MalaMala Rattray's Camp

Highlights

5-Star Luxury Lodge in the award-winning Mala Mala Game Reserve
Rooms have Private decks with a view over the Sand River or a waterhole
Rattray's on MalaMala is ideal for solo explorers, couples and families looking for a luxurious safari experience.

You should know

No children under 16 years unless the camp is reserved exclusively in which case, children 12 and older are welcome.

The detail

Tucked away in a forest of green, on the banks of the world-renowned Sand River, lies a special place. MalaMala Rattray’s Camp offers an intimate glimpse into an era long lost, when travellers from afar married the magic of the African bush with elegance and refinement. Combining humble opulence and romantic exclusivity with unrivalled game viewing, MalaMala Rattray’s Camp is the premier safari destination for those seeking to experience the wild heart of Africa.

MalaMala Rattrays Camp is the epitome of classic style and good taste. Each luxurious, freestanding and spacious suite offers an atmosphere of lush seclusion and boasts spectacular views of the Sand River where wildlife of all shapes and sizes can be viewed whilst taking a dip in the private plunge pool, cooling off in the outdoor shower or enjoying a massage on the deck.

Price includes

Accommodation, all meals and drinks (excluding premium brands), snacks, laundry – maximum 10 items per room per day (minimum 2 nights). Game drives in open 4-wheel drive safari vehicles conducted by an experienced ranger, nature walks and transfers to and from the MalaMala airstrip.
Our rates are per person sharing unless we note differently.
Single supplements may apply.
Request a quote or speak to one of our Agents for the best, most current rates available.

Rates & Pricing

All promotions for this lodge are shown below, you can also view all current safari specials here.

SADC SPECIAL

YES

Stay Pay SPECIAL

Stay 4 Pay 3

Last minute SPECIAL

Combo SPECIAL

Family SPECIAL

Honeymoon SPECIAL

$ 1590 USD

$ 1190 USD

$ 1590 USD

17550

SPECIAL - Great news, you appear to be from a SADC country and can enjoy the discounted rate shown!

17550

Best price guarantee

Financial protection

Rates are starting prices per person, per night sharing.
With specials, we always use the best promotion available, please contact our experts for more guidance.

FLEXIBLE REFUND POLICY
60+ days notice will be a full refund.
30-60 days notice will be a 50% refund.
< 30 days notice will be no refund.

Policy above does not apply to flights.
For additional protection, see below.

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST!

Our travel expert will be in touch shortly to assist with planning your trip :)

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Your personal travel planner

Chantal is our local expert in all aspects of this accommodation. Ready to help you plan your trip, and ensure your happiness from now until you get back from safari.

Chantal Young

email:

chantal.young@safari.com

direct:

+27 21 201 1453

switchboard:

+27 21 468 7240

chat on WhatsApp

Patricia

Rattray's is One of the very best. From your personal safety to the accommodations, & food, . My ranger Roan was one of the best I've had. But seemingly all of The Rangers at Mala Mala are very knowledgeable , and very capable to try to fulfill your wishes. I traveled with my adult son..

Zac

We went to Rattray's in August to celebrate both our 20th anniversary and my husband's birthday, and it did not disappoint. Everyone who worked there was friendly and professional, our kaya (cottage) was beautiful and spacious, and our safaris out to see the animals were thrilling and and fun. Our kaya: We stated in Unit #4 and it was gorgeous. Our bedroom, which featured a king-size bed, had 2 bathrooms, 1 with a tub, 1 with a shower. We had 2 closets with ample space for clothing and suitcase storage. We had a small refrigerator which the staff stocks with beverages of your choice (note they do charge for sodas). There is a small pool outside but it was too cold to go into. The best part of the kaya was that it sits on a river, which in August was nearly dried up; nearly, but not completely. We spent one afternoon watching a herd of 13 elephants walking by and swimming in the water, which left us awestruck. The food: we thought the food was delicious. Breakfast is a buffet, and you have the option of ordering a hot dish as well. We had eggs and bacon and pancakes and they were terrific. Lunch is also buffet style with 2 entree choices, salads, and a vegetarian entree. For dinner there 3 or 4 entree options, again always a vegetarian option, plus the meal started with a soup (the butternut squash and cinnamon soup was absolutely delicious!). For my husband's birthday one night the staff made him a cake then sang and danced for him for about 10 minutes, it was a lot of fun. Safari: there is a morning safari (6:30 am - 9am) and an afternoon safari (3:30-7pm). We saw lots of animals on both safaris including lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, zebras, ostrich, and even wild dogs. Our safari guide Fritz was absolutely determined to find the animals we wanted to see. He is very knowledgeable about all the animals as well as the area and its history. The area was dry at this time but still quite beautiful in its own way. This was a wonderful trip, I can't say enough wonderful things about Rattray's. One suggestion: when you book, request to be paired in your jeep and at meals with another couple from your country. We were paired with an Italian couple, and while they were very nice, there was a language barrier, and it was difficult to talk about all the wonderful things we saw on safari.

Glenn

We were privileged to stay at Mala Mala for six nights (September 10-16), one night at the main camp and five nights at Rattrays. The game viewing was exceptional, made very accessible and fascinating by knowledgeable and experienced guides. We were very fortunate to be paired with Joe at the main camp and Mike at Rattrays. Can't say enough about how good the guides were! Tracking the animals, off-road driving, knowledge of animal behavior, care for security and comfort of their passengers, and sense of best camera angles: all first-rate. Mala Mala is known for its big cats, and we were fortunate to be able to spend extended time with lions, leopards, and a skittish cheetah. Also saw herds of elephants and Cape buffalo, as well as smaller groups of rhinos, zebras, and giraffes. Not to mention numerous Impala, Nyala, kudu, etc. We were thrilled to be right in the midst of a pack of wild dogs, a rare occurrence. Staff were very friendly and efficient and perfect for a stay at an upscale private game reserve. The food was very tasty, with wide variety for different tastes. All in all, an outstandingly good time!

Kevin

Rattray's is a great camp to see the Big Five and wildlife in South Africa - we were there for our honeymoon and had such a fabulous time! It was our favorite camp (of the luxury lodges we visited) not only because of the animals and wildlife we've seen but also because of the people (guides), lodging and overall experience. We saw the Big Five multiple times, and were also able to see actions (lion prowl, lion kill, wild dog hunt, leopard eating its kill, etc). The rangers there were wonderful - they have such great camaraderie among themselves and it was really fun going out with them. If one of the rangers sees something, he'd call for others to join but only 3 vehicles are allowed at a single sighting so at no time would you feel swamped by other people.Our ranger Michael is knowledgeable, accommodating, considerate and passionate about wildlife, which made our experience so perfect everyday we spent at Rattray's. We were able to get very close to the animals yet always feel safe and did not sacrifice the comfort and luxury. We were also able to see many animals even from our house and definitely had a great time at Rattray's!Mala Mala also has a main camp and another camp called Sable, but we'd highly recommend Rattray's for the great guides and the overall experience. It is exclusive, luxurious, but you also have a sense of community.

Wendell

Rattrayâs at Mala Mala was highly recommended and was our favorite game reserve for accommodations and the range of wildlife we saw over the 5 safaris we were on at Mala Mala. We saw the Big Five the first day we were there plus numerous other wildlife. Wildlife was plentiful and always right next to you. Our driver/guide was superb and could track animals right through the thicket. We drove right up to animals and right through herds of buffalo, Impala, Kudu, elephants, giraffes, rhino, prides of lions, leopards, warthogs, and numerous other species of antelopes and birds. We have some absolutely fantastic wildlife pictures up close and intimate. Accommodations at Rattrayâs was top line all the way (only 8 individual suites in the camp). Our suite, #2, over looked the river where a herd of elephants were right out our back patio when we arrived. Food was very good, diverse, and plentiful at each meal (all meals were included in the price).

Elena Wright

Most wonderful experience of a lifetime!

GALLERY

No items found.

4.7

out of 5 based on

182 reviews

Feb 8, 2023

Spending 40 years in the travel…

Spending 40 years in the travel industry and taking several Safari to Kenya, my wife and I reached out to Dolan at Safari.com to help plan our S. African Safari to Kruger. Dolan handled all aspects of the planning including transfers to and from airport, plane reservations and lodging at the 5-star Leopard Hills lodge. With just a couple of emails he made the planning seamless. every aspect was on-time, and all responses were very timely. We can't wait to go back and would highly recommend Dolan at Safari.com

customer

Feb 7, 2023

We had a lovely holiday!

Hi Chantal The Summit place guest house was First class , the warmest welcome Robyn was a first class host , the day drips to the wine region and Cape of Good hope etc where really good also. Limoni apartments where lovely, we were looked after by the maids and the property was fantastic . Amakhala service was fantastic, really first class couldn’t fault it. No issues with the cars or anything everything went well, thank you for organising it for us we would recommend you and your company!

Brian

Feb 3, 2023

Delt with Heleen

Delt with Heleen, who was super responsive and patient with us along the way! Will definitely make use of safari.com and Heleen when planning our trips in the future.

Donga

Feb 1, 2023

The person helping me was great

The person who was helping me with the booking, Carien, was exceptionally helpful and she made it very easy to get information and to get my booking sorted. The website was very easy to navigate and receive good information about which spots offer which amenities

Wynand De Villiers

Jan 27, 2023

I cant say much but safari is the best…

I cant say much but safari is the best when it comes to book coz they know client are always right and they help me very quicky.God bless u

Phathu Matshintshisa

Jan 11, 2023

Unorgettable trip in South Africa

We have spent 12 days as a family in South Africa with my 3 children and my wife who is in a wheelchair. Thanks to Pascal, Safari.com consultant, we were able to spend an unforgettable moment with a great program while being well accompanied despite our constraints. I recommand particularly the "Monwana game lodge" for a safari in Hoedspruit. It's an amazing place with very nice people and a real family atmosphere. Thank you to the entire Safari.com team for this unforgettable trip.

fabrice dont

Nov 26, 2022

We had an amazing first safari…

We had an amazing first safari experience with Safari.com! 💯Thanks to Dolan for the well planning and ensure our itinerary goes smoothly and safely!

CSY

Nov 18, 2022

Cape Town miracle

I was in Cape Town, South Africa recently for an athletic competition and had allowed myself a week of personal time to relax and properly conclude the trip, but had not bothered to plan a safari to occupy the time. I was skeptical of the cost and whether I would enjoy the experience, however a couple days into that final week it occurred to me, in a bit of a panic attack, what a waste it would be not to take advantage of this opportunity. I hopped online and started looking at flights to Johannesburg (almost all the safaris in SA start there with an early morning pick up), but it was basically impossible to get a flight early enough and/or to coordinate with the multiple safaris operating in or just outside of Kruger. With no apparent options available to turn my remaining 4 1/2 days into even a 3 day safari I stumbled on the most obvious website one could imagine, Safari.com. I'd completely given up negotiating all the variables on my own but here was a safari travel agent that might be able to help me .. and they were based right out of Cape Town, literally a stones throw from my lodgings. Serendipity, or so i hoped. I immediately sent out an email and crossed my fingers .. for roughly an hour and a half, at which point Dolan from Safari.com responded to me requesting I give him a call so that we could expedite potential arrangements. My in country phone plan wasn't able to make calls, but we arranged for him to call me and not 3 hours after being in the grip of despair Dolan got through to me and far from notifying me of how absurd it was to hold out hope for a literally, last minute safari adventure with barely 4 days available to me, he had already worked out all the details I'd sent and created a preliminary safari trip that would bypass Johannesburg airport for a flight the next morning to a closer, much, much smaller airport where I would be picked up taken, not to a 3 day safari, but a full 4 day safari, then back to the tiny, tiny airport for a return flight to Cape Town with 2 hours to spare for my return leg all the way home. It almost feels like an afterthought, after the minor miracle Dolan was able to conjure up, but the safari itself at Simbavati Lodge was just an absolutely stunning experience. The single "tent" he booked me was as luxurious as any 4 star hotel I've stayed in, the game drives, one every morning, one every evening were more amazing than I could have ever imagined, and the food, 3 meals a day with snacks and an open bar was sublime. I could go on about the wonderful staff, or the wonderful other safari goers you can meet and grab a drink with, or the different animals walking through the open lodge facilities daily .. but I've gone on long enough. I'll simply conclude by saying .. safari, absolutely, yes, do it, it is amazing. And when you do decide, Safari.com will do you right and if you have the pleasure of working with Dolan, do give him my thanks .. the entire experience was the best part of my trip :)

Damian Glennon

Nov 12, 2022

A great company

What to say! We planned a South African Safari for 2020 with Safari.com. We researched companies and took a chance on one we had never heard of before. Henry Franklin was our agent, we gave him our budget and wish list. He came up with a wonderful looking trip and we made our choices! Then came Covid, preventing us from going. We couldn’t have been in better hands. Henry rebooked everything for the next year. He kept us updated on how things looked there. When in 2021, we decided it still looked iffy, he rebooked us a second time for 2022. We couldn’t have been happier with the service we had in a rough time for all. We had a wonderful experience on our trip when we finally got to go!! Henry had everything so well organized and gave us a detailed list of what transfer companies would be meeting us and when. When Airlink bumped us and put us on standby returning from Victoria Falls, we called the concierge number Henry had given us and Catherine worked hard on this and got us back on our flight. The Safari.com team had our back and we have no regrets. Would definitely use them again. Our lodging was wonderful, saw the big 5 within first 2 drives. Henry definitely knew the territory and did a great job matching what we wanted with where he suggested we go and stay. Thanks Safari.com, Henry and Catherine!

Heather Carlson

Oct 21, 2022

Superior service, knowledgeable, transparent, amazing can-do attitude

These guys get 10/10. I have booked with them a few times. To Kruger National Park, including both public and private(concession) camps, flights and car hire. Their senior agent, Dolan is exceptional. Nothing is too much trouble. Attention to detail, transparency, and 'can-do' attitude are out of the ordinary. I recently came into contact with Tanya at safari.com as well. It looks like all their agents are similarly well trained. Thank you. I cannot recommend Dolan and his team highly enough.

customer

Sep 5, 2022

Trip of a life time

Well where to starter, África always been my number one dream vacation, I found safari.com didn’t know anything about, but pascal made me feel very confident.pascal put my whole trip together (everything I wanted) a trip of a life time. Had the best time in Africa, was everything that I except and a little more. Pascal is the best and I will go back to Africa and will go through safari.com that I recommend and is 💯 legit.thank you for everything pascal, you rock!!!

Tricia moyses

Sep 5, 2022

For a second time I booked a safari in…

For a second time I booked a safari in South Africa by Safari.com and had the great pleasure to be assisted and followed by Dolan Sequera. I have to say I really appreciate his way to communicate with me by phone and/or WhatsApp/mail, I always got a very quick answer to my questions with solutions and or suggestions which solved the doubts/problems I had. A really very very knowledged and professional person I will surely suggest to friends of my or who ever is plannig to visit South Africa! Thank you very much Dolan

antonio caccia

Aug 31, 2022

I've recently interacted with Dolan and…

I've recently interacted with Dolan and hands down he's been the best travel agent that I've every worked with. He was a wealth of experience and knowledge which shows volumes. He took into consideration my budget and my individual needs to tailor make a package with recommendations for my preference,he knows Kruger and Greater Kruger like the back of his hands and I will wholeheartedly recommended his services. He is truly an asset to his institution.

prinolin

Apr 21, 2022

The best company

I have booked several trips with Safari.com and they are the best. They are personal and professional and always pay attention to the details to make your trip special. Casper is the best agent I have worked with. We are looking forward to booking another trip!!

Steven Hopson