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!

Stayed in April 2023

no WiFi in the room😢😞

The hospitality, location

Stayed in April 2023

Nothing

Fantastic place with excellent staff!

Stayed in March 2023

We didn't like the food. Was too heavy (fried, saucy, etc) and not enough options

The game drives with vincent were incredible.

Stayed in March 2023

Nothing.

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.

Stayed in March 2023

clean, friendly staff and beautiful accommodation

Stayed in March 2023

that we didn't get three meals for one full day accommodation. we thought that when we missed the lunch on a late afternoon arrival we would be able to have our lunch (3rd meal) on the day of departure. But were told that when you miss lunch on arrival date that you would have to pay for lunch the following day. This was handled differently in other Madikwe lodges we stayed at. it would be good to mention this on your booking page.

very friendly staff, we liked the setting very much!

Stayed in March 2023

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!

The tent accommodation was lovely, private and quiet.

Stayed in March 2023

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.

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.

Stayed in February 2023

the location and the unique setting. the game drive was excellent

Stayed in February 2023

Not a bad thing, but something for people to consider: The drive from joburg airport to madikwe is absolutely doable. Just the last 9km to madikwe and in the park are a bit wobbly. if you drive carefully it is doable with a normal rental car, but i would recommend taking a car that is a bit higher on its wheels.

We visited thakadu river camp end of February 2023, and honestly we had a wonderful time. The staff was amazing, the game drives were awesome (our guide had been in madikwe for the past 15 years and was very knowledgeable), the food was above expectations for the pricing, and overall the facilities were great (pool, room etc). Also the facility is located close to huge water pool where you’re guaranteed to spot animals (mostly elephants and baboons). Before visiting, we honestly had some doubts given some of the reviews here and on Google. From our perspective everything was absolutely great. I’m sure there are lodges in madikwe that are more luxurious, but on a price/ quality basis I’m doubtful you’ll find a better place to stay in madikwe than thakadu.

Stayed in February 2023

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!

Stayed in February 2023

nothing it was all great. monkeys are a bit naughty.

everything. this was our second visit and even better than the first. our ranger was brilliant. we saw so many amazing animals. the rooms were we lovely. staff are charming and so attentive. location is amazing. we loved it all.

Stayed in February 2023

Just a few warnings, nothing really that would discourage us from coming again. The bush is LOUD at night. All the wildlife, crickets and occasional hyenas were like having a car alarm blasting right next to our tent. I had to use earplugs to be able to sleep. Didn't seem to bother anyone else though so maybe I'm just over sensitive. There's a lot of black wasps in the lounge area. One guest actually got stung. (There's luckily no bugs on the safari drives though, for some reason). There's no internet and barely any mobile coverage in the tents. It didn't bother us too much and they're working on extending the WiFi to the tents soon. The access road to the gate and then after the gate to the camp is proper dirt road. Very bumpy. Luckily we rented a crossover but I'd be a bit concerned driving a low clearance car.

All in all amazing 5* experience. The glamping tents are better equipped than some hotel rooms we've been to. Absolutely bug free, with mosquito net, rain shower and a separate toilet. The staff is really nice and always helpful. They walked us to the tent at night after dinner. The food is first class. The chef deserves a medal. Also one of us was a celiac and they prepared all her meals gluten free, separate pans and everything. They even brought a gf muffin wrapped separately for a safari break. And then there's the safari. We were super lucky and saw the big 5 on the first day! The leopard just briskly crossed the road on our way back to the camp, but that counts, too. Otherwise you can see all the animals really up close, lions, hyenas, rhinos, elephants, wild dogs, baboons plus of course countless zebras, impalas, birds etc. We saw the predators hunting a couple of times. It was one of the most immersive experiences in my life.

Stayed in February 2023

The drives are the best , the food is always good

Stayed in January 2023

The food was a bit hit or miss. Some meals were really good, others were a disappointment.

Really lovely staff, the rooms are fantastic, and everything is really nicely decorated.

Stayed in February 2023

nothing

very friendly and happy staff. excellent location and facilities.

Stayed in February 2023

great friendly staff, amazing food and lovely location

Stayed in February 2023

the shop was sort of empty and the alcohol prices especially wine was ridiculously expensive. corkage fee was R150 a bottle on the bill after I was quoted R120.

food was great and enough. staff were great. Vincent our guide was absolutely amazing. He chased through the bush after wild dogs eventually resulting in a kill

Stayed in January 2023

Lokacation if Any.

Fantastic game drive. The quide was outstanding. The Staff superb.

Stayed in January 2023

Issues with the generator meant power issues but it's a reality of travelling in South Africa currently...

The whole team was very kind and always made an effort! Outstanding game drive, best I have ever been on!

Stayed in January 2023

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.

The staff and food were excellent, amazing drives with very knowledgable guides. We felt at home!

Stayed in January 2023

Exceptional value for money. The staff was very attentive to detail and made sure everything was taken care of, despite a huge storm during our stay. The rangers were very professional. Highly recommend.

Stayed in December 2022

The best food ever! The game drives were amazing The staff was the sweetest

Stayed in December 2022

2 nights of wrong wakeup calls - telephone system maybe not working properly? This has dampened the holiday recovery somewhat...

Awesome Gamedrives, delicious food, nice and cozy common area. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere.

Stayed in November 2022