Tuningi Safari Lodge has always been one of our favourite lodges in Madikwe - previously it was a traditionally styled and very comfortable camp that managed to get most of the important things right (think great service, warm hospitality, excellent guiding, delicious food) without ever being particularly stylish. The danger though was that there have emerged in recent years a proliferation of newer, more contemporary-styled lodges which have threatened to pull away in terms of sheer desirability for many current-day guests seeking a greater degree of style and luxury.

So it's massively exciting then that the beginning of 2025 saw Tuningi re-invent itself by adding a massive dose of contemporary style and luxury to the previous winning formula - and quite frankly it has elevated Tuningi onto a whole new level! The good news though is that despite now boasting such desirable new luxury features as private plunge pools, the lodge still retains its exceptional value for money in terms of its rates. So it looks certain that Tuningi will continue to attract the consistent rave reviews that it has received from guests for many years now, many of whom have been only too happy to return over and over again!

Set in a tranquil valley on the western side of the Madikwe reserve, Tuningi has been cleverly laid out so that both families and couples can have a great time. There are 6 suites altogether sleeping a maximum of 16 guests – 4 standalone Luxury Suites perfect for couples and then 2 Family Suites which are made up of 2 double bedrooms each and include a lovely spacious lounge area. Previously boasting a “Traditional Colonial Safari” décor style, the 2025 reinvention has resulted in rooms that are now far more chic and stylish with much more contemporary styling and furniture/décor features and colour palette, including an on-trend ribbed wooden feature wall acting as the headboard and massive aluminium feature windows replacing the previous more old fashioned wooden frames. They’re now pretty luxurious too and boast air-conditioning, enormous bathrooms, with inside and outside showers (definitely a highlight for us!) and fabulous wooden decks including brand new plunge pools! The rooms are set nicely apart from each other to provide ultimate privacy and peace.

The main thatched lodge itself has received a similarly stylish  make-over with sleek new furniture and chic décor items lending it a far more contemporary look and feel - it boasts beautiful indoor and outdoor lounge areas, dining room, veranda and bar with a its lovely contemporary fireplace to warm you up in winter, all interlinked by a sweeping wooden deck with an inviting rim flow pool overlooking a very active waterhole! This deck is the perfect place to relax with a cold beer or glass of sauvignon blanc in hand as you watch the near constant procession of game coming down to drink. The elephants are almost daily visitors and you may even find yourself having a swim in the pool at the same time as an ellie decides that drinking the nice clean pool water sounds like a much more attractive prospect than the grungy waterhole water! From the deck a pathway leads down to a stunning boma area under an ancient fig tree (this tree is actually what gives the lodge its name) and an underground photographic hide perched just meters away from the water's edge - this is the perfect spot to get really close up and personal with the visiting ellie herds!  As night sets in, lanterns and candles are lit and the mood goes from bush to baroque – when you return from your game drive you'll be presented with a bush extravaganza dinner in the boma, with a blazing log fire to keep you warm whilst you enjoy the awesome night sky above the canopy of trees!

What we love is that Tuningi is one of the few top-end lodges in South Africa that truly welcomes children of all ages and invites them to enjoy the wonders of nature, wildlife and the delicate eco-system that surrounds them! They’ll no doubt be entranced by the experience of going on the twice-daily game drives through Madikwe – a true conservation success story, the 75 000 hectare reserve is home to the Big Five and is renowned for its wild dog population! Prior to its establishment in 1991 most of the land consisted of cattle farms - since 1991 the park has undergone an intensive phase of development as a premier game reserve and this included an extensive restocking programme with game species that historically occurred in the region. This project was known as Operation Phoenix, began in 1991 and was completed in 1997 and was one of the largest game translocation exercises in the world - more than 8000 animals of 28 species were released into the Madikwe Game Reserve including elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, cheetah, Cape hunting dog, spotted hyena, giraffe, antelope and other herbivores!

Tuningi’s game rangers are of course highly qualified but more than this they go above and beyond to ensure that you get the best angle for your photograph. The ability to go off road in this park is a major bonus which you just don't get in other national parks and ensures really close-up-and-personal sightings of big game! Madikwe Game Reserve is a true African success story and Tuningi simply enhances this experience - with friendly staff, newly stylish and luxurious suites and public areas and Big Five game drives in one of the most game-filled parks in Southern Africa...what more could you ask for from a bush getaway?