Rattray's Lodge
Freestanding villas overlooking the Sand River · South of the reserve, near Shaws Gate. Part of the Tengile MalaMala Collection, within the separately governed MalaMala Game Reserve; MalaMala is not on the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own lodge list, though the boundary fence between the two properties came down in 1993. · Tengile MalaMala Collection
High-end
Inside the park
Group-owned (Tengile MalaMala Collection)
Rattray's Lodge is the newest addition to the MalaMala Game Reserve's line-up, eight freestanding villa suites named for the family who ran MalaMala from 1964. Its one published rate, R42,800 per person sharing, runs from 11 January 2026 through 5 January 2027 as a single band rather than separate calendar years. No children under 16 are accepted unless the whole lodge is booked exclusively. No conservation levy is published, and Rattray's sits outside the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own membership list, so confirm what applies before you book.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Game drive vehicles carry four guests or fewer
- A private plunge pool and outdoor shower at every villa
- Spa treatment rooms sit right next to the pool
- Named for the family who ran MalaMala from 1964
Cons
- No children under 16 unless the whole lodge is exclusive
- Even then, only children aged 12 and over are allowed
- The site does not state what the nightly rate includes
Rates at Rattray's Lodge
From R42,800 pppn. One rate covers 11 Jan 2026 to 5 Jan 2027, R42,800 per person sharing, with no separate 2027 calendar-year rate published beyond that window. Converted at 1 USD = 16.35 ZAR on 23 September 2026, that is about $2,618. No conservation levy amount is published on the lodge's own site, and Rattray's, like the other MalaMala camps, is not listed as a Sabi Sand Wildtuin member.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates and fees come from each lodge's own website, read 16 September 2026, cross-checked against the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own published Guest Conservation Contribution and access fees at sabisand.co.za (the landowners' association, spelled without an 's') and against a reserve overview compiled the same day. Two booking-agent microsites, sabisands.com and sabisands.co.za (both spelled with an 's', unrelated to the association), were checked for cross-reference only and are not used as a source for any rate or levy figure. Ulusaba's own site quotes no nightly rate for its three lodges, so those are recorded as rates on request. Sabi Sabi and MalaMala are not on the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own lodge list, and neither states whether the reserve's own conservation contribution applies to a stay there; both maintain their own separate levy or none at all, as noted lodge by lodge.
Questions about Rattray's Lodge
Is Rattray's Lodge good for families?
Not for most families. Rattray's does not accept children under 16, as it is designed for a tranquil adult safari experience, though it allows children aged 12 and over if the whole lodge is booked exclusively. Vehicles also carry four guests or fewer, which keeps game drives intimate.
What does the rate at Rattray's Lodge include?
Rattray's own site does not break down what its one published rate, R42,800 per person sharing from 11 January 2026 to 5 January 2027, includes or excludes. Each of the eight villas has a private plunge pool and outdoor shower, and spa treatment rooms sit next to the pool.
Can you self-drive to Rattray's Lodge?
Partly. Rattray's own site describes a five to six hour drive from Johannesburg as an option, alongside flying to the nearby MalaMala private airstrip or to Skukuza Airport with about an hour's road transfer. Once there, every game drive runs through Rattray's own guides and vehicles, carrying four guests or fewer.
Is Rattray's Lodge good for a honeymoon?
It can suit couples well. Rattray's is built for a tranquil, adults-focused stay, with no children under 16 unless the whole lodge is booked exclusively. Each of its eight villas has a private plunge pool and outdoor shower, though no suite is named specifically for honeymooners.