Marataba Mountain Lodge - Our second home, our heartfelt place

Heike & Ralph Schmidt-Dallüge, guests from Germany who have visited multiple times, shared with us how they felt on their soulful safari at Marataba Luxury Lodges.

It's hard to describe...when you enter the park through the main gate, you are immersed in another world, captivated from the first second through sounds, smells and the indescribable views. You are completely with yourself and feel an indescribable peace and serenity. All gloomy thoughts are blown away.

When you arrive at Safari Lodge and see all the lovely people again, then the happiness is complete. It's like coming home. Immediately, a feeling of well-being spreads – with the security that only a family can give you.

After the first warm welcome at the Safari Lodge, we continued to the Marataba Mountain Lodge – the place we have fallen for. On the way "up" we were able to get to know our new guide better – MBongeni. A great person, a great guide and just very likeable. When we arrived at the Mountain Lodge, we had the feeling that we hadn't been away at all. Jennifer –warmth personified – gave us a welcome that could not have been more beautiful.

Everything felt so familiar, and we couldn't take our eyes off the wonderful nature.

Of course, we were very excited about what we would see during the game drives. It is not important for us to see the "Big Five". We are happy to do all the things that can be done during a game drive. Immersing yourself in nature is the best thing ever.

This year there was a very touching moment for us during a game drive in the morning. We met two male cheetahs. They were the brothers we had seen as babies from two years old. They grew into handsome fellows who were resting under a tree with full bellies.

A very special moment is always the Miss Mara Water Safari. This time we were able to "go out on the water" in the early morning. It was quite fresh, but the sun broke through and we could enjoy the enchanting nature and the impressive Waterberg Mountains. The wildlife also seemed to have been waiting for us that morning.

Two pythons, hippos, Cape buffalo and several birds gave us a breathtaking sight. It is so incredibly peaceful to watch the wildlife from the water.

After a morning game drive, you are naturally hungry when you return to the lodge. Breakfast is a real highlight every morning. Every wish is fulfilled, and you start the rest of the day with a full belly.

It is incredibly relaxing to enjoy a wonderful spa treatment after the morning game drive, a brilliant breakfast and a period of reflection on the essentials. Afterwards, you'll feel refreshed and ready for new adventures – such as an overnight stay in a treehouse. Unfortunately, we were very unlucky this year and could only spend the evening there. When we arrived at the tree house it had rained – well, we thought to ourselves, that's not dramatic. The rain stopped, an impressive rainbow rose over the bushveld, and we began to look forward to a cozy evening. However, the joy did not last long. At nightfall it started to storm, and we were forced to ask the lodge to pick us up.

Of course, it was a pity not to spend the night in the tree house. We were rewarded with a great dinner and an overnight stay in a tent at Safari Lodge. A great adventure that we will repeat for sure.

It's just unbelievable how caring they are with the guests at the lodge. We've been on the road a lot but haven't experienced anything like it anywhere. As I said, it's like a real family – you look out for each other.

Everyone makes sure that you always get enough food. You will be incredibly spoiled with culinary excursions to the most diverse regions.

We don't want to miss a second spent in this wonderful place. The other guests who spent the days with us at the Marataba Mountain Lodge were also a real enrichment. That's also what we appreciate so much about this place - you get to meet people from different countries.

On site, all national borders fall, and nature unites everyone. It is always very special when everyone comes back to the lodge from their game drives and talks about their experiences. You can see shining eyes and the joy of the adventures to come.

It is simply fascinating to be able to be a guest in the real habitat of the animals. We are already planning our next trip to Marataba Mountain Lodge and are already looking forward to meeting all the lovely people there.

We can now start counting the months again – there are still 23 months to go, then we can travel back to our second home. Time will pass quickly – see you soon, dear ones.