“We’ve been to many game lodges over the years – but Monwana is simply the best we’ve ever stayed at!” That’s the feedback we received from one of our loyal customers recently, and it’s a common opinion we’ve also often seen stated in many of the online guest reviews you can read – just how highly rated by guests Monwana is can be seen in how the lodge was voted the No. 1 Safari Lodge in Africa by the readers of the prestigious travel magazine Travel + Leisure in their 2024 World’s Best Awards!
So what precisely is it that makes Monwana so special! Well there’s a whole bunch of factors that all come together to create the lodge’s winning formula – from the superbly luxurious accommodation and modern facilities (the lodge was comprehensively rebuilt and re-opened back in 2022), through to the incredibly friendly and competent staff and management that successfully create a “home-from-home” atmosphere. Then there’s the lodge’s enviable position overlooking a very active waterhole and, of course, the excellent guiding on offer here which ensures a superb game viewing experience in this prime game area featuring very high animal densities.
Monwana is also what we would probably regard as the ideal “Goldilocks” lodge size here at Bushscapes, being neither too big and thus impersonal, nor too small. There are 4 Suites accommodating couples, 2 Family Suites boasting a second bedroom and bathroom, and finally the stunning Monwana Residence – a huge 2-bedroomed luxury villa accommodating up to 4 adults and 2 kids and boasting no fewer than 3 different pools!
As mentioned previously, the lodge was rebuilt completely back in 2022 to a very high standard. Architectural style and interior design are obviously always subjective things, but to our mind Monwana has perfectly balanced the use of modern elements (like large glass areas and high-quality aluminium frame doors and windows) with quite a restrained and classy interior décor style and furniture. Guests looking for ultra-contemporary styling and décor elements may not be excited, but the majority of guests will no doubt love the elegant and classy yet restrained sense of luxury at Monwana (the classically styled stand-alone baths and the quite traditional art works being typical examples of this approach)
Yet in other ways, Monwana is quite cutting edge and bang-up-to-date – witness the temperature-controlled plunge pools and the lodge’s extensive solar system and water-based heating and cooling reticulation system. Wastewater is treated with “friendly” bacteria and used to supply the lodge’s waterhole as an example of the lodge’s embrace of sustainability.
Talking of the waterhole, this is the real focal point of the lodge with the main lodge public area as well as most of the rooms being built in a horse-shoe shape quite closely framing the waterhole, thus giving superb views of the game which drifts in and out throughout the day to slake their thirst (just 2 of the Suites miss out and instead look out into the surrounding woodland) Herds of elephant are regular visitors to drink and cool off here, with their antics while bathing being a regular highlight for guests!
The rooms at Monwana are absolutely gorgeous and we challenge anyone not to be favourably impressed. The Suites are large (98 sqm inside and another 55 sqm of outside deck!) and beautifully appointed. The bedroom flows into a spacious lounge area, whilst in the airy bathroom you’ll no doubt delight in the his’n’hers twin showers (with another outside on the deck) and other welcome features like the underfloor heating in the bathrooms which will be particularly welcome during the chilly winter nights!
Then there are the 2 Family Suites which are actually identically sized to the usual Suites – the major difference here is that the spacious lounge area found in the Suites has gone and been replaced instead by a second en-suite bedroom which can accommodate up to 3 kids. Finally, there is the stunning Monwana Residence which occupies the prime position overlooking the waterhole just 25 metres away or so – unfortunately you’ll need deep pockets to enjoy this superb 2-bedroomed villa which is beautifully appointed and frankly huge (520 sqm including the outside deck which incorporates 1 main rim-flow pool on the main deck as well as 2 smaller plunge pools on either side!)
The main public areas at Monwana are similarly attractive, with expansive decks that wrap around and provide superb views over the waterhole which stands a literal stone’s throw away. Although all the rooms have their own private pools, there’s also a main lodge swimming pool alongside which is always great as a venue for groups of friends or family wanting to socialize together.
But whilst the facilities at Monwana are undisputably impressive (we haven’t even mentioned the gorgeous Spa nor the gym yet!) it’s actually the wonderfully friendly staff and the home-from-home atmosphere that they create which guests are most likely to cherish in their memories of their stay here. Stiff formality is not on the menu here – rather there’s a genuine warmth combined with huge attention to detail that leaves you feeling part of the Monwana family. Dining is a massive highlight here, with guests consistently raving about the delicious food, the superb service as well as the varied and imaginative dining experiences and locations.
And finally, there’s obviously the superb game viewing experience that Monwana prides itself on. The 14 000 hectares of game-rich Big 5 traverse offered by the Thornybush reserve seldom fails to thrill and delight guests – but again (and in keeping with the rest of the Monwana experience) it’s the absolutely top-notch ranger and tracker teams that guide guests so expertly through this wilderness, thereby creating those life-long memories, that inevitably attract the most praise from guests! So what are you waiting for? Book a stay at Monwana and you’ll no doubt join the long list of guests who cannot stop raving about it!
