Metsi Safari Lodge

Metsi Lodge is situated in the malaria-free 37 000 hectares Welgevonden Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province (South Africa).

Taking only one party at a time, Metsi Lodge provides an exclusive holiday and ensures guests’ stay is tailormade to their every whim and fancy. The Lodge has five luxury bedrooms and is a fully staffed safari home for rent, perfect for small groups of friends or families, looking to indulge in true African hospitality and total comfort.

With the lodge folding doors opening onto an expansive deck overlooking our private waterhole, one is always on nature's doorstep.

The entire lodge is unobtrusively fenced to encourage the ever-present wildlife to remain at a comfortable distance. Metsi Lodge provides enough space and intimacy to be at home whether sipping something cool at the pool, reading a book, or perched on the deck scouting for elephants and other wildlife at the water hole.

Should guests feel the need to keep at pace with the outside world, there is satellite television and Wi-Fi access in the main lodge. The five large bedrooms are divided into a three bedroom and a two-bedroom house. These connect to the main lodge via a raised walkway. Each bedroom has a bathroom en-suite, with four having also an outside shower for the ultimate natural experience!

The bedrooms within each house have inter-leading passages, perfect for checking up on little ones if needed, still ensuring guests’ complete privacy. All rooms gaze out on to our private waterhole, keeping guests attuned to the buzz of life outside.

Bar fridges and tea/coffee facilities are placed in each bedroom. Crackling bedroom fireplaces are the perfect end to winter nights in the bush. The five bedrooms sleep a maximum of 10 guests.

Comfortably sitting in our land cruiser game viewer, our highly experienced, fully qualified guide will be leading our guests to enjoy the full spectrum of wildlife in tailor-made game drives.

The reserve offers Big Five game tracking as well as many species of antelopes and superb birdlife. Everything one can expect in South Africa is there: Elephant, Waterbuck, blue Wildebeest, Warthog and Impala are common residents around the lodge. Zebra, Eland, white Rhino, Lion and Cheetah are also frequent sightings on our adjacent grass plains and acacia woodland, where we also receive regular visits from giraffe or that elusive leopard!

Our guests decide each day how early or late they want to start and end their safaris. Watch the sunrise, have a picnic day or spend the afternoon roaming the reserve wondering what lies around each corner....it's all up to our guests!

Good food and an inviting table are an important part of a great day. Our chef prepares delicious meals delivered with a huge smile and served on the deck overlooking the waterhole.

Meals are varied affairs and may include picnics in the bush, dinner under the stars, lunch on the terrace, and al fresco breakfasts and brunches. We are flexible in catering to all tastes and dietary requirements.

We can also provide for the younger members of the family should they need separate meal times. Our chef will strive to provide our guests a delicious homemade feast at each meal by creating dishes from the freshest available ingredients and baking our own bread and biscuits.

All this can be enjoyed in the warmth of the dining room or out on the open deck. A wide range of beverages are available of course...

Metsi Lodge is not operated as a profit-making business. Two of the lodge owners live at Metsi all year around. Our key objective in renting the lodge is to help cover the high operating costs associated with conserving Big Five Wildlife, and at the same time share our passion for nature conservation with our guests. We are passionate about African Wildlife conservation, and one of the live-in owners has been working in this field for over 20 years. We employ a highly qualified and dedicated team to ensure that our guests have a unique experience during their stay at Metsi Lodge and take incredible memories of their stay with us, back home. As much as our busy schedules allow, we try to be present at the lodge during our guests’ stays to answer any questions they may have about what it is like to work in nature conservation in Africa and live in a beautiful and unique Big Five Game Reserve.

About the Welgevonden Game Reserve 

The Welgevonden Game Reserve, located just three hours’ north of Johannesburg in the Limpopo Province’s Waterberg plateau, is one of the most ruggedly scenic reserves in South Africa, characterised by rolling hills, rugged gorges and grassy plains.

Aptly meaning ‘well found’, the Welgevonden is unlike anywhere else on earth, a true wilderness area with excellent game viewing and stunning scenery. Enjoy this mountain bushveld environment with roaring rivers and sweeping horizon views. The reserve is located at high altitude, enjoys a mild climate and is Malaria free making it worth a visit any time of the year.

As a result of the reserve’s diverse landscapes, visitors can enjoy Big Five sightings, in addition to encounters with over 50 mammal species, 250 bird species and some of the bush’s most beautiful wildflowers that make their appearance in early spring.

The Welgevonden also boasts one of Africa’s largest populations of white rhino on a private reserve, with such unusual species as brown hyena, aardwolf and aardvark also located within the reserve. The reserve has never been a hunting area and as such game viewing is up and close and personal. In addition to great game viewing, there is also ancient San Rock Art.

This is Africa at its most interesting and at its best.