Guests arriving at Tintswalo Safari Lodge are invariably greeted by a couple of ellies, who gather daily just off the deck to drink the fresh water that flows from a cleverly hidden pipe in a giant Jackalberry tree. And before you’ve even checked into your room, you’re handed a very welcome chilled drink and ushered into the Elephant Hide, where you sit up close and personal with them. Your African adventure has begun!

Checking in to one of the six Explorer Suites involves walking down the long wooden pathways (don’t walk alone in the dark, you’re warned … there’s a lightweight fence, but it doesn’t keep the cats out!), past relaxed Nyala, naughty monkeys and skittish squirrels. The suites are inspired by the spirit of 19th-century explorers – so there’s the Stanley, and the Kingsley, and (obviously) the Livingstone.

For those seeking more space, there’s also the generously spacious Baines Presidential Suite, a two-bedroom Grant Family Suite, and Tintswalo Manor, a five-bedroom exclusive-use villa that is fabulous for multigenerational families or groups of friends travelling together, and comes with dedicated staff and the flexibility of private game drives and activities.

All the suites are magnificently designed, all luxurious textures and colours, thoughtful touches and attention to detail … so the gin and whiskey in the mini bar are decanted, there are homemade biscuits and sweetie jars and handwritten notes from the housekeeper. There’s air-conditioning for Summer, fireplaces for chilly nights, private decks and plunge pools, an outside shower and the most romantic bath with a view.
Romance is continued at dinner, where you’re served dinner à deux in the wine cellar, al fresco in the bush, under the skies in the boma, or in the very elegant dining room.

Very talented head chef Melissa Hlatswayo grows her own veggies just behind the kitchen, and for everything else supports the local farms in the area. Like the rest of the team, she’s involved in uplifting the local community … telling us how she’s recently shown a local tomato farmer how to make tomato dust and paste with the glut of tomatoes they had, and how she has a couple of interns from local colleges getting work experiences in the kitchen.

The guides, too, are involved with the community, with local school children going on educational game drives during the quiet season. A proper treat, since the game viewing at Tintswalo is exceptional, being in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve within the Greater Kruger … 27 000 hectares and 200 kilometres of gravel roads to explore, with only four commercial lodges in the reserve, so it’s a low vehicle density, a massive plus for guests wanting an uncrowded game drive. There are two game drives daily – open vehicles add to the thrill, and it would be unlikely to come home without having seen the Big Five, as well as some incredible bird sightings.

The reserve has its hardships, as they all do … manager Tanja Jacobs tells of regular snare sweeps to help protect the wildlife, and how Tintswalo’s involvement in the community has helped bring it, for the most part, under control. She uses the conservation fees paid by guests to help pay for vets, helicopters and ranges when an animal is discovered in a snare (and adds to her fund considerably when guests – particularly international visitors – are in the lodge at the time, offering them the opportunity of going out with the team on the rescue mission … an experience that doesn’t come cheap but which is hugely appealing to those with an interest in conservation).

It’s another one of the ways the Tintswalo team is committed to conservation, and to uplifting the local community … they are involved in various sustainable initiatives, including the Abundant Village Project, which supports local education and development.
Once the game drives and meals and bush walks are done, guests can enjoy spa treatments, work out in the small gym or simply (and highly recommended) just sloth in the room, next to the plunge pool or on the oversized comfy armchairs that look out over the dry riverbed.

And come time to head off home … well, it’s not over. Charles Collocot spends all week out in the bush, following and filming the ongoing drama of a group of wild lions which you can watch on The Virtual Safari @Tintswalo on YouTube. A daily adventure followed by more than a hundred thousand wild animal enthusiasts.
Tintswalo Safari is a short drive from Hoedspruit Airport, or a six-hour road trip from Joburg. Transfers from the airport can be arranged.

Details: tintswalo.com, Facebook – TintswaloSafari, Instagram – tintswalo_safari

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