2 outdoor pools, pool umbrellas, pool loungers

Reviews of aha Bongani Mountain Lodge

3.5 out of 5
aha Bongani Mountain Lodge
Off N4, MTHETHOMUSHA GAME RESERVE., Kaapmuiden, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 15 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 39 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.6/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

Megan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Back to Bongani
We first stayed at Bongani Mountain Lodge 15 years ago and returned when we saw it on special over new year. Not much has changed in 15 years. We had a nice time - the food was good and our ranger and tracker were pleasant and informative. I would not rate this lodge as luxury. The room, with a queen size bed, had seen better days and with the thatch roof and poor choice of tiles it always seemed a bit grubby. The game viewing is not great. There are not many animals to be seen and as much as the ranger provided interesting info about what we did see - if you are after real Big 5 game viewing this is not the place for you. The food appealed to South African tastes and there was a good choice. If anything the compressed times because of lockdown meant that we were fed a little bit too much over a shorter space of time. I don't think I would rush back to Bongani and would have been seriously disappointed if we had paid full price. It was nice but not amazing.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Nicole, Johannesburg

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It is clearly advertised on Expedia that it is in Kruger Park - it is not inside the park, but in a game reserve next to it - so slightly misleading as I was under the impression that it was INSIDE Kruger! Also, if you follow Google Maps it gets you horribly lost - after reading a ton of reviews the day before the trip, we realised we had to contact the lodge directly for written directions or we should call them when we get to the point (or when you get lost). It’s not in the nicest locations so getting lost is quite unsettling. It should also be recommended to arrive with a vehicle that has good ground clearance as the gravel road is quite bad in places. However, after arriving at the Welcome Centre to park your car and take a 30 minute drive up to the lodge - it was wonderful. All staff (namely Pascal) were so friendly and accommodating and immediately felt relaxed. The head Chef was great and willing to accommodate any request thrown at him. The game rangers were AMAZING! We had Wonderboy and Sandile. We then had Jabu and Thokozani - who were so knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour - there was no question left unanswered and looked forward to the drives with them. The food was great and the accommodation was lovely (could start replacing the bed linen as it is ripped and got holes), but overall clean and comfortable.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

mosibudi rebecca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great experience
Great experience and fantastic accommodation. The highlight of the trip was the hospitality and friendliness of all the staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

BillyCraigens, New Jersey USA

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean and spacious.Cleaned twice daily.Best bed I’ve slept in👍
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Laleh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quick safari holiday
Great experience and amazing staff! Food was delicious and game drives were amazing
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Cindy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best staff EVER!!!
The staff,the food and game drives were fantastic!!! I do believe that the chalets could be upgraded a bit. I felt that the drive to the welcome center was not a nice drive and better signs needs to be set up and warning of the cattles and bad roads needs to be stipulated. The staff are wonderful each and every one of them!!@
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was an adventure and all the staff were very enthusiastic, we had s very pleasant stay in a wonderful environment
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This lodge was awesome. Great accommodations and great staff. Highly recommended.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Jabu on 30 Jan 2019
Dear Guest Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate your positive feedback. we hope to see you again at Bongani in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Our stay at Aha Bongani could not have been better: all meals were included, food was excellent, game drives by experience drivers, very personalized service, excellent amenities and accomodations, etc. The staff was outstanding, accomodating all our requests and much more. The lodge is a bit isolated in the mountains, but easy to reach by the shuttles provided by the hotel. It is also close to Malelane Gate of Kruger Park. Frankly, this is an extremely good value for the price paid, I would return anytime.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Jabu on 30 Jan 2019
Dear Guest Thank you for taking your time to review your stay with us. I am very much please to hear you have enjoyed your stay with us. we appreciate the good scores and comments and we hope to see you again back at Bongani mountain lodge in the near future Kind Regards Jabulani

10/10 Excellent

Paul, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful experience, only marred by there manager having to ask me for more money, as your agent put that the two rooms I booked were single occupancy both my name which I did notice but thought was printing error. As I ask especially for one twin and one double for four people,and surely there would of been a single occupancy surcharge. I would be interested on your thoughts Paul Davies
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Kristi, Chicago, IL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mountain Lodge Safari
My husband and I visited the lodge with our two children over the holidays and we had an excellent experience. They were very accommodating for the children as well. Lovely mountain lodge with friendly staff and good food. Rooms were comfortable and well appointed with private decks. Impalas and monkeys would roam around the property during the day. We went on three safaris during our trip and saw a ton of animals; zebra, giraffe, rhinos, Impalas, Cape Buffalo, and a herd of elephants. Lots of birds and lizards as well. The pool and sun deck were very relaxing with amazing views of the mountains and valley below. Beware, the lodge is not easy to get to. We followed Google Maps to get to the lodge and it brought us on a treacherous route. We ended up having to turn around and go back to the beginning of town where we saw a sign pointing to the lodge. Be prepared with directions before you go and follow the sign for the lodge. You will first enter the reserve and then proceed to the welcome center where you will park and leave your car. A guide will then escort you up the mountain to the lodge in an Land Cruiser, a mini safari in itself. Once you get there you’ll realize it was worth the extra effort. Enjoy!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017
Response from Khabo on 15 Feb 2018
dear Kristi, Thank you for visiting Bongani Mountain Lodge. we are happy that you had a great time at our lodge. We try by all means to keep our guest happy and entertained. Regards, Khabo

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
I'm With The Elephants
Totally misrepresented by Hotels.com I booked many rooms more than half bore no resemblance to description on net, for a start no plunge pool half were duplex style dark smelly and shared postage stamp balcony. The others were stand alone as booked with bath were OK I paid exactly the same money for two different so called villas. My friends with the terrible villas were in tears so a few were moved the next day as they were fully booked the first night these were the lucky ones the others just had to wallow in the sub standard accommodation. Game very few and far between. We were told that a herd of elephants broke down the fence and went to Kruger I'm with the elephants.

10/10 Excellent

Haren, new jersey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice hotel near Kruger and there own safari
Excellent But expedites representative gave us wrong information about Kruger safari and airport pick up charges

8/10 Good

Luc

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel and nice staff
Hotel is perfect but we were disappointed with games drives, we didn't saw much animals, no elephant, no lion, no leopard, 1 Girafe, much buffalo, a few rhino and a lot of impala... Jabu out diver was really cool

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

No cats or wild dogs seen on our drives. Wonderful scenery and excellent driver.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Deluxe Glamping in the Bush. Great hospitality.
Nice family safari in the bush. The approach from the highway to the main gate is a bit daunting as you drive through a village of shacks. This did not give us confidence we had chosen the right place to stay and almost turned around. We are so glad we did not turn around and went all the way to the lodge. It is 1 hour all the way to the lodge from the highway, so plan your timing accordingly. Lodge was decent. Wildlife roamed the property and we co-mingled with the nyalas and monkeys. Fourene was the most amazing guide! Saw elephants, white rhinos, giraffes and much more!

8/10 Good

Mario, Mozambique

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stunning African experience
Beautiful place with very friendly staff. Excellent for relaxing and be in contact with nature
Response from Chris on 18 Apr 2015
Thank you for the review and I'm so pleased you had a great time. As you pointed out a great place to relax with nature

10/10 Excellent

Pablo, Sydney, AU

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
All what had been promised and more
Bongani is located in its own reserve, between mountains, lakes and a few creeks, where animals roam freely and the sounds of different creatures make every minute a postcard moment. The hotel staff were very helpful and friendly at all times, caring for our every need. The food was delicious, very fresh and abundant, and our safari guide Noel made sure every ride was fun, interesting and always different (not an easy task after 4 nights and 2 safari-rides each day). I would definitely recommend Bongani to anyone who's interested in living an unforgettable experience in the South African wild side.
Response from General Manager on 18 Apr 2015
Pleased you had a great time and appreciate the review

10/10 Excellent

Tone, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bongani Mountan Lodge was an awesome experience!!!
Overall I highly recomend this hotel/lodge. It's located in the Bongani region, it actually sits on a mountain and it's a lodge so the name says it all. Directions were straight forward and easy. The drive was bumpy but hey, it's Africa. The staff was super helpful and friendly, the driver met us at the Welcome Center (on time). We saw animals on the way to the lodge which was cool. Once at the lodge the host took us on a tour and gave us drinks to cool down. The cottage was self-standing and away from other rooms (all were like this) and overlooking the valley. We could see animals roaming from our front porch. The food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) was very good and well cooked. I like the fact that there was no IT in the room, no TV, no Radio, No Internet, just a big 'ole tub and nature looking back at us. The indoor/outdoor shower was very cool. I am going back and would encourage you to go as well, you won't regret it!
Response from General Manager on 18 Apr 2015
Thanks for the great review, glad you had a great time whilst with us

8/10 Good

Nicolas, Shanghai, China

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice lodge in unique mountainous landscape.
Nice lodge to spot giraffe, buffaloes, rhinos and elephants very close but don't expect to see lions or cats around here.
Response from Genera lManager on 18 Apr 2015
Thank you for the review and sorry you didnt get to see the cats, they are here but just luck of the draw if they make an apperance or not

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lugar lindissimo!Bungalows muito confortaveis.Piscinas com vista maravilhosa. Muita comida ,nem sempre saborosa.Muitos elefantes impalas e girafas.Poucos leoes.Obrigado Rose,Omega,Wonder e mama Afrika
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Hans Jørgen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bongani Mountain Lodge with an incredibly scenery
My family and I stayed at Bongani Mountain Lodge 3 nights in January 2019. We arrived in a SUV rental car and used the route instructions on their website. The route from N04 and up to the parking area at the lodge was extremely difficult as the gravel road was filled with large holes and very large stones. Absolutely no way for an ordinary rental car. Only with very great success, we avoided getting the car destroyed. Without a 4x4 it may not be possible to run this way. We strongly recommend choosing the road through the village although it is longer it takes only half the time to drive. When we arrived at the lodge, we had a fantastic stay. Every morning and every evening we were driven around on game safari of our ranger Absalom and his assistant Juba and the silent young man. The area is a mountain area where we do not have the opportunity to see the animals in advance, but we drove up and down the mountains and into the bush to find the animals. Our ranger Absalom was very professional and could show us the very fascinating places, animals and birds. He also has an incredible knowledge about wildlife and the area. The rooms in the lodge were big, nice and clean. Staffs were very service-minded, helpful and welcoming. The first night in the lodge we were served food which was really good. On the second day several guests arrived and the restaurant was turned into a buffet. A little more attention on the food would be appreciated.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Jabu on 30 Jan 2019
Dear Hans Thank you for taking your time to review your stay with us. Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience experience of the road to the load. The management team is working on it. I am very much pleased to see you have enjoyed the rest of your stay with us, we appreciate the great scores and comment. we hope to see you again back at Bongani lodge in the near future.

8/10 Good

Manuela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from j on 30 Jan 2019
j

10/10 Excellent

Nicolas, Rabastens

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Un merveilleux moment
Nous avons terminé notre séjour en Afrique du sud dans ce sublime lodge. Cet endroit est paradisiaque, la vue est époustouflante, les chambres magnifiques et la décoration de très bon gout. Le petit déjeuner est bon et copieux, les repas sont eux un peu simples et un peu moins à la hauteur de l'établissement. Nous n'avons pas eu de chance lors des safaris car nous avons vu très peu d'animaux mais les paysages sont tout de même exceptionnels. Merci pour ce bon moment.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018
Response from Khabo on 15 Feb 2018
Cher Nicolas, Merci pour votre réponse positive. Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez passé un bon moment au Bongani Mountain Lodge. Nous espérons vous revoir. Cordialement, Khabo

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excelente experiência
Excelente hotel com safaris diários e próximo do parque Kruger. Recomendo para quem quer ter uma verdadeira experiência de Safari
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2018
Response from Khabo on 17 Feb 2018
Caro Anônimo Obrigado pela sua resposta positiva. Estamos encantados de ter passado um bom momento no Lodge. Por favor, visite novamente. Saudações Khabo

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unvergesslicher Aufenthalt
Wir waren 3 Tage in dieser wunderschönen Lodge. Die letzten km der Anfahrt sind etwas mühsam über Stock und Stein, aber einmal angekommen starten unvergessliche Tage. Die Unterbringung ist phantastisch, exothisch mit Stil. Das Personal ist zuvorkommend und hilfsbereit. Ganz besonders hervorzuheben sind die Ranchers, die durch ihren erfahrenen und respektvollen Umgang mit Menschen und Tieren jeden Gamedrive zu einem ganz besonderen Erlebnis machen. Wir wären gerne länger geblieben und werden sicher wiederkommen.

8/10 Good

Wolf, Deutschland

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Der große Irrtum
In unserer Reisebestätigung stand die Option, vom Airport abgeholt zu werden. Wir schrieben eine Mail, dass wir dies gerne in Anspruch nehmen würden, vom Airport Johannesburg - keine Reaktion. Deshalb telefonierten wir und erhielten eine Bestätigung. Allerdings sagte niemand, das der Regionalflughafen beim Kruger Nationalpark gemeint ist, nicht der in Johannesburg. So warteten wir in Johannesburg vergeblich.In der Lodge schien sich für unser Problem niemand zu interessieren, auch nicht bei der Ankunft dort. Das hat uns nicht nur einen halben Urlaubstag gekostet, sondern auch viel Geld für den privat organisierten Transfern. Dies hat unseren ansonsten sehr schönen Aufenthalt getrübt. Insbesondere die täglichen Safaris mit unserem tollen Guide waren ein großes Erlebnis.

10/10 Excellent

GM, São Paulo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing place for Honeymoon or just vacation!
We spent 5 days of our honeymoon in the hotel, and it was amazing! When we arrived the staff welcomed us with wet towels, to refresh from the heat. Since we were honeymooners, the hotel gave us the best room, with the most amazing view. We could see animals from our room, and take a shower in the open air (Yes, there is a shower in open air in every room!) contemplating the breathtaking view. Also, there was a cold champaign waiting for us when we first arrived in our room. The food is amazing, and you have option to try some different ones. Breakfast is great, with many options to choose. Staff is great and very attentive. The view of one of the pools is amazing, from there you can see the reserve and some animals if you get lucky - we saw giraffe, hyenas, buffalos and rhinos (2 of the Big 5!!). Totally recommend!!

10/10 Excellent

Gilson

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
O hotel é fantástico e tem um vista linda. Animais circulam livremente. O pessoal é muito cordial. Mas é um Safari aventura pois é na montanha.

8/10 Good

marianna, Rio de Janeiro

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
Estrutura e game drives incríveis, refeições não
Pontos positivos: Contato com a natureza e animais, ótimos game drives (destaque para motorista Simon), estrutura do lodge, quarto lindo, confortável e vista incrível do vale e animais. Ficamos no quarto 13, solicite este ou o 24 para vistas para o vale. Pontos negativos: Limpeza dos quartos e lençóis deixa a desejar. Por ser em um local afastado e ter todas as refeições inclusas no valor das diárias nos decepcionamos bastante. Poucas opções de pratos servidos no buffet, não muito saborosos. Em nossa opinião, o almoço é a pior refeição oferecida. Café da manhã é bom, jantar razoável. Salada não é lavada corretamente, por duas vezes encontramos folhas sem limpeza adequada. Sinal de wifi funciona apenas na recepção e é muito fraco. O wifi ficou sem funcionar durante um dia inteiro enquanto estivemos no hotel.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Eric, Paris

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Great place for a beautiful 2-3 days break.
Very nice lodge, with Safari in a relatively small reserve, which means you are pretty sure to see most animals from quite close. Possibility also to access the Kruger park, with an extra charge. The personnel is professional. Watch the extras, which keeps adding up, for instance if you do not arrive or leave at some specific times.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
einfach super
hier stimmt alles. Die Gamedrives sind der Hammer. Danke an Simon, aagula ;-)) und Aron.
Response from Chris on 20 Apr 2015
Thank you for the review

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Kruger come un re
Vale la pena fare i safari, ottima cucina e sempre ben organizzata e in posti diversi
Response from Chris on 20 Jun 2015
Thank you for the review