Tuningi Safari Lodge

Lodge Highlights

• Big Five game viewing in a malaria-free reserve
• Six suites only, 16 guests maximum
• Two exclusive family suites with kitchenettes
• Boma dinners under the Madikwe stars
• Rim-flow pool and deck above a working waterhole
• Superb South African wine list
• Two game drives a day with tracker and guide

Lodge Information

• Lodge type; Luxury Lodge
• Location; Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa
• Lodge size; 6 suites — 4 luxury suites and 2 exclusive family suites, 16 guests maximum
• Recommended stay; 2-5 nights
• Malaria risk; None — Madikwe Game Reserve is malaria-free, year round, with no prophylactics required
• Getting there; Roughly 350 km north-west of Johannesburg — a 3.5 to 4.5 hour drive via Zeerust and the Abjaterskop Gate, or a 45 to 60 minute light-aircraft flight from OR Tambo International to the Madikwe airstrip, followed by a short game-drive transfer to the lodge

Tuningi Safari Lodge — Intimate, Private, Family-Friendly Luxury in Madikwe Game Reserve

Tuningi Safari Lodge is a six-suite luxury lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa, taking a maximum of 16 guests at a time and combining Big Five game viewing with the kind of personal service a large lodge simply cannot deliver. Madikwe is malaria-free, which is why Tuningi has become one of our most-booked lodges for families travelling with young children — no prophylactics, no anxious conversations with your GP, no compromise on the wildlife.

The reserve itself is closed to day visitors. Only lodge guests may enter, so the 750 square kilometres of acacia bushveld and Kalahari-edge sandveld you drive through in the morning belong, for that hour, to you and your guide. Madikwe holds lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and both black and white rhino, along with three resident packs of African wild dog and more than 300 recorded bird species.

We have visited Tuningi Safari Lodge — see our Tuningi Safari Lodge photo gallery and first-hand impressions.

Rooms and Suites

Tuningi Safari Lodge has six suites in total: four luxury suites and two exclusive family suites, sleeping 16 guests at full occupancy. That ratio of guests to guides, and guests to space, is the whole point of the place.

The four luxury suites are generous, private and beautifully finished — king-size beds, a fireplace, a separate sitting area, and en-suite bathrooms with both indoor and outdoor showers and a deep bathtub.

The two exclusive family suites are built around a family's actual day: two en-suite bedrooms separated by a living room, dining area and kitchenette, so small children can nap, eat and make a mess without anyone tiptoeing. The two family suites can also be combined into a four-bedroom configuration for a larger family or a group of friends travelling together.

Cuisine and Wine

Tuningi Safari Lodge serves four eating occasions a day, built around the game-drive timetable rather than the clock. Brunch follows the morning drive — hot and cold, substantial, served indoors or out depending on the weather. Lunch follows in the same spots.

Boma dinners at Tuningi are the evening most guests remember: lantern and candlelight, a serious open fire, and the Madikwe sky doing what it does. The cooking is excellent and the South African wine list is better than a six-suite lodge has any obligation to offer.

On the rare evening when the weather refuses to co-operate, dinner moves into the elegant indoor dining room.

Establishment Facilities

Tuningi Safari Lodge's central guest area is a large thatched building done in what the lodge calls "Colonial African Chic" — indoor and outdoor lounges, a small library, an elegant dining room, a dedicated children's area, and a sweeping wooden deck overlooking a waterhole that draws steady wildlife and birdlife through the day.

A rim-flow swimming pool with wooden decking looks out over the same waterhole, and it is where everyone ends up in the heat of a Madikwe afternoon.

• Lounge, dining room and bar area
• Boma area for dinners under African stars
• Viewing deck next to the waterhole
• Superb South African wine list
• Rim-flow swimming pool overlooking the waterhole
• Wi-Fi in the central guest area
• Small library
• Satellite television (sports channels only)
• Small boutique shop

Wildlife Activities

Tuningi Safari Lodge runs two game drives daily — early morning and late afternoon — led by a qualified guide and tracker working the 750 square kilometres of Madikwe Game Reserve. All Big Five are resident, and Madikwe is one of the best reserves in South Africa for African wild dog.

Drives here are not purely a Big Five checklist. The guides are as good on the geology of the Dwarsberg ridge, the history of the Great Marico, and the small things most vehicles drive straight past — trees, insects, birdlife — as they are on finding lion.

• Big Five game viewing (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, buffalo)
• Two game drives daily (morning and afternoon)
• Photographic excursions
• Optional walking adventures (on request)
• Massages available in your room

One of our own highlights was sundowners on the afternoon drive — the sun going down over the bushveld, a beer or a G&T in hand, and a guide who was genuinely good company.

Family Friendly

Tuningi Safari Lodge is one of the most convincingly family-friendly lodges in Madikwe, which is saying something in a malaria-free reserve full of family lodges. Children are welcome, there is a structured kids' programme with a range of activities, and a child-friendly menu runs at every meal.

For safety reasons, children under five cannot join the standard game drives. Shorter dedicated children's drives can be arranged after breakfast instead, so nobody misses out.

FAQ

Where is Tuningi Safari Lodge and how do you get there?

Tuningi Safari Lodge is in Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa, on the Botswana border. It lies roughly 350 km north-west of Johannesburg — a drive of about 3.5 to 4.5 hours via Zeerust and the Abjaterskop Gate. Light aircraft take 45 to 60 minutes from OR Tambo International to the Madikwe airstrip, from where the lodge collects you by game vehicle.

Is Tuningi Safari Lodge malaria-free?

Yes. Tuningi Safari Lodge sits in Madikwe Game Reserve, which is a malaria-free area year round. No anti-malarial prophylactics are required for adults or children, which is the main reason Madikwe has become South Africa's default Big Five destination for families with small children and for travellers who cannot take malaria medication.

How many guests does Tuningi Safari Lodge accommodate?

Tuningi Safari Lodge takes a maximum of 16 guests across six suites: four luxury suites and two exclusive family suites. The two family suites each hold two en-suite bedrooms linked by a living room, dining area and kitchenette, and can be joined into a four-bedroom configuration for larger family groups or friends travelling together.

Is Tuningi Safari Lodge suitable for families with young children?

Yes. Tuningi Safari Lodge welcomes children, runs a dedicated kids' programme, and offers a child-friendly menu at every meal. The two exclusive family suites are purpose-built for families, with a kitchenette and separate living space. Children under five cannot join standard game drives for safety reasons, but shorter children's drives can be arranged after breakfast.

What wildlife can you see at Tuningi Safari Lodge?

Tuningi Safari Lodge's game drives cover Madikwe Game Reserve, home to all of the Big Five — lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and both black and white rhino. Madikwe is also one of South Africa's strongest reserves for endangered African wild dog, with resident packs, plus cheetah, brown and spotted hyena, giraffe, gemsbok and more than 300 recorded bird species.

When is the best time to visit Tuningi Safari Lodge?

Tuningi Safari Lodge is a year-round destination, as Madikwe's wildlife does not migrate. The dry winter months from May to September give the best game viewing — thin bush, animals concentrated at waterholes — though mornings on an open vehicle are genuinely cold. From November to March the bush is green, birding peaks, and newborn animals are everywhere.

Conclusion

Tuningi Safari Lodge is the lodge we recommend when a family wants a proper Big Five safari without the malaria conversation, and without their children being politely tolerated rather than actually catered for. Six suites and 16 guests means you are never queuing for a vehicle or eating at a table of strangers; the two family suites mean a toddler's bedtime does not end anyone else's evening; and Madikwe's closed-gate policy means the reserve you drive out into each morning is genuinely quiet. Add a rim-flow pool above a busy waterhole, boma dinners under a Kalahari-edge sky, and a wine list worth lingering over, and you have a lodge that works equally well for grandparents, honeymooners and a four-year-old on their first safari.

Two to five nights is the sweet spot, and we would pair it with Cape Town, the Winelands or Victoria Falls to build a full trip. Fly in from Johannesburg in under an hour, or drive it in a morning. We have been arranging tailor-made African safaris from Cape Town since 1999 — 27 years of visiting these lodges ourselves, including this one, and knowing which suite to ask for and which season suits which traveller. Tell us who is coming, when, and what matters most, and we will build the itinerary around Tuningi rather than the other way round.