Amanda Vacation Rentals

"The entire property was spotless. The hosts were always available for assistance when needed and treated each guest with a smile and courtesy. The breakfast was generous with yogurt, museli, fruit, eggs, bacon, and cucumber/tomato garnish. Of course coffee, tea, and juice were offered as well. The pool and pool bar were not ready for use. Of course the summer season had ended. I did not ask why, so if that is important to you, I recommend you ask ahead of time. The pool was clean except for some fallen leaves. The location was secure inside the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate. It was very quiet at night except for the occasional animal sounds. There was easy and convenient access to Hoedspruit shops and restaurants. For the great service, cleanliness, and security... I recommend this stay."

"Start with the good things...the setting is beautiful and the receptionist was very kind. The roads were well maintained and parking was easy. The place has a lot of potential. The disappointing issue was that the Expedia listing is not accurate and the owners were completely non-responsive. The restaurant is not open as described in the listing (breakfast is provided, though). Also, the tent I booked said it had a private pool. That was not the case at all. The listing for both tents listed a private pool but it was only available to one of them. That would not have been bad if the owner had given me the courtesy of a response. When I brought it up, they ignored my message. I know they read it from the read receipt. Later, when the power went out, I notified them. No response until morning when they curtly informed me of the time it came on (just maybe 10 minutes later). Coincidentally, I was fully aware of that time and didn't intend my message as a complaint. I felt they were offended by it since they didn't respond until 8 hours later. Finally, the 3 spiders in my sheets were the last straw. It was a tent, so maybe understandable, but I did not feel confident that I found them all. I checked out early and they obviously did not offer a refund. I did notify Expedia of the listing discrepancies and they attempted to contact the owners with no success. Beautiful place, but know what you are getting. As an experienced traveller, this is the first negative review of my life."

"Very friendly staff. Very spacious room with nice view and selection of food. Hotel and pool are in good condition. "

"An amazing safari lodge, with stunning location, views, great food and accommodation. The "honeymoon" suite is amazing. We saw all the big 5 in two drives! And saw so much wildlife over our trip it was absolutely fantastic, so many sightings every day - thank you Gareth and James, your amazing knowledgeable, friendly manner, your wildlife knowledge, spotting ("leopard man" James) and good humour made the trip! A truly fantastic lodge!"

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"Communication between Gem in the Bush and us before arrival was good and clear, providing detailed entry and check-in instructions to enter the estate. Room was clean and in good condition but very basic. Staff were polite and courteous. The reception area, dining room and kitchen are all in one room as you enter so it is not pleasant to be checking in whilst other occupants are dining. The walkway from the parking to the front entry is not lit up at night so a torch is necessary. Maybe some garden lights along the pathway could help."

"The first thing to note was that I was not informed that my room would not be near the lodge. As a solo traveler, that would’ve been very important information to know that I am not near any help if I needed it. In addition, One cannot just leave the log their lodging because you’re located in a nature reserve and it isn’t safe so you’re pretty much a prisoner at your room and you are dependent on somebody picking you up in order to get you somewhere the room itself was fine. The airport shuttle worked perfectly. The staff was hit or miss. The person in charge, Musa, was a very odd fellow. He seemed to stare and was very slow to both move and respond to questions. He did not make me feel at ease in any way, and in my opinion, should definitely not be the face of your property. The rest of the staff, while friendly, were not particularly professional. They asked personal questions and their English was not very good."

"Excellent staff, wonderful room, comfortable bed, beautiful setting."

"Amazing stay! The closest i ever got to three roundavels. There was a guy assisting with keping monkeys away. I really appreciated it."