Letamo at Qwabi Private Game Reserve by Newmark

My wife and I spent a week here during July as part of a Titan Tours holiday from the UK. No doubt the safari connoisseurs will have a critical opinion on reserve size and wildlife. But for us , it was a fabulous holiday. Situated approximately 3.5hrs from Johannesburg airport.( 2 hrs on good roads and 1.5hrs on a bumpy dirt road) . We were in a deluxe room with balcony, which was excellent. Very spacious and kept extremely clean throughout our stay. The staff were always pleasant and keen to please, going out of their way to meet any requests from guests. Our guide was Darian. He was knowledgeable, witty, engaging and most of all, very passionate about his job, conservation and wanting to give you the best safari experience possible. Two 3.5hr game drives per day, restaurant and outdoor dining and a spectacular bush dinner watching the sun set and an abundance of encounters with Elephants, giraffes, lions, hippos, rhinos, jackals, birds and a crocodile. This holiday had everything we could have dreamed of and more. We were there in July, which is the SA winter. Daily temperatures were in low 20s Celsius , with blue skies every day. Overnight temperatures dropped to about 6 Celsius. Some 7 am game drives were a frosty start. When the Sun disappeared behind the mountains after 5pm there is an immediate drop in temperature. It is advisable to bring plenty of layers including a warm coat, gloves, woolly hat and a snood or face covering, as driving around during the colder hours in an open sided landcruiser you experience an added wind chill. We didn’t want to leave, and it has wetted our appetite for another safari and another visit to South Africa. Highly recommended!

Really loved this place, it's close to Jhb & it's a Big 5 reserve. The food was really amazing with lots of choices in the buffet. The sightings were great & the crocodile lying by the dam was a highlight for me. Gorgeous facility & rooms, very warm welcoming staff, and the guide Thomas was really good, entertaining, & knowledgeable. Definitely a place i can go back to, over & over. Beware though there is a 32km "crinkle cut" gravel road to get to the lodge, it took a whole hour on the gravel stretch so I dont mess up my car cos the ripples make the car shake...4×4 bakkies needed for that road for sure!

Luxury game lodge. Many more activities besides game drives. The best hotel or resort gym I have ever experienced. Top notch Technogym. Padel court, 2 swimming pools, pool table etc. Very knowledgeable guides. Great food, especially the salads and vegetables were the star of the show. Most food made in-house. Spend some extra money on premium rooms. It is significantly bigger and more luxurious than the deluxe rooms. Great for families and solo adults alike.

We stayed at Letamo at Qwabi recently - March 2025. A “Billionaire “stayed at the same time. He was allowed to erect his own “ boombox” and play his own music so loudly at the dining and pool area, that it could be heard inside the chalets. This was allowed by Management despite it being disruptive and irritating to other guests . He was allowed to “take over” the facility without any regard for the comfort of other guests. Rolls of notes were dished out to staff to accommodate him. What would have been a very pleasant stay with good accommodation, good food and friendly staff, was totally ruined .

Luxury game reserve. Staff could not be more friendly and helpful. Saw the big 5 on lots of game drive with knowledgeable drivers. Food was very good with lots of choice. I have mobility issues but the staff were excellent in making our staff very enjoyable. The only negative was the large steps into the swimming pool without support.

The most incredible experience from beginning to end! Every member of staff were so friendly and couldn’t do enough to make the experience memorable - beautiful rooms, stunning pool/ bar/restaurant with superb food and definite 5 star feel - guide drives superb especially Heinrich who was so incredibly knowledgeable in all the wild life so friendly and courteous and always so willing to answer any questions. There was upmost respect for ensuring the animals were paramount and undisturbed when viewing them I would jump at the chance to visit again - what an incredible place