This was first camp we stayed in during our 10 days itinerary in Botswana. Upon arrival, the lodge is very welcoming and homey. Lounge area filled with comfy couches, poofs, lovely fire pit, everything is positioned to overlook water lagoon filled with hippos. We had tent/cabin number 1. Very rustic, but comfortable. Beware of spiders! Even though there is protective netting over bed, every night we had huge, huge spiders in the bed itself, so we learned to shake the blankets and sheets before we went to sleep. Food was good, but very simple, they ask you if you have any special dietary needs and they will adjust the meal, but there are no choices which at the price tag was surprising. Our game drives were good, we also tried mokoro ride and boat safari and they were all good experiences. One big disappointment was pool. It was out of service and while they built new plunge pool area- it's not in the camp. Your guide has to drive you there and then sit in the car while you are lounging, which was very uncomfortable as we knew we were cutting into his free time. Also, as this is not at the camp, there was nothing there as to drinks/water etc, I think little ice chest with beer, wine and soft drinks would be very useful. Overall, camp is in fantastic setting, game drives were great, I hope they resolve the pool situation soon,…
This was the midpoint camp in our safari. Quite interesting animal sightings, particularly lions. Good game drives; the guide worked hard to find us animals. Meals were good. The cabin was large but a bit "old" in that there was very little in the way of lighting. But, on the other hand, most time here was sleeping as we were out game driving. The mokoro trip through the lagoon was very peaceful and interesting,
We were booked into Mapula Lodge from the 8th to 11th October 2021. Their website pictures of the lodge look fantastic. The reality was completely the opposite, extremely disappointing. The swimming pool is not functioning and popped out of the deck. 38'C. There is a small plunge pool which accomodates max 2 persons, to get there the guide has to drive one there and wait as it is unfenced, not ideal. The rooms on the website show double bed, we had 2 separate singles. The staff are served before the guests, one meal there was not enough deserts for one of the guests. The food was mediocre at best and insufficient at times. The housekeeping was non existent at the main lounge area, dirty and untidy, a T shirt lying on a side table was left there for the duration of our stay. Lack of management is evident. Luckily the abundance of game made up for the lack of hospitality. …
Everything from A-Z was perfect at Mapula Lodge. I went there with high expectations which were definitely exceeded. The rooms were comfortable and rustic; dining area, fire pit and lounge were warm and welcoming and the all the staff treated us like royalty! Considering the fact that we were a group of 13 and booked very last minute, everything was well prepared. You will get value for money at Mapula. Can't wait to go back!
On arrival at the airstrip, we were met by Eric who took us by boat to the lodge. This all depends on the water levels and the number of people. As we rounded the first corner of the channel, a beautiful huge elephant was waiting. A perfect beginning. Eric the manager was charming. The eclectic little lodge was charming. The staff was lovely and the game drives were the best we had done on our trip. This is a unique, old-fashioned, no-frills lodge with everything you need for an adventure in the Delta. Good food, good wine, good guides, and sightings in spite of the high water levels at this time. It completed our Natural Selection circuit perfectly. Thank you to Eric, Kegiso, Leo, Ricardo, and the team.
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