Reviews & Comments
Fantastic bush location. After a round trip through South Africa we spend a short week here and it was the best place we have been to. Wildlife all over, we were welcomed by 4 elephants in the garden and saw giraffe, wharthogs, common grey duiker all in the garden itself. The house is so comfortable and really has everyting you can think of and more. Our kids loved the board games, the swimming pools and we even played some tennis. The staff is very friendly and makes sure that you will be happy. We (family with kids) really enjoyed Umoja! And to Chantal: thank you for all the help with our roundtrip and the tips you gave us. You made our holiday into an unforgetable experience. We will certainly tell our friends about this place
July 2018 Simons (Netherlands)
Thank you for a lovey stay. The house is beautiful and the surroundings are very peaceful. Unfortunately we did not see any animals although it felt like Africa. Keep up the great work and all the best.
July 2018 Dirkzwager (Netherlands)
Thank you for the lovely stay at this beautiful place. We really enjoyed our time here! Thank you for the hospitality and the friendliness. It was fantastic!
July 2018 Lysonek (Czech republic)
We stayed a week and did not want to leave The house is light, inviting, has nice furniture and beautiful decorations and made us feel right at home and not at all as a rental house. The birds and larger animals came to drink from tboth the large waterhole as from the private one. We swa waterbuck, impala, the most stunning birds and of course your wharthogs. We were visited by a large elephant walking around the house and were able to see him up close from the windows which was a real special experience. He did however take out some of your beautiful plants se we put them back in. The hyenas were our sunset-sounds. The seating areas are comfortable and the absolute quietness of the bush were exactly what we loved. You can relax and enjoy the bush on your own terms in this very special place. After many trips to South Africa, Umoja was one of the most excuisit and yet at the same time most affordable places we’ve ever been to so we have already booked again..
June 2018 Hughes (United Kingdom)
We spend a week and found it amazing. The verandah with the view of the dam was our favourite and we saw so many animals, impala, kudu, wharthogs and so many birds. We were even spoiled by sharing a sunset drink with an elephant hanging around in the garden. We had a great gamedrive with the ranger in the Kruger park, thank you for that tip, he definitely is the best! The staff was most great and so helpful and we enjoyed the 2 large pools. Did not use the spa, restaurant and tennis court, maybe next time. The place was perfect and our kids enjoyed it as well. They took a daily walk through your garden in search of the birds, chipmunks and looking at the butterflies. You have so many of them, they were eating from the bushes with the purple flowers. And of course your pool was their highlight of the day. I think we watered half the garden with them plunging in. In the evenings we saw the porcupine that you told us about, he was our daily visitor and indeed, he is huge but we saw several of them always walking through the garden to come for a drink from the birdbath. So funny. The house was all we had dreamed of and more and thank you Chantal for all your fantastic tips. We loved the sunset boat cruise. Umoja made our holiday truly memorable and your help and advice added to that. Thank you for that and we definitely hope to be able to visit again and hopefully next time my parents from Cape Town can join us.
June 2018 Underwood (United States)
Amazing stay at a wonderful villa with all the amenities you need. We were dining with the elephants wich was very exiting. We had a great safari in the Kruger. The staff was very kind and helpful. My 5 year old son was thrilled … like his father
June 2018 Ghidini (Italy)
The house has such a homely an inviting feeling to it. Almost like our own. Loved the large kitchen and the bedrooms were large and comforable. Outside shower was nice as well. The dirt road is a bit bumpy but can be done with a regular car. we found that driving at 50/h is better then slow and did not find it a problem. Thank you for all the tips you gave us, had some great outings and the game drive you recommended was definitely worth while.
April 2018 Kachalkova (Russia)
Wat ‘n pragtige, amazing plekkie!! ‘n Eerste ervaring om die natuurskoon te beleef vanuit ‘n private swembad met ‘n brandende vuurtje in die agtergrond en die naggeluide van t bos rondom ons. Dit was werklik spesiaal en hoop die geleenheid is weer daar om tijd hier te kan spandeer! Alles was ongelooflik en alles wat mens ndig het is hier! Dankie vir ‘n heerlik ontspannende aandjie.
April 2018 Francois (South Africa)
The quietness of the bush and the location are great. We would however, loved to have seen breakfast being served earlier then 7h since if you go to the Kruger that is too late. The swimming pool on the terrace was great and we enjoyed that in the evening coming back from the Kruger.
March 2018 Bailly (France)
Thank you for everything we have really enjoyed our stay in the house.
March 2018 Kekana (South Africa)
After a stay at the Kruger National Park this place was so relaxing. What a fantastic beautiful and comfortable house. We have enjoyed all the animals, including the prolific birdlife around the house. Every night we had a visit from the porcupine. The bush is very dry, and the water of the dam is gone. Your little treas on the dam are barely surviving. Not for nothing we are all hoping for some rain for South Africa. The service from the staff was great as well. Thank you for the excellent stay.
February 2018 Algra (Netherlands)
A unique home in the heart of Africa. Thank you for the great stay here at Umoja. So close to the Kruger park for several safaris. Wildlife here on the premises are fabulous. We saw giraffe, three elephant, five wharthogs, three waterbuck, a porcupine as well as several impala. We enjoyed all of our visitors not to mention all of the fabulous birdwatching. All the way from Canada to the wonderful warmth here in Phalaborwa, South Africa: Thank you!
January 2018 Penney family (Canada)
Dear Chantal, We had an absolutely lovely time at Umoja, Phalaborwa and the Kruger park. Our love for wildlife was fullfilled, from the terrace or at night from the couch in the living room. We saw the elephants, hyena’s, leopard and of course the wharthogs with their offspring come to drink from the waterhole in the garden. Lots of birds flew up and down every day. We have made great trips that you can read about in our blog and we would love to come back some day soon.
January 2018 Monique (Netherlands)
Umoja- what a gem of a place! We have been so lucky to have seen such beautiful wildlife so close that we could almost touch!! From elephants next to the house to Mr Porcupine eating our fruit platter on the stoep and giving us a huge fright. The house is stunning – everything you need and more. The pool is a bonus and welcomed in the Phalaborwa heat. We will for sure be back – why would you want to go anywhere else!!? Thank you Chantal for being so lovely and so helpful!
December 2017 Harvey (United Kingdom)
A week in the Bush. We have enjoyed it thoroughly. Even in the extreme heat (41 degrees!) Great to have airco in the house so you can sleep. The house has all you can need. And the fast internet connection was an extra bonus. At night sitting outside, the game spot was a real added value since we saw : leopard, some wharthogs, waterbuck in the dam at a distance, hyena, hornbill and so much more. And that while hearing the lions at the Kruger fence roaring loud at night, luckily on the good side of the fence. Thank you for your hospitality.
November 2017 Seijger (Netherlands)
What an amazing lodge, everything thought of, amazing views of the wildlife from the pool. The elephant was a bit of a surprise, not sure if he was too happy with us . Never been so close, thought he was going to come onto the patio. Kruger was amazing with Nandzana, saw 4 of the big 5 and lots more.
November 2017 Nick (Cornwall UK)
Had some lovely days. Great house with all you can ask for and more. Hyena’s, elephants and porcupine in the garden.
November 2017 Kerhof (NL)
Loved the place and wish we had known about this gem before. But now we do and we will most definitely come back again. Will have to stay longer next time.
October 2017 Luksich (South Africa)
Great house with mosquito netts over all the beds. Kitchen equiped with dishwasher and large oven and fridge. Good airco in every room. The bumpy road is not too comfortable and the costs of the laundry were too high but we understand that it is not by your choice, however would appreciate if you can check that. Saw the wharthogs in the garden, very funny.
October 2017 Henning (Germany)
We have really enjoyed our stay in the house and the visit to the Kruger park. It gave us from Sweden a completely different experience. It was fantastic!
October 2017 Cederlof (Sweden)
I stayed here with my family and we absolutely loved it! Your house is very comfortable and cosy. We had a dip in the pool and it was amazing. We saw giraffes and gazelles walk past your house. All the staff were very helpful and welcoming and made us feel at home. We looked after your house during our stay and everything was perfect.
September 2017 Emilya and family (South Africa)
We had a wonderful stay at your house. Everything was perfect, very comforable. The views from the decks were amazing. We saw wharthogs dining at the waterhole and heard hyena’s howling in the night! Thank you so much for letting us stay in your beautiful place!
September 2017 Henning (Germany)
Dear family Settels, What a cosy home. Our boys wanted to stay longer, especially because of the pool. Seeing the porcupine was the highlight! Hopefully we will be able to come back one day.
August 2017 Fam. Feron (Netherlands)
Great accommodation in the bush that is excellent for making trips to the Kruger. We swam with the giraffes in the garden. The staff was professional and welcoming in everyway. Would recommend it.
July 2017 De Vries (Netherlands)
Vacation of a lifetime! So beautiful, so much to see & wonderful accomodation. Don’t want to leave and can’t wait to come back. This East Tennesee girl & Georgia boy can’t say enough wonderful things about this amazing place!
July 2017 Gasset – Blevins (Georgetown USA)
Thank you so much for the lovely home to stay in and the hospitality of the staff.Not enough time, wished for more, meaning a returntrip is the cure.Waterbucks and wharthogs at the waterhole, and wharthogs very close to the backdoor!No predator sightings but was pleased to hear the lions roar the first morning and felt it was good luck to start the day like this.thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home; very beautiful and welcoming indeed!
May 2017 Pennington family (Sandy USA)
We rented the house to find it very large with private en-suite bathrooms and a fully equiped kitchen. Absolutely everything was there. The stone bbq and all the terraces were used by us to enjoy. Great lounge set! We heard the hyena’s at night and saw zebra and impala in the garden and at the dam. It was a fabulous stay and we will most certainly be back!
April 2017 Llorens (France)
We had a very relaxing stay in your beautiful house. It was a peaceful place to enjoy after travelling 1,5wk in the Kruger. We loved our stay!
April 2017 Jansen-Jacobs (The Netherlands)
We could not have asked for a better vacation. Everybody was amazing, very helpful and willing to help with anything we asked. Chantel was also very helpful from the booking of my vacation to her making sure we have arrived and are comfortable. thank you for speedy resonses, for everything I was asking and all the information you put together for me.
April 2017 Ramodibe & Gunter family (Herdon, USA)
Thank you for a lovely stay
March 2017 I. Norström (Malmö Sweden)
Very peaceful, very restful. A very different experience with fantastic service. Will definitely be recommended. Had a lovely stay.
March 2017 Uzair Mia (Johannesburg)
It is only the first day yet it has proven to be fairly eventful. The pool acted as a good catalyst for some good family time. Accompanied by a braai the first day proved to be exciting. Haven’t felt like this for a while!
January 2017 Mahlangu (Johannesburg)
Beautiful villa – felt at home right away A bit of a drive through the bush, but it is so quiet and secluded therefore. The African sounds like the roaring of the lions and the hyena and to see the animals at the waterhole. We felt right at home at your beautiful house. And thank you for all the tips you gave us beforehand for the rest of the trip. Thanks to the staff as well.
December 2016 F. Lengerer (Switzerland)
a birders paradise as well. We didn’t even have to go the Kruger to see the animals, because they came right up to the house. We saw the giraffe, the hyena and lots of birds and of course the impala and wharthog. But we also enjoyed all the beautiful birds around the house, at true birders paradise.
October 2016 B Schultz (Netherlands)
True Africa If you want to experience the true African feeling this is the place to be. We have seen the giraf, the whartogs, the porcupine, and so many birds. We just sat back in our chair and enjoyed the view. You can even see the Kruger park. all that and our own swimming pool, the kids loved it. They say it is winter but it didn’t feel like that to us! Your house is lovely and the mosquito nets were a plus. We have stayed 5 days, too short!
September 2016 E. Wildebeest (Netherlands)
Thank you for a lovely stay. Very restful and peaceful. We will definitely be recommending you and hope to be back in the future.
July 2016 family Correia/Champion (United Kingdom)
Wow… Wow we had a great holiday here at your house and at Silonque. Every day sun, nice temperatures, the Kruger next door. We heard the lions roar at night and the jackal (we thought it was the hyena but Jackson told us that it was the jackal). What more can you ask for. Thanks to the staff for their great hospitality.
May 2016 K.Anderson (Unites States)
A stunning place in Africa what a stunning place do you have here, with all the luxuries. A top location to really relax. You have made us feel more than welcome. We spotted animals, did game drives, had a romantic boat trip on the olifantsriver and saw the Blyde Canyon. What great memories. Thank you and we will come back!
May 2016 N.Verwer (The Hague)
Thank you so much for your hospitality. It was a huge, wonderful unbelievable stay in Umoja. Thanks a lot for organising the two safaris, specially the one with Craig (fantastic choice). Thank you for all!
April 2016 fam Arnould (Amiens France)
Thank you for the wonderful stay at this beautiful lodge. We really enjoyed our time we spent here!!!. Thank you for the hospitality and friendliness. We will definitely recommend this place. Family Seidler, germany
March 2016 Seidler (Hannover, Germany)
what a fantastic place in the bush. we have thoroughly enjoyed our stay with our family. The accommodation, the hospitality. And great to just be able to pop over to the Kruger Park. The accommodation was more than perfect with all you can ask for. The pictures we posted on Facebook received so many feedbacks so your place has gone viral. On our way to the next spot in South Africa now. Thank you and the staff for the excellent stay. Nico, Nathaly, Larissa and Mitchell
February 2016 N. Niepke (Netherlands)
Loved the viewpoint over the Kruger. and the private swimming pool in the terrace and we were blown away. We definitely picked a gem while booking. Not saying the other houses are bad and we didn’t see them inside of course but location location location as they say so yours is absolutely sublime. The staff went all out on my birthday (thank you for your bottle of wine and the card!) , I mean, where else are you welcomed so friendly? It’s hard to put into words, but this villa was probably the most luxurious place I’ve visited in all of SA. I will really REALLY recommend your house to everybody. A big thanks to you and to the staff , it was absolutely magical!
January 2016 Kleingeld Dennickma (Bela Bela south africa)
Great interior with large kitchen and 5 pits gas oven. We heard the lions at night in the KPN and the hyena visited the dam at night. Wish we could have spend more time here.
November 2015 Fam Mientjies (New Zealand)
A magnificent house with all the comfort that you can dream of. To wake up and see the large Kudu’s dinking on your doorstep, the impala and other animals is unforgetable. (and to top it off, we even saw a hyena!).
October 2015 Sylvie (Ile de la Reunion)
3 days your own bushvilla. Unfortunately we didn’t see the elephants and only heard the hyena. But every morning the grey duiker and impala now and again while waking up is definitely nice. the last evening we were treated to a heard of waterbuck and impalas, a great goodbye. And don’t forget that just before leaving we saw two male giraffe. Next time again!
September 2015 Feodor (Netherlands)
Dear owners, We had such a fantastic time here at your beautiful house. Everything looks nice, well maintained and typical african. We liked the interior and decor. The pool is dry now but we heard the elephants searching for water last night. We have enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Maybe till next time and we will recommend your place to friends!
July 2015 D v Megesem (Netherlands)
Thank you for all the good care; even from the Netherlands you still made sure that our stay was excellent. Your house is amazing, we have completely come to a stand-still and enjoyed ourselves enormously. From the impala to the waterbuck in the garden and even an elephant and a couple or wharthogs and all those beautiful birds that made our stay unforgetable. We have felt right at home and will certainly tell everybody about the house. Again thanks for everything.
June 2015 Reinier, Ellen, Lars (Tilburg Netherlands)
Spend an incredibly nice time at Umoja Kruger. What a fantastic location. At night the elephants in the garden!
April 2015 Fam Vos (Lelystad (Netherlands))
Where else do go get a visit from 4 elephants, waterbuck, wharthogs, grey duikers, impala, and hyena in the garden when they come to drink from the pond! We have seen them all. Unforgetable, especially the 4 elephants. We certainly hope to come back.
April 2015 Fam Zeilstra (Lelystad, the Netherlands)
The villa was beyond our wildest expectations. We immediately got the “honeymoon feeling”, it is such a quiet and luxurious place.
March 2015 Fam. Piessens (Netherlands)
What a lovely place. We had a great night here and want to come back to stay longer.
January 2015 Wood Family (Perth Australia)
We really enjoyed ourselves.
December 2014 Family S (South Africa)
what a beautiful house. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay and Christmas here at the Kruger National Park. Fantastic hosts too. Hope to come back soon!
December 2014 The Stockers (Yorkshire, England)
Thanks for letting us stay in your house. It was a very special unforgettable weekend with our son getting engaged here. Special family memories. You have a lovely bushhome and thanks for the champagne!
December 2014 Visser (South Africa)
Only 2 nights here.. but we will definitely come back again. As extra bonus 8 elephants in the waterhole. Tophouse!
October 2014 Gabriele (Maarn)
We spend some beautifull days at Umoja Kruger. The quiet of the bushveld, the luxury of the house. Highlight: the elephant at only 2 meters from our frontdoor! PS: we missed a small light above the braai.
October 2014 Fam. Ritsema (Netherlands)
What a wonderfull place to come back to each time. We enjoyed the animals, the beautifull bush with it’s fantastic sounds and the great house. Would highly recommend it to anybody.
October 2014 Family J. Smit (Spain)
Stunning house with view over a waterhole where the elephants drink. Smaller game walks in your garden. Only 100 meters from the Kruger fence (have to drive to the official entrance however). The house is decorated beautifully and very comfortable. Staff superfriendly and attentive very professional (Dutch ) management. Don’t just stay for a night but really enjoy the bush there for a couple of days. We will definitely come back again! A real gem
October 2014 Mariette Evers (Netherlands)
It is a great place to stay, wish we could have stayed longer!
August 2014 Leuteuilkumar family (South Africa)
A real bush experience. Wish we would have staid longer. Great house with private pool and a luxury interior. Felt like home. We loved the impala’s, waterbuck and warthog in the garden and to top it off, an elephant in the dam. Didn’t want to leave. Compliments to the hosts and the management/staff. They tend to every detail. Definitely recommend it.
May 2014 Fam. Breukink (Breda)