Mongena Private Game Lodge

This lodge is pretty but the front desk ladies are terrible. We dealt with a lady “Asa” that kept telling us what was discussed at check in, when she was not even present. As a travel agent I travel a lot, and I know how things should work and do not complain unnecessarily. ASA was unfriendly and unhelpful. The manager on duty knowing there was a problem with our bill, walked past us instead of checking in and resolving things. I will most definitely not recommend my clients here.

I was expecting guests from overseas and was looking for a two day getaway not far from Johannesburg, Mongena Private Game Lodge was recommended to us by Jesse Lemmer of Jayule Safaris. When Jesse told me the lodge was a mere hour and a bit drive from Johannesburg and offered 4* accommodation, including all meals, games drives and a sunset cruise I became very interested. When he mentioned that the lodge was home to the Big 5 I was convinced and made a booking immediately. The route to the Lodge was via the N1 highway and once we took the turn off to Mongena I was delighted to see that the road to the reserve was also tarred and the gravel road into the lodge was only about 350m. The lodge itself is amazing. The accommodation was fabulous. Spotless , roomy, air -conditioned, with great wi-fi throughout the camp, and Nyala and Springbok roam around the camp freely. The Kingfisher restaurant serves a light lunch and is well presented. The dinner and breakfast are also served at Kingfisher and are really of high standard. The restaurant is situated overlooking a small dam, and the only downside is that it is not particularly accessible to those who have difficulty in climbing the steps to reach it. That being said, the staff are so helpful and friendly, and we saw the waiters jumping to assist a guest in making his way up and down the steps. The cruise is a must. The Ranger had timed it for us to witness the sunset over the dam as we enjoyed the drinks and snacks provided on the boat. The game drives (we went on two) were not a disappointment and we were able to see, apart from others, lion, elephant, and rhino... Three of the Big Five on one drive! Thank you, Chris our ranger, for such a treat. Mongena Private Lodge is a must for anyone who wants a relaxing, close to home, reasonably priced 5* Bush Experience. I highly recommend it and thank Jayule Safaris for their recommendation.

I will begin with my only negative comment about this otherwise amazing experience. The lodge is listed as wheelchair accessible. However, the only restaurant is up a flight of stairs. Restrooms are not easily accessible around the property and when it rained, it was difficult to balance an umbrella while navigating pathways not always level. This lodge is beautiful, with wonderful staff. We loved the game drive and highly recommend our guide, Christopher. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and found both a female and male lion, in different areas. We were able to get amazing photos!

Wij hebben hier alleen de game drives geboekt en niet verbleven. Dus over de locatie kan weinig gemeld worden maar de game drives zijn super! Met name Chris is een topper! Het was genieten ! Alles is er super geregeld! En Dinokeng is een leuk gebied om te ontdekken

Who would have thought that less than 90 minutes drive from Gauteng one can find oneself in typical South African bushveld, complete with plentiful game … and the Big Five. Sound wonderful? Our recent trip to Mongena was a delight. We chose to stay at Little Mongena for the glamping experience. This proved to be the best decision for us. We love every moment. We’ll add to that attentive, friendly staff who go way beyond the extra mile to ensure that your stay in the bush is everything you could wish for. Knowledgeable game guides keep one interested with information and anecdotes about the wildlife … big and small. In our three days we saw elephants many times, lions on different occasions, both black and white rhino at different times, as well as many buck species, warthogs, jackals (including a little pup) … and to our delight, two Caracals, and a Python. Then, we need to mention the food. Well, the best is to experience that for yourself. Delicious, catering to different tastes, the meals are scrumptious. Will we return? For sure - we can’t wait!

Mini Family Get away with a small baby ! Our overall experience was great. It was a family holiday with our 4 month old baby and it did not feel stressful at all. The family room was really nice and spacious and was able to accommodate our mobile cot and the there was a tub which was great bath our little one. The food at the restaurant blew our expectations and we were pleasantly surprised that lunch was also included in our package. The restaurant staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The game drives were really good and we saw quite a bit of Game, however it felt like some of the rangers weren’t very clued up on the park and just relied on radio comms to take guest to a sighting. Providing a bit more info on the park, bird life, fauna and flora etc of the area would have been nice to complete the overall experience