"The towels in the room were not changed in time, but everything else was satisfactory."

"My stay was great. Keep up the good work Mashamba Country House. It was my second stay at this establishment, and I certainly will stay there again."

"The good: Location. Perched right on the Olifants River with stunning views — genuinely one of the best settings you could ask for. Chef Sipho and his team. The food was a consistent highlight throughout our stay. The rangers. Brandon, Frans, Peter, and Lennard were all knowledgeable, warm, and genuinely engaging — a real asset to the lodge. Areas of Concern: Guest experience felt tiered. As South Africans, we could not help but notice that foreign guests — particularly European and American visitors — appeared to receive noticeably more attention and care. A premium lodge should treat all guests equally, regardless of nationality. Front-desk service. One receptionist in particular was dismissive when we raised concerns, brushing them aside rather than addressing them. This is not the level of service one expects from a lodge of this calibre. Game drive logistics were poorly managed. Guides are assigned to specific guests, meaning a group of five may be split across vehicles — often without any effort from staff to accommodate family groups. We ended up rearranging seats ourselves. To make matters worse, despite being asked before every drive how many guests would attend, vehicles consistently arrived with insufficient snacks and drinks. Collecting that information and doing nothing with it undermines the whole point. Maintenance requests were ignored. We reported a lighting issue in our lodge and it was never resolved during our stay. If you are looking for a classic European or American safari experience, Nyati may suit you well. For South African guests expecting genuine hospitality across the board, you may find yourself disappointed. We hope the management takes this feedback constructively — the foundations are there, but the service consistency needs significant attention."

"Beautiful surrounding scenery"

"We are a family of 4, our kids are 19 and 21. We spent 5 nights at Rukiya. Our stay here was the highlight of the entire South Africa trip. The gamedrives are amazing! It’s a complete package of tracking animals, spotting animals and beautiful surroundings. Breakfast during the morning drive, as well as the sunset drinks are divine!! The camp is located at a river where we spotted a hippo and a crocodile. Impala’s also come by. The tents are comfortable, the food is good, the pool is a little chilly but very nice. What we appreciated most about Rukiya is the friendliness of the staff. They made us feel welcome. Also, their love for the animals/nature and their job definitely comes across!! "

"The windows of the cabin could be refurbished so that guests can be appreciate the nice views of the mountain range outside. The experience provided by the property is good value for money. It was easy to navigate to the property. However, the walls are thin and you can easily hear what’s happening next door which can affect one’s quality of sleep especially during the quiet hours of the night. The rooms are not spacious but livable unless if you’re claustrophobic. "

"We enjoyed our stay . We had booked an 8 sleeper chalets. The rooms were clean but please get more kitchen utensils, especially for a 8sleeper house , it needs more bowls , wine opener etc."

"Loved our stay, staff, food, location and room were all fantastic. Staff went out of their way to make us feel welcomed and well looked after. The rooms are spacious, clean and luxurious and the breakfasts and dinner were delicious. Loved having access to bicycles to explore the estate especially when you bump into giraffe and zebra. Cant wait to return already!"

"The hotel is in an excellent location, has all meals included, and 2 game drives, one in the morning and another in the late afternoon. The reserve is rich in savanna animals; we saw a leopard and several lionesses. I recommend it!"