Somabula Natuurreservaat Shibala

1 review

Self Catering

Reviews

3.2/ 5

Based on 1 review

Cleanliness

5.0

Location

3.0

Value for money

2.0

Service

3.0

Safety

3.0

Christiaan V

Short stay ⋅ With partner

3.2

Oct 2025

Unpleasant sleepless nights. We recently spent the weekend at this nature reserve and, unfortunately, our experience did not live up to what was advertised. Firstly, every advertisement clearly stated that giraffes roam the property — yet after hours of game driving and exploring, we did not see a single one. It felt misleading as this was one of the main reasons we chose this reserve. Secondly, the ads mentioned that fishing was allowed if you brought your own gear. However, when I contacted the host to confirm, I was told that no fishing was permitted. This was very disappointing, especially since it was one of the activities we were most looking forward to. Thirdly, the cottage itself was not properly sealed. During the evenings, we had small wild animals, including a bushbaby and even bats, coming inside. It made the stay quite uncomfortable and not very relaxing. Lastly, communication with the host was poor. I sent a message several days before our stay but received no reply. Only after following up via email the next day did I finally get a response — with the excuse that they had seen the message but “forgot” to reply. Overall, the place has potential, but the false advertising, lack of communication, and maintenance issues made our stay far less enjoyable than expected.

Cleanliness

5.0

Service

3.0

Location

3.0

Safety

3.0

Value for money

2.0