Mongena Private Game Lodge

Rust de Winter Road, D48 Dinokeng Game Reserve, Klipdrift 0400 South Africa
Traveller (347)
Room #9 from front door
Room & Suite (27)
Dining (19)

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Fully refundable before Sat, 27 Jul
R 9 990
Fully refundable before Thu, 01 Aug
Breakfast included
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R 5 840
Fully refundable before Thu, 01 Aug
Breakfast included
Get rewarded with One Key
R 5 840
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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About

4.5
#2 of 3 lodges in Klipdrift
Location
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This 63 bed, 4 star rated, non-self catering Lodge is situated in the north-western section of the 18,500 ha free roaming big 5 Dinokeng Game Reserve and is accessible by tarred main road, 40 minutes from Tshwane/Pretoria and 1.5 hr from Johannesburg/O.R.Tambo Airport in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. The lodge boasts 25 tastefully furnished air-conditioned thatched chalets/rooms including a honeymoon suite, with private bathrooms comprising of bath and/or shower, room safes, coffee/tea stations, DSTV TV programmes and internet access. A state-of-the art conference centre, boardrooms, sparkling swimming pool, Tshukudu outdoor bar, a romantic chapel for weddings and Kingfisher a la carte Restaurant situated next to the small lake in main lodge overlooking the plains of the Game Reserve completes the offerings at the main camp. Kingfisher is well-known for its superb cuisine and is open to inhouse and day visitors 7 days a week. Mongena specializes in quality guided game drives, bushwalks and sunset cruises for inhouse guests as well as day visitors longing for an African safari experience.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Free breakfast
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
Business Centre with Internet Access
Conference facilities
Public wifi
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
Room features
Air conditioning
Room service
Safe
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Romantic
Languages Spoken
Afrikaans
311Reviews6Q+A50Room tips
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Detailed Reviews
sagaren naidoo wrote a review Jan 2020
Pretoria, South Africa
Absolutely wonderful place on the doorsteps of Pretoria. Being in the midst of natural surroundings such as the Dinokeng Nature Reserve gives one a wonderful feeling of visiting another world whether driving around the natural surroundings amongst vegetation and wild animals of different species or just relaxing at Mongena , which on its own has a lot of wildlife roaming freely.
Mongena is a well run establishment that provides a high class service from clean and well serviced rooms to top quality meals .
We had a wonderful and educational game drive ,thanks to our driver and guide Daniel. Daniel is like an encyclopaedia for wildlife. He did is utmost to ensure that we were at sightings when elusive game were spotted.
We planned our trip so that we reached the Reserve at 9am , paid a self drive fee of R150.00 and drove around till 1pm until check-in. The self drive trails are well marked and driveable by cars. It was quite cool trying to spot birds and animals in the bush.
If you visit the area , try the hamburgers at the CHICKEN-RUN takeaway and restaurant, a stone throw away from Mongena entrance.
Will visit again
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina-Marketing, Owner at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 19 Jan 2020
Dear Guest Thank you for visiting the 20,000 ha free-roaming big 5 Dinokeng Game Reserve a mere 40 mins north of Pretoria. We are pleased to learn that you enjoyed our facilities and especially the guided game drive on our 8,000 ha concession. Looking forward to welcoming you back soon! Warm regards Marina Toerien
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gilli776 wrote a review Feb 2020
Stockholm, Sweden
I had a lovely time at Mongena lodge. The staff were all very friendly and accommodating, and the safari guides were really knowledgeable and passionate about all the plants and animals in the bush. The drives were exciting and I saw more animals than I’d expected. The rooms are quite pleasant and I fell asleep to the sounds of the night insects outside - so peaceful. One thing I particularly appreciated was how my dietary requirements were considered and being a veggie I was offered a meal in the a la carte restaurant instead of the braai which was mostly meat. That was very thoughtful. The restaurant is beautiful with a view of the lake where you can spot hippos and birds. Would definitely recommend this place for solo travelers, couples, friends or family groups if you want a short break of one or two nights.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina-Marketing, Owner at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 11 Mar 2020
Dear guest Thank you for sharing your feelings regarding your recent experience with us! We are thrilled to learn that you enjoyed our vegetarian cuisine as well as your wildlife experience a short drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! Warm regards
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Rosie D wrote a review Dec 2021
Pretoria, South Africa
Their best asset are definitively their team of rangers, super professional and friendly. Some more knowledgeable than others, but all of them good. We understand it is not their fault if animals do not show up, especially if someone hires a private viewing for noon, in the midst of the day's heat, when most animals are taking shelter from it.

The small size of the lodge is also a plus for us, but an individual guest might feel left behind if one happens to be there at the same time as a group. We spent 2 nights, from Dec 28 to 30, with the lodge fully booked, and are looking forward to returning, hopefully during less busy times.

We had booked room 19, but we were given room 16 instead. Not a big deal, except for the fact that room 16 faces the parking area. The rooms are not luxurious, but comfortable. It would be great if conditioner could be added to the trio of shampoo/body wash/lotion. Similarly, the system of getting small pieces of paper with codes to use the wi-fi, which is only available in and around the lobby area, is a little painful and outdated. I do not believe that just opening the wi-fi up to guests would be a problem, but I might be wrong. An ice-making machine near the lobby or the breakfast restaurant area would also be an asset. Similarly, updating and upgrading outside lighting with solar lamps could give the lodge a cozier feeling and a reputation for caring about the environment. With so much sun, the potential for everything solar is so big that it is a pity to see it is not utilized.

The breakfast buffet was excellent, particularly the pastries and fresh fruit. Lunch and dinner at the Kingfisher were hit and miss. One day, the creme brulee tasted like milk custard, but the next day the hazelnut mousse was superb. Same with other dishes: meats were generally good, but the risotto not so much.

As mentioned before, game rides were outstanding. We saw cheeta, buffalo, elephants, rhino, besides a wide array of antelopes from nyala and springbok in the lodge area, to impala, kudu, ehlan, waterbok and wildebeast around the reserve.

The boat ride, I regret to say, was underwhelming. Our guide was not as experienced as our game ranger, and we learned little about the dam and its inhabitants. A more experienced guide might have made all the difference in this case. The plate of snacks provided during the boat ride was also sort of small and inefficient, as passengers had to pass it around (even worse given covid). Why not just carry the same individual bags of chips and/or peanuts used for the game rides?

In general, we had a most enjoyable three days to close the year, for which we thank all Mongena staff and management, but we believe a few easy changes could make a stay at Mongena even more outstanding.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina Toerien , Marketing at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 05 Jan 2022
Dear valued guest Thank you for taking the time and effort to review your experience with us! We have taken note of all the issues mentioned and will follow up on the ideas and suggestions you proposed to better your stay next time! Thank you for your support! Warm regards
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Tsakani wrote a review Sept 2020
Mongena is much popular among the social media platforms and rightfully so because it is a marvelous place to visit.

This review is solely from a day visitor who is a local in the area.

Our visit was a mid morning Game drive and lunch at their acclaimed Ling Fischer Restaurant.

Firstly when you enter into the Dinokeng Game Reserve there's a fee that is charged p/p in a vihicle which I think is unreasonable and unjust, especially if you will be visiting the same places (lodges) in the reserve. It would make sense if this fee was reduced to a charge/vehicle instead of p/p. That's the first let down.

Secondly the Lodge promises a variety of anim6to be spotted in the drives, we were hugely disappointed with the non existence of these animals. It was a bit of a sore site as only three kinds of animals could be spotted. This point can be excused, we have been to the Kruger a couple of times and in the one visit animals were scarce. So it might have not been our lucky day.

I must say that the guide was a phenomenal host with know6and great charisma.Matt really came through for our group and we salute him and thank him for the experience.

Lastly,we made reservations to dine at the onsite restaurant and I must say it wasn't a first trial and the first time (2019/08/17) was disappointing as I was celebrating my birthday.
The restaurant menu is average, the food served was distasteful. We ordered one of the "Heritage Special of the Day" which was the oxtail casserole. The oxtail looked horrific and tasted vile. The rice was cold and uncooked. The ribs we ordered were hard and tasted exactly like the wings we had which were also salty. This left a very bad taste to our trip.
While trying to alert the Manager on duty (Njabulo) he acted all busy and could not careless, one of the customers seated next to us who had the same experience stood up to get him to know of his awful experience. He didn't bother to come see us.
One manager who was coming for the evening shift was the one to attend to our query and tried to salvage the co concern by taking o e item off the bill which we refused and asked him to rather give it to the waiter instead.

In a nutshell Mongena is highly popularized but could do with a lot of improvements, also concern if there is any community development because the reserve is just adjacent the Kekana Village and it houses a lot of foreign nationals on their waiters list.
Overall experience I give it 2/5 and only because of the drive that we enjoyed.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is out to have a full bush experience and wants to see all the beauty of the animals and wildlife.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina Toerien , Marketing at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 16 Feb 2021
Dear guest Thank you for going to the trouble and effort in sending us a detailed review on all aspects of your visit. It is a pity that you as a local were not informed about the rules and regulations regarding the Dinokeng Game Reserve entry procedures as the Reserve is on the doorstep of the local community. We are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the food at Kingfisher Restaurant nor the guided game drive. We suggest that you maybe sleep over next time to experience a fuller bush experience Mongena and the Reserve has to offer. As you rightfully say "it is a marvellous place to visit"! Regards Marina Toerien
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Sue wrote a review Aug 2020
San Francisco, California
Booked 2 nights for a much-needed getaway from the city and Mongena did not disappoint. From when we arrived it was clear how conscientious the entire lodge and staff were being about COVID safety precautions. I was also pleasantly surprised at how, given how recently they opened up due to lockdown restrictions, everything ran very smoothly, from meal service to scheduled activities.

The entire staff were so kind, thoughtful and pleasant to interact with. It was also a joy to do the sunset boat cruise, bush walk and game drives as it is so clear all the rangers are not only competent and knowledgeable, but incredibly passionate about their work. I very much enjoyed learning from each one of them.

Given this was less than 1.5 hours drive from Joburg, I highly recommend this as even just a weekend trip -it feels like you're a world away and it's amazing you can get this close to nature in such a short drive.

Thanks for a really awesome weekend!
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Date of stay: August 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina Toerien , Marketing at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 13 Jan 2021
Dear weekend guest Your time and effort in providing us with feedback on your stay at Mongena is very much appreciated. We take our Covid protocols seriously in order to combat this global pandemic across all levels of operations. We are proud of our staff and they do appreciate recognition and appraisals; thank you for your kind words serving as motivation for them. Hope to see you back soon, seeing that we are only 1.5 hrs away from Johannesburg! Warm regards Marina Toerien
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minkie wrote a review Mar 2020
Johannesburg, South Africa
We booked for 16pax international guests at 14h00 Game drive@R460pp at Mongena Lodge on 08.03.2020.

To our disappointment this drive was a waste of money and time, an extremely DULL experience!

Please rather go to Magaliesberg *Askari Game Lodge@R360pp*** highly recommended as we are able to compare service, luxury, overall experience between the two properties.

We are so disappointed at Mongena game drive we did not see any of the Big 5 animals and the rangers drove us back earlier therefore shorted our tour, eventhough the website says 2-2.5hrs which they did not adhear to.
There is a lack of interest to track the animals on this game drive, lack of animals too!

Unsatisfied and disappointed tourists. We wont be back! Feel free to ask more questions.

We did take this up with management no compensation whatsoever. Well this is the type of service you get at Mongena.

At own risk, you have been warned...
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina-Marketing, Owner at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 11 Mar 2020
Dear Safari guest Thank you for taking the time to review your experience with us. We are so sorry to hear that you did not have a successful game viewing experience on our 8,000 ha concession in the free-roaming Dinokeng Game Reserve. Unfortunately, the 14h00 game drive slot is generally not the best game viewing time in the African bush whilst it is still hot and the animals are sheltering from the day's heat. We offer 5 game drives slots a day with the best times being early morning at 06h00 or late afternoon at 16h30. Our animals are not held in enclosures/camps nor being fed by human beings, thus giving them the freedom to move where they feel most at home, making sightings sometimes difficult in a total free-roaming area of 21,000 ha of game reserve although our rangers and trackers do their utmost to track animals. We do hope that you see your way open to return one day to assure yourselves of the generally good sightings that have been recorded by our guests.
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mulalojustice wrote a review Feb 2021
Greater Johannesburg, South Africa
The Game drives are incredible. I would recommend this place for anyone who would like to relax and unwind , The restaurant food is prepared by a great chef.Value for money. the staff is very professional and helpful , Top class service from Mongena Game Lodge.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina Toerien , Marketing at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 16 Feb 2021
Dear day visitor Thank you for sharing your feelings with us after your guided game drive and Kingfisher Restaurant visit. Your review is much appreciated and we look forward to welcoming you back soon Warm regards Marina Toerien
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Ishmael M wrote a review Aug 2020
Greater Johannesburg, South Africa
What could have been a wonderful weekend away was almost ruined by a few incidents of open discrimination by their staff.
We encountered a waiter, who without provocation, was rude to us and kept removing items from our table to serve a white family at a table next to ours.
We arrived early to board our game drive vehicle, but the rangers completely ignored us, yet the moment one white family approached, the ranger checking people onto the vehicle rushed out to meet them and made sure they were first on the vehicle and able to choose where to sit. He had no answer when we asked why he walked right past us to attend to the new arrivals.
That same evening we booked a drive for the next morning with our ranger, yet when we arrived he had already left (before schedule) with another group and had not even bothered to include our names on list of guests going for a drive that day. We had to suffer the added indignity of being asked if we were guests at the lodge by the manager who was loading guests for the drive when we approached him to enquire as to what had happened to our booking.
These 3 incidents left us feeling very unwelcome at Mongena Game Lodge. We were discriminated against and not given the respect and treatment worthy of paying guests. We have been to many and better appointed game lodges at other reserves before and never experienced maltreatment such as we received at Mongena. It was our first visit here, and we are never ever coming back again...
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Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina Toerien , Marketing at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 13 Jan 2021
Dear guest We are sorry to hear about your feelings you experienced during your stay at Mongena. We strive to welcome all guests in the same professional manner irrespective of race, religion or attitude and receive on a continuous basis, positive feedback from regular guests about our service and friendliness of our staff. Discrimination for whatever reason is not tolerated at Mongena. We are investigating the matters raised to ensure that our staff remains trained and delivers professional service on all levels. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us! Warm regards Marina Toerien
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Marga du Plessis wrote a review Aug 2020
Our family had the most amazing weekend in Mongena.
The service was outstanding, our game drives with informative rangers where of the highest standard.The big five was seen over the weekend as well all other animals. The sundown at the dam was breathtaking.
Mongena is less than 2 hours drive from JHB
A gem to be explored more often.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina Toerien , Marketing at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 13 Jan 2021
Dear guest Thank you for taking the time to review us on this platform. We are thrilled to learn that we exceeded your expectations. Looking forward to welcoming you back! Regards Marina Toerien
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Bobgolf1976 wrote a review Aug 2020
Bristol, United Kingdom
We thoroughly enjoyed the stay at Mongena. The room was comfortable and had everything that you need on a short stay.
We thoroughly enjoyed the walks around the grounds and being able to have a picnic on the grass or lie next to the pool. It was great having the buck and zebra that you could see really close up.
The game drives were great, entertaining and informative with well trained guides.
The restaurant food was very good and the service was good even though they were fully booked. The staff at the restaurant were very friendly and helpful.
The other staff were good but at times when we asked for information etc, we felt that they were not as helpful as they could have been.
Overall, the staff are friendly and provide a good service.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marina Toerien , Marketing at Mongena Private Game Lodge
Responded 13 Jan 2021
Dear Guest Thank you for sharing your experiences at Mongena with us. We are thrilled to learn that you enjoyed your stay and that you appreciated the nyalas, impalas and zebras roaming freeling in the main camp. We are proud of our staff as they are the most important frontline contact with our valued guests. Hope to see you back in the near future! Warm regards Marina Toerien
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Answer from Marina-Marketing
Pretoria4 contributions
Dear potential guest Thank you for your enquiry. We do not offer hunting at Mongena. We are a leisure destination offering guided game drives less than 1.5 hrs from OR Tambo Airport. Maybe you would like to stay over with us on your way to another hunting destination. Warm regards Marina Toerien
Answer from Marina-Marketing
Pretoria4 contributions
It is always advisable to prebook as we might be fully booked when you arrive. We have 5 scheduled guided game drives per day, 7 days a week, 06h00, 09h00, 14h00, 16h30 and 20h30. Please call +27 12 7118920 to book.
Answer from tcvanrooyen
Johannesburg, South Africa21 contributions48 helpful votes
Yes I think so
Christian P wrote a tip May 2024
4 contributions
"Experience it yourself and you will know "
Read full review
Debbie R wrote a tip Feb 2024
1 contribution
"Bring insect repellant although there weren’t a lot, we did see a few mozzies (I think)."
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MATODZI TOURS wrote a tip Jan 2024
Johannesburg, South Africa1,808 contribution4 helpful votes
"If it is summer please bring sun block please"
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Fearless08812927161 wrote a tip Nov 2023
1 contribution
"Don't expect to see any of the Big 5. "
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Darren wrote a tip Oct 2023
2 contributions1 helpful vote
"Make sure you do all the drives at different times."
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Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the Klipdrift area.
PRICE RANGE
R 5,709 - R 6,021 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaGautengKlipdrift
NUMBER OF ROOMS
25
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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MONGENA PRIVATE GAME LODGE - Reviews & Price Comparison (Klipdrift, South Africa)

Frequently Asked Questions about Mongena Private Game Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Mongena Private Game Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Dinokeng Game Reserve (7.6 km) and Carousel Casino & Entertainment World (7.3 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Mongena Private Game Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Mongena Private Game Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Mongena Private Game Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Mongena Private Game Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include Kingfisher Restaurant, Injabulo Restaurant, and Kubu A La Carté Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Mongena Private Game Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Mongena Private Game Lodge have airport transportation?
Yes, Mongena Private Game Lodge offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Mongena Private Game Lodge offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business centre, meeting rooms, and a banquet room.
Is Mongena Private Game Lodge accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.