Monwana
- Room Type: Monwana Residence
- Typical Nightly Rate: $9,800 for 4 adults
- Price Paid: Industry/ Agent rate
Intro
Going on Safari is rather a different proposition to visiting cities or beach resorts. There’s very little overlap between the larger, established players in the international hospitality industry and those that excel in safaris.
Indeed, most of the world’s top safari lodges are either one-off properties or part of a very small local cluster. The only truly major international players are Singita and &Beyond.
With less brand recognition to draw upon, you need to really do your homework to ensure that you find the truly exceptional properties like Matetsi and Silvan.
It’s actually as a result of one of my client’s bookings at Silvan that I first discovered Monwana. The Sabie River had burst its banks and flooded Silvan just a couple of weeks before my client’s visit and I was in serious need of alternative accommodation to offer him and his family.
Silvan Safari
Since most of the top lodges in this part of the world have no more than 15-20 rooms, availability can be a real issue, with the most desirable properties selling out months or even years in advance. In short: I really had my work cut out for me.
Just as I thought that I had exhausted every possible avenue, I stumbled across Monwana. The recent reviews that I was able to find online were all excellent and the website looked very slick, with incredible looking room hardware and public spaces, all photographed beautifully. However, most of the the guest photos online showed a hotel that was 4* at best.
Something didn’t add up, so I made a few phone calls.
It turns out that Monwana was bought and radically transformed by a Dutch couple during the pandemic. They loved the natural landscape and the staff working there and felt that with serious investment in the rooms, vehicles and dining, this property could build on its existing strengths and become absolutely world class.
The senior management team seemed extremely professional when I spoke to them on the phone and were very co-operative in accommodating my clients at the last minute. Luckily, the feedback from my clients’ experience was even better than I had been expecting!
Indeed, it was so good that I started sending guests here regularly and inevitably had to come and try the property for myself, to see what all the fuss was about!
Monwana – property entrance
Booking Monwana
Our clients are able to enjoy exclusive benefits when booking Monwana. This includes:
- Complimentary road transfers from HDS airport to the lodge
- 4th night free promotions
- Combination offers when booking in conjunction with Cape Cadogan in Cape Town
Best Rate Guarantee
If you find a cheaper rate elsewhere, we will work to get the price matched AND STILL add our extra benefits to your booking!
Travelling to Monwana
You have three options when travelling from Joburg to the Kruger National Park area:
- A five hour drive
- A prop plane direct to your lodge’s airstrip
- A commercial flight to a domestic airport, followed by a ground transfer
Option 1 was never in scope for us. We tend to always be short on time and need to get places fast, given the amount that we travel. It would be great to hike along the incredible Drakensberg mountains but seeing them from the air would have to do!
Option 2 seems like a great idea at first, but when you dig a little deeper it has some significant drawbacks:
- It is the most expensive choice at more than triple the price of a regular commercial flight (5500ZAR per person, one way)
- The number of daily flights is limited
- Prop plane flights often make multiple stops at different lodges
- The luggage allowance is very strictly limited at 20kg for checked bags and 5kg for a single piece of soft hand luggage.
Option 3: Commercial flights on SA Airlink, costing around 1600 ZAR one way per person to Hoedspruit (HDS).
This is the option that I have personally gone with every time I go on safari to the greater Kruger area.
The E190 aircraft are very spacious with the same comfortable 2-2 configuration as similar planes used by British Airways. A sandwich and soft drinks are served on the 50 minute flight and the view of the Drakensberg mountain range, towards the end, is absolutely stunning.
As you can see, there are also no meaningful restrictions on hand luggage…
From (HDS) it was just a short 35 minute road transfer, in a comfortable van, to the Thornybush Game Reserve where Monwana is located.
It’s worth noting that the private nature reserves to the West of Kruger national park have fences to separate them from the local towns, ensuring that the wildlife is safe from poachers and the locals are safe from the big cats!
However, there are no internal fences between the private nature reserves and no fences between the reserves and the national park. The animals here are truly free to roam over a vast area of land.
Monwana – arriving at the Thornybush gate
Arrival and main lodge building at Monwana
Ten minutes or so after passing the Thornybush checkpoint we pulled up to the pristinely manicured entrance of Monwana.
Monwana – arrival
Here, we were warmly greeted by members of both the management team and general lodge staff.
Monwana – arrival pavilion
Rather than being offered hot towels we were asked if we would like to wash our hands, as one of the hosts poured fresh water from a jug. It was explained to us that this is a traditional way of welcoming visitors and I really enjoyed the added personal touch that this small ritual added to the proceedings.
Indeed, the hand washing ritual was repeated every time we returned to the lodge after a game drive (just before drinks were offered!).
Monwana – hand washing
As we were escorted down the pathway to the main lodge building, I couldn’t help but notice how pristinely manicured all of the vegetation was. Clearly, nature had been given a small helping hand here and the results were truly beautiful to behold.
The vaulted ceilings and dramatic centrepiece table, combined with the minimalist lighting fixtures and vivid green bar present a design which is both in keeping with the location yet thoroughly modern.
Guests are free to wander in here at any time of day and request anything they might like to eat or drink.
Monwana – main lodge building.
Although the design does a beautiful job of providing a welcoming communal space, there are also several private seating nooks, splintering off from the main dining hall. Here, guests can sit cosily with a book, or just relax and watch the animals at the waterhole.
Monwana – main lodge building.
These additional seating areas are both indoors and out, meaning that no matter what the time of day, there’s always somewhere suitable for those who prefer either the sun or the shade.
Monwana – main lodge building.
Everywhere you look in the main lodge building, there are small details to give the whole area the feeling of a private home. Flowers, books, candles, throws and even binoculars are dotted around for guests to use and enjoy.
Monwana – main lodge building.
Off to one side of the main building is an expensive fire pit area, which really came into its own at night. Indeed, the dry river bed immediately below the deck was a magnet for all kinds of wildlife in the evenings, particularly my favourite: hyenas!
Monwana – main lodge fire pit.
Although every guest at Monwana has access to their own private pool in their suite, there is also a pool at the main lodge building where guests can relax whilst ordering a casual lunch or some cocktails. I love the fact that there is plenty of shade here, something that’s very necessary during the hours of the day when guests aren’t on game drives and the sun is at its strongest.
Monwana – main lodge pool.
It’s still something of a rarity to find fitness facilities at Safari lodges. I get that there’s usually not a huge amount of downtime and lodges will want to encourage guests to use the Spa. However, given the sheer volume of food on offer during a luxury safari, I appreciate any opportunity to exercise and clearly jogging in the vicinity of wild animals is not on the agenda (and would likely become a sprint!).
Monwana – gym.
Clearly, this gym is not going to win any awards but it’s nice to have both cardio and free weight options. If only they added a cable crossover in a Smith Machine, they could actually offer a very complete gym in this rather compact space.
Monwana Lodge Map
Monwana is a very exclusive and boutique property featuring only seven rooms in total:
- 1x Family Residence
- 2x Family Suites
- 4x Suites
Monwana – Lodge Map
Monwana Family Residence
Monwana Residence – Exterior.
Monwana Residence Floor Plan
Since we were travelling together with Kamara’s parents, we were offered a very generous upgrade from two standard suites to the top level of accommodation at Monwana: the absolutely gigantic Monwana residence.
Dining Room
The Monwana Residence is structurally a replica of the main lodge building and its cavernous dimensions were readily apparent from the moment that we stepped inside.
Monwana Residence – Entrance.
Although there are only two bedrooms, the dining room features seating for up to 10 guests and there is no question that this number of people could very comfortably enjoy the surroundings.
Monwana Residence – Dining Area.
Since the Monwana experience is truly all-inclusive, a selection of full sized bottles of alcohol were placed on an oversized console table next to the dining table. I found the Riedel decanter to be a wonderful touch.
Monwana Residence – Bar Selection.
Kitchen
Adjacent to the dining area, we found a very well equipped and stocked kitchen. I like how they placed the beautiful marble table in such a way as to create separation and also provide a natural place on which to set up drinks, which had been retrieved from the fridge.
The oversized sofas in the living room, gathered around enormous stone fireplace, really made for a wonderfully cozy feel. This is no mean feat given the cathedral height ceilings! I love how the designers mixed and matched all kinds of patterns and design elements, filling the space with just enough trinkets to make it feel like a home rather than a hotel.
Monwana Residence – Living Room.
I find that truly exceptional design leads to situations in which you really want to make time to sit and enjoy every available space within a room. In this regard I found that the Monwana Residence mirrored my experience in the Grand Harbour Corner Suite at Rosewood Ho Hong Kong.
It feels strange compared to such different properties but I think both of them tap into this sense of Wabi Sabi, whether the design feels completely organic and non-corporate.
Monwana Residence – Living Room.
Of course, you don’t tend to see many elephants casually strolling by in Hong Kong though:
Monwana Residence – Living Room.
Located behind the living room area was an enclosed guest bathroom.
Monwana Residence – Living Room.
The guest bathroom decor actually reminded me of the bathrooms at Annabel’s in Mayfair and for some reason I found it quite amusing to have a urinal within private accommodation. I think this is the first time in my many years of luxury travel that I’ve ever encountered this!
Monwana Residence Outdoor Deck
Equally as impressive as the indoor shared spaces is the Monwana Residence’s enormous outdoor deck, which is sunset facing and provides a perfect view of the waterhole.
Monwana Residence – Outdoor Deck.
Sitting on the sofas and watching elephants come and go, it almost felt like being in our own private safari lodge.
Monwana Residence – Outdoor Deck.
Monwana Residence – Outdoor Deck waterhole view.
Monwana Residence – Outdoor Deck waterhole view.
Monwana Residence – Outdoor Deck waterhole view.
Of course, much the same can be said of the view from the extravagantly superfluous main pool, which was offered in addition to the private pools outside of each bedroom!
Monwana Residence – Main pool.
Monwana Residence – Main pool.
Every day at around 1pm we opted to have lunch at the outdoor dining table, with a view of the wildlife. This was the perfect timing before our shade started to disappear later in the afternoon.
We also enjoyed a typical South African Braai, cooked right next to us on the open fire, on our final night.
Monwana Residence – Outdoor dining table.
The firepit was perfect in the evenings after dinner but had absolutely no shade during the day…
Monwana Residence – Firepit.
…still this didn’t seem to bother the locals.
Monwana Residence – Firepit visitor.
Monwana Residence Bedrooms
As evidenced by the floor plan at the beginning of this Monwana Residence section, the two bedrooms are effectively identical. Both are fitted with king beds, both have private pools and neither of the two is considered to be the master suite.
What I really loved about our room is that it featured the same minibar set up found in all the other suites at the property. In this way, it reminded me of my room in the River House at Matestsi.
When travelling in a group, it’s always great to have your own private space in which to retreat and relax, when you’re looking for some downtime away from the group. This is particularly true when you’re spending 7-8 hours a day together on a safari vehicle already!
Monwana Residence – Bedroom.
The bar setup in the rooms is truly complete, with a milk frother and kitchen sink in addition to the more usual kettle, coffee machine and selection of snacks and drinks.
Monwana Residence – Bedroom bar.
Our room also offered a decently sized work desk, with multiple different power sockets including universal power and both USB-A and USB-C.
Monwana Residence – Bedroom desk.
Monwana Residence – Bedroom desk.
Located behind the bed was a bench area, leading to a walk-in wardrobe. If I had one criticism of the design here it’s that the wardrobe felt very simple, dark and utilitarian in comparison to everything else in the residence.
Our dressing area definitely felt more Ikea than Four Seasons:
Monwana Residence – walk-in closet.
The same could not be said of our spectacular bathroom, which featured wonderful views from both the gigantic twin showers and the bathtub.
Monwana Residence – bathroom.
A carefully positioned mirror also ensured that we enjoyed views of the elephants whilst brushing our teeth!
Monwana Residence – bathroom.
Of course, no Safari property would be complete without an outdoor shower and the ones at the Monwana residence are by far the most spacious that I’ve ever encountered.
Monwana Residence – outdoor shower.
Leading on from here was our personal and private plunge pool.
Monwana Residence – private bedroom pool.
Of course, many may argue that these pools are far too small to be of any use but when it’s 10am and you’ve just come back from a game drive and breakfast, jumping in here before the shower is one hell of a way to cool down.
There’s also something quite special about submerging yourself in water whilst watching the wildlife do the same thing!
Monwana Residence – private bedroom pool.
Monwana Suite
As part of our site inspection of the property we were able to view some of the other accommodation options, starting with the entry-level Monwana suites.
Monwana Suite Floor Plan
Monwana – Suite floor plan.
Open plan Living / Bedroom
In order to maximise the light and the views, the suites at Monwana are designed in an open-plan style.
Monwana – Suite entrance.
Having said this, it is still possible to draw closed a door which separates the bedroom from the lounge. This serves not only to make the bedroom feel more cosy but also to allow for added privacy if children are using a sofa bed or rollaway in the living room.
Monwana – Suite bedroom.
The living room is rather cozy and compact. However, it’s great to see that that there is not only a sofa area but also a coffee table, which can be repurposed as a second work desk if necessary.
Monwana – Suite living room.
Dressing Area
Located just behind the bedroom is a dressing room, which features the same open-plan Ikea style furniture as found in the Monwana Residence. The amount of space is fine but the overall design and lack of light certainly leave something to be desired.
Bathroom
The bathrooms in the standard suites are very similar to the magnificent bathrooms in the Monwana Residence, albeit on a slightly less grand scale.
Monwana – Suite bathroom.
Monwana – Suite bathroom.
Once again, a very private outdoor shower wraps around the side of the building, leading straight to the plunge pool.
Monwana – Suite outdoor shower.
As evidenced by the image below, some of the suites face out towards the bush rather than the waterhole. This is a matter of personal preference and neither view is considered more premium than the other. If anything, one could argue that the view from this suite offers something different to the waterhole view, which can be experienced by everybody from the main lodge building.
In any case, our clients are very welcome to specify a preference at the time of booking and we will do everything in our power to ensure that their chosen view is allocated to them.
Monwana – Suite plunge pool.
Monwana Family Suite
Although a standard suite can very comfortably accommodate a single child or third adult in addition to those sleeping in the main bedroom, the Family Suites are ideal for groups of four or more.
Despite having a footprint which is identical to that of a standard suite, the family configuration offers substantially more privacy between the two bedrooms, as well as providing a second bathroom.
Monwana Family Suite Floor Plan
Monwana – Family Suite Floor Plan.
Monwana Family Suite
In the family suites, the minibar is located in a hallway which separates the master bedroom from the the additional bedroom.
Monwana – Family Suite entrance.
During my visit, this family suite was about to be occupied by a couple, so the beds in the second bedroom had been removed and replaced with armchairs:
Monwana – Family Suite additional bedroom.
The main improvement for families, other than having two separate beds in this room, is the fact that it also has its own bathroom, located at the rear of the room.
Monwana – Family Suite additional bedroom.
This bathroom is compact but perfectly suitable for young children and teenagers.
The master bedroom in the family suites is very similar to that of the regular suites with the key difference being that it features a sofa, which would otherwise be missing from the suite.
Monwana – Family Suite master bedroom.
The wardrobe, bathroom and outdoor shower are also identical to those found in the standard suites.
Monwana – Family Suite bathroom.
Monwana – Family Suite outdoor shower.
Monwana – Family Suite plunge pool.
This time though, both of the Family Suites offer a waterhole view since they are located on either side of the Monwana Residence.
Monwana – Family Suite outdoor deck.
A typical day at Monwana – Food and Game Drives
In my review of Silvan Safari, my first ever Safari experience, I described in great detail how being on Safari appears to be rather akin to being a hobbit:
Pre-Game Drive Breakfast | 5:30am
Prior to the morning game drive, all guests would gather each morning in the main lodge building to enjoy tea, coffee and a selection of continental breakfast items.
Being a devout carb-phobe and intermittent faster, I stayed well clear of the buffet, however, I was very pleased indeed to discover that the quality of the coffee was exceptional. Coffee can make or break a hotel stay for me, particularly in remote properties where no alternatives are available. (Don’t even get me started on the utter debacle of the €3,000 per night Brando private island only offering Nespresso to guests…)
Monwana – pre game drive continental buffet.
Monwana – Morning espresso.
Morning Game Drive | 6am-9am
After finishing our quick ‘pre-breakfast’, it was time to head to the vehicles for our morning game drive.
The lodge staff would always ensure that our personal water bottles were filled with our preferred choice of beverage and in addition to the handy bottle and phone holders, I enjoyed lots of other small details on Monwana’s vehicles.
On these chilly morning drives, hot water bottles would be filled and wrapped around blankets, which we would then drape around ourselves, using the hot water bottles as back warmers.
Monwana – Hot water bottle.
Elsewhere, we were not only provided with binoculars and a handy checklist of different animals, we even had access to USB power and camera stabilising cushions!
Our tracker and guide made an excellent team and from the very beginning of every game drive, they seemed to be hot on the tracks of some amazing sighting, springing into action even as the sun was still rising!
Monwana – Morning game drive.
For those not used to South African safaris, it can be rather startling to see the tracker perched on the hood of the Toyota Landcruiser with his legs dangling in front of wild animals. However, this is absolutely standard practice and ensures that he has the best possible view of animal tracks as well as an unobstructed and higher vantage point from which to spot wildlife at a distance.
It’s commonly believed that wild animals see the entire game vehicle as a single massive creature and are therefore rather un-inclined to attack, given the abundance of much more viable prey.
Monwana – Morning game drive.
Morning drives tend to be excellent for spotting lions since they’ve been cooling down all night long and are therefore in optimal condition to move around in search of prey.
Monwana – lions.
Monwana – lions.
This of course means that herd animals such as zebras are on high alert!
Monwana – zebras.
Giraffes tend to be a common sight in the mornings too.
Monwana – Rhinos.
Elephants on the other hand, are the Big 5 animal that you’ll invariably see every single time that you go on safari. This doesn’t make an experience with these gentle giants any less special though, especially when curious and territorial youngsters show how tough they are by false charging your vehicle!
Monwana – elephants.
Morning coffee stop | 7:30am
At the midpoint of the morning game drive, our guide and tracker would stop to prepare morning coffee, which was effectively a condensed version of the ‘pre-breakfast’ served in the lodge.
Monwana – Morning coffee.
Tea, hot chocolate and French press coffee were all on offer, with Amarula liqueur available for those wishing for an extra morning kick!
Monwana – Morning coffee.
There was also a revolving selection of cookies, fruit and sweets on offer:
Monwana – Morning snacks.
After the morning coffee, we would head back into the vehicle for another hour or so, in search of a final few sightings before the temperature started to rise. Smaller birds were particularly common at this time of day, with larger birds of prey appearing more frequently on our afternoon drives.
One morning, we were particularly lucky to find a group of lions with a kill; the majority of them appeared to be extremely full and lay panting in the shade.
Monwana – resting lions.
Unlike seeing animals in the zoo, you get very close to the lions on safari.
Monwana – resting lions.
Monwana – resting lion.
You also don’t tend to see scenes like this at the zoo either!
Monwana – feeding lion.
Full breakfast | 9am
After the excitement of the morning drive we would head back to the lodge for ‘proper breakfast’ at around 9am. My first port of call was always to the bar, to order my first double macchiato of the meal.
Monwana – breakfast.
This would be promptly brought over to our chosen table, facing the watering hole.
Monwana – cappuccino at breakfast.
Monwana – breakfast tables.
Monwana – breakfast tables.
At this time of day there would invariably be nyalas wandering around the bushes and drinking from the waterhole too.
Monwana – Nyalas.
Waiting for us at the table each morning was the beautifully designed breakfast menu.
I was impressed by the variety of dishes on offer, since hotel breakfasts can often become repetitive. I really enjoyed the fact that there was a distinct local flair to these breakfast options too.
There was also a small continental buffet set up, where we could help ourselves to a variety of fruits, cereals and yoghurt as we waited for our main courses.
Monwana – breakfast buffet station.
I loved the fact that they had so many different berries on offer, in addition to the more typical pineapple and kiwi.
Monwana – breakfast buffet berries.
Over the course of four days, we tried most of the menu and everything was absolutely delicious. The omelette wasn’t perfectly rolled but otherwise every other dish was faultless.
Bush breakfast | 9am
On the final morning, it seemed as though we were taking a different route to the lodge and quickly it became apparent that we were driving down the dry riverbed of the Sabie river.
Monwana – bush breakfast arrival.
In the distance, we could see numerous members of lodge staff waiting for us, in front of some large tables.
Monwana – bush breakfast arrival.
As we drew closer, we were warmly greeted by the lodge team, who first offered us wet towels to wash our hands with, followed by mimosas and freshly made pancakes.
Monwana – mimosa station.
Monwana – pancake station.
In the past, when I’ve had one of these bush breakfasts, it’s properly out in nature, far from the lodge. However, I can really see the appeal logistically in doing things this way.
This was a genuine surprise and made for a fun change from the usual breakfast set up. However, we still had complete comfort with access to full shade, a proper espresso machine and indoor bathrooms. I definitely prefer this to finishing up a three hour long game drive with another hour sat outside, with only filter coffee, no bathroom and the increasing heat of the African sun slowly cooking me!
Monwana – lodge view from the river bed.
Speaking of slowly cooking…the bush breakfast also featured additional dishes to the other days, all of them slow-cooked over hot coals on the braai.
Monwana – bush breakfast braai.
Optional walking Safari | 10:30am
For those who just can’t get enough of the wildlife, the lodge offers complimentary walking safaris. The recommended time to do this is just after breakfast at around 10:30 am, before the sun gets to the highest point in the sky and things really start to heat up!
During our walking safari, we had a chance to learn a little bit more about tracking and how to spot the clues left behind by various types of animals. We also had the chance to learn more about the native plant life and even taste a few plants along the way. The culmination of our walking Safari involved us standing on the edge of a large water hole which was filled with hippos; an animal notorious for killing more humans than any other in Africa. Although our guide was carrying a rifle, this hardly would’ve put a dent in a single one of them.
However, we could tell by his calm demeanour and his clear explanation of animal behavioural dynamics that we were completely safe.
Lunch | 1pm
Once we were back in the comfort of our residence, we didn’t really fancy walking back to the main lodge building for lunch. This was not a problem though, as we were informed that any meal we wanted could be served in our residence, at no extra cost.
This rule applies to all guests, regardless of their accommodation type.
The menu varied each day but tended to always include a salad, a burger, a fish option and a vegetarian option. We were advised that the menus are more of a suggestion and that if we had any other dishes in mind (including dishes seen on previous days menus) we were more than welcome to ask.
Monwana – lunch menu.
We tried all kinds of different enormous and delicious salads, packed with protein, over the course of our four night stay:
The steaks, burgers, tacos and quesadillas were all absolutely amazing too!
Since we never ordered dessert, the staff felt bad and brought us a giant platter of fruit, custard and ice cream on our final day:
Monwana – lunchtime dessert platter.
Afternoon tea | 3:30pm
I can’t imagine that any normal human being would still be hungry at this point in the day after all of these meals, yet it is a steadfast tradition in the safari world to offer guests a lavish afternoon tea spread. If nothing else, this gave us a good opportunity to stretch our legs and do some minimal exercise on the walk between our residence and the main lodge.
This also seem to be the time of day when the elephants were most active around the waterhole.
Monwana – elephant at the waterhole.
This particular nook was our favourite during afternoon tea as there was plenty of space for the four of us, as well as complete shade and a cooling fan overhead.
Monwana – elephant at the waterhole.
The afternoon tea was presented in a buffet style, with different types of cake and pastries on offer each day. Unlike other safaris I’ve been on, the afternoon tea was exclusively sweet here, with none of the sandwiches, pies or sausage rolls seen in other lodges.
Evening game drive | 4-7 pm
After a busy day of eating and drinking, we would head back to the vehicles for another game drive, commencing at around 4 pm. The sunlight in the evenings was fantastic for taking photos with lots of dramatic shadows cast by the foliage, as the golden rays of the dwindling sun passed through them.
Although it was a bit sad to see the gouge on the side of this rhino on our first afternoon game drive, I couldn’t help but feel that seeing this hardy and tenacious animal going about its business in a less than pristine way was far preferable to seeing a ‘show rhino’ perfectly manicured and walking around a small enclosure in a zoo.
Monwana – rhino with afternoon light.
A big part of going on Safari is understanding the complex and delicate interplay between the various different species. One thing is certain – vultures are your friends, since they are always a surefire indicator of hunting activity taking place.
Monwana – vultures.
Upon spotting these vultures, our guide and tracker quickly found some lion tracks.
Monwana – following lion tracks.
We drove around for nearly an hour on an off road trying to find the lions, until the decision was taken that it would be better to try and find them on foot.
Soon enough, our amazing team was able to track them down. We hit the jackpot, finding a large pride of lions together with their kill.
There was something quite amusing about the juxtaposition between the cuteness of the tiny lion cub and the absolute devastation of the Buffalo carcass next to him. Again, this is not the kind of thing that one sees at the zoo.
Monwana – lion with kill
Monwana – lion with kill.
Monwana – lion with kill.
Whenever there’s a kill, you can always be sure that hyenas will be sniffing around, waiting for their opportunity to grab a free meal. Hyenas are my favourite safari animals; I find that they have a lot more personality than the big cats (who tend to spend most of their time lying down and panting with full bellies). One of my favourite Safari memories ever is seeing a hyena cub come right up to our vehicle and start teething by chewing on our tires and playing with the mudflaps. It was so close that it took every fibre of my being to not reach down and pet it. I can still remember its wet dog smell, that’s how close it was…
Monwana – hyena.
Although leopards can be a bit boring, there’s no doubting the fact that for first-time Safari goers, they are close to the top of the list of desired sightings. Thankfully, this part of the world has an abundance of leopards and the Kruger concessions are pretty much guaranteed to deliver sightings of the big five over the course of a four night stay.
We were fortunate enough to spot leopards on two separate occasions on our evening game drives. Typically you’re most likely to see them up a tree, since they are able to easily carry their prey in their mouth and climb trees to avoid other predators. Once up a tree, the leopard will stay put until it’s finished its meal.
This means that once one guide spots the leopard, they’ll radio ahead to all the others at the lodge to let them know where to come for a guaranteed sighting.
Monwana – leopard sighting.
Less common are sightings of leopards on the move since they are quick and stealthy. However, we were fortunate enough to have one such encounter:
Monwana – leopard sighting.
Another less-spotted safari animal is the crocodile, which we were fortunate enough to spot on our third afternoon game drive.
Monwana – crocodile.
However, my favourite sighting was undoubtedly this very photogenic male, missing one of his eyes and looking like a real life clone of scar from The Lion King:
Monwana – older male lion.
As the sun began to set over the African wilderness, our guide and tracker would begin to scout for a suitable spot for our sundowners.
Monwana – sunset.
Sundowners | 6pm
Sundowner service is an iconic part of the Safari experience: chatting with our tracker, guide and fellow guests, with a G&T in hand and the sun slowly setting on the horizon in front of us.
Monwana – sundowners.
To be honest, the beverage selection provided on day one was rather underwhelming. Jameson, Absolut and Tanqueray are not exactly premium brands. Indeed, the lodge had far more interesting South African gins on offer, for example, which we made sure to request on subsequent days. Similarly, none of us touched the still wines on day one but it was no problem to switch these out for bottles of MCC from day 2 onwards.
Monwana – sundowners.
Thankfully, when it came to the snacks, the low carbon, high-protein memo was understood from day one!
Monwana – sundowners.
Once the sun began to fully set, the crew would pack everything up and we would drive back to camp in the dark. Our tracker would deploy his spotlight in order to hopefully spot nocturnal animals like gennets, honey badgers, pangolins and aardvarks.
Honestly though, your chances of spotting anything other than the first on that list are infinitesimally small.
Monwana – sunset.
Dinner | 7:30pm
After the evening game drive, most guests would usually head directly to the bar to enjoy a few drinks together with all the guides. This was a great opportunity to learn about the things that other guests had seen and ask questions to different guides, who may specialise in different types of animals or plants than your own.
Monwana – evening drinks.
At this point, it’s probably worth mentioning how extremely impressive and extensive the Monwana drinks list is. Everything that is displayed without a price is included free of charge (and could potentially be taken out as a sundowner, as well as being available at the lodge, all day long).
Monwana Drink List
After one or two drinks, the lodge guests would begin moving towards their allocated dinner tables.
Monwana – dinner tables.
The dinner menu changed every night, but the same rules as lunch applied. This never happened to us but should nothing from the menu have appealed, we could have always asked for whatever we wanted, off menu.
Monwana Dinner Menu
Dinner always started with the chef’s daily amuse bouche, served in a shot glass. This would invariably lean towards an acidic flavour profile, in order to get our mouths watering for the meal ahead.
The bread was freshly baked at the lodge each day, presented to us on a central pedestal and served alongside a selection of freshly churned butter, extra-virgin olive oil and flakes of sea salt.
Monwana – bread service at dinner.
We all agreed that the soups were a real highlight, although the arancini balls were a popular choice of starter too:
Although the freshly made pasta was excellent I have to say that the quality of the meat, as well as its presentation, was truly spectacular!
Although I’m not really a dessert guy, the others indulged most evenings and the praise was absolutely unanimous.
Private Braai Dinner | 7:30pm – final night
As I mentioned earlier, we were offered the opportunity to have a very special South African braai dinner on our final evening at Monwana. This started with drinks being served in the outdoor terrace, as the chef got the coals up to cooking temperature.
Monwana Residence – private Braai.
It was great to spend an extended period of time out here in the evening, as the pool illumination and lanterns really transformed the feel of the place. Echoing my comments when I reviewed Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru in the Maldives, I actually enjoy these outdoor decks a lot more once the sun goes down and you can fully relax, without constantly seeking shade and shelter from the heat of the sun!
Monwana Residence – nighttime pool illumination.
Just as we were finishing up our drinks, we were informed by the chef that the food was ready, so we headed over to the dining table to enjoy our feast!
Monwana Residence – Private braai dinner.
The meal began with a delicious amuse bouche and soup…
…followed by an absolutely gigantic quantity of barbecued meat and vegetables. This looks like enough to feed 8 rather than 4 people but we did our very best to get through as much of it as possible!
Monwana Residence – Private braai dinner.
Once again, saying no to dessert did not appear to be an option, although the others let me off, since I had done the heavy lifting when it came to devouring all of the grilled meat.
Monwana Residence – Private braai dinner dessert.
Conclusion
Basics Checklist
☑︎ Power sockets near the bed
☑︎ Easy to understand light switches
☑︎ Coffee machine in the room
☑︎ Separate shower and bath
☑︎ Blackout blinds
☑︎ Stable, fast and free Wifi
☑︎ Feather pillows
☑︎ Quiet and powerful aircon
Monwana was an absolutely magical experience from start to finish.
Since our visit, the accolades have come thick and fast, with Monwana most recently being awarded the No.1 African Safari Lodge in the 2024 Travel+Leisure awards. Given everything that we experienced, I’d say that this is well and truly deserved.
The design manages to perfectly embody a sense of place, whilst remaining decidedly modern and veering away from the usual pastiche of pith helmets and zebra print rugs. Clearly a lot of thought went into the details in the rooms and they are every bit as impressive as top resort properties in places like the Maldives or Thailand.
With only seven rooms in total, you would expect the service quality to be outstanding, which indeed it was. Not only was every aspect of the F&B fully customisable but staff were very quick to learn our names and personal preferences and proactively offered us the things they thought we would like, before we even had time to order them ourselves!
The trackers and guides are clearly highly experienced and are as good as I’ve encountered anywhere. The game vehicles also included a number of thoughtful touches and details (like USB ports) that I have yet to see at other properties.
Most importantly of all: the quality of the game viewing is outstanding. There are never any crowds around the animal sightings, you can go off-road whenever your guide feels it will be beneficial and given the absolute abundance of animal sightings during our visit, it seems to be a forgone conclusion that you will see all of the big five animals after your first four or five game drives.
Monwana is a property that I will continue to recommend to our clients without reservation; indeed my biggest worry as always finding availability, since the property has deservedly become very popular over the last year!
Book Monwana with added benefits
Our clients are able to enjoy exclusive benefits when booking Monwana. This includes:
- Complimentary road transfers from HDS airport to the lodge
- 4th night free promotions
- Combination offers when booking in conjunction with Cape Town hotels
Best Rate Guarantee
If you find a cheaper rate elsewhere, we will work to get the price matched AND STILL add our extra benefits to your booking!
