57 Waterberg

Enquire Now

Pricing

pp/night sharing

normal price: R8 000 (save: 14%)

Within 14 Days of Travel

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Classic Suite

R 6857

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Luxury Suite with pool

R 7629

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Honeymoon Suite

R 8400

Advance Purchase

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Classic Suite

R 7313

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Luxury Suite with pool

R 8137

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Honeymoon Suite

R 8960

Includes:

Accommodation in room types indicated
All meals
One daily game drive daily

Our Verdict

With its hugely spacious luxury suites, superbly personal service and an ever-growing reputation for quality dining, 57 Waterberg is well worth its place in the ranks of the top lodges in the Welgevonden

Lodge Gallery

Our Ratings

8.2

Overall

9.0

Luxury & Style

8.0

Setting

8.0

Game Viewing

8.0

Romance

Our Ratings

8.2

Overall

9.0

Luxury & Style

8.0

Setting

8.0

Game Viewing

8.0

Romance

What's Hot

Splash out a little (literally!) by upgrading to one of the Luxury Rooms - these add a heated plunge pool on your private deck!
At a minimum of 80sqm, 57 Waterberg boasts some of the biggest rooms in the entire reserve - they're well equipped too with fireplaces to keep things cosy in winter whilst you sip on a Nespresso
The attractive rim-flow pool on the main deck is a great place to spend time in during the heat of the summer months - little beats lounging around on the deck with a cold drink in hand watching animals coming to drink at the waterhole in front of the lodge!
The food at 57 Waterberg is garnering an increasing number of rave reviews from guests - hats off to the enthusiastic chef Themba Bawuti for his imaginative and high-quality menu offerings!
Enthusiastic management and staff create a truly welcoming ambience where nothing is too much trouble - and with only 10 rooms, chances are you'll get to feel like part of the family!

What's Not

Make sure you choose the room type that suits your personal tastes - the Classic Suites are more traditionally styled whilst the new Luxury and Honeymoon suites are much more contemporary
There are obviously cheaper lodge options in the Welgevonden - that said, you do usually get what you pay for and 57 Waterberg delivers consistently happy guests as you can see from their feedback

the superbly friendly attitude and excellent personal service from the entire team at 57 Waterberg is what really stands out in the numerous rave reviews handed out by guests!

Lodge Profile

Quick Overview

Location

Welgevonden

Drive Time

3.5 hours from Johannesburg

Malaria

Setting

On small ridge overlooking waterhole

Rooms

10 - 5 Classic Rooms; 4 Luxury Rooms with heated plunge pools; 1 Honeymoon Suite with heated jet pool and outdoor shower

Aircon

Yes

Pool

Yes

Spa

In-room massages

Camp Fenced

Yes

Tracker

No - only ranger

Off Road

The Welgevonden has to be one of the most popular reserves for Bushscapes clients – the combination of quick and easy road access from Gauteng, decent game viewing in a variety of scenic landscapes with no malaria present, not to mention the presence of a wide range of very good lodges at similarly attractive prices makes the Welgevonden reserve a winner! So it’s always good news for us when a new lodge opens here, and 57 Waterberg has not surprisingly quickly established as a firm favourite.

We referred to this as a “new” lodge, but in fact 57 Waterberg was originally established under the name MolenVliet Lodge but was not really operating on a commercial basis. The change of name to 57 Waterberg saw this approach change and sales being opened up to the general public who have taken to the lodge with enthusiasm.

Similar to many of the other Welgevonden lodges, 57 Waterberg consists of 10 luxurious rooms, so guests can look forward to a really personal and intimate experience where you’ll no doubt leave on first name terms with the friendly team that runs the lodge, not to mention your fellow guests. In fact, the superbly friendly attitude and excellent personal service from the entire team at 57 Waterberg is what really stands out in the numerous rave reviews handed out by guests!

Another thing that stands out about 57 Waterberg is the sheer size of the rooms here – at a minimum of 80 sqm they are some of the most spacious on the reserve and are extremely well equipped too. Reached by wooden walkways running from the main public area there are 10 suites broken down into 3 different types: firstly there are 5 Classic rooms which are more traditionally styled and where guests use the main lodge swimming pool; then there are new 4 Luxury Rooms which boast heated plunge pools as well as far more contemporary styling with gorgeous glass walls giving stunning views onto the surrounding bush! Finally there is the Honeymoon Suite which is also in the far more modern style and adds an outdoor shower as well as a heated jet pool and overlooks the waterhole and ravine and is located next to a large rockfig tree! Massive king-size beds with quality linen, a Nespresso machine, air-conditioning, warming fireplaces (stunning modern fireplaces suspended from the roof in the case of the newer suites!) and large private decks are just some of the features that will make your stay even more comfortable!

The lodge’s public areas are similarly welcoming and comfortable. As befits a lodge catering to just 20 lucky guests, the public areas are not massive and imposing but are rather on a much more cosy scale. The highlight probably has to be the rim-flow pool on the main deck – during the warm summer months, you’re likely to spend many happy hours on the deck whiling away the time with a cold drink in hand whilst keeping a keen eye out for any animals coming down to slake their thirst at the waterhole located immediately in front of the deck. If that sounds altogether too energetic, then why not enjoy a relaxing massage in the comfort of your suite!

Away from the lodge, you’ll enjoy game drives every day through the scenic landscapes of the Waterberg. No off-road driving is allowed in the Welgevonden given the sensitivity of the vegetation, but guests can see a wide variety of interesting game on the reserve’s 36 000 hectares, including the Big 5 of course. Guests consistently rave about the knowledge and enthusiasm shown by the rangers here, who go out of their way to deliver a memorable wildlife experience to guests.

Upon your return from game drive, the one thing that you can be pretty sure about is that your tastebuds are in for a real treat! After being a bit of a weak spot initially, the food at 57 Waterberg has latterly become one of the lodge’s major strengths. Take the time to read the guest reviews and you’ll see that most of them wax lyrical about the superb quality of the food conjured up by chef Themba Bawuti! Whether in the formal dining room, under the stars in the boma or perhaps by romantic candlelight on your private deck, you can look forward to seriously delicious meals served by some of the friendliest staff around!

Pricing

pp/night sharing

More Information

Booking Notes

Special rates offered above are based on bookings for a minimum 2 night stay
Rates exclude a Welgevonden Conservation Fee payable directly to the lodge
Guests will be collected at the West Gate of the Welgevonden reserve in an open game-viewing vehicle at 13h30. Please contact the lodge once you reach Vaalwater and they will arrange for a guide to meet you at the West Gate
Guests must leave their vehicle at the West Gate – there is 24-hour security.
Any other collection time will carry a R500 surcharge
Gate transfers other than this allocated time must be requested in advance with the lodge
On day of departure, guests will be transferred back to the West Gate at 10h00

Child Policy

No children under the age of 8 unless the lodge has been booked out exclusively
Children allocated a suite/bed will have first option on game drives, whereas children sharing a room with their parents will only be able to go on game drives if there is availability on the day

Useful Links

Lodge Website

Visit the official lodge site.

Trip Advisor

Read guest reviews for this lodge.

You might also like:

from R 6500 pp/night sharing

Makweti Safari Lodge

South Africa, Near Gauteng, Welgevonden

Unapologetically traditional in style, Makweti really delivers a quality safari experience with elegantly luxurious accommodation (including private plunge pools for 4 of its 5 rooms), superb personal service, a maximum of just 6 people on a vehicle and the finest cuisine!

from R 4280 pp/night sharing

Kuname Lodge

South Africa, Greater Kruger, Karongwe

Just 5 suites in a stunningly pretty location overlooking the Kuvjename River – add in the chance of excellent leopard sightings and the unfailingly friendly personal service on offer and you can see why Kuname is a big favourite with guests!

from R 4500 pp/night sharing

Lions Valley Lodge

South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Nambiti

Probably our pick of the Nambiti lodges - the 10 very spacious and luxurious air-conditioned suites at Lions Valley are cleverly decorated to give them completely different identities based on different themes!

57 Waterberg

Getaway Ideas

Destinations

Price

Newsletter

Pricing

Within 14 Days of Travel

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Advance Purchase

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

1 Jan - 31 Oct '26

Our Verdict

Our Ratings