Happy Jackal

My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights on our honeymoon and we had the most wonderful time! Suzette is such a lovely host and made us feel so special and welcome the entire time we were there. We were served the most wonderful breakfast in a lovely breakfast room overlooking a river which runs through the property. Our breakfast included homemade bread and jams which were to die for. The room was spacious, clean and African themed which really makes you feel like you are in the thick of Africa! Not only that, the guest house is situated less than 2 minutes from the Addo Elephant Park gate so it was the perfect place to stay for us wanting to do a self game drive. We saw a wild giraffe and deer as soon as we left the guest house and turned the corner! Thank you so much to Suzette for hosting us, providing us with so much information on the surrounding area and for just being so accommodating and wonderful. We truly had the most amazing honeymoon experience and we will 100% be back again!

We were 8 people, 4 couples from Atlantic Canada. We stayed for 2 nights. They were very focused on giving excellent customer service. They really wanted us to have a great visit. 3 couples stayed in a cottage, and the other stayed in a king plus twin guest room. The kitchens in both units were well-equipped. We all enjoyed the full breakfast, with fruit and fruit jams from their garden, fresh baked bread, and eggs cooked as requested. Service was friendly and professional. Manager Suzette and husband Tim were exceptional. Suzette drove to pick up medication for one of our team. She loaned me a conversion plug. A sweet personality - she loves people. Tim dazzled us with a full day tour in Addo Elephant National Park, driving us through vast sections of the park. We were delighted with his commentary, excellent driving, and delightfully charming personality. We had many memorable moments. But we will always remember the 12-member elephant family with 3 babies who walked around our vehicle as dusk approached. It was a humbling and emotional interaction. The light lunch, unrushed pace, and overall experience was world-class. This is a place I would return to anytime.

Super nice! The rooms were very clean. Everything was more than fine! Breakfast was the best we had! The owners are super friendly and kind! Definitely recommend this stay! The woman's kindness gave me goosebumps!

My name is Sally, I came to your lovely hotel with my husband Andy, my sister in law Ygerne and Clive my brother in law, a at the end of March. We were given beautiful rooms upstairs,. Suzette was very welcoming as was the fantastic breakfast. Tim took us into Addo, I cannot tell you how fabulous the trip was, I really wanted to get close to elephants. We did get very close. I have to say that was the best day of my life. Thank you so much.

I feel beholden to future guests to alert folk to exactly what they are getting. This is advertised as luxury and in SA terms reasonably costly. We were there to celebrate 36 years together. It is clear from the website that there is no catering on the premises in the evening - fair enough. The guest house made arrangements for us to eat next door - the elephants footprint. We duly departed, equipped with a light from the Happy Jackal, to be told no the kitchen was not open at the elephants footprint. There is absolutely nowhere else to eat, no delivery service, no reliable taxi. I had a drink so would not drive. The response to our situation at the Happy Jackal was underwhelming - no offer to prepare sandwiches in their kitchen which let us not forget serves breakfast. If I had said I had arranged something and it failed I would act to remedy not shrug my shoulders, really very poor! I am British I do not complain but I do warn so be warned. I finally summoned the "gumption" to ask for a bottle of wine - for which I was billed 90R. After meal of packet of crisps had bath. Plug would not open to let water out - we reported this at breakfast by the time we left the next morning still not fixed and starting to smell. No milk in the rooms. To be clear the hosts were lovely, the property beautiful and the room excellent but the attention to detail woeful. When traveling to a foreign country and shunning hotels for private guesthouses you need to be confident and I truly hope this feedback is acted on and maybe reassurance provided on the website. Until then fellow traveller book elsewhere but seek out Captain Beau - worry not about finding the park if you stay a little out it is very easy.

Suzette, Tim and the whole team are amazing! The three days at Happy Jackal were not enough to experience all, that Suzette and Tim could tell about the area and especially the elephants in Addo. We knew the Happy Jackal already and came back for the fourth time and are always surprised how nice and clean they keep it over the last ten years. Suzette, we love your wonderful composed dinners as well as the freshly baked warm bread after Peters recipe. To come to the breakfast room and to smell the fragrance of fresh bread and coffee...its fantastic! How much better could a day begin?! Thank you for all and be sure, it wasn't our last stay with you!