Exclusivity, peace & sustainability with an eye for the details.

When I think of Tintswalo at Lapalala, the gorgeous eco-friendly lodge in the Lapalala Wilderness, those are three of the most enduring features which come to mind.

BYOND TRAVELING rating – ★★★★★

For whom?
An oasis for couples as much as for families, for those who are looking for an exclusive experience in the bush rather than the hunt for the Big 5. Because the Reserve is malaria-free, the lodge welcomes children from the age of 2.

When to go?
Winters are freezing cold and summers are boiling hot in the 1.300 meter high Lapalala Wilderness. Because of the extreme weather we’d recommend you to go in between the seasons: from April till June and from August till November.

Location ★★★★☆
Lapalala wilderness is situated in the area of Limpopo, north of Johannesburg. It’s an only 3 hours drive from Johannesburg. Because the lodge is in the middle of the Reserve, people from the lodge will pick you up from the entrance. No need to ruin your car on the dirt roads. The 48.000 hectare of breathtaking natural beauty is home to only 3 lodges of which only 1 is running at the moment. Be aware though, the Reserve’s climate is extreme, especially in high winter and high summer.

Amenities ★★★★★
The main are of the lodge views a little water hole which attracts small as well as big game. The main area of the lodge is connected with an uplifted bridge to the 8 tented rooms. All rooms have a different interior design, inspired by different African tribes. Each room has its own swimming pool, a own coffeee & tea station, a fire pitch, wifi and anything else your heart desires.

Service ★★★★★
The service is great – requests are meet in less than a second, special request on food requirements or your desired gin & tonic combinations are served. Your own butler brings you everything to your room if you feel like not being social.

Kitchen ★★★★★
À la carte warm breakfast, lunch & dinner – Food is delicious. Chapeau to the chefs Maryia and William. And they offer a great variety: from meat to fish to vegetarian options. We highly recommend you to do the picnic in the bush, a food celebration in the wild bush with all the treats you can imagine.

Sustainabilty ★★★★★
Sustainability brought to the next level. When we say everything is thought through, we mean literally everything: from the self made organic and environmentally friendly insect repellant to the cotton swabs, the non-plastic policy of the lodge and the glas bottled water. The Lodge further supports the local Wilderness school which teaches children about the environment and its protection and the breeding efforts of the reserve which assures the survival of healthy animal species, e.g. tuberculosis-free buffalos. Tintswalo at Lapalala deserves an extra star for its sustainability efforts. 

Value for money ★★★★☆
The service is great service, the kitchen is even better. Exclusivity & luxury are implemented to the next level. You get all of that for 550€ er person per night starting. Because Lapalala is not yet well established Lapalala yet, animal sights are limited though. We don’t say i’s not worth the money, however, we’d recommend to wait for next year April/Mai when more animals has been introduced.

What we liked the most
Activities – From fly fishing, to a cruise on the rive to watch crocs and hippos and the 3 hours picnic in the bush. Besides the usually bush drives and bush walks, the team of the lodges makes sure that its guests don’t get bored. For adventurers and foodies alike. 

Sustainability in the details – We can’t stop emphasizing the fact that the lodge is 100% sustainable. It’s run on solar panels, has a plastic free policy, is fully tented and cooks only regional and partly self-grown ingredients for their kitchen. Our green hearts were smiling. 

What we didn’t like so much
Animal scarcity – The reserve does have the big5, however, due to its huge size and comparatively small number of lodges it makes it hard to actually spot them. At least for now. Because more and more animals are introduced into the reserve, this will change in a few months.