Tuningi Safari Lodge

The best Game Lodge for your Family Safari

Enquire now View Rates

Description

Tuningi Safari Lodge is a member of The Leading Independent Hotels of southern Africa - situated in the world renowned 75, 000 hectare malaria-free Big 5 Madikwe Game Reserve.

Tuningi Safari Lodge can accommodate 16 (sixteen) guests in exclusive bush villas which have been architecturally designed in such a way that the lodge can be divided for families, intimate groups or VIP's in search of utter privacy.

Little Tuningi: accommodates 6 (six) guests in unsurpassed luxury with a designer kitchen, boma area, dining room, lounge, wrap around wooden deck and private pool.

All rooms at both Tuningi and Little Tuningi have air conditioning, ceiling fans, gas fireplaces, en-suite bathrooms, beautifully appointed baths, outdoor rock showers and private wrap around wooden decks. The design brief was to create space by blending interiors with the bush through utilising retractable doors and windows wherever possible. Tuningi is the most affordable 5 star graded lodge within the Madikwe Game Reserve.

The theme of the decor is Colonial African chic and the main thatched lodge includes a sumptuous lounge, dinning room, veranda and bar, interlinked by a sweeping wooden deck with its own rim flow pool overlooking a waterhole. The understated luxury flawlessly compliments your untamed surroundings.

The boma is the perfect place to have dinner next to the blazing fire or enjoy the marvels of the night sky above the canopy of trees after your evening game drive. Choose from a wide selection of wines to accompany your meal from our extensive wine cellar.

Accommodation

Standard Terms and Conditions:

• Luggage is restricted to standard size soft bags with no metal reinforcements of any kind and not weighing more than 20kg’s per passenger maximum. A luggage storage facility is available at our lounge where any additional luggage can be safely stowed at no extra cost
• The fuel surcharge is subject to change at any time due to unforeseen industry and market related price increases
• The shuttle price is inclusive of airport fees and taxes at Johannesburg International Airport as well as standard in-flight refreshments
• The shuttle price is EXCLUSIVE of any passenger admin fees charged for entering Madikwe Game Reserve by air
• Costs which may be incurred in a flight being cancelled due to adverse weather conditions or air traffic and navigation service delays will be for the passenger’s account
• We reserve the right to include technical/safety stops en-route without indicating such stops. Such stops will be made in the interest of safety and/or comfort
• We cannot be held responsible for any cancellations or delays of any nature whatsoever
• Payment: Full payment must be made prior to departure

Attractions

• Game Rangers at Tuningi are highly qualified and offer guests a unique opportunity to be educated on many aspects of wildlife and bush etiquette, either on foot or in 4x4 open air vehicles while in search of the Big 5, for which the reserve is renowned. Lion, elephant, buffalo, white and black rhino, leopard and the rare and endangered wild dog are only some of the unique sightings to experience.
• The world-renowned BBC and National Geographic wild dog sightings of Madikwe have been well recorded.
• There is also extensive plains game and over 340 species of birds to attract your attention.

TGCSA Star Grading

Facilities

On arrival at Tuningi Safari Lodge, all guests are welcomed with fresh hand towels and welcome drinks.

After check in, the guests with children are introduced to the chef and given a chance to inform us on special dietary needs, preferred times for meals, allergies, etc, concerning the kids. All children will be issued with an activity booklet that will include games, mazes and colouring-in activities.

Our policy is to allow children over five on the first game drive, giving the guide, parents and other guests the opportunity to determine if they should be allowed on the usual daily game drives, or whether they should be taken out on their own, for shorter “bumbles”. Children under the age of five will be taken on the “bumbles”.

Those who stay behind during normal game drive times will be looked after by our nannies (at a baby-sitting rate). During the morning game drive, the nannies will stay with the kids until they wake up and then take them down to the main lodge for breakfast. Afterwards, they will entertain them until the parents return from drive.

After breakfast, these children go on a 1 hour (more or less) drive (bumble) to one of the waterholes with a ranger. Before heading off on their drive, the kids are issued with a work book (for those old enough), in which they can tick off the things they’ve seen (dung, animals, spoor, birds and trees). The one with the most ticks gets a surprise on arrival back to camp.

During afternoon game drives, the kids not on normal game drive get to go on a treasure hunt to find nests, bones, eggs, snakes skins and other items. We then give them an educational talk on all the items found and add other bush tales.

In the evenings, on special occasions, the younger kids get to have their own, private boma dinner with one of the chefs, allowing them to make their own treats. IE: bread on a stick, boerewors rolls, marshmallow braai (barbeque), etc… To end the evening off, we talk about the stars and tell interesting stories about the animals and bush. * Alternatively meals will be provided in their room.

On other evenings, they get to assemble their own pizzas and decorate their cupcakes for dessert.

All other free time is spent drawing, clay modeling, building puzzles, swimming and relaxing by the pool.

There is always a watchful eye of a nanny available, to ensure they are kept busy and safe, while the parents can relax and enjoy their stay.

On departure of the family, the child / children are issued with a “Tuningi Safari Lodge Bush Experience Certificate”.