Tshukudu Bush Lodge

Our time there was completely amazing. Our guide was JR, an excelent profesional totally in love with his job. He made us feel very comfortable all the time and managed to show us all every possible animal in the park. Thank U, see U again soon!

Amazing lifetime experience, highly recommended. The lodges are located in a stunning area and very comfortable. You have everything you need . The staff are so attentive and helpful. The food was amazing like private fine dining with personal chefs and premium wines and spirits. Jsafari was an amazing guide and worked hard to show us the big 5 and more, such a great person. Andre was on hand to assist also. The bush bbq is to be experienced and go on every game drive is a must no matter how tired you may feel always different. The steps are uneven but just take your time and you get strong legs and fitter , just be sensible and you are fine. It's worth it! Was an amazing experience and want to return.

I based my review on price paid 6 nights staying there. I really wanted to give this 5 out of 5, but felt a few points need attention. Firstly, I must say, like the majority of reviews that our guide JR was exceptional, he and the other guests we met made our trip. JR had amazing communication, and his Ferrari Safaris were great fun.His knowledge of the area geological and animals was second to none, and he made a great bacardi and coke, thank you JR you are a credit to your profession. We were lucky to see the big 5 in 2 days, but this was luck of the draw as the animals are wild and roam, the views were exceptional and staying at the Lodge gave us small tour groups (max of 6) not the massive prison looking trucks you saw zooming around. Yes, there are steps 140 plus up to the rooms with a bench halfway so if you are less mobile then I would say this is not for you which is a shame.The lodges are large with stunning views and some have small plunge pools, to be honest these are great but only used ours in small amounts to cool down.Beds are firm but comfortable with all the facilities you need, hair dryer, coffee pod maker, every tea ever made, kettle, fridge and fan.Lovely double shower and separate freestanding bath overlooking water hole and double sinks. When up the top area, 2 x seating areas , one smoking one non smoking, which was great for my cigars.There is also a small plunge pool which we did not use but seemed popular. You are most probably wondering why I did not give this 5 out of 5 ? The drinks are premium, BUT I asked for Jack D on day one and was told they had run out,which is OK, but when I asked 2 days later, they checked and found it, would of been nice to have seen it on shelf when it was re-stocked up rather than in locked room around backThe cocktails selection should be improved no one ever knew what cocktail they had just given to them and a proper cocktail list with mainstream cocktails would of been nice and expected in this price bracket. Wines were good and they did keep you topped up, but I asked on the off chance for a vanilla milkshake and got one then most people got one as no one knew it was avaliable and the same goes for snacks no one knew that they were avaliable. Food was top class with 5 courses served nightly for dinner, but the bush dinner was not avaliable due to some works going on, this was a massive disappointment for me as it was one of the main reasons for going there as having dinner every night either in your room or at communal table is OK but not the experience of being out and about, they did have high tea under a tree but not do it was very disappointing. Up 5am Game Drive 5.30 Back around 8am Breakfast around 9am High Tea 3.30pm Game Drive 4pm Back around 8.15pm Dinner around 9pm The above change from Nov 1st to earlier. We were lucky to have an incredible group of people when we were there that could make or break in my opinion this holiday,(no names used but you know who you

Where to start, I’m struggling. This place is out of this world. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left we were looked after, fed, watered (well, gin and tonic!!) and made to feel like family. Our guide (JR) was there to greet us and orientate us, the team were always there to make sure we were sated. The room was fantastic and had a great view over the watering hole and approach. (We were greeted there with elephants, hippo, giraffe, impala, warthog, wildebeest, oh, and lion!! The game drives with JR were informative, educational, interesting, fun and frankly, a dream for a nature lover, like me. If you want an “action holiday” just go to Sun City and leave the nature to people that will appreciate it, here. Yes there are stairs, don’t moan, just think about keeping yourself fitter, they’re no big deal. Back to the drives, dress appropriately, if you’re in doubt about what I mean, use your intelligence and check what the weather is doing when you visit. 4 layers might be appropriate in the morning, but shorts and T-shirt in the afternoon. In between drives you get some valuable downtime, the food will see you through, there’s plenty and it’s great. The evening meals are amazing and better than most restaurants you’ll go to! All meals are introduced and more than satisfying. Drink measures are very generous. Enjoy the bush dinner, you may even be lucky enough to have some wildlife visit at the same time! We completed the big 5 in 24 hours. But there’s so much more to this place than the big 5, it’s just so beautiful and engaging. I feel like something of Tshukudu lodge will always stay with me and I’m so happy about that. If I ever get the chance, I will come back. Thank you JR and ALL of the team there, you are all fantastic and I miss you all(and I was only there 5 nights!!)

We stayed at Tshukudu Lodge in November 2024 for our honeymoon. We stayed for 3 nights before moving to Mauritius. Drives You’re offered a game drive in the morning and a drive in the evening. In a morning, we had to be ready for approximately 4:30am for coffee before setting off roughly at 4:45/5am. We’d then go out on the drive before coming back to the lodge for about 8:45am ish before we’d then have breakfast. On an afternoon / evening, you’d have a late lunch before heading out for the next drive. You’d then come back at around 8pm before having the evening meal at 9pm. We had JR as our guide who was absolutely fantastic. His passion for the animals was infectious; he was so knowledgable but also did not go ‘chasing’ the sightings like some other guides with other companies did. We had an unfortunate incident where lions were sighted and lots of different tour companies were chasing them and our entire group felt uncomfortable. JR did not engage in any of this which was really reassuring. We managed to see so many animals; we saw buffalo, elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes and so many more. It was truly magical. Lodges The lodges were really well equipped; they had a fridge, a coffee machine, plugs with electricity and a very comfy bed. Towels and an assortment of different toiletries were provided. The rooms were cleaned too. Food The food was incredible. Breakfast was either a selection of ‘full English’ type ingredients, fruits, and other items. The late lunch varied but while there, we had some chicken satay sticks with a salad for example. Another day we had a chicken pie which was the best I’ve ever eaten! On an evening, it was largely a 5 course meal which consisted of a soup course, a starter, a main which was usually meat or fish with vegetables and potatoes, a pudding, and a cheese course. The quality of the food was incredible and the service was brilliant every night. We could not recommend Tshukudu more; this is a real, ‘one in a lifetime’ place to visit. We’re desperate to come back. If we were to come back, we’d probably extend our stay from 3 nights to 4/5 nights. While it does get tiring with being up so early, you have all the late morning / afternoon to relax. I usually spent this napping! The lodges have verandas which look out onto the watering hole so even when we were relaxing, we were able to spot lots of different animals which was amazing! What to pack The lodge provides a bag with binoculars in for the drives so don’t worry about bringing those. There’s also snacks in the lodge if you do get hungry. It could get chilly on some of the drives - while there’s blankets provided in the trucks, I bought an over shirt and then a jacket with me. For footwear, I wore sandals / trainers were fine. If you want to do the walking tour, then you’d need closed shoes. If you’re contemplating booking here, please do it! The staff, the location, the lodges, the guides and more importantly, the abundance of an

One of the best views you will get from any game lodge in SA; beyond peaceful. Service excellent; thanks Jafari for some brilliant guiding - and the rest of the team for the care and attention (Ernest, Tammy, Tshepo, Simon, Johnny et al). Food 10 out of 10. Saw over 50 elephant, 30+ Rhino, leopard, hippos, two prides of Lion, countless Giraffe - Pilanesberg at its best