About MalaMala

About MalaMala

In existence since 1927, this massive thriving tract of land produces the most exciting wildlife experience this side of the equator. MalaMala Game Reserve is the largest private Big Five game reserve in South Africa. Comprising 13,300 ha, MalaMala shares a 19 km (12 mile) unfenced border with the world-renowned Kruger National Park and lies sandwiched between the Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand Reserve. 

For over four decades, Michael Rattray has remained focused on his objective to preserve and protect the land over which he is custodian. Allowing nature to move to its innate rhythm. Guests experience today what their forefathers of the African Safari would have experienced at the turn of the century. This philosophy has paid off, as experienced by a veritable collection of photojournalists and film-makers who have made MalaMala their destination of choice to capture footage of wildlife that would rival any Hollywood production. 

Not even Tanzania's Serengeti Game Reserve or the awesome Ngorongoro Crater fills your camera viewfinder faster with Africa's legendary Big Five at MalaMala: lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros and elephant. 

MalaMala's three camps - MalaMala Main Camp, Sable Camp and Rattray's on MalaMala - are the embodiment of an authentic safari experience pioneered at a time when safari was simple - unassuming camps, vast sweeping plains, the African sky and the bush in all its splendour. Wellness was the feeling after a long day in the wild. Cigars were shared without pomp and ceremony.

MalaMala Main Camp is the oldest of the three lodges in the reserve and the blueprint for many subsequent lodges in southern Africa. Built in the early 1900s along the Sand River, the lodge's 18 thatched cottages are surrounded by lush lawns and shady trees. With just five rooms and a palatial suite, MalaMala Sable Camp in the southern section is an exclusive and luxurious departure from the modern world. The style is understated and rustic but the luxury is everywhere.

Rattray's on MalaMala is the ultimate in colonial elegance and comfort. The eight suites are standalone houses built in the style of early colonial Africa - every indulgence has been catered for and the privacy and comfort are supreme.

Guests to MalaMala will still spend hours beneath an inky sky in the traditional boma exchanging stories from the wild - a sumptuous meal, good company and relaxed faces warmed by the crackling fire, accompanied by the nocturnal symphony of sound.

To find out more about staying at MalaMala, drop one of expert consultants an enquiry now.

While it may be a landmark and one of the most famous private reserves in South Africa, Mala Mala Game Reserve has just three fantastic lodges.