Visitor feedback

Absolutely brilliant staff!! The most professional and friendly I have come across in a very long time. You should be proud of them.

Allison Glass

A wonderful day out!

Shaun Klopper

As a trained archaeologist I was very impressed.

Bruce

Thank you for a wonderful time.

Geraldine Greef

Not nearly as physically challenging as I’d feared.

Siobhan Stapleton

IT WAS TOTALLY FANTASTIC!!!! Thank you so much. We can’t wait to come back in June. May we ask for a dustbin or two in each dormitory? It’s hard for the kids to keep the place clean if there are no bins in the rooms. Thanks and best wishes.

Mari Clark

Superb!! The attention to detail is fantastic, even down to the sandpit in the play area which has things for them to uncover. Well done!!!!! It was just a bit confusing as to where to go, as we had bought the combined tickets at Sterkfontein Caves.

Bronwyn Mostert

The service received from Mandla (from when we made an enquiry until confirmation of the booking) and Biditswe (lovely lady; humble and a beautiful smile) was fabulous. It was truly an amazing experience, and my partner and I had a memorable time.

Shilela Masemola

Thank you for a wonderful stay. The staff was friendly and helpful. The food was EXCELLENT! Will definitely return. Special thank you to the young lady – the night manager on duty (sorry I can’t recall her name) – she kept an eye on my little girl while my husband and I enjoyed our supper. Many thanks.

Rosanne Pillay

The visit to the Cradle was topped off by our night at the hotel. The views, rooms, staff, food and the talk on the stars and galaxies were all superb. South Africa really has developed and delivered a world class product at the Maropeng complex. Congratulations to all concerned, and please keep up the superb welcoming and friendly attitude we got from everyone we met. Very proud to be South African.

Andy and Jan Openshaw

This was an awesome and amazing experience. Morris Sutton was fantastic! One of the highlights of all the outings throughout the world where we have travelled. Absolutely world class.

Sandra Muggeridge

I had great fun at Maropeng. My friend and I really enjoyed ourselves. Everyone was friendly, the complex was well looked after and we really enjoyed the boat ride though the elements. Will definitely be coming back again, this time with the whole family.

Darren White

Great hotel, friendly staff, nice scenery.

John Walland

As my husband was in a wheelchair, he found the visit good as there was space and ease of movement to see most of the exhibits. One of the highlights of our visit from the UK. Thank you

Linda Newton

Congratulaions and thank you very much for making my stay at Maropeng so friendly and comfortable!!!

Dante Rodriguez

Thank you for the good time I have had there!!!

Major Do Xuan Quy

The experience was amazing and well worth the trip.

Natasha M

My family and I had a wonderful experience at Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves. The caves are a bit too scary but they were worthwhile to visit. I can assure you that we will see you again soon. As an overall experience it was fantastic.

Karabo Gabanakgosi

I was accompanied by a friend from Colombia and these two visits were among the highlights of her trip. She is already talking about it to anyone who will listen.

V van Eck

l had an excellent time especially with the tourist guides; they were kind and very entertaining, good at explaining, especially Colleen Tsheyang. She was great. Also the other guide who led us into Sterkfontein Caves was very good. The whole place was great.

Thelma

The manager and staff went the extra mile and were extremely friendly.

Aluette Vermaak

I had overseas guests with me and was very proud of the level of service they could experience in South Africa. Thank you!

Derek Weston

I have already told everyone at work that they need to go – it was wonderful!

M Pretorius

I’m an ex-South African now living in Australia. Especially came to SA on a holiday to include the Sterkfontein Caves, as I had not seen them. I was not disappointed! I shall endeavour to tell as many as I can in Australia. In fact, the whole Magaliesberg experience was fantastic. I always used to ask Australians, “Why would you want to spend too much time in Joburg? Rather move on to other towns.” But I shall correct that mistake. I especially liked the way it brought people from around the world “home to Africa” (in more ways than one). Well done to all concerned.

Alex Mackinlay

Everything was really interesting and our tour guide made the whole tour more interesting. I’m looking forward to visiting again.

Nonhlanhla Mthethwa

Many thanks for all your assistance; our workshop was a great success because of your hospitality and willingness to meet all our needs.

Mary Scholes

I especially loved the guided tour of the Sterkfontein Caves. My group was guided by a lady (unfortunately I do not remember her name). She provided very interesting information, while adding a little bit of fun as well. People like her make a difference on any guided tour. I would strongly recommend people to visit the Sterkfontein Caves.
M S

I really applaud you on the museum. The water ride and special effects were really spectacular. And we enjoyed the vortex. The rest of the museum was also very interesting.

Vigie Naidoo

One of the highlights of our trip, it was a very special experience. Thank you.

Nackan

I am a South African living in Canada and recently visited the Sterkfontein Caves and Maropeng. I also travelled through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana through the first part of July before I visited the caves. I was pleasantly surprised by the facilities at the caves and at Maropeng. In contrast to our neighbouring countries, it compares favourably with the best of such museums and similar sites in the USA and Canada I’ve visited before. It makes me proud to be South African and I will definitely recommend it to all people, not only for the educational and informative material I learned there, but for the excellent facilities. Keep up the good work.

Cornelius Van ZYL.

Our inaugural visit from the Kingdom of the Zulu to your destination of the Birth of Humanity was a phenomenal, stimulating experience and a thought-provoking endeavour. Our learners were overwhelmed with the cordial reception.

Mr Anand Gounden, Northbury Park Secondary

This is the third trip that I have accompanied the learners on to your venue and I have yet to be disappointed! I will be sending the matric class of 2012 again! The overall experience is of high educational value and is an overall worthwhile day out! Thank you.

Claudia Balmer

We had a wonderful time - Thank you!

Jutta Harman

Swartkrans was a very well organised event. Communication prior to the day was excellent. Morris Sutton was very interesting. Clearly an expert in this field, he was passionate, enthusiastic and engaging about his subject. The picnic lunch was a pleasant and sumptuous surprise! It was a thoroughly informative and enjoyable morning. Well done and thank you.

Jonathan Pennefather

We just want to say thank you very, very much for the weekend at Maropeng. We enjoyed it tremendously! It was very educational for the kids as well, and they just want to know when we can come again
We must complement all your staff as well for making us feel so welcome. They definitely made this a memorable experience for us.
Kind regards,

Ian, Elizna and kids

We had a wonderful stay. The hotel room was spotlessly clean and everything worked. The staff were friendly and attentive at all times. The food quality was excellent and the service in the restaurant and bar was warm and efficient. Thank you to the team! I like your efforts to be environmentally responsible!

Tony Balabanoff

Hi,
I am writing this email in order to thank you all for everything during our stay at Maropeng Hotel. It was a great weekend for my family there and thanks a lot for this.
I would like to say that all the staff members there are very friendly and helpful. The food is really good.
For all the good things you have, I will definitely advise my ambassador, colleagues in the diplomatic community in Pretoria and friends to stay there.Once again, thank you very much for your arrangements and services. Keep well, and keep on going with this.
Kind regards,

Major Do Xuan Quy
Deputy Defence Attache
Vietnam Embassy

I got educated and had lots of fun, Reuben Tsime was a great tour guide, confident and welcoming. The Sterkfontein Caves are a place to always remember, I will be visiting again this time with family and friends from Botswana. Thanks to the whole Sterkfontein team!

At Maropeng I loved the small boat cruise, my day was filled with happiness, thanks to Maropeng team!!!!!!

Kenaope

My 12-year-old stepson and I had a fantastic time with Christine on the tour at Cooper’s Cave which was incredibly interesting and informative!
Thanks also to the chef for the wonderful lunch and the two guys who drove it out to Cooper’s Cave and served us with a smile!
The experience was well worth the money and I’ll definitely be recommending it to friends!
Many thanks to all involved!
Kirsteen McLeish

Our tour guide was exceptional, intelligent, entertaining and extremely knowledgeable. Which is what a place like this really needs. Keep it up Bro!

Mandla Khoza

Good day

To whom it may concern

It was a great at Maropeng on wednesday 16June kids where excited and the food was delicious.The minute we arrived we experienced welcomed by the ticket officers , the resturant ladies, and tour lady they were awesome and they were open and they were so kind.

The kids experienced something new in their lives not the merry go round but the nature and the history of human kind. The nice thing at first they were confused but later they asked questions and the tour lady explain to them so openly.

The Sterkfontein team it was a bit slow but we enjoyed so much the tour to the caves,the walk it was fabulous the kids were so scared but they realised that this is nature God created a wonderful things.We
really had a wonderful time.I think we will bring other kids who did not have the opportunity to experience and see wonderful things that we
saw.

Kind Regards

Betty Frankel

I am not sure who to write this to, but on Saturday night I thought that I had lost my cell phone.

Long story, but I got out of our daughters car into my husband’s car and left straight for the Stargazing. My cell phone must have fallen out of my jacket pocket (in fact it did) into my daughters car. On finding my cell phone missing – when I wanted to take a photo of the moon,  I immediately

Went back into the hotel and was assisted by the staff. Mpho the person on duty followed me out to the parking lot and took down all my details. I did explain that there was a possibility that I could have left same at home or in her car.

Next morning at 7.30 Thabo phoned to find out if I had found my phone.  At this point I had Not. I wish to commend the above staff members and indeed the waiters that got on their hands and knees to try and find my cell phone.

Once again thank you to all concerned – a very pleasant experience – both the cell phone and the stars.

Kind Regards,
Wendy Braun

I logged a compliment for Maropeng for the Cooper’s Cave event on Hellopeter.com and on Facebook. As soon as we got home on Saturday we booked for the Swartkrans walk on the 15th of May. I am also volunteering to help Christine on her dig this winter. Christine has a passion for sharing her knowledge on the area and her dig site and she was a great host. I wish that events like this were organised whilst I was still at school, I would have studied Paleantology instead of Chemical Engineering. We wish you great success with all your other activities.

Karl Wearne

Hi I would just like to comment that your staff really made this a pleasurable experience for me. I have done many tours but have never encountered such friendly approachable staff. Keep it up!!

Letitia Hatingh

I am compelled to share with you my family’s experience at Maropeng yesterday. WOW!!!

This was our first visit to the centre, and since I recently used your photos in learning material, I felt I had to go. I am so happy we did. My son and husband were not even interested in the final match last night. The television was blaring, but they were discussing the boat, vortex, interactive displays and of course the Sterkfontein Caves.

Before going to bed last night, my son said it was one of the best days, ever.

Thank you so much for all the hard work and passion that has gone into the centre. What a treat it was spending quality time with my family there.

The apple pie at Sterkfontein and the tour guide were both deliciously fulfilling!

We learned, too late, about the ‘three tour’ special – entrance to Origin Centre, Maropeng and Sterkfontein with one ticket. Please consider running this again for the Heritage weekend? Good timing, I think.

Lastly, I grabbed a newsletter on our way in. This is a great resource!

Laa’iqah Ebrahim

We, as an international group of visitors, salute you for the most successful, enjoyable and informative tour of Sterkfontein Caves and the Maropeng museum, together with a most delicious lunch at the restaurant. Lebo took around and was competent and informative. Dominique served us at lunch and although it was very busy, and there did seem to be a shortage of waiters, he managed to keep us served and remain pleasant. The Carvery was delicious, very generous, good menus and well presented. The puddings were enjoyed by the overseas visitors, while others enjoyed the salads and meats.  Our compliments to the chef and kitchen staff.

Thank you for your assistance in making this a most pleasant day’s outing. If I had known how much there was to see and read and absorbed, I would have booked us in for a week!!!!

All the very best to you all and thank you again.

Jill Granville

To: The Maropeng Team

Thank you!
This is to everyone that we encountered, right from the Managing Director to some of the Security staff, we received friendliness and helpfulness that unfortunately often is a rarity today. Trudie was an absolute gem - making the organizing of this event a breeze. Nothing was too much to ask for when addressing it to Peter & Patrick. When it came to the unpleasant part of striking after the event – the staff, both service and security - were very helpful.

I look forward to recommending this venue to other clients, but most of all to working with this exceptional team again!

Kind Regards
Jenalee Steenkamp, account executive of skys the limit

Thank you so much from all of us from Merlin Park Primary!!! You guys are the best. See you again someday.

Dear Gift

Thank you for being such a wonderful guide in the caves. I appreciated you walking around with us and teaching us. 

From Tatum. Grade 4M, St Andrew’s School for Girls

Dear Gift

Thank you for the wonderful tour in the caves. It was very interesting. I really appreciated it. I would really like to come again and I would like you to be my tour guide. Thank you so so so much.

Yours sincerely,Mila Basilico. Grade 4M, St Andrew’s School for Girls

Dear Gift

Thank you for that wonderful tour around the caves. I really appreciated it.

Yours sincerely, Fae. Grade 4M, St Andrew’s School for Girls

Congratulations on a well organised and very enjoyable tour of Swartkrans - what a treat for the would-be archeologist. Sylvia and Morris were outstanding! Thank you.

Celeste de Freitas

Below is a collection of testimonials and extracts from emails we have received from previous visitors and clients of Maropeng. They have all granted permission for their comments to be reproduced here.

Dear Lwazi,

Thank you so much for telling us so many interesting things in the caves. I really appreciated it. Thanks so much-it was so much fun. 

Yours sincerely, Jessica. Grade 4M, At St Andrew’s School for Girls

Dear Maropeng Management Team

Thank you so much for organizing that lovely tour for me and the grade 4’s.I really appreciated it. I really enjoyed it.Thank you so much!
Yours sincerely, Tayla Maynard. Grade 4M, St Andrews School for Girls

PS: Thank you!

Dear Maropeng Management Team

Thank you for the dormitory and all the staff’s hard work at Maropeng.

Yours sincerely, Mufaro Mbaya. Grade 4M, St Andrew’s School for Girls

I LOVED my Maropeng experience and told all my friends about it (and even gushed about it on facebook and twitter!). You guys get a BIG thumbs up from me, and especially because I took my family that have emigrated from SA and are now living overseas. They sometimes have the mindset that everything back home in SA is not nearly as good as London or Sydney, so it was lovely to be able to show off with how world-class the Maropeng site is. Thank-you! You make me proud to be South African.

Also your buffet was outstanding - I know I can’t stop raving, but the staff were excellent and friendly too! Plus the buffet was good value for money considering the price and quality of the buffet.

Please keep up your high standards for 2010. I will be bringing my American friends out to Maropeng in June 2010 when they are out for the World Cup.

Susan Scot

I was very proud to know that we have such a magnificent venue in South Africa. The kids and adults alike enjoyed the outing.

A. Buchlolz

Maropeng is an excellent, well-run attraction.

E. Bricks

I will certainly bring future training and team building groups to this venue. It was also a GREAT hotel experience. Thanks again!

Richard Brune

I was pleased with the reception at the caves and the way the staff worked with the group. It was pleasing to note that we had a lady facilitator who was well informed and had the details on every aspect of our tour. She handled the learners well and kept them attentive and responded to all questions without doubt. Zodwa was excellent

Martin Samamba

I was impressed what I have seen. A really good exhibition and a very good guide. All in all the visit at the caves and also at Marupeng was value for money and I go back to Germany with a new experience. Thank you!

Ralf Kallmeier

Well done Maropeng…....Great !!!!!!!!

Hansie

Many thanks for all your assistance in creating a wonderful Questek year-end function at Maropeng on Friday. I’ve had positive feedback from everybody in our company.
It has been a pleasure dealing with such a professional events department and in particular with you, Sazi.
I look forward to the opportunity of working with you again in the future.
Rene Brummage – Marketing Manager, Questek

I had the pleasure of staying at the Maropeng Hotel in June of this year (2008).

I was asked if I would give feedback on the facilities as a wheelchair user, which I am happy to supply.

The hotel has great access all round. My room was superb and I had more than enough space to move around. The view was just awesome!

And as for the actual Visitors Centre – it is awesome!  And so much fun!  That water ride is the best!  Not to mention the time tunnel!  What a trip!

Jenny Moss

I would like to thank you all for a wonderful afternoon we spent at Maropeng with our Granny on the occasion of her birthday.
Abraham – thank you for looking after us and assisting in every need we had. The food was excellent and the waiters (Hofni & Koos) were great.
Sazi – Thank you for your prompt email replies and assistance, and for all the small little extras you did for us.
All the best for the future and many blessings for Maropeng Boutique hotel and the staff.
Lucinda Kruger

It was a real pleasure to meet with you and the other team members in Maropeng. I had a great stay. I must say I also enjoyed the Stargazing – I was not sure what to expect and I was positively surprised to find out what it was all about. I will recommend this to all parents for their kids. I will get into your website to check out the schedules for stargazing. 

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to experience your property.

Zolelwa Mukozho – Regional Director: Asia & Australasia, South African Tourism

Thank You so much for the lovely time the kids and I had at Maropeng. This was truly a wonderful experience for our children. It would be amiss if I failed to mention the sterling job undertaken by the tour guide. Taking into consideration the level at which the children were at, she patiently and competently answered all the questions my children posed. 

God bless

Shanaaz Adams and all the kids from Forest Town School

Once again a word of thanks to you and your team for being instrumental in a very successful event.

We have no complaints and from the moment we start engaging with you, the event itself, Patrick and his team, the tour, lunch/dinner, snacks, rooms,etc.everything went smoothly.

Please convey my highest level of satisfaction to your managers, as it was a great pleasure dealing with your guys.

Warm Regards.
Christo Conradie – Salvage Management & Disposal Pty(Ltd)

Many many thanks to you and your staff at Maropeng and Sterkfontein for making the fieldtrip such a success for 124 science teachers at SAASTE. Your organisation was excellent, your talk beforehand very useful in setting the scene for the fieldtrip and demonstrating to teachers what they should do before a field trip, and the actual field trip was a huge success. 

The teachers emerged from both Maropeng and Sterkfontein talking non-stop about their experiences in each place. The visits were exciting, challenging and extremely informative. I think both field trips helped the teachers develop a new perspective on the ‘forbidden’ and scary topic of evolution – opening minds to the reality of fossil evidence and providing them with some idea of the scope of evidence. 

In a workshop on teaching evolution at the conference (Martie Sanders), all 50 Life Science teachers said they were about to start teaching evolution. So the fieldtrip was both timely and immensely valuable in giving these teachers confidence and information before they started teaching this topic.

Meg Doidge – South African Association of Science and Technology Educators

I expect you’ve had just about every positive superlative to describe Maropeng Afrika. I had no idea that I was in for such a treat and even now when I tried to describe the perfectly beautiful hotel to my two Cape town associates, I was at a loss.
Pat joins me in thanking you and your entire team for putting on such a wonderful day. We’re so pleased we were invited and last night when we got in I made quote-changes to a number of my tours so I can bring my clients to stay with you.
What really struck both of us was the obvious pride the staff have in the entire property. I asked many questions (typical of my international visitors) and each one could answer in a truthful and confident manner. The young man at the picnic display or Peter who showed us the bedrooms and the smiling cleaner who’d just refreshed the public toilets – each one was well trained, motivated, charming and knowledgeable.
Please pass our thanks and appreciation to them all.
One can’t fail to be impressed by the conference facilities, the extraordinary exhibition and the shop area but even the car security officer was a pleasure to chat to and he also knew how to engage with charm.
Thank you from a “gushing” tour operator. I thought I was jaded and had seen enough of forgettable “colonial chic” but Maropeng is totally new!
I wish you huge successes,
Dorienne Levitt – African Stay

You excelled with everything and trust that you will keep the same standard in years to come. A big thank you to all your staff for their efficient service.

Anne Sengadi

Thank you for an incredibly informative and educational experience. I will definitely be back with the rest of my family!

Michele

Just great and perfect exhibition

Bruno Lips

A wonderful experience, thank you!

Elmari Tollemache

Fantastic scenery was an added bonus! superb place! Thanks very much!

Isaac Bleich – German

I was quite impressed by everyone,the staff was friendly and they were knowledgeable they knew what they were talking about,l was so happy that l will come again soon,l will recommend the place to everyone,thanks a lot keep up the spirit and God bless you all for your hospitality,l will never forget the experience being my first visit.Blessed week ahead.

Susan Oginga

Sorry for the delay in my response. Thank you for the opportunity to have been your guests. We really enjoyed it.

Regards
Lianne Dixon

Firstly, My apologies for replying so late. I was highly impressed with the whole setting which was far beyond my expectation and I felt great that my colleagues felt the same way. I actually want to visit your hotel again in the near future.

It was quite an experience to visit Maropeng. The staff was extremely friendly and I am glad that they do know that any service provider is known not by the company but rather by individuals who provide a quantum leap service. Special thanks to your Tour Guide at the caves, Reuben.The guy is so marvelous and through his skills he definitely added to the invaluable information we got about human origin.

I would also recommend that you look for cultural dancing groups around the West Rand (particularly Kagiso &  Mohlakeng) whom you can robe in as part of entertainment mainly when you have people coming in great numbers like we did as TEBABANK.This initiative would not only give such groups an exposure but will also add that element of human touch when we talk about the human origin and Maropeng as the official Heritage Site in this regard.

I would also like to recommend schools around North West Province (through my contacts) to arrange more trips to the two centres. I have sent some pictures I took there and wrote a story in our bank’s news letter due for circulation end of November and I bet most branches will like to follow in our footsteps and visit your centre.

Once again thank you very much for such a pleasant stay,keep up the good work.

Isaac Moagi – TEBABANK

I would like to thank everyone involved making my stay at Maropeng possible. I can truly say, that I will be able to recommend it to my friends without hesitation. And should I ever have the opportunity to visit there again, I’ll be sure not to come alone!

Eleizma

Baie dankie vir ‘n great dag! Ek was so trots om ‘n Suid Afrikaner te wees. Almal was so hulpvaardig en vriendelik. Alles het gewerk en het mooi gelyk. Maropeng is regtig ‘n toeriste aantreklikheid om op trots te wees! Baie dankie!

Lindie and Natie Stander

Wow, this was an amazing tour!!! i will inform everyone in Portugal to visit u guys! It was amazing, never been in something like that! The caves were super amazing! Thanks a lot u guys made my trip to South Africa wonderful.

Danny Mwa

A truly wonderful exhibit - comparable to, and in some ways surpassing, those I’ve visited in the USA. Thanks for the experience!

D. Mckinney

Very educational with excellent value for money. Keep up the GOOD show!

Paul

Don’t forget to fix the safe and the lock on this cupboard. All the staff in the entire area are fantastic. Pity the entire population of SA don’t have the same attitude.

Howard Davison

Enjoyed my first visit to Maropeng very much indeed and have since visited it again. I am sure that I will go back and I would strongly recommend it to all.

Stevens

Thank you for a very impressive and informative day. I brought my son and his friend along for the day, both are ten years old. I am sure the day will leave an everlasting positive impression and contribute to their education considerably.

Phillip Jarvis