Milima Big 5 Safari Lodge

Milima Big 5 Safari Lodge (formerly branded Elephant Hills Big 5 Safari Lodge) is a 4-star lodge in the Maseke Game Reserve, part of the Balule Private Nature Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park near Hoedspruit, South Africa. The lodge sits within a private, wildlife-rich traversing area renowned for frequent Big Five sightings, with a waterhole just metres from the property regularly drawing elephant and buffalo into view of guests.

Accommodation spans 12 units across three categories: 4 Family Villas (sleeping up to 6), 4 Luxury Safari Tents (sleeping 2), and 4 Manor House Rooms (two sleeping up to 4, two smaller rooms sleeping 2 and sharing a bathroom), each with a private patio. Facilities include a spa, a swimming pool with waterhole views, a garden and terrace, a restaurant and bar, free WiFi, and laundry/dry-cleaning services. The family-friendly restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and a complimentary buffet breakfast runs from 9am to 11am. Game drives are conducted in open safari vehicles with knowledgeable rangers focused on the Big Five, typically followed by boma dinners under the stars. Children aged 0-2 stay free sharing an existing bed, while ages 3-11 are charged roughly 75% of the adult sharing rate.

Milima is rated 4 of 5 on TripAdvisor from 100 reviews, ranked #27 of 121 specialty lodging in Hoedspruit. Most guests describe attentive, professional staff, knowledgeable guides, well-prepared food and strong Big Five sightings at good value; however, one notable review describes a significantly disrupted stay caused by nearby fires and heavy smoke on arrival day with no prior notice or alternative offered. Worth flagging: published nightly rates vary very widely across third-party sources (roughly R11,780-R94,260) without clear indication of whether figures are per person or per unit — confirm current pricing structure directly before quoting a client.