Mantis Founders Lodge

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 :)

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!

I travelled with my mum, and we had no idea what to expect. We were given such a lovely welcome by Glynnis and Craig and quickly felt at home. The rooms are wonderful, food really good and the staff just lovely. We went on our first game drive and were then hooked! Cilliè was so knowledgeable and if he got fed up with our endless questions, he never showed it! All the attention to detail (eg. decanter of port in the room, a fire in the lounge when it was chilly, a brai for all guests one evening, coffee, sundowners and nibbles on the game drives) whilst making it look effortless is a real art. There will be many a day to come when I wish all I have to worry about is whether I see zebras, rhinos or baboons when I open my bedroom curtains! The Founders experience will stay with us forever.