Mackaya Bella is a lovely mountain lodge offering B&B with exceptional hosts. The staff were equally superb and the food was outstanding. Ryan and Danny made us feel welcome and engaged, providing local insights and advice on activities nearby. Ntombi introduced us to some traditional cuisine and prepared a variety of fresh, locally sourced, meals which were delicious. We spent our honeymoon at Mackaya Bella and will definitely be returning!

The inbound road requires SUV/4×4 but we were made aware of this beforehand and it adds to the experience. No complaints at all!

Everything- cosy, relaxed, perfect setting!

Nothing, all good!

Fantastic place with phenomenal view of the Drakensberg Mountains. Great smaller hikes starting direktly at the lodge. Best breakfast in the region, very creative. And if you like a bit of excitement, you also will enjoy the private "road" getting there. We were one of the first guests under the new owners, Ryan and Danny. They are lovely hosts who have a vision of making this place (which we think is already exceptional) a jewel in Drakensberg Mountains. Thank-you so much for the wonderful stay we had and all the best for the future.

The French coffee was good, but a proper espresso machine would top it!

The (new) owners Ryan and Danny did realy everything to make us confortable. They are realy very nice, tell you about the region, culture, they arranged food for us, heat the fire.The lady at the breakfast prepared us tasty dishes and very gentle. The place has i think the most beautiful view of Drakensberge. My husband even got goosebumps while entering . Highly recommanded

Nothing

The hosts Ryan and Danny were very welcoming and friendly. It was as if we were visiting friends. They were so nice and we had many nice conversations. Every evening they made us a fire. They also ordered food for us, when we were very tired in the evening. The breakfasts were lovely and finally something else to choose besides bacon and eggs. They told us what nice trails you can walk from their place. We saw rock paintings for over thousands of years old and a beautiful old forest with lots of moss on the trees. Wow! Also the view from the lodge is absolutely gorgeous! Definitely recommended.

Nothing, it was perfect!

Location was stunning! Accommodation was very nice and the hosts were very friendly. Hope to come back to this place!

Amazing view and great staff

Lynden and Pat were such great hosts

Nothing at all

the showers and the breakfast

carpets in rooms need thorough cleaning

The lodge is in a spectacular location with a unique view of the Drakensberg Mountains. The hosts are very nice and friendly. We had a little damage to the car, so they helped us fix it. We are very grateful to them for this. We highly recommend staying here for those who want to spend time in beautiful nature.

nothing

Pat and Lyn where absolute wonderful hosts.the facility was quiet clean and tranquil.welll prepared and thoughtful in every regard . it was a unexpected and overall wonderful experience.and will be back

A lovely BnB in the most phenomenal location! Really stunning views and wonderful communal area to relax in. The breakfasts were delicious and the communal kitchen area is very well stocked to meet all your needs. The hosts were extremely accommodating and informative about the area with ideas of where to eat, activities to do in the area, hiking routes and a daily loadshedding schedule. I had a lovely stay at Mackaya Bella and felt very welcome! Thank you for having me!

The road to the lodge can be a little tricky with some muddy uneven areas and an exciting bridge crossing but the hosts were extremely helpful in navigating this. I enjoyed a bit of off-roading fun and my car (not a 4x4) managed perfectly. Just a heads up for more timid drivers!

We loved the location, beautiful views, hiking and fishing. The hosts were friendly and very helpful. Will certainly visit again. We really enjoyed our stay.

Nothing to report.

Lydnen and Patrick are super friendly.The Location is extremely good.

Our stay at Mackaya Bella was sensational. Our family of five had the whole lodge to ourselves as we booked out three huts making the experience feel luxurious and intimate. Patrick and Lynn were the sweetest hosts who catered to our every need. Patrick was kind enough to act as a tour guide going above and beyond to walk us to the phenomenal Bushman cave paintings and stunning freshwater pool along the river. This hike was located on their property so there was no need to drive all the way out to see the nature (although leaving the property to explore was not a problem either). They also allowed us to spend time with their beautiful dogs Bella and Little Bear which helped us with the separation from our own beloved pets. We felt very safe. The nature reserve around the lodge was stunning. At your doorstep is a view of the Drakensberg mountains and surrounding wildlife - the perfect backdrop. Plenty of wild animals roam the property and you can see the trails they leave behind. Right near the lodge is a small waterfall that flows almost all year round. The water in this area is as pure as pure can be. Our rooms were very cosy and comfortable. There were very little mosquitoes when we were there considering the fresh water was constantly flowing on the property. There was a fireplace inside the main lodge as well as outside with the mountain views that allowed us to enjoy each space in the evening (even with loadshedding). Lynn and Patrick accommodated our dietary requests (vegetarian and vegan) giving us wonderful breakfast options where other places would be lacking. We visited Champaigne Castle Hotel out of curiosity. Albeit very nice, we were extremely happy that we chose Mackaya Bella instead. We felt so at home at this wonderful lodge and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to visit the Drakensberg area. We hope that Patrick and Lynn will see many more guests this year as they could not be more deserving.

It was pretty much perfect.

we loved how accessible the little remote beautiful logde was in the mountains… absolutely stunning view, so comfortable and our hosts we just so friendly and amazing people

I can’t say anything bad everything is just so lovely

We had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend! The location was amazingly beautiful, peaceful and well connected to other activities in the area. The hosts were very friendly and accommodating, with great recommendations regarding hikes, activities, food, wine and logistics. The rooms were very nice and all facilities were clean and comfortable. Breakfast was also delicious! There are two things that are not bad but worth mentioning so future guests are aware of their limitations. 1. Unfortunately there was a lot of loadshedding - this is not something the hosts can be blamed for and they were very helpful with the schedules for example. Future guests should just bear this in mind and make sure to charge their phones, be prepared for the power outages, etc. 2. There are no cooking facilities (e.g. stoves) for guests, so bear this in mind for dinners- you will need to either eat from a restaurant or have food that requires minimal preparation (there is a microwave and hot water).

The hosts are wonderful and made us feel right at home. The view is extraordinary and the gardens and waterfall feed the soul

The venue is wonderful. We loved everything about it

We had an exceptional stay here. You have know that the B&B is remotely located and you have drive off-road for about 10 minutes. A SUV with good ground clearance is a must. If you do not feel good about driving the hosts are more than happy to drive you as well. Upon arrival, our hosts have met us at the gate, offering us to drive our car up to the lodge. Once we got there, they have showed us around the facilites and explained the surroundings incl. hiking routes etc. Just when I thought our hosts could not be any nicer and more helpful, our car showed a mechanical issue. Our host did not waste time, took a close at the problem and offered us to repair it the next morning. He really saved our trip as we had to drive for 10 hours that day and swapping cars or finding a mechanic would have cost us a lot of time and money. I have never seen anyone as nice and helpful as these two. We would always love to come back when we have the chance. Thank you!

1. The best by far was the location itself – beautiful, peaceful, serene, quiet. The mountain view from the lodge's lawn is exceptional and awe inspiring! 2.The hosts went out of their way to make our stay pleasant. They provided us with excellent recommendations of places to visit, things to do, and restaurants to eat at. This allowed us to book ahead of time, and made for a memorable and relaxing visit. 3. The breakfasts at the lodge were delicious! There was a selection each morning, and the options were great. 4. The peaceful sound of running water (both of the river below the property and the waterfall behind the property) soothes the soul.

Some guests might find the lack of cellphone signal (especially Vodacom) and intermittent internet connectivity limiting or frustrating. However, this is exactly the value of a remote place: the ability to switch off completely and rest fully and uninterrupted in the most beautiful surrounding nature.

the view was amazing. breakfast was great, fresh and homemade. the hosts were very friendly and gave very nice advice. the place was very clean. we would come again if we rent a 4x4

the road to get there 😂 even though we were prepared it was a quite though drive.

Incredible location and the perfect hosts made us feel right at home. The limited amount of guests makes the accommodation feel very cozy. Rock pools in the nearby river are only a short walk away.

The road to the accommodation can be a bit intimidating and takes about 15 minutes from the main road. Some planning with dinner is required, because the accommodation only offers tables, fridge and microwave for take away.