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Reviews of aha Thakadu River Camp

5 out of 5
aha Thakadu River Camp
Madikwe Game Reserve, 5 km from Molatedi Gate, Madikwe, Thabazimbi, Limpopo

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 46 out of 68 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 68 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 68 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 68 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 68 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Huw

Travelled with group
.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

ciara

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was a fabulous glamping experience. Fro. The checkin where Hobo (not sure of spelling) and Jerry assited us to the refreshing drink and delicious lunch. We saw 3 of the big 5 on our first game drive and the 4th on the 2nd day. They provide of the conveniences that you would need from blankets and hotwater bag for the game drive to electric blankets for the bed. Every meal was well prepared and delicious. You will not be disappointed with your stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Parampil Vahab

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Megan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Super small lodge
We had a great stay at this lodge. It is small enough to have a personal touch. The food was nice - esp the freshly baked bread. We had super game drives with Vincent who was friendly and knowledgeable. We would definitely return.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Dena

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
staff were very helpful and friendly. it was a lovely bush getaway . highly recommend
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Poh Khoon

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic Bushcamp
This is a well operated bush camp. The river boasts of a lot of four legged visitors who come to drink throughout the day. The sightings for elephants, rhinos and giraffe are one of the best anywhere and comparable to Botswana. Our ranger was Gerri and he was a very good tracker and reader of animal tracks to led to some fantastic finds. He even changed our drive time to take us further out over an hour where we spotted a jackal, 2 cheetahs and a lioness that had just made a kill as well as the largest herd of buffaloes I had ever seen. The food is fantastic with continental and local offerings. All food and snacks inclusive and they do accommodation special requests. Your day starts with early morning snack and coffee/tea, a snack during your morning game drive, full breakfast on arrival, a lunch and afternoon tea before your afternoon game drive which also include snacks and and a semi full bar on the go and dinner is alfresco with view of the river. I will def recommend this place and even stay here again. Many thanks to the Thakadu staff for a job well done.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Michèle, Laval, Canada

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It was a unique expérience, in the middle of the bush. Beautiful camp, great guides, excellent meals. Everything was just special !
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jo-anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Superb!
Staff were amazing, attention to detail. Loved every minute!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kathryn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome!
This place is amazing. We travelled as a family of four (2 adults, 7yr old and 4.5yr old) and we all LOVED it.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017

2/10 Terrible

Devon

Disliked: Staff & service
Terrible Service
We booked through Hotels.com appr. 2 months in advance on the 3rd May 2017 and paid in advance, the money cleared the credit card on the 5th May 2017. We completed the 4.5 hours drive to the camp on the 01st July 2017. On arrivalaha Thakadu River Camp which is a luxury tented camp. On arrival we were told by the general manager that they had no knowledge of our booking. I then requested that they move us to a similar quality lodge but they said that there were no places available. They then booked us in to one of their own other lodges, Madikwe River Lodge a 3 star family friendly lodge, this was not what I had booked and paid for. It was also another 1 hour drive away. I have now waited a week for someone to contact me to apologise and let me know what they plan on doing about this however nobody from Hotels.com or the AHA group who owns the hotel has contacted me. I will now be lodging a dispute with Visa as I never received the services which I have paid for and will be requesting a refund.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2017

10/10 Excellent

LWStan, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Exceptionally well run camp in Madikwe
This a very well run camp. We were initially placed in a smaller tent than paid for - it was quickly rectified and all our scattered belongings moved for us. Other minor issues, like more coffee in the room, were dealt with pleasantly and immediately. The rangers coordinate with each other with courtesy and adherence to strict rules limiting vehicles at a sighting to give guests the best possible experience. A few negatives: The rangers are permitted to go anywhere - on one occasion I felt this was abused and a lion with a kill remained on a green island in the midst of churned up muddy bush. The range from the camp is limited - with hindsight I would move between camps spending a max of 3 days per camp. Our vehicles were often full - anyone in the middle seat was disadvantaged. Finally a suggestion - reciprocity with other camps to allow a greater range could benefit everyone.
Clean, well furnished room

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
I found it very difficult to get info in advance of our stay regarding the schedule, which was: 5am tea, 5:30-9 drive (with coffee and cake), 9 cold and hot breakfast, multi course lunch, 3:30 coffee/cake, 4-7ish drive with alcoholic drink, multi course dinner. Drinks available at the pool. The last 4km drive there is on a very bad rocky road so a 4x4 would allow an easier drive in. Kids 6 years and up can go on drives, younger ones can get in room babysitting by a local lady and/or go on a short drive after breakfast. We saw lots of animals on the drive and was a unique experience overall.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The most amazing place in the wilderness. Definitely coming back for a longer stay.

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great game drives and birding
The lodge offers wonderful accommodations, delicious food and superb game drives. The fact that it is run by the local community makes the stay here even better. Thakadu rivals five star lodges that I have stayed at in the past. I have been traveling for over forty years and Thakkadu stands out. The guide on our game drives, Lazarus, was a great spotter and incredibly knowledgeable about wildlife and birds. The other staff were all truly hospitable and capable. The food was fabulous and plentiful, and no problem for a vegetarian. There is nothing negative to say about our experience at Thakadu. It was truly wonderful. .

10/10 Excellent

RAFAEL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great service, acomodation, meals. Lots of animals in every game ride.

10/10 Excellent

Sue, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Sheer Luxury
What an amazing place. From arrival when we were met with a hot towel and a cold drink things just got better. The tents were fantastic and had everything we could need. They were spacious,comfortable and very clean. The food was great and the chef's pulled out all stops to cater for my partner who is vegetarian. The game drive's were also amazing and the guide was very knowledgeable. The manager(Hamley) went out of her way to make things run smoothly for us.

10/10 Excellent

hina , Gaborone, Botswana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good staff
Awesome ... I don't mind to go and stay there again!!

10/10 Excellent

Rakesh, Dubai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Definitely worth it
We enjoyed our stay at Aha Thakadu river camp. Everything was perfect. The smallest details are taken care of. Will definitely come back.

8/10 Good

Mike, NC USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great time in Madikwe
The lodge and staff were fabulous. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Food was great as well. We had Lazarus as our game driver/guide. He was fantastic. He was great with the kids and tried his best to make sure that we had a great experience. We would definitely stay here again. Thanks for a great trip.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Ok for price point
The Thakadu lodge was OK for money. The game drive and drivers were great and probably equal throughout the Madikwe game reserve regardless of how much money you spend. This lodge seems to be half the price as others, which is the big bonus. The down side is amateur customer service, average food, poor massages, non-existent internet despite what they advertise, and a mean hostess. It is a pretty spot and lodge, but don't stay more than two nights. You are on lock down once you arrive and can't even walk to your room alone. This fact may not be unique to this lodge. All game lodges are probably similarly limited in your movement between game drives.

10/10 Excellent

Jose, Sydney, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Staff and Place
Went to Madikwe with my wife to see the incredible animals in their natural habitat. Not only we saw these beautiful animals, but the Thakadu River Camp Staff were so nice, welcoming and attentive, that we are planning to come back.

10/10 Excellent

Corbin, Boston, MA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lifelong Memories Made at Thakadu
My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary at Thakadu River Camp. It exceeded our expectations. As avid travelers, we have seen it all in accommodations. Besides being an amazing vacation, Thakadu was a comfortable, beautiful lodge. The staff were great. We learned while we at Thakadu that it is one of the two community project lodges in Madikwe. They hire only local towns people, which gives back to the local community and provides an authentic experience. They were so nice and accommodating. Kenny was our ranger. He was very knowledgeable and was able to show us 4 of the big 5. We had an amazing couples massage on the porch of our tent. The rooms, although they are technically tents, were so luxurious. You would never know that you were staying in a canvas tent. The hardwood floors, sliding glass door, air conditioning, and beautiful shower and tub were all enhanced by the monkeys that visited us every day on our porch. You could hear the elephants playing in the river just below. All of our meals were cooked by the chef and great. They featured authentic African flavors. The highlight of the culinary cuisine was our two meals outside by the fire. The barbecue style dinner was a great way to highlight a vacation in the bush. Our daily safaris were a lot of fun. Two a day, morning and evening, ensured that we were able to see all of the animals in their environments. This is a five star experience at a three star price. We will be returning

10/10 Excellent

Steven, Park City, UT

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Outstanding Experience.
I did as much research as I could online, but it's a world away so you have to trust the reviews. Compared to the other lodges in Madikwe, Thaduku is the most economical lodge in the park. So I booked and hoped for the best. Believe me, do not hesitate to book at Thaduku, what they may lack in luxury compared to other lodges, they make up for with service and location. The staff is exceptional, because the lodge is owned by the town of Molatedi just outside the park, the employees have a sense of pride in working at the lodge and most have been there since it's inception. The location on the Marico river is unique in the park and we were delighted to find a herd of elephants that used the river each day for bathing and general horse play. The view from the Lodges pool allows you to watch 30-40 elephants all day long. Our game driver, Thsolo is very experience and is very respectful of the parks wildlife, getting close enough to view but giving the animals their needed space, besides seeing the big 5 we saw numerous, Giraffe, Zebra, Boks and Antelopes. So unless you have to have wifi that works, an espresso machine in your room, save your self 50% and book with confidence at Thaduku.

6/10 Okay

Craig, Johannesburg

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Pleasant stay in Madikwe...
A little expensive for what you get...room was nice enough, food was good enough, but a little on the pricey side.

6/10 Okay

Hayley Ivins, Johannesburg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Second time around not as awesome as first time
This was my second time to Thakadu, went 5 years ago. The Lodge is great and accommodation is great, but the choice of food was much less than first time I went, and it was the little things, never enough cups or wine goblets on the game drive, we were never asked what we would like to drink on the game drive, and with the water in the rooms not being drinkable, it would have been great if a 3rd small bottle of water was supplied for the kettle, as opposed to constantly having to purchase water. If I should ever go back I would take my own 5 liter of water. Animal wise the sightings were fantastic and we were very lucky.

10/10 Excellent

Alex & Kathy, Melbourne, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Delightful experience
We had a thoroughly enjoyable stay at Thakadu River Camp, from the moment Wayne (the General Manager), and Maans (our guide) met us at the airstrip on our arrival. To call our room a tent does it a grave injustice - although it did have canvas walls and roof, it had a very comfortable king size bed, reverse-cycle air conditioning, a spacious en suite bathroom, and even a room safe. The housekeeping staff did a wonderful (and very unobtrusive) job - our room was serviced by the time we returned from breakfast following the morning game drive every day, and followed up with a thoughtful turn-down service while we were at dinner, leaving some fudge and a bookmark with an African folk tale or bed-time story on our pillows every evening. All of the staff were friendly and helpful, and the quality and variety of food was excellent. Although we were warned at the beginning that they could not guarantee sightings of all of the "Big Five", our guide did get us multiple sightings of buffalo, elephant, lion, and rhino, and one sighting of the elusive leopard hunting at night. These, along with multiple sightings of giraffe, impala, springbok, wildebeest, zebra, and many other birds and animals, left us extremely happy with our game viewing experience and somewhat disheartened to be leaving.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
lovely safari tent camp with excellent staff
Kenneth, our game driver, was knowledgeable and a safe and capable guide. We managed to see all 4 of the reserve's cheetahs. The facility is lovely. The food was delicious and the staff were attentive. The power cut out during the night so our toasty tent got colder, and then switched on in the AM...but not with quite enough time to warm up before having to do the morning drive. One other note - it might be useful to have driving directions on the website for those driving down from the north. I should have emailed for directions but decided to wing it instead. Friendly neighbor's on the route were kind enough to draw us a map. Overall it was a terrific stay and I will absolutely recommend it to friends.

10/10 Excellent

Bettina, Cape Town

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great bush experience
Very nice weekend location, huge tented room, lots of game, excellent food, friendly and knowledgeable staff and management. We really had a great time !

10/10 Excellent

Denidee, Sydney, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Thakadu, a luxury tented river camp
A memorable place to stay. Our ranger was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The animals were very close to the vehicle and 4 of the big 5 were seen, including cheetahs and a leopard. A thoroughly enjoyable and recommended experience!

8/10 Good

footprint, pretoria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had a fantastic time

10/10 Excellent

Elle, Pretoria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Safari Getaway
We took our family (visiting South Africa for the first time) to Thakadu for safari. It was an incredible experience! The hotel staff were all wonderful and hospitable. The safaris were so memorable, and our guide did a fantastic job of getting us up close and personal with the animals. The tented suites were beautiful and very romantic. We also really enjoyed the food. We will definitely recommend Thakadu to friends!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Leonardo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Ótima hospedagem
Estadia ótima, todos muito gentis e prestativos. Nosso guia no Safari era demais! Duas observações seriam: indicação de como chegar (coloque no waze para a Madikwe Game Reserve e não para o hotel). Erramos o caminho é quase quebramos nosso carro. Alimentação: seria melhor ter mais opções e não somente 1 opção servida
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

florence

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Propreté de la piscine à revoir et installer une douche à côté les gens se baignent plein de crème solaire et du coup l’eau est trouble
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

magnus holm

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
WAUW !
WAUW !
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastisk frukost och fantastisk ranger/guide (Billy) som hela tiden gjorde det lilla extra.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Edgar

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Folke

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Village owned safari lodge
Trevlig lodge med bra meny men mer lokal anrättning än gourmet. Charmig personal från lokala byn utanför parken. Sjunger och dansar lokala sånger vid ex vis födelsedag. Bra guidade safaris i Madikve som tillåter jeep utanför vägarna. Stort vilt och fågelliv med max fordon vid viltet. Bra samarbete och att rekommendera för bra safari upplevelse med lokal guide. Boendet i tält är i behov av renovering men är rent och prydligt.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Alexandre

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Safari and love
Great safari
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Pamela, Nice

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
2 jours parfaits !!! Beaux safaris mais pas beaucoup d animaux
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018

8/10 Good

Jean-Luc

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Service pas la hauteur mais Safaris fantastiques
Lodge composé de 12 tentes disposées le long de la rivière. Nous étions à la 10ème. De la réception à la chambre, il faut minimum 7 minutes. Pas de wifi dans les tentes et quasi inutilisable à la réception. Le safari du matin commence à 5h30, précédé d’un thé/café à 5h15. Celui de l’apres midi à 15h30. Chaque safari dure environ 4 heures. Les safaris sont inclus. Il n’y a que 3 4x4 pour 24 personnes soit 8 personnes par véhicule. Par contre un 4x4 était en panne un jour et nous nous sommes retrouvés à 10 par véhicule. C’est beaucoup moins confortable. Il faudrait 4 véhicules et passer à 3 en cas de panne. Le service pour le petit déjeuner est très vite dépassé si tous les 4x4 arrivent à la suite. Je demande un thé supplémentaire ils le servent après 10mn à la table d’à côté qui n’avait rien demandé mais qui l’accepte. Si vous souhaitez des œufs il faut être patient. Lorsqu’ils arrivent pas de toast (sorry forgotten) En clair le service n’est pas à la hauteur de l’établissement. Lors du Check out personne pour récupérer les bagages. On a porté les bagages 10mn jusqu’à la réception. C’est du jamais vu pour un hôtel de ce prix. Heureusement que les safaris sont extraordinaires ils sauvent l’impression générale du séjour.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Danielle, Londrina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Tendas de luxo
A reserva é muito bonita, tem paisagens bem diferentes e muitos animais. As tendas são extremamente confortáveis e as laterais que podem ser abertas proporcionam maior integração à natureza. Foi um dos melhores hotéis em que já ficamos.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018

6/10 Okay

Jose

Liked: Room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

Anette

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

Andre

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good stay for new safarians!
Very good place to go to for people who have not experienced safari before. The lodge is very plesant, nice decorated and gives you a nice feeling when being there. The lodge has a pool with view over a watering hole, also a nice place to hang out at between the game drives. The safari was good, we thought it was just a slight better then west Kreuger where we have been at last year. We saw alot of elephants, rhinos, giraffes, wild dogs etc.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unglaubliche Erlebnisse
Es ist unfassbar schön, was man auf den Safaris zu sehen bekommt. Bei diesem Aufenthalt stand für uns nicht das Hotel im Vordergrund sondern die Tiere und die Natur. Nichtsdestotrotz ist auch das Hotel absolut empfehlenswert. Die Zelte sind total geräumig und komfortabel eingerichtet. Der Pool mit seinem Ausblick ist spektakulär und man kann auch von dort aus häufig Tiere beobachten. Lediglich eine Dame im Service war extrem unfreundlich, aber sonst waren alle sehr nett und bemüht.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Emerson, Brazil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Estadia perfeita. ótimo custo benefício
A comida é excelente e farta (7 refeições por dia), o tempero é forte mas nós adoramos. Não comemos carne e frango, o chef fez vários tipos diferentea de peixe especialmente para nós. Todos excelentes. O safari foi incrivel, conseguimos ver os big 5 e muito mais. Os carros chegavam a poucos metros dos animais. o guia é excelente. Da piscina do hotel é possível ver elefantes de vez em quando. Os quarto é uma "cabana premium", que achamos muito bom. O sentimento é de estar dormindo na floresta. Os funcionários são atenciosos e educados. Enfim, recomendaremos o hotel!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

Michel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Lodge with top Service
We had a wonderful time and excellent safaris. The reserve is large and has big heards of animals. Only thing to ameliorate: Toast for breakfast should be brought earlier.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2017