Tuningi Safari Lodge

Reviews

"My husband and I spent 3 nights at Tuningi lodge and we were very impressed. We had a very warm welcome and were treated like family from the moment we arrived. The game drives were great, we saw a lot and the Rangers were very knowledgeable. Our room was beautiful, with great views, we saw elephants, zebras and buck walking past our room no more than 50 metres away. The food was also delicious. I would definitely recommend Tuningi to anyone wanting to visit Madikwe."

- Chantel

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"Lovely friendly people, great food, beautiful accommodation and lots of wild animals. This was a weekend to remember. A special Thank You to Christo, Wilma, Heidi, Petrus & Future. Thank you for making our weekend such a wonderful experience."

- Eileen

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"My husband and I recently visited Tuningi Safari Logde during our honeymoon. We felt very welcome at Tuningi Safari Lodge by their warm and hospitable staff. Despite being a luxury lodge, the relaxed atmosphere made us feel at home during our stay. The highlights for us was our time sitting on their viewing deck overlooking a waterhole. This allowed us to watch and photograph game, passing by about 100m from us. We also enjoyed our game drives with knowledgeable game ranger, Cornelius. I would highly recommend Tunigi to those visiting Madikwe."

- Roanna

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"Very good and comfortable lodge, efficient and courteous staff, delicious food, experienced ranger that showed us the big five, including a killing of a zebra by four cheetahs. Unforgettable photo safari!! Five stars!"

- Marcio Lage

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"I spent 3 days at Tuningi; the game viewing was spectacular. We saw all of the Big Five within the first day, including seeing a leopard hunt at night. The next day while taking a break at a herd of wildebeest we got to see two lionesses make a kill; we soon found a third lioness that had just made another kill. Later in the day we saw a different pride eating a warthog. The next day we say a lioness with her 3 cubs. We also saw elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, water buffalo, and general game (zebras, giraffes, impala, kudo, etc.) on the game drives. The guides were incredibly talented and customer-oriented. The lodge and the rooms are spectacular - the rooms are large and very comfortable. The staff is incredibly attentive and the food was excellent. The lodge has a watering hole so there are constantly animals within a stone's throw (especially elephants, although the mother lioness spent a lot of time there too). There are two game drives each day - they start at 5:00AM and 4:00PM and last about 4 hours each with a cocktail break in the middle. The vehicles are converted Toyota Land Cruisers with 9 seats (open air with a roof) and are quite comfortable. It is spring here now - the days are hot (about 90 degrees) but the nights are cool, so the rides can be nippy (so bring jackets and long pants). The rains came late this year so the landscape is pretty arid - once it rains a couple of times I am told that it will become very green, but this is not the jungle. Breakfast is after the first drive, lunch is at 2, and dinner is after the late game drive (so around 8:30 or 9:00). There's a pool and internet in the lodge, but I tended to take a nap for a couple of hours between drives given the 4:30AM wake-up call and the heat. If I did this again I would think about flying into the landing strip in the preserve - the car ride from Johannesburg took about 5 hours. Highly recommended."

- Ron

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"This was such a special place. We had just finished 3 weeks in other parts of South Africa. This was my first chance to see painted dogs - and we saw the puppies! That was so special. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Gavin was adept at finding wildlife - and respectful of the distance needed to be kept from the animals. The food was great. Lovely relaxing place to stay. The night around the waterhole with all the guests, and entertainment from the staff was special. Leopards, lions, elephants, oryx, were all special but the brown hyena and the painted dogs were the highlights for me."

- Dennis

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"We recently visited Tuningi. All expectations were exceeded. Friendly staff, amazing food and unbelievable game drives! 100% geared for kids! From the moment you arrive everyone is happy and extremely helpful. Definitely feels like been part of a very special family. Thanks to everyone for making it such a special time for our family!"

- Angela

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"We were a group of nine – comprising children (aged between 6 and 11 years), parents and grandparents, staying at Tuningi Lodge for 5 days. We had a wonderful time. The rooms are luxurious, the food fabulous, the common areas spacious and beautifully designed. Above all the staff are amazing – welcoming, friendly and incredibly helpful. The service was second to none – I felt thoroughly spoilt throughout. My thanks to Chantelle the Lodge manager, Future, Lorraine, Peggy, Petrus and Charles –and to all those working behind the scenes. The children loved the daily Kid’s Club (thank you Chantelle and Lorraine). Finally, our game drives were super – Cornelius our ranger was extremely knowledgeable, great fun and very patient answering the many questions from our children. Our thrilling off road pursuit of wild dogs (chasing a kudu) through the bush was the highlight of my son’s holiday - or it could have been watching the wild dog puppies playing outside their den. As for the rest of us, we were delighted to see a leopard (sitting in a tree eating its’ kill one day, and climbing the tree the next!), lions, a jackal, wildcat, elephants, giraffe, buffalo, baboons, cheetahs, mongoose, white rhino etc. I cannot recommend Tuningi highly enough – a truly luxurious family friendly lodge."

- Norma

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"All I can say about Tuningi is how amazing it is. The lodge, the location, the staff and the experience. I wanted to visit South Africa and to ensure that we went somewhere that truly is trying to conserve wildlife and habitat. Madikwe is that place and Tuningi is a fabulous lodge within that haven for wildlife. We learnt so much from Gavin and Cornelius - if you listen to them and ask questions you will learn how hard they and the reserve are working to conserve the animals you can see here. We saw the Magnificent 7 on many occasions and each time better than the last. Take pictures and then just sit and watch. Listen to the quiet and enjoy what you are seeing. The wild dogs making their kill was awesome - not for the faint hearted for sure. Fuzzy the Hyena, sleeping in his family's tunnel was so endearing. The lions were spectacular, the leopards lazy! But deserving so after hauling their supper up a tree. We saw wild cats, a genet, elephants and other increasingly rare animals. My son enjoyed every minute, even the 5.30am starts which, for a 9 year old were tough. But to come back to hot towels, the warm smiles and amazing breakfast was worth it. The food is incredible - take trousers with expanding waistlines is my advice! The beds are comfy, wine superb and generally I cannot fault the place or the people. Heidi and her Team are always ready to help, serve or talk and cannot do enough for you. Children will enjoy the hour set aside for them to get together and play - they created their own t shirts one day and my son made some great friends. I'd return in a minute."

- Sarah

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"If you are thinking of visiting Tuningi Safari Lodge, stop thinking about it, and make a booking. You will not be disappointed. From the moment we arrived, our family of 4 was made to feel welcome by all staff members. The environment is stunning, the food is out of this world, and the bush drives are some of the best that we have been on. Finding a safari lodge that caters for younger children (ours are 6 and 8) is a real challenge. Tuningi fills this gap and then some. The kids enjoyed watching elephant drink at the watering hole, tracking lion and wild dogs, watching a leopard enjoying its catch, as well as the kids activity arranged in the afternoon. The rooms are excellent, spacious and clean with high quality furnishing and bedding. Don't waste too much time deliberating - make the booking now."

- Peter