Lalibela Game Reserve Mark's Camp

There is a lot of choice of reserves in the western and eastern cape, this one was an absolute find! From the moment you arrive to the final wave goodbye you are taken back by the attentiveness of the staff, the settings and decor of the facilities and not least of all the total enjoyment from the morning and evening safari drives. Our guide was Cullen ‘Cully’ big shout to him for his enthusiasm and passion for the wildlife and reserve.

We have just returned to England from our garden route holiday and three day safari at Marks Camp. Our experience from first arriving at the reception area was the impressive attention to detail, the attractive African art and above all the welcoming staff. We were driven to our lodge and met the fabulous staff who helped us to settle in. The setting was beautiful with a pool overlooking the bushy hills, somewhere to relax and observe wildlife including a hippo snoozing in the drinking hole just beyond the security fence! Our room was so clean with daily towel changes and refreshments. The food was delicious and freshly cooked. We loved the beautiful lights in the shared areas and together with the African artefacts the whole ambiance was delightful. On our first afternoon we met our guide Ruben. He explained the important safety points of being in an open topped vehicle. We took this chance to say how much we liked all wildlife, especially birds. For the next three days we had the most memorable experience of our lives. Ruben’s knowledge of mammals,plants, fungi and birds was astonishing for such a young guide. His talented spotting skills enabled us to see so many species during the time spent with him and enabled us to learn so much. We are both in our 70s and were not sure what to expect of the experience, but immediately we met him we felt safe. He is such an asset to your team and his natural inquisitive nature as well as his easy, approachable style made us relax and enjoy the inevitable big five and the tiny creatures such as termites as well as learning to read animals’ body language, their behaviour and about how tracking through footprints was done. Thanks to your entire staff we had such an amazing time and hope to return soon.

First class game park. We spent 2 days and enjoyed 4 game drives. Unfortunately missed leopard and cheetah but that's to be expected in a large park that does not contrive encounters. Our ranger, Nick, was super knowledgeable and kind. We stayed in Mark's camp where accommodations were terrific and food service excellent. I was cynical about the price before arriving but feel in retrospect that it was a bargain. As a c child I visited Kruger and spent hours on paved roads hoping for chance encounters. If your time in Africa is limited this is a far better option. The Heinz family has invested heavily for our benefit. The animals seem pleased as well!

We returned to Lalibela for a third time, this time for my husbands birthday. Our whole family was. There and it made it very special. Our guide Des was very good. As always, the accommodation is lodge luxury, a beautiful setting and the staff are fantastic. We saw lots of game, ate delicious meals and loved our stay. They also made a cake for my husband for his birthday, which was so special.

What an amazing place to spend some time! The staff are amazing, the food is good and the safari experience is out of this world! The happy and attentive staff are what made Lalibela the holiday we wanted it to be, out guide Des was knowledgeable and fun to be around, the lodge staff couldn't do enough to help and Sam on reception was the happy, smiley face that said hello and see you again! Would we go back - already looking at booking!

We had 2 nights at the Lentaba lodge and it was absolutely brilliant. As soon as we arrived we were looked after so well. The first night we were the only 2 guests and all the staff were fantastic and so friendly. They would do anything for you. We missed the safari on the first day as the weather was not good, but Siwi made up for it with the other 3 we did. He made sure we saw as many animals as possible. It was a wonderful experience. The food they served was really good and we enjoyed it very much. We could have easily stayed longer as it was such a great experience.