aha Thakadu River Camp
Nature lodge in North West, South Africa
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Includes essentialsPool, Air conditioner, Internet / Wifi and more
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About this nature lodge rental
Situated in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, this luxurious campsite features air-conditioned tent suites with a private patio. The communal area comprises of an open-plan lounge, a dining area and an outdoor pool.
Amenities
Pool
Air conditioner
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Smoking allowed
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
TV
Family friendly
Map of North West, South Africa
Available Rooms
1 King • 161 ft²
Sleeps 2
You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing
1 King • 215 ft²
Sleeps 4
You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing
$$$$
Reviews
100% verified reviews
10.0
clean, friendly staff and beautiful accommodation
10.0
The property is well maintained and welcoming.
10.0
Great breakfast and diner. Food was excellent, well prepared and brought on your plate like a piece of art. Well done.
Tshiamo was an excellent, very friendly and knowledgable guide for our safari drives. Excellent safari trips!
10.0
Nice location. Comfortable accommodation
None
9.0
The staff who went out of their way to make it a memorable stay
Nothing
9.0
it’s relaxing
nxt tym wud be nice they wash our cars atleast outside🤔
7.0
staff
car broke down several times..
2h looking for lions and spent only 5min with them once we found them..
10.0
The staff went above and beyond to make our stay memorable, from the game drives to dining, they exceeded expectations. The property was stunning with wildlife so close to/on the premises. The ranger knew so much about the animals and hustled to find the animals we wanted to see most.
7.0
Loved the whole bush experience. The staff were friendly and welcoming
It was all good.just felt the meals need to be served hot especially on boma night.
8.0
it was a very nice stay and good food lovely people.
it was difficult to find
10.0
Wonderful tented camp on the edge of the river. Very comfortable accommodation, good food and the loveliest team running the place. We had amazing game drives, saw the Big 5 and more!
9.0
The hospitality, location
no WiFi in the room😢😞
10.0
We had an amazing time at Thakadu River Camp. The staff were extremely friendly, Patience and her team were very helpful. Our ranger Billy was very knowledgeable and the game drive’s were fantastic and lots of fun.
It was an incredible experience and we will definitely go back.
Nothing.
9.0
Our second stay at Thakadu & we had a great time, staff are friendly and welcoming, game drives were great-maybe a little too much bird watching. Food was delicious. The viewing deck has perfect views of the elephants playing/drinking in the river. rooms are comfortable and clean.
If you’re having a hot breakfast the service is very slow as it’s made to order and when the lodge is full it can take an hour to get your food, almost might be worth them taking pre orders like they do with dinner or having a buffet. No generator for power outages.
8.0
The tent accommodation was lovely, private and quiet.
Earliest check in was 2pm and lunch went on until 2.30. Getting to the lodge isn’t an exact science and we were offered lunch at 2.20. Too late for us so we missed out altogether!
10.0
the location and the unique setting. the game drive was excellent
10.0
Very nice location. We saw elephant family bathing directly in front of the pool. The reserve has so many animals, very nice to see all. I was in krüger and pilanesburg before and can say this was the nice game drive experience so far! Thank you all!
8.0
The staff and food were excellent, amazing drives with very knowledgable guides. We felt at home!
nothing except some of the rooms are a bit of a walk (through beautiful trees) to the main lodge so you have to plan a bit ahead of you have to be somewhere at a certain time.
9.0
Thakadu is situated inside the Madikwe reserve, which is a massive, malaria-free reserve of over 75k ha. The camp itself is about 30 minutes drive from the Molatedi gate, so if you are driving, it is convenient to get to; once you have arrived at the gate - the route is well-signposted and easy to navigate. The camp is situated on a river, with superb sightings of game from the pool and dining areas. We missed a wild dog kill in the area just 20 meters from the pool patio because we were out on a game drive! We had some brilliant sightings that afternoon - win some' lose some. You can't be in two places at one time...
We found the lounge, pool, and dining areas tastefully appointed and decorated in a 'safari' style. The tented room was large and very comfortable, and the bed was enormous. The bathroom and shower areas were generous, and the water was always hot. Toiletries were generous, the beds were turned out, and the mosquito nets were down while we were out on the afternoon game drive. The rooms have a lovely balcony overlooking the bush on the riverbank; you have to lock them carefully to keep the naughty vervet monkeys out!
We were most impressed by the staff, who always tried their best to help, and there always seemed to be someone around when needed. Their command of English must be complemented, and most communicate extremely well, which must be commended in a rural area like Madikwe!
There was undoubtedly a luxury feel, and we felt pampered; we had our special dietary needs well-catered for, and the cooking was delicious and generous.
The ranger assigned to us seemed a little impatient at times, and we felt that he could have made more of an effort to communicate on the radio with others to ensure more sightings because, after all, that's the main reason we were there.
We were in the furthest tent from the main lodge, which meant we had a long way each time we wanted to be there.
There were some minor issues with the bathroom, the raised basins are not the most comfortable or efficient. However, they do look good!
Mealtimes could also be a bit quicker; we found the whole serving rigmarole a bit too long-winded; this would have given us more time to enjoy the pool and lounge areas.
9.0
I loved everything - size and comfort of the tents, fabulous food, great location, friendly staff, great animal sightings, pool with view.
nothing!
10.0
Brilliant! Loved that it was a community project and a little rustic. Not as polished as a 5* which can sometimes be too formal but better for it! The staff were warm and friendly. The food exquisite. Exclusive feel with only 12 tents therefore there is a jovial spirit amongst the guests which we really enjoyed. Loved Agnes for her laugh and Satis for being our rogue ranger! Note - we were in no 9 and 10 which is far but good for walking off all that food! Monkeys are cheeky too - stole my toast 🤣
Nothing I can think of
9.0
Thank you to all the wonderful staff...your smiles were amazing.
I wish we could've seen a leapard....
10.0
Everything - it’s location, facilities, food
8.0
Fabulous lodge, exceptionally good food, lovely atmosphere in the boma, every tent private, spacious and overlooking the river.
Our guide was knowledgeable and respectful to his clients, colleagues and the wildlife.
Clear instructions on which gate to enter at were absent and our sat-nav tried to take us there via the delivery roads (which don’t exist!).
Our guide was a little surly at times and his English hard to understand.
9.0
Amazing location over the river where animals come to drink and a group of beautiful elephants bathing there few times a day.
Highly experienced game drivers.
Only 12 rooms which makes the entire experience very private.
Food was 5 star worthy.
Service during meals is slow. It might be intentional in order to show formality but I prefer meals to go quicker.
Rooms are set one after the other on the river. Higher room numbers will require ~5 minute walk to the lobby and will have no wifi.
9.0
Nice location and tented rooms with everything you need. Good food and nice common area with a great terrace and a small pool overlooking a waterhole (lots of elephants at our arrival, amazing sight). Two game drives without any amazing sights except for two Rhinos but it's Madikwe, not a zoo!
Nothing
10.0
Is a like to stay in a movie set.
Wonderful
8.0
Staff are amazing. Very friendly.
Moodiness and Percy have great teams. Vincent the ranger was excellent.
The food was below par. Wrong fit for Bush.
No understanding of children menu or eating times.
Meat was poor quality.
Small servings
Small range.
The buildings are old.
Pool water freezing and deck lay out completely wrong.
Had to walk very far to last tents.
Suggest making game drives later in the morning. Most people didn't go in rhe morning. Times have changed. People are tired. Waking up at 5am shouldn't be a punishment.
The lodge is 'tired' and needs a serious upgrade.
7.0
The food is nice and the service staff is good.
The guide could give more information during the game drives.
FAQs
How much does this nature lodge cost compared to others in North West, South Africa?
The average price for a rental in North West, South Africa is $91 per night. This rental is $92 above the average.
Is parking included with this nature lodge?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at aha Thakadu River Camp. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this nature lodge?
Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at aha Thakadu River Camp. Enjoy the water!
Is aha Thakadu River Camp pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this nature lodge is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at aha Thakadu River Camp?
We found 10 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, internet / wifi, fireplace, and smoking allowed.
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