From the minute we touch down at Hoedspruit Eastgate airport we always feel very welcome in this very beautiful part of South Africa.  This time though Elandela made us feel like we belonged here. It was extra special. 
 
We were met at the airport by Sandy who quickly took care of our luggage and whisked us off to your Lodges and Reserves. We later found out that Sandy was also to be one of our guides. We arrived to receive a heartfelt warm and friendly welcome from Francisco and Sindy. Our first impression was what an impressive place this was with its perfectly manicured gardens and friendly faces wanting to ensure we would have a holiday to remember. 
 
The lovely Fransisco took us to our lodge and explained the surroundings and what to expect and immediately we were surprised to see your 2 hippos basking in the warm sun.  We knew then that we had arrived at a very special place. Our lodge was beautiful and spotlessly clean, large bedroom with well stocked fridge , tea and coffee making facilities, large comfortable bed. Extremely large bathroom with double sinks , dressing area , large whirlpool bath and indoor and outdoor showers. Sun terrace at the back of the lodge with sun loungers and terraced patio at the front of lodge furnished with tables and chairs .  Amazing to watch Zebra and giraffes walk by often directly on the path in front of you. 
 
We quickly unpacked and went on the first of our many drives. Simon, Shepherd, Sandy and Rudolph were our expert guides . They have astounding knowledge of the wildlife , floral and fauna and the amazing ability to find the impossible possible often plucking chameleons from the trees in the pitch black of the night, spotting bush babies, jackals, tortoises, genets, civet cats, honey badgers and even an aardvark on our amazing nocturnal night drives. Yes we were definitely hooked. Three game drives a day was fantastic. We booked the additional night drives for most days making the most of this amazing place. 
 
Your  beautiful pride of white lions with their cheeky eight month old cubs who liked to provoke the rhinos having a mud bath, the leopards who would rest in the sun and hunt at night. We tracked one leopard who we found having dinner, an impala he had dragged up a tree which was quickly surrounded by hyenas at the bottom waiting for scraps. Zebras and Giraffes in abundance and numerous beautiful birds.  We were totally blown away by the knowledge of Simon who seemed to know everything about all the wildlife, flora and fauna , he made everything so interesting. He was a walking encyclopaedia! 
 
There are no elephants in the reserve but the reason behind this was quickly explained. We had never given it thought in the past that the elephants were actually destroying the trees and not only do they eat the foliage , they strip the tree of its bark , trample them to the ground -they completely destroy the tree. Yes, they are beautiful strong animals and their young look so cute trying to keep up with the herd but this was an aspect we had never considered before. The elephants and that area we saw on the game drives were outside Elandela Reserve.
 
Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the fine restaurant served by Christopher , cooked by expert chefs Gift and Sibusiso. You always had a choice of food and it was so good that more often than not you had no room for dessert. Chef Gift makes such cute hippo and porcupine bread rolls they looked too good to eat. The presentation of dinner was excellent and definitely worthy of  five stars ! 
 
The elegant well stocked bar next to the restaurant with amazing animal shaped carved chairs is very impressive . Very authentic.  
 The pool situated outside on the terrace overlooking the lake was most welcoming in the hot afternoons. It was cute to see Warthogs and Nyalas graze feet away and the baboons that lie in wait if you leave your pastry too long while having coffee on the terrace.
 
Housekeepers, Pearl and Pretty ensured our lodge was spotless, towels etc replaced and they must have constantly popped in and out as there was never a towel out of place , beds turned back at night and even chocolates left on the pillow. A nice touch. The laundry service was super quick and much appreciated. 
Your gardens are very well maintained and impressive. There was always a presence of the gardeners and the grounds were expertly kept. Everyone was always so friendly and approachable. 
 
 Elandela is like an oasis in the middle of the reserve. It’s so peaceful and relaxing. This truly is a place I would without a doubt return to again and again. This was not our first visit to South Africa and definitely will not be the last. I’m so impressed by plenty of varieties of wildlife and they are clearly at ease in their surroundings and do not appear to be threatened by humans unlike some reserves not far away, where sadly illegal trophy hunting takes place . This is what makes Elandela so special and a cut above the rest. 
 
I cannot recommend Elandela highly enough.  I’m so glad we made the decision to stay with you. You can clearly see you and your staff respect the environment, the animals and enjoy life and treat everyone as an individual, nothing is too much trouble and everyone has a friendly approach and the love of Elandela is obvious. If I had to use one word to describe this place it would be “ heaven”. 
 
Thank you for creating such a beautiful place.