umVangati House

Wow Wow Wow. We were really excited to stat at UmVangati House, and the 5 star reviews are a testament to the service which Lidia, Giel, Jacob and Sonia all provide from start to finish. We were travelling to South Africa for a once in a lifetime holiday, with a stop in the Green Canyon. The House were able to arrange various activities whilst we were staying with them, including a spectacular tour of the Panorama route (with lunch included); a horseback ride to a private vantage point a the Three Rondawels; and, a private helicopter tour for two (including a picnic(!) prepared by the team at UmVangati to have on a short stop) over the Green Canyon. To top it off, the helicopter was able to land close to the house! This was truly spectacular! We opted for dinner on the both nights that we were staying at umVangati, which we'd highly recommend. Make sure you ask to see the wine cellar, as it's incredible. The food was lovingly prepared by the team and has a really playful cuisine feel, something you'd expect to see in a high-end restaurant in London for a very reasonable price. It was one of the best meals we had in South Africa across our 10 day visit to the country - so a huge credit to the team here. We'd originally booked the King room, but Sonia managed to persuade us to upgrade to a Mountain View Suite on our day of arrival - and it was worth the upgrade just for the view of the mountain and the private balcony (although we didn't have much time to use it!). We cannot recommend umVangati enough - the only thing we'd change was making sure we had even longer there, as two days is not enough time to enjoy the beauty and loving hospitality that awaits you.

The experience at Umvangati House exceeds beyond what might be expected from its website. We spent 3 nights here as a luxury break between 2 safari lodge stays. We stayed in one of the 3 villa style rooms a short stroll along a boardwalk from the main house. The room was beautiful with extensive views of the cliffs and outcrops that form the walls of the Blyde River Canyon. The overall facilities are excellent and the main house offers a variety of locations to lounge and take in the views. The infinity pool and surrounding deck offers spectacular views of the canyon. Service was of a high standard throughout and both breakfasts and dinners would grace high end restaurants in any country. A special mention to the baked Hake served on our second evening - it was an absolute delight! This property was a real gem. Wholeheartedly recommended by someone who rarely ever writes a review!

We stayed 3 days at this 5 Star boutique hotel. The rooms are stunning, the Suites are even better! The food and service are world class and on a par with anything we have eaten in Cape Town. And they can organise great excursions and activities.

We spent two glorious nights at Umvangati House before going on a 4 night Safari in the Klaserie region. What a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Blyde River Canyon. Gorgeous sceneries that I will never forget. This is an ideal spot to stay for those who want to relax before embarking on a busy Safari, or maybe for honeymooners who have just had the exhausting wedding. My husband and I decided to stay here before we went on Safari and it was just wonderful. We were made so welcome by the family and as we were actually the only guest staying at the time…. We felt particularly spoilt. We stayed in a luxury Mountain View suite which was spotless and spacious with the most incredible views from The Room and the bathroom…. A huge big deck Veranda with complete privacy made you feel that you were the only people in the canyon. The main house has a beautiful infinity pool where you can relax and the family and team at Umvangati are there to offer you drinks and snacks. It was just a lovely couple of days and I felt so relaxed after staying there. A big thank you to Lidia, Sonia and the rest of the family and team at Umvangati. **Big tip, you definitely need half board if you stay here - and I can assure you it will be worth it. The food was wonderful. I absolutely love the breakfast. It was the best I’ve had and I’ve travelled all over. If you do have a special occasion, there is a beautiful underground cellar where you can have a romantic meal. We chose to eat outside as being British we never get to do this very often. That was wonderful as we were able to look at the a mass of stars and planets - we even have the luck of spotting a comet while we were there…. I could go on and on, but this beautiful little property is so special and I have been to so many special places, this was definitely one of the best. So much to do in the area as well….. we went on a river cruise on the canyon. Hot air Ballooning across thefarmlands. You can also do a helicopter ride from Umvangati around the canyon - they have their own helicopter pad !! Thank you so much to the Geldenhuys family!!

We had a wonderful experience. Friendly staff and always willing to assist and cater for all your needs. Food was well prepared. Beautiful view with a water hole. Wide variety of wines to choose from. The room was beautiful and had a nice view from the porch and bath

This place is so amazing. If you doubt: please book: you will have a unmatched stay. First of all: the view is amazing and it has 7 great rooms of which 4 are inside the building and 3 seperate one for more privacy. But wat makes it really special are the food & wine of the home made cooking for only the guests, service and feeling of being home. Owner Lidia and especially Sonia together with a great time make this place. I can not find words to describe the beauty of this place in so many aspects while we are spoiled with great places in other parts of the world. We stayed for 5 days. On tree days we only want to enjoy this place. One day we did the boat tour on the Blyde River and 1 day we drive to Kruger to do a game drive day ourselves. We wish we could have stayed longer.