Tintswalo Safari Lodge - Review
Welcome to quite possibly our favourite setting of any lodge in South Africa. That’s a bold statement and Tintswalo is certainly deserving of high praise for the extraordinary safari experience they offer. But it goes beyond the setting and location in the Manyeleti Game Reserve, and in this review, we will look a bit deeper into what makes Tintswalo such a phenomenal lodge, and a guest favourite.
Check the lodge out for yourself here: https://www.tintswalo.com/safari
Location & Setting
The Manyeleti Game Reserve (23 000 hectares) is conveniently sandwiched between the Sabi Sands, Timbavati, and Kruger National Park, without fences between the reserves, producing an exhilarating wildlife viewing experience in South Africa’s top safari destination! We will discuss the game drives and Manyeleti Game Reserve in more detail later as this is quite a unique reserve with some huge benefits and perhaps one or two considerations.
The immediate environment around the camp itself is surrounded by giant, ancient trees lining a lush river bed that the main deck and luxury suites overlook. It’s like something out of a fairytale, an enchanted forest, abuzz with wildlife and mesmerizing guests into a state of total relaxation and blissfulness. The main deck is built around an enormous Jackalberry tree and the daily visits from the resident elephants, whilst guests dine or relax in the shade, creates a simply sensational setting! It is one of those lodges that you could quite happily spend the whole day at, missing the game drives (although we can’t imagine doing that!), and be thoroughly entertained and fulfilled. We love the close proximity guests can be in with the elephants that visit the camp whether it’s from the main deck, viewing hide under the deck, or your private plunge pool in your luxury suite. This creates such special moments and memories with these magnificent creatures for guests to enjoy and take with them throughout their lives.
Hospitality
The attention to detail is what takes Tintswalo’s hospitality and therefore the guest experience to another level! We were extremely impressed by the daily decor of dried seeds and leaves which were delicately placed around the suites, and the incredible towel origami that awaited us every time we entered the room. This must have taken ages to set up which made us feel like they cared deeply about making our stay extra special, and this kind of passion was felt in every department. The main areas are lit up by scores of lanterns in the evenings, creating the most beautiful atmosphere for dinner and again showcasing the care put in by the wonderful staff. From the warm welcome at Tintswalo, to our guide and tracker, and the lovely housekeeping staff, the hospitality was world class throughout. We did learn that this stems from the owners themselves who are so passionate about the guest experience at Tintswalo and have put their hearts and souls into the lodge and their other properties. You will certainly feel very well taken care of here, which often translates into a very relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Accommodation & Rates
There are a few accommodation options but let’s start with the luxury suites, or Explorer Suites as they call them.
Explorer Suites:
Charged per person sharing per night. 50% single supplement.
6 x en suite Luxury Explorer Suites with private plunge pool
Low Season: ZAR 19,760
16 Jan 2025 - 15 March 2025
01 Dec 2025 - 14 Dec 2025
High Season: ZAR 22,180
16 March 2025 - 30 June 2025
01 Sep 2025 - 30 Nov 2025
Peak Season: ZAR 24,440
01 Jan 2025 - 15 Jan 2025
01 July 2025 - 31 Aug 2025
15 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2025
The perfect luxury, private retreat, for couples especially, as Tintswalo is a very romantic camp and the suites just ooze romance and old-world colonial safari luxury. Constructed with stone and thatch the suites are well-spaced apart and offer views over the beautifully lush riverbed and forest. Spot elephants from your private plunge pool as you sip on your complimentary Sweet Mead, this is safari therapy at its finest. Your gorgeous 4-poster bed leads through to a stunning bathroom with ball and claw bath tub with views outside. The shower can also open up to the outdoors and the toilet is separate. In winter the fireplace will be much appreciated and perhaps the only addition we’d make in this respect is for the pools to be heated.
Grant Suite:
Charged per unit per night, based on 4 guests sharing.
2 x en suite Explorer Suites with inter-leading lounge area and private plunge pool.
Low Season: ZAR 91,980
16 Jan 2025 - 15 March 2025
01 Dec 2025 - 14 Dec 2025
High Season: ZAR 103,190
16 March 2025 - 30 June 2025
01 Sep 2025 - 30 Nov 2025
Peak Season: ZAR 113,150
01 Jan 2025 - 15 Jan 2025
01 July 2025 - 31 Aug 2025
15 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2025
Perfect for families with kids older than 9 or even 2 couples looking for a bit more exclusivity. There are 2 en-suite bedrooms with a lounge and deck with pool in the middle. Meals are taken at the main lodge but the guests will enjoy a private vehicle for game drives.
Baine’s Presidential Villa:
Charged per unit per night, based on 4 guests sharing.
2 x en suite Explorer Suites with large inter-leading lounge area, private plunge pool and boma.
Low Season: ZAR 102,440
16 Jan 2025 - 15 March 2025
01 Dec 2025 - 14 Dec 2025
High Season: ZAR 114,790
16 March 2025 - 30 June 2025
01 Sep 2025 - 30 Nov 2025
Peak Season: ZAR 126,170
01 Jan 2025 - 15 Jan 2025
01 July 2025 - 31 Aug 2025
15 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2025
Similar to Grant Suite but more expansive and even more exclusive, including a private chef and butler and meals taken at the villa. It also boasts its own pool and boma area as well as private vehicle for game drives. Children of all ages welcome here.
Tintswalo Manor House:
Charged per night based on a maximum of 10 guests sharing.
5 x en suite Bedrooms with shared lounge, large patio, pool, boma, sleep-out deck.
Low Season: ZAR 105,340
16 Jan 2025 - 15 March 2025
01 Dec - 14 Dec 2025
High Season: ZAR 124,360
16 March 2025 - 30 June 2025
01 Sep 2025 - 30 Nov 2025
Peak Season: ZAR 143,510
01 Jan 2025 - 15 Jan 2025
01 July 2025 - 31 Aug 2025
15 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2025
A short drive from the main lodge, Tintswalo Manor House is an exclusive-use, 10-sleeper lodge that is ideal for families or corporate-use. The experience can be customized and all ages are welcome being that the camp is fully fenced. The house and camp itself include 5 bedrooms, a boma, a bar, a pool, and the services of a private chef and guide throughout your stay. There is also a sleepout deck for those adventurous guests wishing to sleep under the stars in the most romantic setting imaginable.
Facilities
Tintswalo has a number of facilities on offer to fill up your day between game drives, but our favourite has to be the gym. This could be the best gym location we’ve seen as most lodges house their gyms away from the views and beautiful scenery as more of an afterthought. But not Tintswalo, the gym has one of the best views in camp and it would not be uncommon to see elephants and antelope in front of you whilst enjoying a workout. The spa is also fantastic at Tintswalo for those that love a bit of pampering. It too overlooks the bush and has a hydrotherapy bath to soak all your stress away. Other facilities worth mentioning are the gorgeous wine cellar where private dinners can be held, the bar and lounge area where guests can relax whilst enjoying a beverage and perhaps read one of the many books laid around the camp, and of course the private plunge pools in the suites that are simply stunning! The elephant viewing hide under the main deck gives guests a ground level perspective of the elephant visitors that is thrilling!
Game Drives
Game drives in the Manyeleti are unique. There are a few reasons for this. It is a large reserve at 23 000 hectares and Tintswalo can traverse the entire reserve. That is a massive traversing area! And with the very low lodge and vehicle density in the reserve guests can often enjoy special sightings for an extended amount of time instead of being “rushed” off a sighting to make way for other guests as with other game reserves. This is a huge benefit of Tintswalo and the Manyeleti Game Reserve. The downfall, however, is that it is open to the public. Although public vehicles have to stick to the public roads which are limited and they cannot drive off-road. We don’t find this to be a huge issue because your guide can quite easily stick to the private roads and the reserve itself is more of a hidden gem with not too many people visiting it anyways.
The Manyeleti is well-known for their incredible lion sightings with their location being somewhat of a hot bed for lions moving between all the surrounding reserves. This makes the lion dynamics in the area very interesting and you can keep up with the latest news by watching Tintswalo’s YouTube channel here - http://www.youtube.com/@tintswalovirtualsafari
There is such an abundance of wildlife in the reserve and with the enormous Main Dam in the center always being a hive of activity, guests are always treated to action-packed game drives. The Big 5 plus cheetah, wild dogs, hyena, giraffe, zebra, and a whole host of antelope species are commonly seen. We were fortunate to see a leopard and a cheetah who were both vocalizing right in front of us. It’s moments like these, as well as the close encounters with the elephants in camp, that stay with you for the rest of your lifetime!
Game drives are conducted in very comfortable, 6-seater vehicles, so everyone gets a “window seat”.
Something Special
The setting, the hospitality, and the game drives are what makes Tintswalo unique in our opinion.
Numerous close encounters with elephants in the lush riverbed, shaded by giant trees is not something every lodge can offer. The setting at Tintswalo gets more than full marks from us and will give you the post bush (safari) blues like you cannot ever prepare for. Trust us we know!
The effort that goes in to the hospitality is also something truly special at Tintswalo. We just felt like it was a step above most other lodges in terms of the care and passion from the staff. We need to find out how long it takes them to decorate the suites every day, but however long it takes it made us feel so welcome, special and well-taken care of.
We love being able to stay at a special sighting for as long as we want to and the Manyeleti is one of the only places where this is often a possibility. Imagine finding playful lion cubs and being able to spend hours with them. The reserve is also absolutely stunning in terms of landscape and vegetation. Game drives here are a dream!
Who Does It Suit?
Honeymooners will be hard pressed to find a better and more romantic lodge. The Luxury Explorer Suites suit couples best.
The more exclusive options like Grant Suite and Baines Presidential Villa are more family friendly.
And Manor House would suit big families or groups.
It would also suit guests wanting to pair a safari with Cape Town as they have 2 gorgeous Cape Town properties as well!
Content creators and travel/safari planners Liz & Leon joined us for this trip - you can check out their website here: https://mrandmrsdadventures.com/
Conclusion
After our recent visit in March 2025, Tintswalo is still one of our absolute favourite lodges and we love how the lodge is looking and where the collection is heading. Tintswalo is one of those lodges that immediately gives you all the feels and “wow moment” after “wow moment” during your stay. It’s hard not to fill up your camera card and cup at a lodge like this.
If you’d like more information about Tintswalo or other lodges in the Greater Kruger or South Africa then please don’t hesitate to reach out to us: info@nalaafrica.com
Check out our “Thoughts Whilst At Camp” video about Tintswalo here:
