4.9 /5

Based on over 1000 Verified Reviews.

Overview

Shady trees and manicured lawns on the banks of the Sand River provide the setting for MalaMala Main Camp, world-famous for its exceptional game viewing and luxurious accommodation. Located at the heart of the MalaMala Private Game Reserve, it's one of South Africa's most exclusive and rewarding safari destinations and equally at ease delivering superlative safaris for families, honeymooners or wildlife enthusiasts.

Bordering the Kruger National Park, MalaMala was the first privately owned game reserve in South Africa to offer eco-tourism as an alternative to hunting – and it shows. Guests regularly see the Big 5 as well as cheetah, wild dog and an incredible variety of birds. And although game drives are undoubtedly the highlight at MalaMala, guests can also go on guided walks to discover the environment's smaller details.

Highlights

Exclusive setting in private reserve bordering the Sabi Sands & Kruger National Park
Sole-use reserve, no other lodge vehicles
Amazing Big 5 game viewing & birding
Virtually guaranteed leopard sightings
Family rooms & kids programmes

Activities

Bird watching
Game drives
Guided walks
Night drives
Photographic safaris
Specialist guides
Guided walking safaris

A beautiful setting overlooking the Sabi River. This lodge is known for the high calibre of its guides and exceptional Big 5 game-viewing.

Ramona Cilliers

Africa Safari Expert

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Rooms

Luxury Room

Each of the Luxury Rooms are decorated in traditional African décor featuring earth tones, stone and crafted thatched roofs. Appreciate a rustic authenticity at The Mala Mala Main Camp Luxury Room which sits within an unfenced bushveld oasis, banking the majestic Sand River. The spacious 55men-suite bedroom leads out onto a sunbathed deck of uninterrupted waterhole or Sand River views where photographic opportunities are plentiful. Recharge with a book in your lounge and refresh in the open-air of natural surrounds.

Facilities

MalaMala is a classically comfortable camp with traditional safari-style décor including original bronzes, works of art and animal trophies mounted on the walls.

The spacious lounge leads onto an expansive wooden deck where you can spend a relaxing afternoon watching animals by the river. Other facilities include a bar, library with satellite television and internet connectivity, a well-stocked safari boutique and wine cellar.

The swimming pool is perfect for cooling off while taking in the beautiful scenery while a gym, steam room and massage service, complete a well-rounded range of facilities. Families with children of all ages are welcome at MalaMala and are catered for with family rooms and specially designed and professionally run Junior Ranger programmes for children under 12. A baby sitting service is also available.

Dining

Delicious breakfasts and lunches are served in the air-conditioned dining room while the lodge's dinner service has been a tradition for over 60 years and is sure to be a highlight of your MalaMala experience.

Choose a fine wine from the camp's well-stocked cellar to enjoy with venison specialties and bush haute cuisine served in the grand old African safari manner in the camp's reed-enclosed boma. Afterwards, finish off the evening with your favourite nightcap from the bar and swap game drive stories with fellow guests around a blazing log fire.

General facilities

Babysitting service available
Bar
Gym
Library
Swimming Pool
Wi-fi available
Computer facilities
Children's Club
Laundry service

Rates

Select your preferred currency below and view rates over specific seasons.

USD

Dates	Board	Price
2022-01-01 — 2022-12-31	Fully Inclusive Plus (Meals, Beverages & Extras)	$935
2023-01-01 — 2023-12-31	Fully Inclusive Plus (Meals, Beverages & Extras)	$1,005

Our rates are per person sharing unless we note differently. Please treat all pricing as a guide only:

All rates are subject to availability and may change without notice.
Single supplements may apply.
Request a quote or speak to one of our African Safari Experts for the best, most current rates available.

Traveller Reviews

MalaMala Main Camp

Ryo Noda

The Mala Mala Main Camp was great. I heard that there are more luxurious places but given that we are here for a safari, this was ideal. After a hot morning, the pool was a refreshing respite, and being able to view the wildlife from the pool was an amazing experience.

Michael Brown

"Our time at Mala Mala was the high point. The rooms were wonderful, the staff very competent and our rangers most knowledgeable. We were amazed that the Land Rover was virtually invisible to the animals thus allowing us to get very close to them."

Hakan Erdogmus

"Tuningi, Mala Mala, and Mashatu were absolutely amazing in all aspects. Fantastic service and great game viewing. We did see everything, including wild dogs and black rhinos."

Peter Webb

Mala Mala Main Camp - a great location and having a guide to ourselves (Lucky) gave us many more opportunities to see the animals and appreciate the environment. The two young Cheetahs we tracked and saw were just incredible and extremely photogenic.

Miguel Chaves

"Mala Mala in short words was great."

Peter Shaw

"I had a great time in South Africa and particularly at Mala Mala. Everything ran like clockwork and I would unhesitatingly recommend Mala Mala to friends."

Marjorie Needham

Mala Mala was magical and we saw much more than before, also a cheetah with a fresh kill on our first day and wild dogs on our last day. Again we had a great ranger who also shared our interest in birdlife so we saw a great many birds as well, 82 di fferent kinds over the four days.

Annette Wilkinson

Mala Mala lived up to its exceptional reputation for game viewing and hospitality and remarkably the owners were there while we were and very engaging. Our ranger was terrific and my daughter greatly enjoyed his company over our 4 days and in fact I

Ruth Parent

"I was really impressed with Mala Mala. Our ranger and tracker were just super, and we spent more "quality viewing time" with leopards than I could have ever imagined. They are beautiful, and so graceful."

Bob Gresh

"Mala Mala was unbelievably wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone. Your instructions were great and everything was so easy"

Lori Shinar

Was perfect! We saw hundreds of animals, and even 3 lions eating a zebra. The hotel was also fun. I wouldn't say that it was luxurious, but then again we went to see the animals and the people, not the hotel. So we were not upset about that. The food

Larry Hall

"It was outstanding! From the moment we arrived at Main Camp until we regrettably departed six days later, we were treated graciously and kind attention was paid to our every need."

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