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jet400a
US
Visited:
June 2012
Reviewed: Jun 5, 2013
Email jet400a | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mala Mala is Luxury Safari at it's Best!!!
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mother was nearby. They got so curious that they came right up to the vehicle and climbed up onto it and was chewing the guides shoe laces and were so playful they tried to chew my camera strap that was swinging around....amazing experience!!! I posted part of it on YouTube at screen name jet400a. I will post the whole 15-20 minutes worth soon. My video of Duba Plains in Botswana is also on there.The food, just like every other camp, was 1st class. I can't say enough great things about Mala Mala and its accomodation and staff!!! 5 Stars all the way....can't way to go back and take my family!!!!!
ethiopia55
ET
Visited:
March 2013
Reviewed: Apr 28, 2013
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible wildlife and an amazing lodge experience!
We saw big game everywhere, but one of the more interesting compenents of the safari was learning
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how a complex ecosystem operates – from the smallest insects to the leopards and lions. For instance, our ranger spoke to us at length about the “life cycle” of rhino droppings, and scooped a small mound off our path to reveal an ant lion hiding in its hole – no larger than the size of a pencil eraser. There was nature all around us, from the elephant herd that walked by my porch only fifty yard away, to the amazing stars in the night sky. I genuinely adored each moment.One of the more meaningful moments was the morning of our departure, when we went on one last drive to see the only Big Five animal we had left to spot – a lion. After an extensive search involving quite a bit of off-roading with tree branches whipping our faces, we came upon a pride of five lions, lying in the center of the road, asleep. I could now check off the Big Five! I even received a certificate to prove it.
Narina Exelby
ZA
Visited:
April 2007
Reviewed: Dec 28, 2012
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The park to visit for once-in-a-lifetime game-viewing experiences
Luxury is central to your time at MalaMala, and so when you’re not enjoying the facilities at the exquisite lodge, you’re required to sit back, relax and let someone else take care of the driving. Guests are taken on game drives in open game-viewing vehicles, and are accompanied by a ranger and a tracker. The rangers are in constant radio contact with each other, and calls are sent out when “special” animals are sighted.
Because MalaMala is a privately owned area, you’re allowed to be out in the park after dark, and the usual drive-only-on-the-road rule doesn’t apply. Once you get over the shock of your first true bundu-bashing experience, you’ll realise that being able to look for and track animals off-road drastically increases the quality of your game viewing. Over the course of a few days,
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I found myself literally in the middle of a herd of 300 buffaloes; hot on the heels of two lionesses as they chased and then killed an impala; and spent almost an hour sitting under a tree while a leopard ate her kill.
Thomas Mätzsch
SE
Visited:
January 2007
Reviewed: Apr 5, 2012
Email Thomas Mätzsch | 50-65 years of age
Fascinating, friendly foreever-experience
The experience of Mala Mala Game Reserve stirs memories of beautiful and romantic lodges at the brink of a wonderful river with fascinating and plenty wildlife in a very engaged, informed and friendly athmosphere.
Arjuna & Nehra Nadaraja
AU
Visited:
August 2019
Reviewed: Feb 16, 2020
Email Arjuna & Nehra Nadaraja | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Top quality and intimate wildlife viewing - luxury done well without going over the top
Wildlife viewing at Mala Mala is as intimate as it could ever get. The accommodation was beyond expectations - it was luxurious but without pretence. The quality of food was top draw, but served with a delicate simplicity. The gentle professionalism of the camp staff was welcome and the passion, knowledge and professionalism of our wonderful Ranger, Nic Nel, capped it all off.
With Nick’s invaluable expertise the wildlife viewing over the four days provided us a truly unforgettable experience that included:
― daily leopard sightings, including the Nkoveni female making a kill and the Island
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bend female and cub sharing a kill;― several prides of lion, including the four inquisitive three-month old cubs of the Kambula pride as well as the rare sighting of two females in a tree fighting over a leopard-kill of an Impala;
― daily sightings of white rhino, including young;
― numerous elephants, including an incredible half an hour in the middle of a 20+ herd and the unforgettable antics of the young ones showing off;
― spending time at a spotted hyena den with curious and ungainly pups playing around, but being totally alert scampering into the den at the slightest sound or shadows cast by birds flying overhead;
― buffalo, kudu, a honey-badger, ostrich, hippo, owls, eagles, voyages of giraffe, baboons, saddle-bill storks with young, the unusual hamerkop heron, kingfishers and much more.
We cannot see how the wonderful Mala Mala experience can be bettered. The one negative of this place - saying goodbye. What was to be our ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ safari is not so! We are already planning our next visit. Totsiens for now.
Kevin H. Brown
Visited:
May 2013
Reviewed: Aug 12, 2013
Mala Mala was absolutely AMAZING!
Brett and Yuri were amazing guides. It was a great experience and we got to see the Big 5 in just 2 days.
Carrie Auerbach
US
Visited:
February 2013
Reviewed: Jun 26, 2013
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A beautiful, fantastic experience for all of the senses that changed my life forever!
I believe that this trip could not have been more perfect. The weather was luscious, as was the food. We stayed in 5 star hotels and I am sure I would have been as happy in 3 star based on my love of the scenery and wildlife. The food was amazing, the wine was even better.
I believe Mala Mala is dearest to my heart because of its history. I had read Paul Theroux's book and particularly loved the chapter about Mala Mala. Our guide was knowledgeable to the extreme! (Thanks, David) --
I also thought that not using trackers at Mala Mala was very interesting and made the guides work that much harder at appeasing all the guests needs.
I wish I could have stayed longer. I believe I will be back.
Mala Mala offered complete luxury, a perfect escape from reality.
The accommodation and service were top notch, offering a personalized experience that went way above my expectation. Amenities were fine, but I was not there for the amenities as much as the wildlife. In two days we saw just about everything I had hoped, going out of our way to try and complete my list. The guides were knowledgeable and made sure that my experience was amazing. I would highly recommend a trip here in the future. I drove myself to Mala Mala, an option that was fine but I would not do this again. Too much time was spent on the road rather than at the camp.
Claire Roadley
GB
Visited:
May 2018
Reviewed: Jul 4, 2018
Email Claire Roadley | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Just keeps getting better!
The game viewing again was amazing and a real highlight
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was watching two leopards mating right in front of us as well as seeing loads of different lion with our guide Lucky, who grew up in the reserve. It far exceeded all expectations and I cannot wait to go back again.
zapiture
ZA
Visited:
July 2016
Reviewed: Aug 7, 2016
Email zapiture | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris