Office:
+27 11 463 8504
Mobile:
Craig: +27 83 459 8409 Helena: +27 83 331 3207
Tsheshepe Lodge can only be described as an amazing experience. 5/5 in the bush guides lingo. The staff of Livingston, Cynthia and Mama B took care of our every need from special requests to escorting us to our rooms when the lions came to visit. The food was excellent well-presented in a wonderful atmosphere with refreshments in good supply. The lodge was in great shape we lover the outdoor showers in each room. Our guide Steven can ONLY be described as the BEST. We saw so many magical things. After the game drive on the first night there was a large bull elephant literally standing at the front door for the lodge where it was knocking down trees. The staff convinced it to move away. We observed a lion and a rhino facing off and another rhino being very aggressive. We watch three cheetahs playing speed tag in the grass. We listened to the lion’s roar and the baboons shriek during an early morning kill about 1000 yards from the lodge. When we left the lodge to investigate several young lions were amongst our buildings. We followed them as the pride gathered and returned to the kill site where watched from 100 feet away for about an hour as they ate and played, simply amazing lion activity. We had at least 10 instances of lion walking within 6 feet of our vehicle yet felt perfectly safe. This pride would kill again the next night at the entry of the lodge driveway and stay another day near the helipad. For two nights we listened to the lion’s roar and were escorted to our rooms by the staff. We saw lions, rhinos, elephants warthogs, and wildebeests every day. We watched baboon troops, impalas, waterboks, kudu, hippo, crocodile, and water buffalo to name a few. We watched the elephant herd protect a newborn from the male lion and even warn us not to come too close on another occasion. We had at least 12 instances of elephant walking within 10 feet of our vehicle. Steven was able to summon a pair of ostrich’s from 500 yards to came right up to the vehicle for a close up view. Steven made our trip very special in his ability to put us in the right place for find and see animals. His knowledge of the animals and their habits made the trip so very informative. We learned local vocabulary as we talked during a bush breakfast and game drive refreshment breaks. He arranged to visit Vaal Water to observe a native dance group which was a remarkable experience. Thank you, Steven for a remarkable and unforgettable time. Thanks again to the Tsheshepe staff for making us comfortable and safe. Thanks Heather form helping with the travel arrangements. Siyabonga. 5/5. Dave
Group | stayed in 10/2018
Our fourth Safari and the best by far. Shocked I was able to book it through third home! This is a 5 star world class private lodge in a huge game reserve with about 60 other similar small lodges, which you rarely see. The big five are there in abundance. Our driver/spotter Steve was the best, could see anything miles away, far before the other lodges could see and would radio them the location and turn about was fair play and he was highly respected. All 5 cottages are large, meticulous and cleaned twice daily. Livingston the cook turned out one fabulous meal after another, Simon helped out Steve, and Mama "B" and Eunice took care of all the rest. We filled it up with 10 best friends and felt like we had our own piece of paradise all to ourselves, unlike some other "upscale" lodges (like Shambala....down the road) where you are a guest in a nice hotel. No "home" to go to. Everything a week in the bush should be and more! Now just have to find 8 more friend if it ever is available again!
Group | stayed in 1/2018
This is to thank you again for our amazing time at Tsheshepe this past week. It was an extraordinary experience and wonderful for everyone in our family, including our teenage daughters! Your staff members were warm and friendly and our rooms were impeccably clean. Livingston is an excellent cook and happily accommodated our vegetarian daughter as well as our lactose intolerant daughter. But the most incredible part of our experience was the game drives with Steven every morning and afternoon. He is an outstanding guide. He has an uncanny ability to anticipate where the animals will be and numerous times we were the first to spot lions and cheetahs. We saw a mother cheetah and her 3 cubs several times, including one sighting shortly after a kill, when we were able to watch them devour an impala from a distance of about 20 feet. Steven’s knowledge of and affinity for elephants is deep and authentic. His description of the social ways of elephants is based on observation and experience, not just what he has read in books. His description of the birth and dying process among elephants was quite moving. He also has an impressive ability to speak at a level appropriate to his listeners, whether kids or adults. Steven had a good sense of pace and timing for the drives, and happy hour at sunset on the afternoon game drives was a highlight every day. On our last day, Steven was determined to find the two lionesses and their 4 cubs. He circled the area where they were supposed to be several times with no joy. Then his instincts told him they might be over near Old Fence Road. Sure enough, we spotted them there and then followed them to the south where we saw one of the mothers teaching her cub to climb a tree with large low hanging limbs. Then we watched as all 4 cubs walked across the road 15 feet in front of us and a one of them rolled around and played a bit. Eventually one mother led them off to the southeast and after a few minutes the other mother followed. It was an incredible sighting, and a beautiful end to a wonderful week. We would highly recommend Steven and Tsheshepe to anyone and would be happy to be used as a reference should you find that useful. All the best for a terrific 2018! John and Susie Rolander New York
Group | stayed in 12/2017
To quickly sum up - it was all incredible!! Thank you so so much. For Jenny and Simon from the UK, it was their first game reserve they had visited and they were blown away. For Stan & Wynand from Durban, who have done many high end resorts, were also very impressed and said that they had the best sightings on these game drives. Glen's sister and nephew also joined us and also thoroughly enjoyed it. I think all the staff were great and that Steve is very capable and able manager. We were very lucky with the game drives with over 12 rhino including a couple walking right past us and two very close encounters with the lions. (Maybe too close for Jenny!) :)
Group | stayed in 5/2017
