay at Mantobeni in early June 2024 was our 4th stay at this camp and once again, we had a wonderful time. There is not too much more to add to what is covered in my previous reviews of this property. Very little in terms of the guest experience had changed from last year which in my opinion was a positive. Unfenced, wild, immersive and as their moniker goes, ‘closer to nature’ which is just how we like it on safari. Our tent was perhaps beginning to show signs of wear and tear (zipper/shower pressure) but the general standard of accommodation, the food, the incredible staff and the reserve itself, were all as good as we remembered. Our guide this year was ‘Twice’, who we got along great with and who looked after us well while also ensuring to get us into position to experience some wonderful sightings during our 12 game drives with him. I would humbly suggest Honeyguide look into supporting their guides further by revisiting their current policy of not employing trackers to assist the guide. This was a feature at their camps pre-COVID, one which is once again commonplace at the majority of Greater Kruger lodges and camps and a feature which makes not only aids the guides but which elevates the overall guest experience. That being said, we still did enjoy some exceptional game viewing in the Manyeleti again, which if pushed, would stand as my favourite reserve ascetically in the Greater Kruger area including Sabi Sands. We managed to spot the ‘magnificent 7’ within only 7 game drives and went on from there to witness multiple other memorable and varied sightings across a multitude of landscapes and different areas of the concession thereafter. A big reason guests stay at Mantobeni, particularly in the dry winter season is for the Elephant interactions at the swimming pool. This aspect or feature certainly did not disappoint as the Ellies arrived frequently, often in numbers, day and night to drink. A more important aspect and reason why we always return to Mantobeni, is because of the staff. In my experience they are all simply wonderful in every aspect and make it so we truly feel like we come home to an extended family each time we visit. This not only adds to the enjoyment of our stays and our experience but it provides an immediate sense of comfort and contentment that we do not experience at many other safari lodges and properties. It was again wonderful to spent time btw game drives with Brilliant, Michael, Mavis, Mumsy, Ranny, and Previous as well as meet some newer members of the Mantobeni family. I truly hope Honeyguide and Albatross are continuing to support and uplift their staff at every opportunity because they are an absolute asset to the company and should always be viewed with that in mind and treated as such. Quite frankly, alongside the beauty and wonder of the Manyeleti reserve itself, the staff are what makes our stays at Mantobeni so special and memorable. If you would like a more lengthy endorsement then look back and read my previous reviews of this property. It is a great value hidden gem in a world class game reserve. The best endorsement I can give is that we have been on 20 something safaris and we will once again return to Mantobeni for a 5th stay when next visiting the Greater Kruger area.