SOLAR! Safari in the garden, private viewing decks. Enjoy the bush and relax!

Marloth Park, Mpumalanga
$140 avg/night Minimum Stay 4 Nights
Bed 4

Bed

Bath 3

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 10

Max Sleeps

Night 4 nights

Min Stay

We have been searching long to find this house where we can enjoy the bush in a natural setting and in a house style in agreement with its environment.
There is solar energy with back up and a borehole if needed, so no worries about electricity cuts and water shortage!
Stop the rat race, the daily worries, and come and enjoy wildlife at our place. Very close to Kruger Park entrance, you can hop over to Kruger for a few hours to see predators and the big five as our place only has the visit of non predator wild animals.
Walk through our back yard to the river and spot the animals in Kruger.
Hear the elephants trump and stroll to the river to watch their interactions. Put some bird seed and observe all the various tropical birds coming close to you to eat or take a fresh bath in the sun. Have a refreshing swim in your private pool after a safari day. Talk about your fantastic experiences around the BBQ-fire in the evening and have some more thrills by listening to the night sounds : do we hear hippo fighting ... was this a leopard calling ...or is it a lion roaring .... could that be a hyena laughing
You can prepare your own dinner but you can also ask our housekeeper to prepare it for you. She will cater to your needs. Her traditional African potjie, prepared on a slow wooden fire, is one of our guests' favourites. Of course, you can also go out to eat in one of the close by very moderately priced restaurants. 
At Rafiki's you find the much desired factors all together in one place : bush charm, good location (near river and also near Kruger Crocodile Bridge entry Gate); privacy (no neighbours prying on you); large private garden; private swimming pool; splash pool; full daily cleaning to keep out unwanted insects and other crawlers; burglar safe anti-mosquito windows in every room for fresh air; possibility to cook for you. Last but not least the frequent visits of many different animals who love the shaded garden and private space.
Also free limitless and fast Wifi in the bush!
Rafiki's Resthouse is a spacious bush house with 4 bedrooms (all with air conditioning, all also have ceiling fans) and 3 bathrooms, a living room on the ground floor (with AC), a video room on the first floor, a dining area and a fully equipped kitchen.
All rooms have at least one window that is mosquito and baboon proof when left open. This is exceptional in Marloth Park but fresh air is essential in that climate.
There is outdoor sleeping possibility in the safari tent on the upper deck. Enjoy the bush at night from a safe place.
The beauty of the place are the viewing decks (downstairs and upstairs) from where the animals can be observed. In South Africa, one lives outside: the house has two large covered terraces, a cocktail pool, a swimming pool, a barbecue area and last but not least a large garden with impressive trees.
Rafiki's Resthouse is situated in a nature reserve, bordering the famous Kruger National Park. Antelopes, including kudus, impalas and bushbucks, monkeys, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and so much more can be daily observed in the garden, at close quarters. Birds are abundant. At night, bushbabies, genet and other night animals can be seen while you are sipping at a glass of wine or are having dinner on your private terrace.
'Rafiki' means friend and you are welcomed in this home as friends.
Surrounded by trees, the house and garden are a haven of peace, only to be disturbed by animals and birds. If you like privacy and animals close by, this home is ideal. Luxury in the bush. A longer stay is recommended to enhance game sightings and complete relaxation.
Greater game such as the big five can be spotted at the river. From your terrace, you can hear the elephants trumpeting, the hippos laughing and the lion roaring. The fence of the National Park is only 100m away, a 2 min walk through the garden, and from there you have a beautiful view of the Crocodile River and the animals of Kruger that visit the river. Elephant, rhino, buffalo, hyena and various antelopes are often seen, and, with luck, even lions and leopard. Walk along the river and you will always be rewarded.
Many birds can be observed in the garden.
This garden is not fenced as the beauty of the place is the closeness to these animals who are wild but not aggressive.
Restaurants, shops and leisure activities (elephant interaction) are close by. The nearest entrance to Kruger National Park can be reached in 12 minutes.

Rafiki's is ideal for a longer stay as you and the animals will get used to each other and you will look forward to the greeting of the no longer frightened bushbuck in the morning, or the visiting bushbabies in the evening.  Many guests drop their planned frequent visits to Kruger to just stay home and enjoy instead their own game viewing in the privacy of the garden.

Betty does proper daily cleaning and can also cook for you. A fee of 15-20 euro per day is to be paid directly to the owner immediately after booking.

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Rates & Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • PETS

    No Pets Allowed
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Deadbolt Lock Fire Extinguisher First Aid Kit Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    4 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided
  • GENERAL

    Composting Humane Treatment Of Captive Wild Animals Locally-owned & Organized Tours & Activities Recycling Some Profits Reinvested In Community And Sustainability Unit Size: 3229 Sq Ft (300 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Coffee/tea Maker Cookware/dishes/utensils Electric Kettle Kitchen Island Microwave Oven Refrigerator Stovetop Toaster
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Near Laundromat Washing Machine
  • PARKING

    Onsite Parking
  • INTERNET

    Free WiFi
  • OUTDOORS

    Balcony Barbecue Grill Firepit Garden
  • POOL/SPA

    Outdoor Pool Private Pool
  • BATHROOMS

    3 Bathrooms Bathtub Or Shower Hair Dryer Soap Towels Provided
  • WORKSPACES

    Desk Desk Chair
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    Dutch English French German Spanish
  • THINGS TO DO

    Birdwatching Nearby Fishing Nearby Golf Nearby Golfing On Site Hiking Nearby Hiking/biking Trails Nearby Horse Riding Nearby Swimming Nearby Water Park Nearby Wildlife And Game Walks Nearby
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    Books Games Video Library TV
  • LIVING SPACES

    Living Room Wood Stove
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning
  • FAMILY FRIENDLY

    Children's Books Children's Games Children's Toys Highchair Playground Travel Crib
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    In A Rural Location On The River
  • SERVICES AND CONVENIENCES

    Concierge Services Housekeeping (on Request) Iron/ironing Board
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Smoke-free Property

CheckIn Check-in : 02:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 10:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 10

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Review Review

  • Ingrid V.

    Submitted Sep 2, 2025

    Stayed Aug 29, 2025

    Its amazing all the animals in the backyard .The owner is amazing gives great advice and tips for a great visit. The house is very well kept by Betty who cleans and I mean cleans everyday. For a little extra money she will cook for you .I give the place 20 stars if that was posible

  • eli i.

    Submitted Jul 22, 2023

    Stayed Jul 12, 2023

    If only we could give it more stars, we would. The house has a thatched roof, high beamed ceilings, super comfy beds, plenty of indoor & outdoor seating, all of the imenities needed while maintaining the decor of a bush home. There is a fire pit and 2 pools. Betty cleans the house daily. It is surrounded by the bush therefore you get to interact with kudo, warthogs, bush back that eat from your hands, also impala, zebra, giraffe, vervet monkeys, baboons, elephants Guinea fowl in your own back yard. A 5 minute walk to the fenced river has crocodiles, hippos and a plethora of birds. We did visit Krueger for the big 5 but were happiest in Raffiki’s back yard with the animals. Gerda is most helpful with daily animal sightings and info. It was beyond words. our best vacation ever, despite the 16 hour flight. The internet is phenomenal for the updates from Gerda but we never used it except to load pictures and did not turn the tv on once. HIGHLY recommend Rafiki’s Resthouse.

  • Marele S.

    Submitted Jun 28, 2019

    Stayed Jun 20, 2019

    We enjoyed our stay at Rafikis. We loved seeing the wild life so close at hand and the area was really peaceful. It’s great to have the Kruger national park gate so close and we really saw a lot of animals just sitting on the ‘stoep’. Betty was very friendly and helpful and we enjoyed meeting her.

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Total

Includes taxes and fees
$140+
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