Tau Game Lodge

Location of Tau Game Lodge:

Tau Game Lodge is the furthest north of all the game lodges within Madikwe Game Reserve. The lodge is accessed via its own entrance gate which is located a few kilometers just off the R49 Zeerust road and just a few hundred meters from the South Africa-Botswana border post of Tlokweng.  

This luxury 5 star safari lodge is set in Madikwe’s rugged bushveld and is surrounded by large inselbergs; the wildlife experience and large waterhole makes Tau Game Lodge a good place to visit.

About the Lodge:

On arrival, the first thing we noticed was the lush green lawns and lovely gardens, then we walked down a passage with a curio shop on our left before entering the main lodge area.  

The main lodge stretches from the wooden deck right around the front of all the chalets which are on either side of the main lodge building. 

Reception area and lounge

The lounge with Wi-Fi, and bar leads to a wooden viewing deck and seating area. This area gives you a great view over the waterhole.

Then there is an African inspired game viewing lounge and bar area situated in close proximity to the main lodge and infinity pool. This area allows guests to meet for morning and afternoon drinks prior to game drive departure.

The Game Viewing lounge with elephants at the waterhole

Corner view of elephant from the lounge

Food and drinks:  

The cosy bar corner

The bar in the main lodge building is the nice gathering place after game drives drinks.

Breakfast buffet

Our meals were good - buffet breakfasts and lunches are generally served in the main building or on the deck.

Large Dining Room with waterhole as a backdrop

We had dinner in three different places – on our first night dinner was on the wooden viewing deck, then on the 2nd night, as it got colder, we moved indoors.

The outside dining deck

A view over the waterhole from the dining deck and lapa

Our last night was a boma feast, with fires going to ward off the cold.

We dined on roast Eland, lamb shank, fish, chicken, loads of tasty vegetables and salads. Then for desert we had o choice of; carrot cake, baked milk pudding, chocolate éclairs or fruit salad.

Boma evening round the fire

The Boma area with large fire pit

Accommodation:

view of the front of the chalets

Thirty luxury thatched chalets are spread out in U-formation on either side of the lodge.....

View from the back of the chalets with the lovely gardens

Each offering excellent views of approaching animals to the water or on the opposite bank.

The view from one of the chalets over looking the waterhole and other chalets

All the chalets have their own viewing deck with beautiful views...

A wide view of the standard Bedroom chalet

Standard bedroom

There is an en-suite bathroom, outdoor shower, air-conditioning, ceiling fan and electric blankets in each chalet.

standard chalet Bathroom

Standard chalet bedroom with a view of the waterhole

The Deluxe chalets are more spacious with comfortable seating areas, and can accommodate parents and children wishing to share the same room. 

Looking into the bedroom from the deck

The sliding doors open onto the deck, allowing for spectacular views of the breathtaking beauty of the rugged surroundings of the diverse bushveld.

The Deluxe suite with view of the waterhole

The Family suite consists of two bedrooms with inter-leading doors that lead into a comfortable lounge area with sliding doors that allow you to step out onto the lawn to view the waterhole.

Family suite lounge with fire place

The lodge is south facing so the lighting for photography is great most of the day, with excellent opportunities to capture sunrises and sunsets...

Sunrise from Tau Lodge

Sunset from Tau Lodge

Activities:

The wooden deck at the main lodge provides great game viewing and the round swimming pool is the place to relax during the warmer months....

Wooden pool deck at night

Or you can rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul at the Spa Oasis.

Entrance to the spa

inside the spa treatment room

Morning and afternoon games drives are on offer with knowledgeable rangers to show you the fauna and flora of Madikwe Game Reserve. Guided game walks are also on offer just after breakfast.

Alternatively you can have the privacy of viewing game coming down to the waterhole from your own viewing deck.

All the chalets face the waterhole that is located in front and at the sides of the lodge

Our Sightings on a 3-day Safari:

5 x Elephant

4 x Lions (including 3 lionesses with cubs on a kill). The word Tau means "Place of the Lion" and is true to its name!

1 x Leopard at dam

4 x White Rhino

2 x Buffalo herds- 1 by day and 1 at night in front of our chalet

1 x Male Cheetah

4 x Wild Dog packs all hunting

2 x Hyenas-1 brown, having a tug of war with a wild dog over a kill, and 1 spotted,

Crocs in front of the lodge

And plenty of plains game and stunning water birds.

(On our last day we decided to skip the game drive and stay in camp and are we glad we did! We ended up watching wild dogs chasing and killing a kudu at the waterhole in front of the lodge... 

Wild dogs chasing a female kudu to the waterhole

Kudu trying to get away from the wild dog by going into the waterhole

Tau Game Lodge has a live webcam situated between the swimming pool and the main deck and you can log-in to see what's happening day and night.  The screenshot below was captured when we were shooting the above wild dog kill.

Tau Game Lodge faces south so it's also the ideal location to capture some milky way images. Here is the milky way above our chalet at Tau...

the milky way above our chalet

and of course, the amazing landscapes...

Sunrise as captured from our chalet at Tau Lodge

We had a great time at Tau and it was refreshing to see the GM (Giles King) interacting with the guests each day. 

For more information on Tau Game Lodge or to make your booking please click here

Return from Tau Game Lodge to Madikwe Page

To make a car rental booking in South Africa click here

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To make a safari rental booking in South Africa, Botswana or Namibia click here

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