This was my third stay at Kaia Tani, and the first under the new ownership. I was delighted to find that it still had the same comfort and charm that I experienced in my previous visits over 20 years ago. Located close to the Phalaborwa entrance to the Kruger NP, my wife and I really enjoyed both the morning walk though the park and the 10 hr safari the following day. The locals informed us that they have never had Malaria and never take Malaria medication, They did point out that the mosquito numbers increase after heavy rain, and that small pools of water should be avoided. On the final day, Barabara, the owner, took us on a very interesting tour of the surrounding suburbs of the town, and included a stop at a local primary school where we were able to greet some of the students.

The 5:30 AM start for each of the tours of Kruger NP meant that we needed to get to bed early. However, dinner was only available at 7 PM, so we decided to have dinner around 5 PM each night at Sefapane Lodge, just 600 m away.. A minor inconvenience was that the airport at Phalaborwa was closed a few years ago, so we had to fly in and out of Eastgate Airport, 1 hr drive away.

The two owners of the lodge, Paolo and Barbara, were friendly and always ready to help. Their passion for South Africa and deep knowledge of the Kruger National Park and the townships made our stay even more special. The lodge's cuisine was tasty. We enjoyed meals prepared with fresh ingredients, and the food quality was very good. The lodge's rooms were spacious, cozy, and well-furnished. Each room had a touch of South African authenticity in its design, and we loved it. Moreover, the rooms were cleaned daily, and everything was in perfect order. The lodge's location was simply perfect. Being so close to the entrance of Kruger National Park, we were able to start our safari days as the first visitors in the park and make the most of our chances to spot wildlife. We highly recommend this lodge to anyone looking for an authentic experience in South Africa, especially if you're planning to visit Kruger National Park. But also check out all the other activities they offer!

the breakfast was awesome and always on time. The tranquility was exceptional and worth the time and distance travelled to the venue. The weather was also very good despite it being winter. The garden and land scaping were awesome too.

In one of the rooms the hot water was a problem. The television in one of the rooms was not functioning well. It had some issues with sound.

The team running the lodge were exceptional! Felt like being at your second home. So welcoming, friendly and nothing was too much to ask. The breakfast was also amazing.

It would have been nice to have a tea/coffee station in the room for the very early morning wake-up if you are leaving early to go into Kruger and not have to go out to the breakfast patio to make.

We were made to feel at home from arrival to departure. Thank you to Paolo and Barbara for the room upgrade for our anniversary 🥰 The garden is lovely, cool and peaceful and we enjiyed the quick swim to cool off. Breakfast was really good, thank you!

Staff were available immediately and were very friendly and helpful

Water issues, but it was not the facility's fault as the town had water issues and their water storage ran out.

i do think that better coffee needs to be made available, instant coffee available was just terrible. the coffee served with the breakfast was good

Very nice and charming place to stay, beautiful designed rooms and property with lot's of green, very close to Phalaborwa Gate.

All OK, nothing to complain

The room was clean and tidy, spacious and well laid out. The bed was comfortable and the cooked breakfast we had was great. The gardens and communal areas are also very very nice.

Our packed breakfast left a lot to be desired! The sandwich was terrible. The mould on the rock art plaster in the bathroom needs to be removed and the extractor fan also needs to be fixed as there is no other ventilation in the bathroom.

Genuine. Rustic. Nice. Personal.

Minor details only. No dinner options. Would have liked price info on activities like safari and golf.