Tintswalo Safari

Three weeks in Africa, staying everywhere from Cape Town to Rwanda, and of all the 5* places we stayed, Tintswalo stands out the most. Every tiny detail of the stay, the rooms, the meals, the safaris - all were so exquisitely planned and executed. We've travelled the world, and have never experienced a stay so magical.

Tintswalo provides a complete customer experience. The safaris are led by experienced guides, the rooms are spacious and very well appointed, the food selections were excellent and varied. An extra special benefit is the herd of elephants who come right up to the back deck for water. You can’t go wrong at Tintswalo.

Hard to describe how wonderful. Amazing does not come close. We were in a group that rented the entire lodge and were completely blown away by everything from the staff, the food, the rooms, the game drives, etc. etc.

This was our second trip to Tintswalo Safari Lodge because we loved our first experience so much. The lodge, food, service, and staff were outstanding. They give us exactly the right amount of attention and provided very personalized service. For example, our butler made sure to serve our preferred drinks without our having to ask. I loved the handmade granola during our first visit, but it was not offered this second time. I mentioned to Tamsin how much I liked the granola, and from then on, it was on our table when we came back from our morning game drive. Our suite was clean and had wonderful touches that made the visit so comfortable. Our guide and tracker were knowledgeable and friendly and knew how to drive through the bush safely. We plan to return.

I cannot recommend the Tintswalo Safari experience enough. Our large party of +30 people recently visited from New Orleans (including families with children ranging from 4-19). Now that I have been, I understand the consistent 5/5 reviews. I would give it a 6/5 if I could. -Game drives: The guides and trackers were knowledgeable and friendly. We experienced different game on all eight drives (lions, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, elephants, hyena, giraffe, hippo, beautiful birds, wild dogs (including a kill - and then a hyena snatch), etc.) The coffee and cocktail breaks during the game drives were fantastic - especially those by the "dam". The trackers spent time explaining the paw prints and how they tracked different game. Our vehicles were able to access private roads of the Manyeleti that other vehicles could not (which allowed us to see more game). -Food: This was the most surprising aspect of the experience. With a group the size of ours, I was expecting decent food, but that we would need to wait for the visits to Cape Town / Franschhoek later in the trip for great food. I was wrong. The food was amazing. The dinners at the main lodge each night had multiple options to choose from, and the buffet style meals (especially breakfast) were amazing. Booze, beer and wine options were good too (with nice wine options for purchase from the cellar). -Staff: Every request was met with a smile, but there were not many requests because the experience was so well planned and thought out. Check in/out, 5am wake-up calls on time every time, housekeeping, bar tender, spa. Smiles all around. So pleasant. -Lodging: Clean, A/C worked well, internet worked well. Fully stocked (and re-stocked each day) with water, snacks, etc. Some meals were provided "in the bush" or at different locations and were an amazing experience. My wife and daughter enjoyed the spa. The pools in the larger room (Presidential) and Manor House were great. The pools in the other rooms are more personal (and chilly). -Pictures: I don't need to post any as the pictures from previous guests are EXACTLY what you can expect. No bait and switch or Instagram games being played with those. The remainder of our trip to Cape Town and Franschhoek (Babylonstoren) was great, but the Tintswalo Safari experience made the South Africa trip one we will never forget. Kudos to the owners and the staff. When we return to South Africa, I would be shocked if it didn't include a few nights at Tintswalo (and now I think we need to try one of their other properties)!

We had a truly incredible time during our 4-night stay at Tintswalo. 100% would recommend to others.