Founders Lodge by Mantis

A little bit late writing this review, but better late than never as they say! Our stay was fantastic (we stayed for 3 nights), from the moment we arrived until the morning we left, we were very well taken care of. The staff at Founders Lodge are very good, nothing is too much trouble and you never had the feeling of being rushed. It was all very relaxing. The food was excellent, especially the braii (the chef and team excelled themselves) and the locations to eat change daily, with the most beautiful views across the reserve. Every game drive was amazing. We saw so many birds and animals everyday (nobody can deny the beauty of a water buffalo!). Our Ranger, Cillie, was incredibly knowledgeable, from learning about tracking when we spent time tracking a leapard’s paw prints to understanding how an elephant is feeling just by how its ears move. It was an incredible unforgettable experience everyday. Thank you for giving us a beautiful suite (no 3, opposite the watering hole), the sunrises from our room were gorgeous and a beautiful start to each day. The view of the watering hole and all the animals that visited it was lovely to watch. We were addicted to going to the hide and to get up close to the animals drinking from the watering hole…now home, I love watching the live feed of it on You Tube. If you are thinking of staying here, please do! You will have a wonderful time! Myself and my husband would like to thank Glynnis and her team for a very lovely stay and to Cillie (our Ranger), thank you, the drives were amazing (and the views for the Sunrisers and Sundowners beautiful). Thank you :)

What a fantastic place! All the staff were friendly and went out of their way to make sure we had a great experience. The room was amazing, looking out over the waterhole and with a little veranda we could sit on to watch the animals. The bathroom was enormous with a deep claw- foot bath and a separate shower cubicle. The food was delicious and exceedingly high quality. The game drives were well organised and we saw lots of animals. The addition of the viewing area at the waterhole meant we saw lots of animals up close. It was an amazing experience and we both wished we could have stayed for longer!

Wow, Founders Lodge is an amazing place. Craig and Glynis are the most welcoming hosts and the lodge is just beautiful. Our meals were served each day in a different part of the lodge with outstanding food. We were unlucky with the weather but this did not take anything away from our time here. Cillian our driver was so knowledgeable and was happy to answer all our questions. We will definitely be returning 2 nights was not enough!

This was a really wonderful experience for our first safari. The accommodation was lovely with a stunning view and super clean. In addition, the food was amazing and I can’t speak highly enough of all the staff. Every single person made it their business to make us feel special and we really appreciated it. Our guide, JV ,was fab. He had such passion for the animals and was so knowledgeable. Plus his tracking was amazing. Thank you all for a brilliant stay.

What an exceptional place, and what an exceptional experience. It’s a small hotel with about seven rooms, so you are pretty much introduced to all the staff on arrival. The initial vibe of the rooms is colonial, but there are some great modern touches, like the swimming pool, and the underground hide, that allows you a view of the waterhole. We got face-to-face with rhinos while they were drinking and rolling in the mud. Accommodation is spacious and comfortable, with generous complimentary snacks and drinks in the room. The morning and evening game drives were customised as there were only a few of us in a vehicle. The highlight was seeing a cheetah hunting, but we also saw a couple of male lions, rhino, zebra, giraffe, impala, kudu, buffalo, etc. sadly,no leopard, but they did look for them for us. The game drive is about 3 hours with a comfort stop part way through, which includes drinks and snacks. After the drive, the team join you in the bar for a drink so there is plenty of time for questions. The food at the hotel is excellent, but they do have a limited menu on any given night, so make sure you let them know any dietary requirements. They also did a ‘romantic’ meal for us, which was a little ill-judged, as we were in the library surrounded by candles on a sifflingly hot evening! Breakfast, on the other hand, was generous and extensive. It was also served outside so we could watch the rhinos wander past on the way to the waterhole. From the grounds you can see rhinos, giraffe, zebra and warthogs. All in all, a fabulous place and well worth a visit.

From the moment we were met by a welcoming group at the front of the hotel to the moment we left we were excellently looked after. Within moments of arriving, Glynnis had given us a tour of the hotel, Marty had taken our cases and parked our car (which was cleaned before we left….a lovely touch) and subsequently come to find us to check what sundowner drinks we would like on the evening game drives. We felt like we’d met the entire staff in the first hour and all were very friendly. Craig was out on the reserve when we arrived, but soon found us on his return. Such a welcoming group of people. The food was excellent and even though they were not made aware by our travel agent that my husband was pescatarian, luckily fish was an option at the first lunch, they soon accommodated that and all subsequent meals had a fish or vegetarian option (thank you to the chef). The on-site tunnel to the hide on the waterhole was fabulous and gave us the chance to see the animals right up close. To be able to sit by the pool and read a book and look up to see rhino, giraffe and more walk past was amazing. Marty, our game driver and guide, was excellent, we saw some amazing sights. All the staff we came across were helpful and friendly, but a special mention to Ntombi, to whom absolutely nothing seemed too much trouble. The hotel atmosphere was very relaxed which we thoroughly enjoyed and would absolutely recommend a stay here.