Motswari Private Game Reserve
An African Safari is a once in a lifetime experience and we wanted to stay somewhere unforgettable. You can read all about our safari experience here , but this post is all about the private game lodge we stayed at- Motswari.
Motswari
Motswari is a vintage safari looking 4 star lodge, with rustic chic stone bungalows. There are no fences, so wild animals are wandering through the area at all times. Our bungalow had a private porch with comfy chairs to relax and observe the nature and wildlife surrounding us. We had a walk in bathroom with a shower, both inside and outside. There was even air conditioning which was really nice to escape the heat after our morning safari. We stayed 4 nights and we felt that was a good amount of time.
Tip: I emailed several properties directly for lodging quotes. I found that hotels.com had the same exact bungalow package, for half the price.
Daily Activities
Motswari arranged everything. Each day they woke us up at 4am. There was coffee, tea and snacks waiting for us at the community bungalow, where we had a de briefing of the daily plan. In the West we call it a safari but here it’s called a game drive.
At 5am we started the morning game drive which included a break to have more coffee, tea and snacks.
We returned between 9/10am and there was a big breakfast waiting.
After breakfast there was an option to go on a bush walk or take the afternoon to relax, go for a swim, and nap.
Lunch was at 2pm and they had a tribal presentation of the food.
At 3pm we left for the afternoon game drive, complete with a sunset happy hour.
We returned with time to shower before heading to a tiki torch lit dinner at 8pm.
Pool
There were many quiet areas to lounge, but my favorite was the pool area. They had an infinity pool that overlooked the African bush. Each day we’d see different wildlife, while monkeys would swing in the trees overhead. One day we were relaxing and an elephant came right up to us in the pool! It was such a special moment.
Another favorite spot was the community bungalow with comfy couches to enjoy reading a book.
Food
Motswari surpassed all my expectations. Each day at lunch they hit a gong to announce to the camp that the food was ready. They had a tribal parade of singing and dancing to bring all the buffet style food to the community area.
Each night they had an incredible tiki torch lit dinner. They had a BBQ of freshly hunted game meat, grilled vegetables, delicious desert and a South African charcuterie board paired with wine. I was not expecting such exquisite cuisine in the middle of no where. All the food, drinks and alcohol were included in our stay.
Motswari exceeded our expectations and I could not recommend it enough. It wasn’t cheap but we had such an incredible time and will never forget our first African safari experience.