Need to Know

A Luxury Suite is R10,880 per person sharing per night, fully inclusive, at one rate every night of the year: no seasonal bands and no festive or Easter supplements. Every suite’s rates are on Rates and in our Rack Rates (PDF, opens in a new tab).

Our rates are fully inclusive:

• All meals, teas and coffees
• Local house wines, beers and spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages
• Afternoon game drive on the day of arrival
• Morning game drive on the day of departure
• Night drives* and eco-boats**
• Full-day boat and wetland safari on the Western Shores
• Full-day beach safari on the Eastern Shores
• Birding: a morning birding activity (pre-booked in advance), offered in lieu of a morning drive or on longer stays
• The Hluhluwe–iMfolozi day trip (pre-booked in advance, on longer stays)

*Night drives and **eco-boat trips are offered as an alternative to the morning or afternoon drives, subject to the availability of a guide, the weather and lodge logistics.

Not included in our rates:

• iSimangaliso park entry fees and park levies
• The conservation levy
• Premium spirits, non-house wines and premium cocktails
• Gratuities
• Spa treatments
• Laundry
• Additional and outsourced activities
• Emergency medical evacuations
• Travel insurance
• Cancellation insurance

Our conservation levy and the park’s entry fees are on Rates.

Our own levy, per person per night: R130 an adult and R65 a child in 2026, and R140 and R70 in 2027. The conservation levy is added to the accommodation invoice and paid before arrival. Where it goes is in our Conservation & Sustainability (PDF, opens in a new tab) document.

Full-day safaris need a stay of 2 nights or more and are not run on arrival or departure days. A 2-night stay includes 1 full-day safari — the boat safari, or the beach safari if requested in advance. Recommend a 3-night stay to do both full-day safaris. Both are on Experiences.

On a 1-night stay we offer an afternoon drive on arrival and a morning drive (or eco-boat, weather permitting and subject to the availability of a guide) before departure.

Birding trips are offered in lieu of a morning drive or on longer stays, and must be booked in advance; subject to the availability of a birding guide. The Hluhluwe–iMfolozi day trip is for longer stays, on request, booked in advance. Night drives are booked in advance, subject to guide availability and the weather, at management’s discretion.

Our rates are the same in every month; what changes is the wildlife. May to September is the easiest time for game on the Western Shores, whales pass from June to November, and the summer migrant birds arrive from November to April. July to October is the busiest stretch and sells out, so book early.

Birding, whale watching, horse riding and deep-sea fishing can be booked directly with outside operators, at their prices; transfers for these are not included. We run no fishing and no guided walks ourselves. In-room massage by appointment, subject to therapist availability, at extra cost. The treatment menu is shown at check-in.

Children are welcome in our Luxury and Family suites under a parent’s supervision at all times; children 12 yrs and under pay 50% of the adult sharing rate, and a parent signs our child policy before arrival.

Children 6–12 yrs:

• Children are welcome in our Luxury and Family suites
• Children must be under a parent’s supervision at all times
• Children aged 6–12 are welcome to join their parents on scheduled activities
• Early dining is arranged for children
• Children are not permitted to dine in the boma

Children 0–5 yrs:

• Booked by special arrangement
• Not accommodated on scheduled activities
• Charged the child rate
• A parent or guardian must sign our child policy before arrival
• A babysitter can be booked in advance at an additional cost

Guests 13 yrs and older are adults. The full policy is on Rates.

• Luxury Suite: Up to 3 adults (the 3rd on a daybed).
• Honeymoon Suite: 2 adults.
• Family Suite: 2 adults and 2 children (12 yrs and under), max 3 adults. An extra bed for a 3rd child (12 yrs and under) by special arrangement, plus the applicable child rate.

A single traveller pays a single supplement of 50% on the per person sharing rate, and a 3rd guest (13+ yrs) on the daybed of a Luxury Suite pays 80% of the sharing rate. Each suite’s rates are on Rates.

Write to us at book@makakatana.com or send us an enquiry: bookings are made in writing. Our reservations team is on +27 (0)87 059 9015, Monday–Friday 08h00–17h00.

A 20% non-refundable deposit confirms your booking, and the 80% balance is due 45 days before arrival. Provisional bookings are held for 7 days. If the 20% deposit is not received within 7 days of written confirmation, the reservation may be released automatically. The full terms are on Booking terms.

• We accept bank transfers (EFT), credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) and international wire transfers
• All banking charges are for the guest’s or agent’s account
• Payments must reach our account free of bank charges and commissions
• Please send proof of payment with the booking reference number, itemising the bookings it covers
• Credit-card payments are not accepted from third-party service providers

We will only communicate with you from email addresses ending in @makakatana.com. If you receive a payment request or booking update from any other email address, or if our banking details appear to have changed, please contact us directly before making payment.

Cancellation charges are a percentage of the total booking value. The deposit is non-refundable, and the full scale of charges is on Booking terms.

Check-in is at 13h00 and check-out at 10h00. Early check-in or late departure by prior arrangement.

Yes. Lunch on the day of arrival must be pre-booked.

Our recommended way in, from every direction, is Nhlozi Gate (Gate 11), off the P380. The directions are on Getting here and in our Access & Directions (PDF, opens in a new tab) document.

• Summer, 1 Nov – 31 Mar: 05h00–19h00
• Winter, 1 Apr – 31 Oct: 06h00–18h00

Late arrival is pre-booked, and only through Nhlozi Gate: we arrange it in advance, and a member of our team meets you at the gate and escorts you in, at a fee of R375. There is no entry after 21h00, except by the park’s exception, with a late-entry park fee of R1,000. The details are on Getting here.

The park’s entry fees and levies, which are not in our rates. Park fees are paid in cash: power cuts can stop card payments. The 2026 fees are on Rates.

Yes, from the airports, nearby reserves and St Lucia, priced per vehicle, maximum 6 passengers, one way. The routes and prices are on Getting here and in our Transfers (PDF, opens in a new tab) sheet.

We are in a low-risk malaria area; please take medical advice before travelling.

Yes. By day the lodge and our staff village run entirely on solar power; at night we draw on the grid or on solar-charged batteries, and a diesel generator is kept for emergencies only.

Yes: we filter our drinking water and give each guest a refillable bottle, so we use no single-use plastic bottles.

Our trade terms and net rates are agreed in writing: send us a trade rates request, and our reservations team will reply by email. Our rate sheet, fact sheet and photographs are in our Resource Library.