Bayethe Safari Lodge

Victoria P

This was the best short vacation of my life. Everything was perfect from the moment of arrival, the transfer from the airport to the safari lodge, and back to the airport. We stayed at Bayethe Safari Lodge for 4 nights. The tent, interior details, bed, pillows, and linens were all of the highest quality. The food was excellent, even exquisite. The lodge is surrounded by greenery with a beautiful view of the river. There are 12 tents in the lodge, each situated at a considerable distance from the others. This means that your privacy is not disturbed, even by sounds. It’s a marvelous place for those who want to recharge and escape the hustle and bustle of the city. If you love silence and the sounds of nature, this is the place for you! And, of course, the game drives. We stayed at the hotel for 4 nights, and initially, I wondered if that might be too long. That’s 8 game drives, each lasting 3 hours. Would such an activity become monotonous? How mistaken I was! If it were possible to extend our stay at the lodge, I would have done so. We went on game drives every morning and afternoon with our wonderful ranger, Ruan. We were incredibly lucky to have Ruan with us, as our interests and temperaments matched perfectly. It was fascinating to listen to him talk about the animals and, of course, to observe them. We saw all of the Big Five except for the leopard. However, we were fortunate to see two cheetahs at once. We were amazed at how the rangers managed to find the animals. It seemed as though they were deeply hidden in the bushes, and mountains, far from the road, yet the rangers managed to locate them each time. This was our first time in South Africa and on a game drive, so every new animal we saw brought a lot of emotions and admiration. Our ranger always repeated: "Sit quietly and nicely." We were impressed by the immense respect for nature, flora, and fauna. It was remarkable how knowledgeable the ranger was about all the birds, plants, flowers, and even insects. This was our first trip, but we know it won’t be our last. It was amazing and unforgettable; such a journey stays with you for a lifetime!

Liam McDowell

One of the best Game Reserves in SA. Top quality accommodation and food with excellent and friendly staff. Two 3 hour game drives a day lead by very experienced and knowledgeable rangers

Pauline W

It is hard to put into words the experience I had at Bayethe Lodge at Shamwari. From start to finish, we were treated like royalty. The attention to detail on every aspect of this lodge is unlike anything I have ever experienced. The rooms or shall I say our house was beautiful and so welcoming and comfortable. The main dining area's ambiance and the surrounding grounds were impeccable and we felt so relaxed. All the staff were so kind and their efforts in making our stay an enjoyable one well exceeded our expectations. This place is like a taste of paradise and the peace and tranquility I felt while staying here was out of this world. The food was absolutely amazing and so many choices for any palate. You do not go hungry at Bayethe! Last but not least, Patrick, our Ranger, with his infectious laugh, his knowledge and passion shone right through his daily commentary of the animals, plants, birds and the game reserve as a whole. We learned so much from him and are forever grateful that we were lucky to have him take us out on 7 game drives. To see the many creatures up close and personal was absolutely spectacular. From a herd of elephants to lions mating, giraffe grazing, rhinos, cheetah, zebra, hippos, buffalo and the countless other species on this land had my jaw dropping every 5 minutes. Visiting the cat sanctuary and rehab centre was so humbling and the work being done to protect and possibly reintroduce animals back into the wild was so commendable. Memories from this trip will last a lifetime and I highly recommend this lodge! Thanks again to Patrick, Nina and everyone who made our stay unforgettable.

stephen de beer

It was an amazing experience everyone was truly excited 😊 and very friendly to be with us , the staff are so eager to be of acitance and very friendly. We emediatly felt at home arriving at Mantis Founders Lodge, I would highly 😀 recommend 👌 a visit to this fine establishment, 🙂 and discover, Where it all began. 🐘🦒🦏

Ntokozo Mokoena

I've never had such a great experience, the rooms are amazing and the cleaners are the best they greet and they smile they are very polite, the whole reception is clean and the stuff is amazing especially the night shift ones that work at the dining hall, Sphelele and Bridgette the best 🤍 I would go there anytime.