Tau Recreation Lodge Evaluation
Herds of elephants, zebras, wildebeest, and antelopes streamed previous continually to quench their thirst whereas crocodiles basked within the solar, usually snapping at them. Ostrich, warthogs and giraffe got here too, usually concurrently, whereas water birds babbled noisily. It was like watching a wildlife documentary dwell from the consolation of my mattress at Tau Recreation Lodge – top-of-the-line lodge views I’ve ever skilled. I discovered myself continually glued to the scenes unfolding in entrance of my room, tearing myself away solely to go on sport drives, though they have been thrilling too.
Scenes from the Tau Waterhole
Named after the king of the jungle, the five-star Tau Recreation Lodge’s motto is “It takes a delight to serve a king” and workers have been wanting to please. The third lodge to open in Madikwe Recreation Reserve again in 1995, it has top-of-the-line places there, overlooking an expansive pure waterhole the place there’s a steady motion of wildlife all day lengthy, and sometimes at evening too. All this exercise could be watched on Tau’s dwell webcam.
Tau Recreation Lodge
The malaria-free Madikwe Recreation Reserve is the fifth largest sport reserve in South Africa and residential to the Magnificent 7 which refers back to the Large 5 of Africa in addition to wild canine and cheetah. We noticed all of them (besides the stealthy leopard) and hyenas, jackals and plains sport too, as Amos, our skilled ranger, ensured that we noticed as a lot of the prolific wildlife within the reserve as potential.
A few of the wildlife we noticed
My final go to to Tau Recreation Lodge was in 2015. I used to be delighted to see that the issues I cherished about it – just like the views of the lively waterhole – have been nonetheless in place, whereas the one factor I didn’t like – the ten kilometre gravel street resulting in the Tau Gate – had since been tarred. The lodge suffered a devastating hearth in 2017 which destroyed the primary lodge space. It has since been rebuilt and far of the lodge was revamped within the course of too.
Communal space
The communal areas encompass a number of lounges and eating venues housed in large canvas tents, a viewing deck, a swimming pool, a curio store and a spa the place I loved a soothing therapeutic massage. Most of them overlook the waterhole.
Swimming pool with a view
A separate game-viewing lounge and infinity pool located on the far finish of the lodge grounds gives you extraordinarily close-up views of the wildlife frequenting the waterhole, offering photograph alternatives galore. Don’t fear although, the lodge is fenced to allow them to’t get to you. The lodge additionally has a convention centre making it a well-liked selection for company getaways.
Recreation-viewing lounge
As the most important lodge in Madikwe, Tau has 30 chalets together with 2 household models unfold over lovely gardens across the waterhole. Our cosy en-suite chalet opened onto a personal viewing deck the place we may loosen up and watch the wildlife.
Our chalet
The king-sized mattress was heated by electrical blankets on chilly nights and we have been spoilt with Wedgewood nougat as turndown treats.
Our bed room
The lavatory led to an outside bathe from the place I may see the elephants bathing.
View from my room at daybreak
The lodge is family-friendly and we noticed many kids having fun with themselves throughout our keep. Other than the household rooms, there’s a children’ playground, a Cubz Membership, and particular children’ meals and sport drives. Babysitters can be found to take care of the youthful children whereas the dad and mom go on sport drives, whereas kids six years and over can be a part of the adults on regular sport drives.
Youngsters’ playground
Three buffet meals a day are served along with morning tea and muffins, excessive tea within the afternoons, and drinks and snacks on sport drives. Meals are served on the deck weather-permitting – with a aspect order of wildlife, in fact. One night we had a boma dinner within the bush below the celebs round a hearth.
Lunch deck
It was heartening to see the lodge so busy, each testomony to its recognition and a sign that tourism is effectively and actually returning to South Africa. Lots of the visitors have been return guests. Our companions on sport drives have been two American docs briefly based mostly in Botswana and an Irish couple on honeymoon, and it was refreshing to expertise a safari by their contemporary eyes.
Whether or not you’re a safari addict who loves happening sport drives, or somebody who prefers the wildlife to come back to you, Tau Recreation Lodge is not going to disappoint. An indication on a bench close to the game-viewing lounge summed it up: “In case you are fortunate sufficient to be right here, then you’re fortunate sufficient.”
For extra data, go to Tau Recreation Lodge.
Good to know
Tau Recreation Lodge is simply over 4 hours from Johannesburg close to the Botswana border. The closest entrance is the Tau Gate, from the place it’s simply 3 kilometres away.
Charges embrace meals and sport drives however exclude park entrance charges of R180.00 per particular person, rhino conservation levy of R165.00 per grownup per evening, tourism levy of R10.00 per particular person per evening, drinks and laundry. See present specials beneath.
Web is out there in the primary lodge.
Ask the lodge for instructions because the GPS will take you on some wild, pointless roads.
Present specials at Tau Recreation Lodge
The Tau Spring 2022 packages from @R21,128 per couple, embrace:
Lodging for two nights in one of many 12 newly renovated Luxurious Normal Chalets as an introductory provide
3 meals per day
2 sport drives per day
Drinks and snacks on safari drives
Tau Spa Oasis African Foot Ritual (half-hour) per grownup: Enable your ft to be pampered by our therapists in a soothing footbath to empty away fatigue. Subsequent your ft are cleansed and massaged with an aroma-therapeutic based mostly scrub, adopted by a real African warming foot therapeutic massage.
This price is unique of the next:
Park Entrance charges of R180.00 per particular person (Topic to vary)
Tourism Levy of R10.00 per particular person per evening (Topic to vary)
Bar, Mini Bar, Laundry and all different extras
Rhino Conservation Levy of R165.00 per grownup per evening
To guide this particular package deal, please quote: TAU SPRING 2022
Disclosure: 7
