KWA MARITANE BUSH LODGE

We travelled as a family group of 8, using three rooms. The hotel is clean and well presented, and the staff very friendly. Our part of the family, a group of 5, were able to use a family room that had two double beds and a sofa bed, but this had to specially requested rather than booked online as the website says these rooms have a maximum capacity of 4. The food is buffet style with lots of options and there is plenty of activites for kids, with climbing, bush putt (crazy golf) and swimming, with a short water slide which has a heated pool (the others are not heated). We went on three game drives, two evening and one morning, and saw a good selection of wild animals, but if you go in the South African winter, make sure you wrap up as it is cold when the sun isn't up. There is also a spa on site, which we didn't use, and a water hole that attrats animals. We saw elephants very close up at the water hole next to the restaurant, and also zebra and impala on a number of occassions. If you are a family, I would say this is the ideal place to go. Having stayed in other more 'up market' style places previously, this is very different, and feels that way. For what we wanted it was ideal, if you are looking for a more intimate experience that feels closer to nature, this may not be for you. It isn't like some of the tented camps for example. It is quite a large resort style hotel. This shouldn't put you off, we really enjoyed it and would go again, it depends on the experience you are looking for. It was my first visit to Pilanesberg, and we saw Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant, Hippo, Giraffe, Impala, Kudu, and Rhino, but unofrtunately no Lion or Cheetah, although others there said they had. It really is luck of the draw in terms of what you catch.

The reception lady couldnt find our booking because my confirmation did not have a number. After a long wait we had to raise our voice so that we could get the managers response who found our confirmation on their emails. No apology came from them except to make us feel like we were wrong for not having the right confirmation which was emailed from legacy hotels

Our work group spent a night here and the experience was excellent from booking to check out. The staff are efficient and friendly. The food excellent and the game drives amazing.