Botlierskop Private Game Reserve

This is a great property as it has a range of stay options plus a separate place for day visitors who want to do a game drive. The 'tent' was quite luxurious and game drives informative and exciting. i liked the option to pay what you use and not just an 'all inclusive' which is better value for people who don't eat and drink huge amounts. Fully recommend.

Limited transportation! They need to work on this

This is a very beautiful hotel and has amazing safari grounds. Rooms are beautiful, clean and inviting. Overall very expensive for what you get and has a lot of hidden fees on arrival. It is a shame that things such as breakfast or activities are not included or discounted with the significant cost of a room per night. We paid approximately AU$1500 per night and only received the hotel room. Even arrival drinks come at a cost. The experiences such as the safari tour and horse riding were excellent, and the staff members were fantastic. However, staff at the guest services and throughout the hotel facilities were not inviting and often ignored guests. Would think with the price paid and 5-star experience customer service would be better. When seated for dinner and breakfast you have a designated seated table for your room. If asked to sit in an alternative place staff members respond by stating "the viewing tables and window seating is for those guests who have paid more money and stay for longer". Understandable, however, due to the large period of time provided for breakfast and dinner perhaps guests could sit where seats are available. I would recommend doing the safari tour/alternative activities as a day trip only and not staying at the hotel. You can visit this hotel and have the same experiences - with much less of a cost.

Beautiful lodge with exquisite views

A peace of heaven, wonderful staff and class facilities. We back ASAP

We arrived far too early for room check-in, but they took our suitcases and stored them until later. After filling out the various registration forms, we signed up for an afternoon safari and had some lunch whilst we waited. The safari was excellent, with the guide asking what we'd most like to see, and then drove round the reserve until we could find the various animals on our wish list. The Guide was excellent, obviously knowledgeable and quite witty - all of which making for a great afternoon out. When we got back, out cases had been put into our room/tent. Our meals were first class and the whole experience something to treasure.

Fantastic place, the views are incredible. The food was really good and all the staff were all great. Our tent was lovely and as we were travelling on our honeymoon we received a welcome gift on arrival. During our stay we did the game drive 2 times and saw all the animals, the game rangers have fantastic knowledge about all the animals. Hopefully we’ll be back one day.

Such an amazing experience. Beds are very firm but other than that, everything was superb!

Staff caring and privacy of tent .. Room cleaning..

Incredible place with fantastic views, wildlife, food, service and luxury tents. Just perfect. I could have spent a week there easily. Staff were really friendly and helpful and the game guides extremely knowledgeable about their animals.

It was a great stay, they offer a lot of activities. We did a game drive, back horse riding, tennis, and a massages. However, their safari is small compared to Kruger where I stayed previously. Only saw 2 of the big 5, elephants and lions. It would have been nice to see all. They do not have leopards in their reserve. Aside from that, the stay was great, fantastic pools and dinners at the restaurant as well as a great service. I did not like their breakfast as it lacked the choices, a lot of pork choices, but for someone who does not eat pork, there was not much to choose from.

It was just lovely in the valley amidst nature............

Absolutely fantastic place, wonderful staff. Difficult to find the words to express how good it is. Their commitment to their customers, staff and the animals they look after is exemplary. A memory my wife will never forget is sitting on our veranda watching a wildebeest giving birth 30m away!! I can't recommend it highly enough, 5*****

We loved this little hidden paradise so much that we are considering it to be the venue for our wedding! That should say quite a lot! The property and setting is a "must see". The staff and their service is not only friendly but also knowledgeable and at all times helpful. The activities offered are multiple and in our view world class! Although the bar is set high, you can't possibly be other than amazed if you choose to stay here. We rate it 10/10 and can't wait to get back!

Fantastic place which I would definitely recommend. Very friendly staff. We saw 4 of the big 5. Loved the charming decor and cosy feel of the place. Indoor and outdoor fires. The manor house suite was luxurious and the heated infinity pool had stunning views, the food was delicious (including the crocodile!) Unfortunately the spa massage was very average - that being the only negative.

Botlierskop Game Reserve was a memorable experience, from the moment we arrived, we were treated impeccably. The service throughout was faultless. Our two Game Drives were informative and led by Loundice who did really well in both finding the animals, driving and imparting a great deal of knowledge. Lunch, dinner and breakfast were all of a very high standard and variety. We fitted so much into our 24 hour stay, even a swim in the pool. The luxury tent was set in a tranquil setting, across a stream we pulled ourselves over by punt. On our way to the punt for our 0600 game drive, a family of 3 giraffes, ambled close by us. We opted to do the Cat Walk as an extra, the afternoon we left. This is a walk with lions, no touching allowed, but walking is close In close proximity, under the instruction of guides, a great experience.

It was an amazing drive, we did 2 drives and the catwalk in the neighbor state. We had an amaizong time. Very small group, personalized, felt like private. Guides are very knowledgeable. Food was splendid. Will do it again!

From the moment we arrived we felt like valued guests. Chris organised complimentary drinks and nibbles then left us to relax and complete the obligatory check-in paperwork. We were then shown to our lovely room in the Manor House. To look out of our bedroom window and see a herd of wildebeest wandering past was amazing. Later in the afternoon we were sitting on the terrace and three giraffe appeared in the valley below. It was truly magical. Dinner was part set courses and part buffet and one of the best meals we had during our 9 day trip to SA. Delanie, our waitress, was delightful. When we went back to our room, we found the electric blanket had been switched on which was most welcome as it had turned quite chilly. The next day we joined an early morning game drive. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience thanks to our guide, Duan. We were well aware that there are a limited number of animals living on the reserve and found that we enjoyed seeing the fabulous scenery as much as we did game spotting.

This was our second visit. We love everything about it. The staff could not be more friendly and helpful. You are made to feel special from the moment you arrive until you leave. The activities can be booked when you arrive we loved the Game Drive horse riding safari and walking with lions. The food is amazing . We stayed in the Manor House with fantastic views and a beautiful pool area. The only problem was the water in the bathroom did not flow well and was not always warm. We will be back x

Botlierskop is an amazing lodge set in beautiful rolling hills above Mossel Bay. The rooms were incredibly comfortable and the food at the lodge was great. The Little Brak River goes right by the lodges and there is a grassy area between the main lodge and the river that a lot of the animals like to graze at. Our rooms were right next to this area and had a great view of rhino, wildebeest, bontebok, impala, etc. Keep in mind this is a small game reserve and won't be a game viewing experience like Chobe, Kruger, or even Madikwe. The safari here is set among a beautiful drive in the Western Cape hills. I think of it more as a scenic drive with the chance to see animals rather than a drive to see animals that also includes some scenic views. It is a much different experience than the usual game drive and quite enjoyable. If you are going to do the Garden Route or Cape Town in addition to a safari at a big park then stopping here for a couple of days is a nice add-on that is different than what you will experience at the big game park. The horseback riding here looked incredible and is something I plan on doing when I return. They also did a great job of accommodating my 88 year old grandmother who has some difficulty getting around. The staff was very, very helpful. Our game guide Chris was quite knowledgeable and had some funny stories. We stayed for two nights which I think was about the right length.