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aha Thakadu River Camp

5.0 star property

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Photo gallery for aha Thakadu River Camp

Exterior
Poolside bar
Lounge
Bathroom sink
Restaurant

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Pool
  • Bar
  • Breakfast available
  • Room service
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry

Explore the area

View in a map
Madikwe Game Reserve, 5 km from Molatedi Gate, Madikwe, Thabazimbi, Limpopo, 1688
  • Kopfontein Border Post
  • Derdepoort Gate
  • Wonderboom Gate

Room options

View all photos for Family Room

Family Room | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Family Room

  • 215 sq ft
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed OR 1 Double Sofa Bed

View all photos for Standard Room, 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 1 King Bed | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 161 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

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About this property

aha Thakadu River Camp

5-star Thabazimbi lodge with private balconies
Along with an outdoor pool, this smoke-free lodge has a restaurant and a bar/lounge. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, a snack bar/deli, laundry facilities, and a lobby fireplace are onsite.
Aha Thakadu River Camp offers 12 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and bathrobes. Rooms open to furnished balconies or patios. These individually decorated and furnished accommodations have separate sitting areas. Beds feature premium bedding. Business-friendly amenities include desks and safes. Rooms have partially open bathrooms. Bathrooms include separate bathtubs and showers with rainfall showerheads, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered daily.
Guests can experience the thrill of a safari, and take advantage of an outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

The lodge offers a restaurant and a snack bar/deli. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Wireless Internet access is complimentary. This luxury lodge also offers an outdoor pool, a terrace, and gift shops/newsstands. Limited complimentary onsite parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Aha Thakadu River Camp is a smoke-free property.

Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM.
Aha Thakadu River Camp has a restaurant on site.
Room service is available.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free secured, uncovered self parking on site
  • Free RV/bus/truck parking on site
  • Limited onsite parking

Food and drink

  • Daily buffet breakfast available 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM for a fee: ZAR 190 per person
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Snack bar/deli

Things to do

  • 24-hour pool access
  • Game drive
  • Outdoor pool
  • Safari

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Snack bar/deli

Conveniences

  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Turndown service

Outdoors

  • In a national park
  • In the mountains
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Pool loungers
  • Pool umbrellas
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • No elevator
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • 1 floor
  • 13 buildings
  • Built in 2006
  • Communal living room
  • Fireplace in lobby
  • Mosquito nets
  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Separate bathtub and shower
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Chef service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Room service

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Electrical adapters
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Laptop workspace
  • Safe
  • Separate sitting area

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 1:00 PM; Check-in end time: 6:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
The host will greet guests on arrival
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Host will greet you

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Destination fee: ZAR 420 per person, per stay. This fee does not apply to children under 2 years of age.
  • Additional fee: ZAR 180 per person, per night

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

This property is located in Madikwe National Park. The additional mandatory fee covers entrance to the national park.

Optional extras

  • Fee for buffet breakfast: approximately ZAR 190 per person

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Noise-free guestrooms cannot be guaranteed
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
24-hour pool access
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

National rating

Quality Graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) – South Africa's official quality assurance organization.

Property is also known as

Thakadu
Thakadu Camp
Thakadu River
aha Thakadu River Camp Lodge Madikwe
Thakadu River Camp Lodge
Thakadu River Camp Lodge Madikwe
Thakadu River Camp Madikwe
Thakadu River Camp Hotel Madikwe Game Reserve
aha Thakadu River Camp Lodge Ramotshere Moiloa
aha Thakadu River Camp Madikwe
aha Thakadu River Camp Ramotshere Moiloa
aha Thakadu River Camp Ramots
aha Thakadu River Camp Lodge
aha Thakadu River Camp Thabazimbi
aha Thakadu River Camp Lodge Thabazimbi

aha Thakadu River Camp Reviews

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 49 out of 73 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 73 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 73 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 73 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 73 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.8/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Arantxa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Hywel

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The camp is in a beautiful setting. The game drives were extensive, well led and comfortable. The variety of game seen was impressive.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Carlo

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Huw

Traveled with group
.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

ciara

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was a fabulous glamping experience. Fro. The checkin where Hobo (not sure of spelling) and Jerry assited us to the refreshing drink and delicious lunch. We saw 3 of the big 5 on our first game drive and the 4th on the 2nd day. They provide of the conveniences that you would need from blankets and hotwater bag for the game drive to electric blankets for the bed. Every meal was well prepared and delicious. You will not be disappointed with your stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Parampil Vahab

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Megan

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Super small lodge

We had a great stay at this lodge. It is small enough to have a personal touch. The food was nice - esp the freshly baked bread. We had super game drives with Vincent who was friendly and knowledgeable. We would definitely return.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Dena

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
staff were very helpful and friendly. it was a lovely bush getaway . highly recommend
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Poh Khoon

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Fantastic Bushcamp

This is a well operated bush camp. The river boasts of a lot of four legged visitors who come to drink throughout the day. The sightings for elephants, rhinos and giraffe are one of the best anywhere and comparable to Botswana. Our ranger was Gerri and he was a very good tracker and reader of animal tracks to led to some fantastic finds. He even changed our drive time to take us further out over an hour where we spotted a jackal, 2 cheetahs and a lioness that had just made a kill as well as the largest herd of buffaloes I had ever seen. The food is fantastic with continental and local offerings. All food and snacks inclusive and they do accommodation special requests. Your day starts with early morning snack and coffee/tea, a snack during your morning game drive, full breakfast on arrival, a lunch and afternoon tea before your afternoon game drive which also include snacks and and a semi full bar on the go and dinner is alfresco with view of the river. I will def recommend this place and even stay here again. Many thanks to the Thakadu staff for a job well done.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Michèle, Laval, Canada

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It was a unique expérience, in the middle of the bush. Beautiful camp, great guides, excellent meals. Everything was just special !
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jo-anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Superb!

Staff were amazing, attention to detail. Loved every minute!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kathryn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Awesome!

This place is amazing. We travelled as a family of four (2 adults, 7yr old and 4.5yr old) and we all LOVED it.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017

2/10 Terrible

Devon

Disliked: Staff & service

Terrible Service

We booked through Hotels.com appr. 2 months in advance on the 3rd May 2017 and paid in advance, the money cleared the credit card on the 5th May 2017. We completed the 4.5 hours drive to the camp on the 01st July 2017. On arrivalaha Thakadu River Camp which is a luxury tented camp. On arrival we were told by the general manager that they had no knowledge of our booking. I then requested that they move us to a similar quality lodge but they said that there were no places available. They then booked us in to one of their own other lodges, Madikwe River Lodge a 3 star family friendly lodge, this was not what I had booked and paid for. It was also another 1 hour drive away. I have now waited a week for someone to contact me to apologise and let me know what they plan on doing about this however nobody from Hotels.com or the AHA group who owns the hotel has contacted me. I will now be lodging a dispute with Visa as I never received the services which I have paid for and will be requesting a refund.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2017

10/10 Excellent

LWStan, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Exceptionally well run camp in Madikwe

This a very well run camp. We were initially placed in a smaller tent than paid for - it was quickly rectified and all our scattered belongings moved for us. Other minor issues, like more coffee in the room, were dealt with pleasantly and immediately. The rangers coordinate with each other with courtesy and adherence to strict rules limiting vehicles at a sighting to give guests the best possible experience. A few negatives: The rangers are permitted to go anywhere - on one occasion I felt this was abused and a lion with a kill remained on a green island in the midst of churned up muddy bush. The range from the camp is limited - with hindsight I would move between camps spending a max of 3 days per camp. Our vehicles were often full - anyone in the middle seat was disadvantaged. Finally a suggestion - reciprocity with other camps to allow a greater range could benefit everyone.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
I found it very difficult to get info in advance of our stay regarding the schedule, which was: 5am tea, 5:30-9 drive (with coffee and cake), 9 cold and hot breakfast, multi course lunch, 3:30 coffee/cake, 4-7ish drive with alcoholic drink, multi course dinner. Drinks available at the pool. The last 4km drive there is on a very bad rocky road so a 4x4 would allow an easier drive in. Kids 6 years and up can go on drives, younger ones can get in room babysitting by a local lady and/or go on a short drive after breakfast. We saw lots of animals on the drive and was a unique experience overall.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The most amazing place in the wilderness. Definitely coming back for a longer stay.

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

great game drives and birding

The lodge offers wonderful accommodations, delicious food and superb game drives. The fact that it is run by the local community makes the stay here even better. Thakadu rivals five star lodges that I have stayed at in the past. I have been traveling for over forty years and Thakkadu stands out. The guide on our game drives, Lazarus, was a great spotter and incredibly knowledgeable about wildlife and birds. The other staff were all truly hospitable and capable. The food was fabulous and plentiful, and no problem for a vegetarian. There is nothing negative to say about our experience at Thakadu. It was truly wonderful. .

10/10 Excellent

RAFAEL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great service, acomodation, meals. Lots of animals in every game ride.

10/10 Excellent

Sue, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Sheer Luxury

What an amazing place. From arrival when we were met with a hot towel and a cold drink things just got better. The tents were fantastic and had everything we could need. They were spacious,comfortable and very clean. The food was great and the chef's pulled out all stops to cater for my partner who is vegetarian. The game drive's were also amazing and the guide was very knowledgeable. The manager(Hamley) went out of her way to make things run smoothly for us.

10/10 Excellent

hina , Gaborone, Botswana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Very good staff

Awesome ... I don't mind to go and stay there again!!

10/10 Excellent

Rakesh, Dubai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Definitely worth it

We enjoyed our stay at Aha Thakadu river camp. Everything was perfect. The smallest details are taken care of. Will definitely come back.

8/10 Good

Mike, NC USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great time in Madikwe

The lodge and staff were fabulous. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Food was great as well. We had Lazarus as our game driver/guide. He was fantastic. He was great with the kids and tried his best to make sure that we had a great experience. We would definitely stay here again. Thanks for a great trip.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

Ok for price point

The Thakadu lodge was OK for money. The game drive and drivers were great and probably equal throughout the Madikwe game reserve regardless of how much money you spend. This lodge seems to be half the price as others, which is the big bonus. The down side is amateur customer service, average food, poor massages, non-existent internet despite what they advertise, and a mean hostess. It is a pretty spot and lodge, but don't stay more than two nights. You are on lock down once you arrive and can't even walk to your room alone. This fact may not be unique to this lodge. All game lodges are probably similarly limited in your movement between game drives.