Sondela Nature Reserve & Spa Makhato Lodges

The facilities at the main complex is great.

Someone at the main complex on a speaker announcing things all day or leading a bingo event is quite annoying. We would suggest to keep the announcements to a minimum and to take the bingo to the side. We stayed at Makhato 30 Double bed was quite uncomfortable. Roofs leaks are plenty. Suggest insect gauze on at least one window per room

Liked the location

The rooms were separated if you have kids this is a problem. It was individual huts away from each other. Also it needs a dishwasher

Makhato 81 - aircons in rooms, spacious.

Makhato 80 - no aircons

Loved the location of the unit and the reserve itself. Andre was really helpful and friendly. Loved the animals that visited us at the unit

House needs an upgrade..pots and pans old and rusty..plates and glasses chipped and other kitchen equipment old. Door handles old..some were repaired while we were there.

What a terrible experience that cost a lot of money. What we thought will be a wonderful family holiday, turned out to be a disaster.

According to the booking, the place will be serviced every day. It was serviced only once...the day after we arrived we arrived. When I required about what time the cleaning staff will arrive, the receptionist told me that they will not be cleaning today, because it's Wednesday. I still don't understand that... The toilet in one bathroom was leaking, that resulted in urine all over the floor. The geyser as well as the oven kept tripping the power. The kitchen that was supposedly fully equipped... In fact it was very poorly equipped, with half the utensils broken, including the grater, tin opener, egg flipper etc. Not one salad bowl or big oven glassware to be found. The frying pans are in such a bad state, and so warped that we couldn't use it. No plastic storage containers could be found either. The stove and oven were absolutely disgustingly dirty. We found a black bag tied to the door every day with one toilet roll. Keep in mind this is a unit for 8 people. The staff in reception does not have a clue as to what is going on there. To say that there was absolutely no communication is the understatement of 2025. Overall, it was an absolute disaster for a lot of money. Sondela will definitely never see us again.

Makhato 31 was great and comfortable

Makhato 23 was not comfortable clean or pleasant, it is run done very dirty under the beds and the outside feels uncomfortable. The unit is stuffy and very hot

Beautiful, peaceful location where wildlife often passes by. The homes are well spaced, giving you and your group the privacy to truly enjoy a secluded bush retreat.

The houses are not well maintained. We booked two houses and both had issues that could have been easily fixed. In one house, two toilet seats were loose and one came off completely. The fridge could not close due to excessive ice buildup and was not working properly—if we hadn’t booked a second house, this would have been a major problem as we wouldn’t have had access to a usable fridge. The toilets also had visible marks. In the second house, a kitchen unit door was loose and eventually came off. The property clearly needs proper maintenance. It has great potential, but without upkeep, I’m afraid I wouldn’t visit again.

I loved everything!! The staff were so friendly and helpful, the location was great, not too far from JHB. The facilities were stunning and well equipped with everything we could have needed and more. Loved the variety of activities on offer. The restaurant food was delicious. Animal sightings were frequent and we were able to see some right outside our chalet. Game drives were so informative and enjoyable and game rangers were friendly and funny. The spa is stunning and the packages offered are reasonable and so worth it. I can't say enough good things about Sondela.

The WhatsApp channel with the schedule wasn't updated often.