Some of the upkeep of the tents and vehicles could be better (crooked doors with poor hinges, paint chipping, new shocks on the vehicles)

Such a great location for not only Game Drives, also the view from the pool on all the game passing trough the river, just amazing. And the tent rooms so spacious and well situated, with a huge bed! Additionally our guide Tiamo was so attentive and knowledgable during the drives, couldn’t have been better! We all loved it all and would highly recommend.

Stayed in May 2024

Foliage needs to be trimmed back a bit to be able to see river from our tent; few more options for lunch would have been nice; drawers were broken in cupboard and light not working in toilet. Our guide was lacking in personality. We were always last to leave for game drives, had the oldest vehicle that had problems starting and a pap tyre. We were comfortably spaced in vehicle initially but towards end of our stay , we were all squashed into one vehicle, while the other ranger only had 3 people on his truck. Made to feel less VIP as we were ending our stay.

Breakfast was typical buffet but was good, dinners were very good, staff super friendly and welcoming.

Stayed in April 2024

There was a bit of a smell in the bathroom, but assume it is the chemicals used for the shower.

Staff very helpful and friendly, freshly prepared food, wonderful freshly baked bread and treats, even baked me a birthday cake!! Vincent made every effort to ensure we see the big 5 in 3 drives.

Stayed in April 2024

Nothing

This was our 2nd stay at Thakadu and it didn't disappoint. We love the setting right in the bush, the tents are big and well equipped with extremely comfortable beds, the food is delicious and the game drives are amazing every time.

Stayed in March 2024

The drive from Johannesburg airport to the reserve was fine until the final stretch before the reserve and a long drive through the reserve on untarmacked roads to the lodge - so very slow going to avoid punctures (in a VW people carrier). Shame no car park at reserve entry gate for visitor cars and being collected by a safari truck (as we were at Nambiti Plains!) Minor details - finding out at the end when settling the final bill for extras and not realising the small bottles of water requested for the afternoon safaris were extra, as only ONE drink per person was included (either alcoholic or soft drink). - not being notified beforehand of price increases of the conservation fee pppn which took place in same month of booking, four months before our trip, not that it amounted to a lot but having printed the booking and breakdown costs it was obviously different amounts expected on the bill. Our safari truck of the 3 was not the most prestigious looking!

We had a wonderful 3 night stay at aha Thakadu River Camp. The staff were very hospitable and friendly. The food most enjoyable with Lunch, afternoon tea, Dinner and hearty Breakfasts! All your needs provided for in the spacious and very comfortable rustic tent/huts with own balconies by the river. Added to all this, the game drives provided us with amazing and some lucky sightings of the BIG FIVE and we saw ALL- Leopards, Lions, Buffalo, Elephants and Rhinos as well as cheetahs, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, various antelope, various birds, wild dogs, hyenas, warthogs and more, enjoying early morning tea/coffee with delicious fresh muffins and early evening drinks with assortment of nibbles. Sunsets and amazing vistas with mountains...what more could one ask for!

Stayed in March 2024

The price of the wine botttles

Food was excellent. The Staff went out of their way to make our stay memorable without overbearing. Excellent game viewing.

Stayed in April 2024

Wonderful view next to the river. We were able to watch most of the animals just from the camp.

Stayed in March 2024

it’s very nice

Stayed in March 2024

THE ASSISTANT MANAGER WHO WAS NOT VERY KNOWLEDGABLE AND ALSO OMMITED TO GIVE US VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR OUR RETURN UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE WHICH THEN RESULTED THAT WE HAD TO CHANGE ALL PLANS AND SHE WAS NOT PREPARED TO OFFER ANY HELP.

THE STAFF THAT LOOKED AFTER US WERE FANTASTIC - THE GAME RANGER VERY KNOWLEDGABLE AND WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE US HAPPY.

Stayed in February 2024

Nothing. It was perfect.

The camp is beautiful. Perfectly located on a river where elephants come to play.

Stayed in February 2024

The only reason we did not give a 10/10 was because I was stung by a scorpion after one buried into my towel at the poolside (check your towels guys 😂) . While of course no ones fault, we asked for adrenaline and anti-venom to be brought close to us (we are both doctors and assumed these would be to hand in such an isolated location). However, the camp did not have any access to these things, which seems a little wild considering the amount of poisonous animals and the distance from anything. It took about 40 mins to get through to a park paramedic who was about an hour away. Needless to say, this time and distance is of little use in a true emergency. We were then faced with a pretty terrifying hour waiting to see how I was going to react to the toxin from said poisonous critter! Thankfully nothing too bad happened. The staff were great and were very worried about us and helpful, and took the details of the drugs they should look into carrying so hopefully this is rectified. A shame to mark the place down for this but we feel it is important this is improved to try and avoid a disaster.

Absolutely incredible place. We thoroughly enjoyed every second of staying here. The room was beautifully clean and relaxing with lots of space and attention paid to little details. The location was awesome, with regular elephant visits to the surrounding camp areas that you can watch down by the river or from the pool. The staff were a big highlight, both in the the camp and the guides. We had Percy as our guide, who was just amazing in terms of his knowledge, friendliness and ability to get us in those queues for the sightings! We felt totally looked after and enjoyed chatting to him and the people we met. In 4 days we saw lions, cheetah, white and black rhino, elephants galore, wild dogs and spotted hyenas. For us Madikwe's huge selling point is that they do not allow more than 3 cars at sightings, or 2 if an animal with young babies. The other cars have to wait off site and form a queue over the radio. This means you do not have the endless reams of traffic that you so often see in other parks at sightings. There is only ever a max of 2 other cars. Because of this the animals are not stressed every day by humans surrounding and harassing them, and as a result they are almost completely unphased by close human presence which makes for very intimate sightings which do not feel forced or stressful. This was really important for us and made the experience that much more special. Highly recommend the park and Thakadu!

Stayed in February 2024

The tents where very comfortable and luxurious, but in some aspects they could use a bit more upkeep.

The staff en food was beyond excellent! Everyone was very friendly and involved. You could sense that people enjoyed their work and this showed in the quality that was provided. The wildlife you will see on the game drives is beyond anything else what you will experience in South Africa. Furthermore the Boma dinners are very romantic and the lookout point over the river can have you watching elephants playing in the river for hours!

Stayed in January 2024

The coffee machine was broken but it would've been nice to have coffee at the main lodge during the day. The interior of the vehicles could do with some maintenance and cleanliness and the ranger needs to be more considerate with the guest's needs

The breakfast's were always good, the catering all round was good, and the lodge staff excellent and friendly, and always helpful. They were very accommodating with my special dietary needs.

Stayed in January 2024

Only small minus was that the bathroom in my tent could do with an update and general small issues with lack of maintenance (phone in my tent not working and rips in the cover over the game drive vehicle. Such a shame when everything else at the lodge was top notch!

The professional and hospitable staff, especially Gomo. Our wonderful ranger, Percy. And the food prepared by the master chefs in the kitchen!

Stayed in January 2024

The whole experience was absolutely incredible!! The staff were all unbelievable!! The game drives were just brilliant . The food and accommodation were all amazing!! We had a wonderful wonderful time!!

Stayed in December 2023

Communication with the lodge was totally unacceptable. I tried to get in contact with the lodge, to arrange a transfer from the laning strip in Madikwe to the lodge, but i didn`t get any answer. I tried two different email accounts (via booking.com and via the conatct sheet on their website) and two different telephone numbers (both given on their website). The telephone numbers were either dead, or i got the voice message ,,temporary not available". On one email i received an answer after 30 hours, but it has been an standard, totally unuseful, information sheet. I then called central reservation of "aha" hotel group. Nice people, but not able to help. They asked for further information, i spent quiet some time on emails and whatsapp (i gave all requested information) but..... no answer! Finally i had to ask the reservation office of a differnt lodge (our next destiantion) for help and they managed to get in conatct., finally. In the end, i spend several hours to get the simple reply: "Of course we can pick you up at the madikwe airfield". When we were at the lodge, the manager on duty adressed me, but couldn`t give any explanantion, and seemed not to be interested in that matter anyway. The general impression is, that everybody is doing his job, but nobody really cares about you. We heard, that Thakadu is state owned, and that shows very clearly in their attitude. It is a big differnce to the other, privately owned (and of course much more expensive) lodges in madikwe. Tents were nice, but run down. They really need a renovation. Doors did not shut properly, the wooden wall of the toilet was about to collapse, wooden floor was rotten in some parts.

The location of the lodge is great. You can always see elephants from a very close distance, There is a really nice seating area by the river. Thakadus Boma ist one of the best i ever saw. It is beautifuly located, decorated and it doesn`t feel walled in , like many other Bomas. Friendly staff, food is ok, tents are nice, beds are great. Despite the critics further down, the lodge offers very good value for money. If you choose a rate, which can be cancelled before arrival, it is worth checking availability and rates a few days before arrival. There is up to 50% discount for last minute bookings. So if you cancel your previous booking and take adavantage of the last minute offer, the value for money is incredible.

Stayed in January 2024

Nothing, everything was perfect.

The staff and the service at Thakadu was amazing, everyone learnt your names, were on hand whenever you needed them and really paid attention to all the little details. The food was amazing and there was so much of it, none of us never went hungry. The location is beautiful, swimming in the pool while watching the elephants really did make it the trip of a lifetime. The family were very upset to leave. Thank you to all the staff at Thakadu- we are already planning our next trip back.

Stayed in December 2023

The food was quite a let down for us... It wasn't terrible just not very good and for the price you are paying you really expect nice food. The bathrooms are in need of a bit of an update but are spotless nonetheless. The directions need to be made clearer. Google maps takes you to old, unused gates and with little to no cellphone service we had to stop cars along the road to ask for proper directions. This can and should be updated on Google maps and maybe explained in an email ahead of time as this is a problem that maby guests seem to experience. Check in is from 14h but lunch is actually from 13h to 14h30 so because we were early we made it to lunch but otherwise we would have missed it. This could also be made more clear ahead of time.

The lodge is beautiful and the staff are so helpful and friendly! The game drives were a highlight every time! The setting of the lodge on the river with the elephants coming to play in the water right below you almost every day was so special. The rooms were spotless and the linen crisp and comfortable. Percy was a wonderful guide who was able to answer every question asked! Very knowledgeable. He was so friendly and welcoming! He had a great sense of humour and made the whole experience more enjoyable!

Stayed in January 2024

Nothing. Everything was great!

The location is very remote and there were tons of animals all around the lodge. We loved the elephants that came to the watering hole each day. The service, food, accommodation, game drives were all excellent and exceeded our expectations. We can't wait to go back!

Stayed in January 2024

Great staff, great experience! Very nice rooms, very friendly staff, couldn’t ask for more!

Stayed in December 2023

The distance from our room to the centre!! We were rooms 11 &12.

Excellent ranger (Percy). Good food.

Stayed in January 2024

Everything was perfect: excellent location, spectacular food, exceptional staff, and a one-in-a-lifetime experience. I thank the team for this experience.

Stayed in November 2023

Beautiful location, we arrived there and we saw elephant cooling down in the river just in front of the main / restaurant area.. stunning !!

Stayed in December 2023

Nothing to add

We loved the complete set up. The food was delicious and the staff so friendly and helpful

Stayed in January 2024