Melote House is the private house of Lepogo Lodges in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, a stretch of the Waterberg reclaimed from farmland and rewilded. It is let to one party and is fully staffed. The main house is laid out over three levels with six guest suites for up to 12 people, plus a room for an au pair or personal staff, and a two-suite cottage alongside can be added to take the group to 16. The house has large indoor and outdoor living rooms, a deck over a waterhole, three swimming pools and its own spa. Meals and drinks, including wines from the cellar, are part of the stay, as are transfers from Lapalala airstrip, twice-daily game drives, and boat trips and fishing on the Palala River. The reserve is free of malaria, and its landscape of valleys and streams also holds San rock paintings. Lepogo is run as a non-profit, with its returns going into conservation of the land and support for neighbouring communities. Its sister lodge, Noka Camp, sits on a rock face above the same river.
- Nearest airport
- Lapalala airstrip (transfers included)
- Rooms
- Six suites in the main house and two in the adjoining cottage
Insider tip Book a boat cruise on the Palala River with the lodge's skippers; it shows the reserve from the water, and fishing can be added.
Why I choose it A large, fully staffed house in a malaria-free reserve, run on a non-profit model, which suits families with young children and groups of up to 16.
