Tshukudu Bush Lodge

This lodge sits on a spectacular location and offers lots of oppurtunity to view game however it is a dated lodge with misplaced aspirations to be fancy. Five course meals are one example...one evening our first course was labeled a apple and feta salad with balsamic reduction which in fact was a 1 cm cube of apple sitting on top of a one centimetre square of feta with the glaze...and the list goes on. I have a number of food allergies and despite the two weeks advance notice they struggled to accommodate. Having said all this, our group saw a lot of game and the scenery is great

Staying here was truly a gift. From the hospitality to the lodge itself to the games drives- an experience I will never forget.

We stayed at Tshukudu Lodge in November 2024 for our honeymoon. We stayed for 3 nights before moving to Mauritius. Drives You’re offered a game drive in the morning and a drive in the evening. In a morning, we had to be ready for approximately 4:30am for coffee before setting off roughly at 4:45/5am. We’d then go out on the drive before coming back to the lodge for about 8:45am ish before we’d then have breakfast. On an afternoon / evening, you’d have a late lunch before heading out for the next drive. You’d then come back at around 8pm before having the evening meal at 9pm. We had JR as our guide who was absolutely fantastic. His passion for the animals was infectious; he was so knowledgable but also did not go ‘chasing’ the sightings like some other guides with other companies did. We had an unfortunate incident where lions were sighted and lots of different tour companies were chasing them and our entire group felt uncomfortable. JR did not engage in any of this which was really reassuring. We managed to see so many animals; we saw buffalo, elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes and so many more. It was truly magical. Lodges The lodges were really well equipped; they had a fridge, a coffee machine, plugs with electricity and a very comfy bed. Towels and an assortment of different toiletries were provided. The rooms were cleaned too. Food The food was incredible. Breakfast was either a selection of ‘full English’ type ingredients, fruits, and other items. The late lunch varied but while there, we had some chicken satay sticks with a salad for example. Another day we had a chicken pie which was the best I’ve ever eaten! On an evening, it was largely a 5 course meal which consisted of a soup course, a starter, a main which was usually meat or fish with vegetables and potatoes, a pudding, and a cheese course. The quality of the food was incredible and the service was brilliant every night. We could not recommend Tshukudu more; this is a real, ‘one in a lifetime’ place to visit. We’re desperate to come back. If we were to come back, we’d probably extend our stay from 3 nights to 4/5 nights. While it does get tiring with being up so early, you have all the late morning / afternoon to relax. I usually spent this napping! The lodges have verandas which look out onto the watering hole so even when we were relaxing, we were able to spot lots of different animals which was amazing! What to pack The lodge provides a bag with binoculars in for the drives so don’t worry about bringing those. There’s also snacks in the lodge if you do get hungry. It could get chilly on some of the drives - while there’s blankets provided in the trucks, I bought an over shirt and then a jacket with me. For footwear, I wore sandals / trainers were fine. If you want to do the walking tour, then you’d need closed shoes. If you’re contemplating booking here, please do it! The staff, the location, the lodges, the guides and more importantly, the abundance of animals you get to see make it one of the most special places I’ve ever visited.

I’m struggling to be able to come up with the words to describe how amazing this place truly is. We have just finished our 6 night stay at Tshukudu and already are wishing we could redo it all. It has honestly given us memories to last a lifetime as well as new friends I look forward to seeing again. The staff at Tshukudu really are a credit to this place. They could not do enough for us! The level of service you receive is beyond 5 stars. The little touches such as Elvis reading us our menu of the night really show that this place truly is one of a kind. We even managed to experience a bush dinner for our last night which was the most incredible experience under the stars. Our guide JR has no idea just how special he made our game drives along with the people we were very lucky to have met. JR started as our guide but honestly towards the end of our stay he felt more like a friend. His knowledge & stories are something we are so grateful we got to experience. JR & the staff helped plan our engagement and it really was the most special place to have it. For this, I will always be grateful to the people we have met and the extent to which they went out of their way to make the night perfect. Sharing our news with the amazing people we experienced our drives with was another highlight of our stay. To those people, we miss you already. After staying at the Palace in Sun City after Tshukudu we actually missed the experience we received at this place. Yes it is tiring, but the memories we have created are the most incredible ones. If I could give this place more than 5 stars, we would. If I could tell you anything, please do not miss out on this place. TSHUKUDU and everyone we have met will always hold a special place for us.

This will forever go down as one of the best weeks of our lives. Before I go any further I just wanted to encourage you to not base coming here or not on the 1 star review left on the 5th February. Having been guests at the same time, it is safe to say that there is always two sides to a story. Now, where to even start with this place. The location, the food (they catered for me being gluten free too!), the environment and the staff, nothing could really have been better. From Elvis to Thabiso to Simon and many others the staff on hand went above and beyond to make your stay the best it could be. As for our guide JR, he made the week we experienced there beyond memorable. He ensured that we saw the big 5, he was a fountain of knowledge and made the early wake up calls easy. Contrary to the 1 star review, you are allowed to walk around the lodge as you wish but of course cannot leave the lodge unaccompanied (on account of the wild animals…). Sure there may be a few stairs to climb, there is not air conditioning in the purest sense (although the fans are more than enough), the cell service/internet are spotty and the gym isn’t close but if that is what you are after why are you coming on a safari.. Tshukudu offers an immersive, personal and bespoke safari experience that will genuinely change your life. It is hard to think of a place that will give you better memories. Our week was made by the people we shared drives with (you know who you are), the kindness of our guide JR, the general attitude of the staff and the setting of this lodge. If we never get to return to Tshukudu again we will be very sad. It is a unique place filled with the most unforgettable experiences and people. Yes, it might be on the expensive side but if you can afford it, it will be the best experience of your life. Having already recommended it to every person we have spoken to since leaving, I suggest you book asap and go and have the best week of your life. Thank you Tshukudu, you have been amazing!