Overall Impression We arrived at Botsebotse in the Zebula Game and Country Reserve following several weeks of travel to relax a bit and decompress. We were delighted to discover the property was for adults only (except when a single family booked exclusively). On our first morning there, eager to stretch our legs a bit after days of bush drives we set off on a stroll before breakfast that turned out to be quite a treat. Although our entire stay at the property was a pleasure that early morning walk is what I remember most fondly from our two-night visit.

A five minute walk from the house within the malaria free Zebula Reserve grounds we found a six kilometer hiking trail where we had close encounters with very relaxed giraffes and a herd of elands on that early morning hike. It was the closest we had ever been on foot to those graceful creatures. The walk and sightings made our whole day and visit memorable.

This newly opened luxury house was aptly named Botsebotse for the Tswana “a beautiful and graceful homestead.” It was lovingly built, decorated and run by Christine Hall, a former corporate executive turned hospitality property owner and manager. We liked the combination of features on offer including the handsomely decorated house, nearby reserve grounds populated by relaxed game animals (no predators so walking was possible anytime), tasty and well presented gourmet meals, friendly staff, attractive and serene residential neighborhood and in room spa treatments. Christine especially stood out for her thoughtful attention to detail and warm hospitality way beyond the call of duty. The next time we are in the Waterberg Botsebotse will be on our short list.

Children Families with children were welcome with group bookings for the exclusive use of Botsebotse.

Class Of Accommodation Luxury boutique guest house

Connectivity The only Internet access was via guest cell phones.

Handicapped Access Although there were no specially designed rooms for disabled visitors, the management welcomed handicapped guests depending on their individual requirements.

Length Of Stay Two nights

Location In the Waterberg region of the Limpopo within a comfortable two-hour highway drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa.

Manager Christine Hall

Owned Christine and Jimmy Hall

Pets Allowed No

Size The four suite house was on an hectare lot situated within a 1,400 hectare residential fenced in development of 168 houses and 600 free roaming animals (no predators). In addition to the manager there were two full time employees, and five part time employees who handled laundry and gardening services.

Year Opened-Renovated The property was established January 2009

Lobby And Common Areas The architectural design of the house was conceived and drafted by Christine Hall, the owner. A part time interior designer, she also supervised the property construction and was responsible for the interior design.

Botsebotse was designed to reflect exotic African and modern influences to create a calming and comfortable sanctuary. Salient architectural elements are vast thatch roofs, beams and natural elements such as rock and wood. Softer design elements are feathery edges of thatched roofs, textured natural materials and the interplay between round, square and angular building shapes. As a mark of respect for the environment, the exterior palette was selected from natural shades from the surrounding landscape.

The main lodge has extraordinarily high walls, a thatched beam roof and an open design structure. Teak, limestone, granite and vintage lumber were included to draw in light and warmth. Public space flows uninterrupted between two lounges with stone fireplaces and with a bar handcrafted in stone and solid wood; and a dining area that leads into an under roof outdoor lounge on the one side and an open air patio on the opposite side. With the wall-to-wall stacking doors opened onto the walkway the indoor and outdoor spaces combined into an indoor-outdoor area.

Tan, caramel, brown, black and beige tones predominated in the African contemporary interior design. Comfortable tan leather sofas with clean lines complemented the understated elegance while cane sofas, chairs upholstered in chocolate leather and textured pillows in animal skin and handcrafted patchwork rugs from Nguni cowhides enhanced the décor.

To complete the Africa theme the house was art filled including distinctive artifacts from across the continent: Nigerian Yoruba royal crown; Mashamboy Woot Helmet Mask from Central Africa; Baga serpent headdresses from Guinea; Bwa sun masks with Arabic influenced hand painted geometric designs of the Bwa people from Burlunka and Mali; Juju feather hats from the Bamoun, Bamileke and Tikar tribes of Cameroon; pygmy bed from the forest between the Congo and Cameroon; Senufo stools from the Ivory Coast; Kuba cloth from Tanzania; Bamoun royal bed and rare antique Bamileke stools from Cameroon; butterfly masks from Burkino Faso; and Fang Ngil Masks

Bathrooms Our 10 square meter bathrooms had indoor and outdoor areas with rustic elements and African accents, exotic stone, marble, wood and copper to embellish the cream interior. Frameless corner windows had stringed nutshell window treatments to enhance sunlight and warmth. There were hand crafted Cape reed panels behind an egg shaped stone bath and a double wooden vanity topped with an ivory stone slab and oval shaped stone basins combined with exposed copper pipes and simple brass taps. The extra large glass enclosed shower had shaded marble tiles. Private 16 square meter courtyards, screened with split pole walls with reed panels, had custom made traditional zinc baths and overhead showers. There were rustic arts and crafts items on the screens and African clay pots decorated with grass from the surrounding veld.

Rooms In the rooms, queen beds were dressed with mosquito nets, white hand crafted cotton linen, faux fur throws and leather fitted base covers with scatter cushions while bedroom sliding doors led to rustic private courtyards. There was contemporary outdoor dining furniture as well as a cream umbrella, a trickling water feature and groupings of ornate rustic birds in our courtyards, making them pleasant areas to relax. Indoor temperatures could be regulated via remote controlled air conditioning and ceiling fans. There were also remote controlled and portable emergency lights.

My room, Thanda Room, was on the left side of the main area of the house and across from the Money Mask Room. A bold feature wall in deep red served as a backdrop to a cream safari net, a contemporary headboard in textured black leather teamed with a faux fur throw in light and charcoal gray, black leather frayed cushions and scatter cushions in red, black and cream with beaded embroidery.

Other stylistic touches were deep red suede curtains and a cowhide to coordinate with the black and cream cowhide frame of the mirror over a dark wood dressing table. There were two Chinese chests in muted red at the base of the bed, Indonesian chairs, a black Bamileke stool as coffee table, black and cream ox masks and decorative red Zulu hats.

My travel partner’s room, Money Mask Room, was more masculine than mine. It had a chocolate brown, beige and cream theme to echo the neutral and earthy colors of the main lodge. There was a textured coir on the floor and the window had cream fabric trimmed with chocolate suede.

On the bed, a mosquito net in cream and a faux fur throw in brown, chocolate fray leather cushions, round scatters in raffia, pale cream cushions with subtle silver sequined detail and a fluffy cream throw. There was a contemporary headboard made from woven seaweed, matching slipper chairs, large mirrors in woven seaweed frames, a Senufo stool as a coffee table and a leather kist at the foot of the bed. There were money masks from Nigeria, bring wealth and prosperity, in dark wood with bright gold detail and gold and copper coins.

Meals We were pleasantly surprised to discover for ourselves how seriously good food was taken at this small property. We enjoyed plated servings at meals. During our two-night stay we had breakfast, lunch, three-course dinners, and high tea. There was also a full bar and refreshment stations (tea, coffee and snacks) in our rooms. Dinner the night we arrived, for example, was a four course affair on the pool deck: Black Fig, Goat’s Milk Crouin and Seasonal Salad drizzled with Cape Lemon Olive Oil and Gooseberry Balsamic Reduction; Calamari, Crab, Mussel, Prawn, Portabellini Mushroom and Gorgonzola Tagliatelli; Lemon Grenadilla Cheesecake with Strawberry, Gooseberry, Blueberry and Kiwi Fruit; and Cheese Platter. Lunch the following day was a green salad with a fig dressing, fish cakes and half an avocado with chopped peppers and onion followed by fresh fruit (pineapple, papaya, strawberry, and fig) with honey. Our second dinner consisted of Avocado and Prawn Cocktail; Roasted Loin Fillet of Lamb basted with Moroccan pomegranate glaze, Moroccan spiced cous cous with apricot and mint, roasted butternut, brown mushroom and baby tomato; Chocolate and Nougat Ice Cream Cake with Belgium Chocolate Nut Curls, chocolate and chocolate liquor sauce and cappuccino wafer stick.

Amenities There were two sets of bath robes for each guests (waffle weave and cotton robes), slippers, and two sets of swimming towels (bath sheet and bath towel). There were goody boxes in our rooms containing sewing kits, flash lights, a universal plug adapter, insect repellent, shoe horn and whistle for emergencies.On arrival, we received a portable buzzer to page Guest Relations, Kitchen and Housekeeping staff. There were candles, large bottles of Terra Firma toiletries in olive and honey scent including shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, body gel, foaming bath, bath salts, vanity kit. There were toiletry bottles in the shower, by the bathtub and by the out door shower so that it wasn’t necessary to move them. There were complimentary fruit plates in our rooms. At night the staff brought complimentary bottled water, and surprise treats such as chocolates, hot cocoa and after dinner drinks.

Facilities In addition to the four rooms, set two on each side of the house, the common areas included two indoor lounges, a covered outdoor lounge, bar with DSTV, lapa boma and Bush Boma, Martini Pool (plunge pool) and Hot Tub Spa.

Pool The Martini plunge pool was 4 by 4 meters and about 1.6 meters deep. The pool was small to conserve water for the golf course and the reserve.

Activities Guests had access to self-drive safaris, game walks, cycle safaris, Zebula gym, golf course and tennis courts. On our arrival we discovered that Christine had graciously booked, provisionally, activities for our two-night visit including an afternoon of in room spa treatments, and ATV (all terrain vehicle) bush rides in a near by Big Five property.

Other There was covered parking on the side of the building. We greatly appreciated this feature at the beginning of the unforgiving South African spring.

Cleanliness Excellent

Date Of Review November 2009

Reviewers Article by Elena del Valle

Photographs by Gary Cox

Service Our rooms were serviced twice daily. In addition, there were surprises at turn down time : hot chocolate with marshmallows, chocolate morsels, and rose petals strewn about the rooms and bathrooms.

Would You Stay There Again? Yes

Overall Impression A short drive from Johannesburg led us to shady parking in front of Jembisa Lodge where Ané Van Schalkwyk and Steven and Jane Leonard, the executive staff of the property, greeted us warmly late one afternoon. From the parking area we crossed a courtyard to reach the entrance to the north facing house. After a day in the city and a flat tire on the way we were eager to get back to the bush. While Ané showed us around the house and gardens, we discussed our activities preferences with Steven, our guide; then they left to prepare for our evening outing and we sat down to a well anticipated late lunch.

We quickly settled down in our suites and were on our first game drive in time to catch the sunset in the amiable company of Steven and Toffee, a feisty and friendly Jack Russell terrier. We appreciated the bush setting without elephants or lions that allowed us to walk on the grounds at our leisure. Although there were leopards in the area, none had been spotted at the reserve in a while. There were white rhino and we encountered two during a morning game drive, although they were not a danger to guests we were told. At Jembisa, we were able to appreciate the bush itself including birds, plants and insects that often remain behind the scenes at Big Five properties because of the emphasis on predators and large mammals. With Steven’s guidance we took time to observe butterflies, lizards, many birds and insects as well as spotting bigger species.

We throughly enjoyed our stay at this six-bedroom exclusive use home away from home in the South African bush. The stand alone house was everything we expected and more. Owned by, and the former home of, a British family for five years, Jembisa (a word created from the family names) had all the conveniences we like: pleasant rooms, spacious and varied common areas where we could relax, friendly and attentive staff, savory comfort food, thoughtful details like fresh flowers, turn down candy, scented elegant toiletries and thought provoking bush experiences. The house with three resident dogs, Toffee (the Jack Russell terrier), Fudge and Igor (a mastiff and border collie respectively), had an intangible quality that made us feel instantly at home.

Children Since the house was rented for a single party at a time children of all ages were welcome.

Class Of Accommodation Luxury rental African bush home

Connectivity There was no Internet access within the house.

General Manager Ané Van Schalkwyk

Handicapped Access No. It was necessary to climb stairs from the ground floor to reach the bedrooms on the first floor.

Length Of Stay Three nights

Location In the Palala River Reserve in Waterberg area of South Africa.

Owned And Managed Charles Whitbread and Jane Whitbread

Pets Allowed No

Size The five-bedroom house with room for up to 14 guests (10 adults and four children) was on a 3,000 hectare private reserve. Seventeen staff worked on the property. Although the Jembisa reserve was also home to several self catering rental houses capable of hosting a total of 20 people, the area near the house was reserved for Jembisa guest use exclusively.

Year Opened-Renovated The house was built in 1997 as a private home. In 2004, it opened to the public as a luxury rental single group property. Renovations were on going.

Lobby And Common Areas The spacious two-story stone and thatched roof Afro-colonial house was divided into kitchen, living and dining areas downstairs and sleeping quarters upstairs. Downstairs, the living and dining area was immediately next to the entrance with a large fireplace in between the two. A wood dining room table with seating for six occupied the right side of the room and a living area occupied the left side of the room. There was a small piano against the wall in the dining room. Framed oil paintings and African artifacts of different sizes and motifs hung on many of the downstairs walls. To the left, the living area housed two comfortable looking beige sofas, a coffee table and two dark colored armchairs. A CD player and CDs sat informally in the corner of the living area underneath the stairs.

To the right, past the dining room, the kitchen area was reserved for the staff. In that section, there was also a convenient half bathroom and a breakfast room with a view of the garden and pool. To the left of the living room there was a children’s playroom with a ping pong table in the middle. A small sitting room was adjacent to the playroom and next to it there was a library well stocked with Africa books (there was a musty odor in the library), a television and DVD player.

Floor to ceiling double glass and wood doors in the living and dining areas led to a thatch covered deck with terrazzo flooring which quickly became our favorite part of the house. It was home to a set of well used wicker furniture consisting of two sofas, a love seat, three armchairs with cushions and several tables. A gentle breeze and the occasional gust of wind kept the temperature pleasant most of the time we were there, even at night. The dogs too seemed to favor this area and often came to greet us and spend time with us while we were seated there. They did not venture upstairs.

A garden spread beyond the terrace and led, on the right, to a pool area with a view of the bush. There were seven cushioned wood lounge chairs surrounding the pool and two large metal giraffe sculptures nearby.

Inside, two creaky wood stairs, one to the right and another to the left of the entrance, led to bedroom areas on the first floor of the building. Each side of the house had three bedrooms. The two bedrooms we stayed in, each in a corner of the house, had views to the gardens and pool. Our bedroom each had double glass and wood doors that opened onto a small bush and pool facing terrace. Each bed had a duvet as well as fluffy and firm feather pillows. Patterned curtains covered the double doors and many windows at night, allowing in the refreshing breeze while providing privacy within. There was a ceiling fan above the beds, a small individual fan on the night table and a space heater to control the temperature indoors. Thanks to the many windows our rooms had ample sunlight. Also when it was hot out, the interior of the building remained cooler than the exterior temperatures.

Bathroom Master bathroom one: The focus of the bathroom was a window side bathtub with a green tile base. Against the left wall there were twin sinks. The toilet was in the corner in front of the bathtub and a shower with a glass door took up the space to the right of the entrance door.

Master bathroom two: A bathtub set on a wood and tile base was set against the window. Across from the tub were twin sinks atop a wood base and wood cabinets. Matching wood framed rectangular mirrors hung on the wall above the sinks.

Room Master bedroom one: The master bedroom where I stayed was on the right side of the house. To reach it I turned left at the top of the stairs and walked to the end of the hallway. An initial door led to a dressing area with ample built-in closet space and a safe. Beyond it there was a bathroom. Then came the bedroom area. The room faced the pool and gardens and bush beyond. It had khaki wall to wall carpeting and was decorated in shades of white. A four poster king bed framed by identical night tables and a divan at its base occupied the center of the room. At night the staff would drop mosquito netting to encircle the bed. A swiveling upright mirror on a wood frame stood in the corner of the room.

Master bedroom two: There was a second master bedroom in a mirror position from the first master bedroom on the opposite side of the house. A king bed against a cushy flower patterned headboard and framed by matching wood night tables was in the middle of the room. A wood bench with two cushions sat at the foot of the bed. At night, mosquito netting hung from the ceiling and was pulled over the bed and night tables. A closet cabinet stood in the right side of the room against the corner and next to a luggage rack. The other corner on the same side was occupied by a wood vanity set with an armless cushioned chair, table and wide rectangular framed mirror. There was a decorative fireplace on one side of the room.

Food Staff endeavored to make meal times special. In addition to well set tables they rotated our meal location, seating us on the terrace one time, in the garden another, by the pool thatch, and on the deck. Our first meal at Jembisa was a buffet style lunch for the two of us: baked chicken, vegetable wraps, salad, fresh made rolls (served warm at every meal) and chocolate mouse. Senior staff took turns sharing meals with us. A plated dinner was served next to a lively fire in the garden boma. We had soup, beef fillet with butternut squash, eggplant, mushroom and a vegetable hash. For dessert there were poached pears with vanilla ice cream. There were pinotage and cabernet sauvignon wines to accompany the meals. Lunch the second day was under the thatch area next to the pool with a view of the bush in the background; we had macaroni and cheese, stewed kudu chunks and salad with panacotta and berries for dessert. A chilled South Africa rose went well with the meal. Dinner was beef carpaccio with salad and fried cheese followed by baked kingclip and strawberry pancake for dessert.

Amenities There were travel size Charlotte Rhys toiletries (shampoo, bath gel, body lotion, room deodorizer, and soap), cotton bathrobes, a safe and complimentary water. Game drives and walks were included in the daily rates.

Pool The pool, set a short distance from the house facing the bush, was 25 square meters large; 0.5 meter deep in the shallow end and 1.5 meters at the deep end.

Game Drives Since we were the only guests we had the wonderful luxury of deciding our departure time for game drives. The absence of predators meant we could depart slightly later on the morning game drives (7 a.m. versus 6 a.m.) than when we stayed at Big Five properties. Drives lasted about three hours although sometimes they went longer. For example, one morning we went out at 8 a.m. (the previous evening we had gone out on a night drive and returned past 11 p.m.) and returned at 1 p.m. following a very pleasant riverfront bush breakfast; the staff surprised us with the bush breakfast at the end of our morning game drive.

Steven, the reserve manager, was a young and enthusiastic man. He was very accommodating to our interests and preferences. We drove around bumpy gravel roads on a Land Rover looking for bush experiences, stopping for everything and anything that caught his or our attention. Toffee accompanied us on the game drives, getting on and off the vehicle and on and off our laps and the front seat of the 4 x 4 with experienced ease.

Animals we saw during our visit: vervet monkey, waterbuck, giraffe, genet, eland, scrub hare, impala, baboon, African black duck, kudu, bushbuck, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, duiker, white rhino, rock monitor, blue tailed lizard, ground agama, tree agama, leopard tortoise, plated lizard, and Nile crocodile.

Birds we saw or heard: chinspot batis, black headed oriole, African hoopoe, harmkop, Natal and crested francolins, helmeted guineafowl, emerald-spotted wood and red-eyed doves, Wahlberg’s and brown snake eagles, pied and brown hooded kingfishers, blacksmith plover, spurwing goose, lilac breasted and purple rollers, black collared barbet, lazy cisticola, southern boubou, lesser striped and European swallows, Egyptian goose, cattle egret, black flycatcher, red crested cuckoo, Cape glossy and plum starlings, sabota and rufus naped larks, marico sunbird, puff back, rock pigeon, red crested korhaan, red headed and masked weavers, white browed scrub robin, golden breasted bunting, wattled and crowned lapwings, fork tailed drongo, and black sparrow hawk.

Plants, trees and insets: gardenia bush (in the garden), marula tree, raisin bush, velvet bush willow, acacia sweethorn; and velvet mite, ant lion (larva and adult), trap door and sun spiders, longhorn, click and dung beetles, emerald, mopane and whitewinged atlas moths, guineafowl, white cloaked skipper, swordtail, and yellow pansy butterflies.

Activities For those inclined to enjoy the bush setting Jembisa offered morning, afternoon and evening game drives. It was also possible to go on independent and guided bush walks. In inclement weather (we enjoyed a marvelous thunder storm one evening) or if we just felt like it there was television, reading, sun bathing, contemplating nature and swimming. A local masseuse was available for on site massages and guests could play tennis on the onsite tennis courts.

Curios Some souvenirs were available for purchase in the office: branded Jembisa clothing, children’s t-shirts and clothing, South African jewelry and crafts such as beaded belts and sandals.

Other The property relied on municipal electricity and had back up generators for the water pumps in case of power outages. There was a power outage while we were there and the staff were well prepared for it; it was only a very minor inconvenience for us. Water was from a borehole and sewage went to a septic tank.

We appreciated that the Jembisa owners and staff were involved in community projects. The Waterberg Welfare Society (WWS), an HIV/Aids organisation supporting those infected and affected by HIV/Aids in the Waterberg area, was started by Jane Whitbread in 2000. It has since grown to encompass many areas of HIV support such as pre-school, counseling, treatment and drop-in centers, as well as a hospice. Jembisa and the Whitbread family support the organization on an on going basis. Jane is chairman of the Waterberg Welfare Society trust, a United Kingdom based trust that supports WWS. Some guests at Jembisa have been able to visit the WWS pre-school, and the youth and visitor centers.

Jembisa supported several local schools and invited guests to bring small items with them to Jembisa such as crayons, rulers, books, paints, and footballs to take with them if they visit the schools. The property owners allowed cropping of reeds from the river beds for construction, thatching grass and firewood on Jembisa land for use by local communities. Jembisa also provided staff training for skill development and education on full or 50 percent bursaries, allowing existent staff to eventually work in positions they trained for through the program.

The Jembisa owners supported good management, husbandry and development of the ecology. A land management and development plan was drawn up the help of Dr Faanie Venter to provide protection of fragile eco-systems, and management of the flora and fauna on the reserve, archaeological site protection and river management. Jembisa is a member of the Waterberg Nature Conservancy which is committed to sustainably using and protecting the entire region.

Cleanliness Very good

Date Of Review October 2009

Reviewers Article by Elena del Valle

Photographs by Gary Cox

Service We had opportunity to meet several staff members: Ané Van Der Merwe; Steven Leonard, reserve manager; Jane Leonard, assistant lodge manager; David Kekane, chef; and Cliff Sebola and Thomas Ngomane, waiters. Staff were helpful, friendly and always seemed to be there when we needed something. The rooms were serviced twice a day.

Would You Stay There Again? Yes

Overall Impression One of of the features we liked the most about Marataba, meaning place near the mountains in Tsonga, was the splendid view of the Waterberg Mountains. We enjoyed this view from the comfort of our tented room, the common areas and the game drives. Located in a private concession within the Marakele National Park, Marataba was a luxury and gourmet oriented game viewing property managed jointly by South African Parks and Hunter Hotels.

This family friendly property, which welcomed children eight and older, was on repopulated former farmland now the domain of game animals. Although it was touted as a Big Five area, when we arrived, we discovered the buffalo they had had been relocated to a reserve in another area of the country because they had corridor disease. Of the remaining four (of the Big Five) animals we saw three.

What we liked best at Marataba was the malaria free location, spacious and well appointed tented rooms, pleasant common areas, lovely view to the Waterberg Mountains and gourmet meals. I would recommend this property to friends wishing to go game viewing in a luxury lodge with a gourmet orientation in a malaria free zone; to friends and acquaintances seeking a location for a small group gathering in a bush setting; and to families with children eight years and older seeking luxury and gourmet accommodations in a game viewing setting.

Children Yes, children eight years of age and older were welcome. We saw children that looked younger, and were rather disruptive, in common areas.

Class Of Accommodation Luxury safari tented camp

Connectivity Although there was supposed to be WiFi in the main lodge it was not working during our stay. There was a computer with Internet access in the library. Guests were asked in a printed announcement next to the computer to refrain from downloading large files. The connection was so slow I was only able to connect for the most urgent matters and it took a long time to load pages. It worked intermittently during our stay. Twice of the three times I tried to use it it was down.

General Manager Craig Riddle

Handicapped Access There were no specifically designed rooms or amenities although hotel management indicated willingness to welcome disabled guests on a case by case basis.

Length Of Stay Three nights

Location In the Waterberg, within the Marakele National Park, in South Africa

Owned-Managed Hunter Hotels Family (Ian Hunter)

Pets Allowed No

Size There were 15 luxury tents and a main building inside a private concession of 23,000 hectares within the Marakele National Park. There were 39 staff.

Year Opened-Renovated The property opened December 2005

Lobby And Common Areas The most noticeable feature at Marataba was the view of the Kransberg Range of Waterberg Mountains from the main lodge, lawn and tents. Our eyes were constantly drawn to a manicured lawn next to the lounge and dining deck and beyond it the mountains. The main lodge building was made of glass and stone with architectural and interior design by the Hunter family and Nick Plewman Architects. There was a spacious lounge with contemporary African touches adjacent to the main lobby. In a corner of the lounge there was a small library and a computer with Internet access. Furnishings, sourced from the local community, had Western and African influences. There were hammocks in the garden (a favorite) and pool areas. Original African art and fabrics were sourced by Jacqui Hunter of Imagenius.

One of the first things we noticed was the lovely water feature at the entrance and masked weavers in a tree. Soothing earth colors, polished and sealed concrete floors, African artifacts, and high ceilings characterized the indoor dining and lounge areas. In addition to the interior dining area and covered dining deck meals were served in the lawn, facing the Kransberg Range of the Waterberg mountains. From some of the tables there was a partial river view.

Bathroom To the left of the room a see-through bead curtain (there was a canvas wall that could be lowered for privacy) provided a view to an open indoor shower in the corner and an oval bathtub made of polished and sealed concrete in the middle. A built-in concrete bench with two cushions took up the area next to the beaded curtain. A small concrete shelf on the far wall held toiletries. Double glass and wood doors led to a covered terrace and an enclosed outdoor shower. A full length mirror hung on the water closet door on the opposite side of the bathroom from the double glass doors.

Room Our 54 square meter tent (number 8) was spacious and designed with style. Thanks to the solid structure, high end and sturdy material including the canvas, from a comfort perspective it was much more like a regular room than like a tent. Our east facing Tented Suite (since it didn’t have a distinct or separate sitting area it was spacious room rather than a suite) was the first one on the right side of the main building. The river facing tent had a fly cover over the canvas, keeping the elements and insects off of our inner tent ceiling. It faced the Matlabas River and the bush in the foreground and Waterberg Mountains in the background. There was a six to eight foot wide covered terrace with access to an outdoor shower. Because we were so near the main building and its lawn area and the bush was thin we could clearly see parts of the path and the lawn, limiting privacy on our terrace. A khaki colored bean bag and small wood table were situated on either side of the tent entrance on the terrace. A zippered tent entrance led to sliding wood screened doors. Two identical olive green cloth armless chairs were in the corners by the entrance to the tent.

Inside, there were blond wood floors in the bedroom area, polished and sealed concrete floors in the rest of the room and a tent ceiling. Wood logs and concrete walls provided conventional elements. The center of the room was taken up by a king bed (two twins together) set against a concrete wall that separated the room from part of the bathroom. The bed was framed by identical wood and glass topped night tables with lamps.

To the right of the room there was a wood table with sherry service, writing paper and a company brochure. The area behind the wall housed a doorless closet with hanging and shelf space and an electronic safe. Across from it there were twin brown open egg shaped sinks atop a polished and sealed concrete base and beneath rectangular framed mirrors. The mirrors hung on the stone wall that was the rear area of the room.

An air conditioner and heater unit above our bed cooled the room from the hot outdoor temperatures while the screen doors to the tent allowed the ambient sounds of the bush to penetrate easily while keeping insects out, mostly.

Food Marataba had a definite gourmet appeal and meal times were in some ways our favorite time at the camp. Kitchen staff relied on local influences and seasonal ingredients to develop a fusion cuisine. At high tea there were freshly backed goodies. To match the meal with a wine there were South African wine and international alcoholic beverages available.

Around 6 a.m. a guide would come to our tents with our choice of hot beverages and rusks. During the game drives there was a brief stop for beverages and snacks (rusks in the morning and sweet and savory snacks in the afternoon). On our arrival from the morning drive there was a breakfast buffet and made to order eggs with sides. A plated cold three course lunch with two options per course and one dessert item was available in the lawn between 1 p.m and 2:30 p.m. Items served for lunch during our stay included smoked trout salmon wrap, grilled cubed and skewered ostrich, salad with toasted Parma ham and goat cheese and brownies and poppyseed ice cream.

At 4 p.m., tea was served. This included cold beverages served in small glasses (and hot on request) and sweets. Dinner was plated and served on our return from the evening game drive. For the most part we enjoyed the dinners although Indian night was our least a favorite.

Amenities The nightly rate included full board (breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and snacks during the safari drives), two game drives per day, tea, coffee, and soft drinks. In the tents, there were Charlotte Rhys Mara scented toiletries (body lotion, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner), house brand soap, shower cap, vanity and sewing kits, linen bathrobes, slippers, complimentary water and a bite of nougat at turndown, complimentary bowl of nuts and complimentary sherry in the tent. There was an electronic safe and a blow dryer in the room.

Facilities There was a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a curio shop, lounge and a lawn area with a fire pit.

Pool To one side of the main building there was a 1.8 meter deep swimming pool surrounded by rigid lounge chairs with towels, umbrellas and hammocks.

Game Viewing There were five Field Guide Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) qualified rangers at Marataba. Each canvas topped game viewing vehicle was allowed to accommodate a maximum of six guests. Game drives were limited to dirt roads.

We began our game viewing with Aeri, the senior guide at the time of our visit. After two drives on his vehicle with other guests, Aeri was reassigned to a group of 16 newly arrived guests and we were reassigned to Pieter, an enthusiastic and friendly new guide. We were the first guests he took out. A supervising guide, Shaun, accompanied us on the first game drive with Pieter. Since we were on the vehicle with the most junior guide we had to take the route left available by the senior rangers.

Game viewing was on Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles, open except for a canvas top. The first vehicle we went on (the one driven by Aeri) seemed more comfortable than the one assigned to Pieter. Drives began at 6:30 a.m. and returned about three hours later. In the afternoon we set out at about 4 p.m. and returned at about 7:30 p.m. for dinner.

According to Marataba staff the park hosts one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of Cape vultures. Marakele is reputed to have a high density of black and white rhinos. There were also reedbuck, mountain reedbuck, eland and tsessebe antelopes.

On five game drives we went on during our visit we saw the following animals: Lesser bushbaby, eland, elephant, giraffe, scrub hare, hippopotamus, brown hyena, impala, black backed jackal (a particularly relaxed group that lay sleeping while we watched), kudu, lion, slender mongoose, white rhino, tree squirrel, steenbok, vervet monkey, waterbuck, blue wildebeest, steenbuck, warthog, and Burchell’s zebra. We also saw two types of dung beetles, stick insect, water monitor, tortoise, ostrich and a terrapin.

Birds we saw or heard Grey heron, African fish eagle, Swainson’s Spurfowl (francolin), helmeted guineafowl, crowned lapwing (plover), blacksmith lapwing (plover), Cape turtle dove, emerald spotted wood dove, grey go-away bird (lourie), Burchall’s coucal, white fronted bee-eater, little bee-eater, red crested korhaan, crested francolin, African hoopoe, Cape vulture, blue crane, magpie shrike, crimson shrike, Egyptian geese, secretary bird, blue waxbill, spurwinged geese, martial eagle, namacqua dove, lilac breasted roller and swallow tailed bee-eater.

Activities In addition to the twice daily three hour game drives, it was possible to spend time in the swimming pool area rigid lounge chairs or hammocks, in the library and at the guest computer.

Curio Shop Near the entrance of the lodge and the lobby restrooms there was a small curio shop with branded clothing, costume jewelry, suntan lotion, African souvenirs, and children’s books and toys.

Other The Relais and Chateaux property was recognized with the 2009 Conde Nate UK and Here’s My Card award. Management had undertaken a number of steps in support of the environment. A special sewer system was installed that relied on enzymes and biotechnology to make sewer waters recyclable for irrigation without coli bacteria. Housekeeping staff used biodegradable cleaning products without bleaches. Recycling policies were in place for glass, plastic, tins and bottles. Fires were made with wood from alien plants; energy saving light bulbs were used; air conditioners were switched off when not in use; construction was erected around indigenous trees and plants, and gardeners were mindful of using only non harmful fertilizers.

We were first assigned Room 5 which had an excellent view of the mountains and the bush. However as soon as we arrived we could clearly hear children running and playing loudly from the room next door. When we mentioned our discomfort to the staff they offered to speak to the parents. We requested that they change our room instead which they did within an hour of our request.

Because there were predators within the reserve guests had to be escorted to and from their rooms at night. The main area of the lodge including the dining room, lounge, lobby and lawn area was surrounded by an electric fence.

Cleanliness Excellent

Date Of Review October 2009

Reviewers Article by Elena del Valle

Photographs by Gary Cox

Service There was twice daily room service. Staff were friendly and pleasant, especially Helen and Ana, our servers for most meals. Service staff became preoccupied with the arrival of a group of 16 new guests. We did our best to arrive at the dining room before the group to make sure we had access to the buffet and serving staff before they took up most of their attention as they did on the night of their arrival.

Would You Stay There Again? Yes

Overall the Waterberg mountains stretch over 5000 square kilometers of bushveldt and scenic valleys. Situated just a few hours outside Johannesburg, the hustle and bustle of urban life is replaced by a large open spaces and gorgeous vistas.

Cost Of Visiting Reasonable

Currency South Africa Rand

Location South Africa

Transportation Rental car, taxis and private tours

Facilities Game reserves, small towns

Shopping Curio shops carry ethnic souvenirs such as carvings, masks, beaded African jewelry.

Last Visit 2009