Stayed here in Dec 10 in a 5 bed house with my husband, teenage kids and 2 year old twins, rooms spotless, kitchen very clean and well equipped. Saw lots of wildlife in camp including warthog, zebra,impala, nyala, and every night hyena. Had a problem with my fridge/ freezer, reported it to reception and it was sorted within 15 minutes. Camp staff friendly and helpful. Had great views from the house - lovely place, will definitely go again!
One thing could do with improving and that is the shop - two fridges full of beer but no milk!! Very basic, do a proper shop before you go as you will not be able to buy food for meals from this shop, but they did have biscuits!

We stayed at Mpila cottages for 2 nights, travelling with our 3 children (ages 3 - 8yrs). The cottages were clean and comfortable, basic amenities. Nice views from our cottage, and cottages are well spaced. Mpila shop has basic supplies and power goes out at 10pm, so plan and stock up before you go (decent supermarkets at Mtubatuba if travelling from the south, or Hluhluwe if coming via Northern gate entrance to the reserve).
The staff were quite indifferent, but that's fine - we were there for the wildlife and not expecting much else.
We saw heaps of wildlife on an early morning game drive, leaving our cottage at 7am. Also, my 8yr son and husband went on a night drive (departs Mpila 6pm, returns 8.30pm) and really enjoyed it.
There is a playground next to the office - useful for restless children!

If you want to experience one of the best game viewing venues in South Africa and also want to feel the African Bush on Safari but cannot pay the big bucks demanded by private reserves, this is the place for you! Inexpensive (for a game reserve), clean and spacious accommodation with a feel for the bush awaits you. I am in tourism business and could not believe the good value for money. Although dated and very basic quality (pots, pans crockery etc) there is no compromise on space and “atmosphere”. And what more do you want in the bush? How they keep the camp in such lovely condition at such reasonable rates beats me! Anyone complaining about what they get here – please just check the fees to neighbouring Phinda Game Reserve (excellent by the way, if you have the bucks, don’t hesitate). If you can afford the private reserves, please book there its worth it, but if you cant, stop moaning and dont expect to find the same quality, staff complement and efficiency and quality of food and furnishings at places you pay a fraction of the cost! We stayed 2 nights in a safari tent in Oct (low season) at Mpila at cost R600 per night for the tent. At R300 per person per night this is as good as it gets! The camp was nearly fully booked - a huge achievement for low season bookings and testimony to its popularity and affordability. We had a spacious tented bedroom (two twin beds) with reeded en-suite shower and toilet, a large wooden deck with dining table and 3 brand new “director chairs”. The deck leads to our very own kitchen with fridge, gas stove and plates and all basic kitchen equipment (no microwave or electric kettle). Down the stairs from the deck, under a lovely tree, is the braai/barbeque. The tented accommodation is situated in a bushy area, each one very private, whilst the huts and chalets are higher up and has a lovely view over the valley. We saw wonderful game, all up close and leopard as well as cheetah was spotted close to the camp on the days preceding our visit. My husband enjoyed the morning walk – he had a guide, a botanist and a tracker all to himself! (R200). Keep in mind the walks are not for seeing big stuff, it’s to learn more about the veld, the trees, birds, insects, spoor tracking and the history of the area. Remember your walking shoes, binoculars, sun tan stuff, mosquito coils, matches and torches (lights out at 10pm till 7am)and braai briquettes (much quicker than wood if you are a bit nervous of those lurking hyenas and bush pigs!). We found head torches an additional luxury as it leaves your hands free and also nice for reading at night. We bought all groceries and meat prior to arriving, there is a small shop with the basics though should you have forgotten something .The camp is not enclosed and we had bush pigs coming to visit whilst braaing (barbequing) – though pre-warned it still gave us a jump, luckily our food was ready and hubby could grab it and run for the safety of the deck, we had a good laugh! Monkeys, sweet as they are, were a nuisance but hey, this is their home and yes, as mentioned in previous reviews, everything needs to be locked away, there is no safe or key. Roads were good, mostly dirt roads and easily managed without 4X4, we rented a car in most economical class with aircon which served us well. Reception staff was very friendly and helpful, we did not see much of the cleaning staff. I was a bit disappointed to learn that you were expected to do your own washing up..! Altogether we stayed 3 nights in the Hluhluwe-imfolozi Game Reserve, the first night at Hilltop in the north and the next 2 at Mpila in the south. In case you are confused, this actually is one reserve but run as 2 separate entities by the Kwazulu Natal Parks Board. The Southern section is the Imfolozi Reserve and the Northern section is the Hluhluwe reserve. We found 3 nights just the right length of time to spend in the reserve. Hilltops is smarter than Mpila (rated 3 star by Tourism board I think) Mpila is not rated but I will put it at 2 to 2 and half star South African in Tourism Board rating, not to be confused with Tripadvisor ratings! I booked telephonically direct thru the Kwazulu Natal Parks Board and found this the easiest as their web site was down and emails never arrived. Telephonically was also the easiest to determine quickly what is available on the dates you want to book. You can even pay telephonically giving you credit card details. Ask them to fax your confirmation as their emails never seem to arrive. www.kznwildlife.com and KZN WILDLIFE RESERVATIONS Telephone: [--] Fax: [--]

We stayed in a 2-bed cottage. It was a wonderful experience. Mpila is not fenced, except electrical fence to keep out the elephants. All other animals can roam the camp, and they do! My wife observed a wild dog chasing an impala. We had lots of antilops, birds, monkeys around the cottage. The cottage is very spacious, has a fully supplied kitchen, and a comfortable bathroom. It's a pity that you have to drive all the way to the hilltop camp at the other end of Hluhluwe (min. 1.5 hours) to get some restaurant food. But sitting on the terrace and watching the night fall in Africa with all the sounds from the surroundings - the seond night we had a heavy thunderstorm - is a very special experience one doesn't forget...