Tembe Elephant Park

Amazing, friendly, warm, knowledgeable staff! We went on two game drives a day and saw so many elephants, giraffe, zebra and many more beautiful animals. The drivers gave fantastic explanations and information. The staff welcomed us and saw us off with song. The tents/cabins were lovely, cozy and warm. The outdoor showers were a fun nice touch, even in winter. The food was very good and plentiful.

This was a lovely park to visit. The lodgings are comfortable, the staff are welcoming, and the food is great. Their desserts are delicious; I already miss the mint cheesecake I had.

This is our 1st time at Thembe Elephant park. This will most definitely not be our last! Great atmosphere, from the moment you are greeted at the gate. Customer service is definitely high on their to-do list. Thank you to each member of staff for making this an exceptional experience. You will get referrals from us. Until next time.

A wonderful small Lodge with extremely friendly staff. The safari in small groups was fantastic, and the delicious food along with excellent service made the stay perfect. The tents are spacious and cozy, making you feel right at home. I was particularly impressed by the thoughtful service: every evening, a staff member would come to turn down the bed and close the windows. A truly amazing experience all around!

Friendly staff introduced us to the park. A 4x4 is needed for self drive. Bush is thick so viewing is difficult at times. However, the bird hide provides a wonderful view and coffee stop

Tembe always produces amazing wildlife sightings, the tents are cosy, clean and in a cool night they have electric blankets and on the warm nights they have air conditioning. Meals are served as a homely cooked style, the staff are very welcoming and the guides know the behavior of the elephants really well allowing some very relaxed but up close and personal encounters. Some details around the lodge could do with a bit of attention and some new chairs in the sitting and lounge areas would make a good addition. We will continue to support Tembe Elephant Park

I have had the privilege of living near Tembe and have visited many times over the last 10+ years - both staying in the lodge overnight and visiting for the day. Growing up in the surrounding area I was fortunate enough to have grown up visiting the park. The staff are incredible, informative, welcoming, knowledgeable and passionate. If you go on a drive with one of the Tembe drivers, you will learn so much about the animals, ongoing conservation, bird life but also the history of the park and people and communities in the area. The drivers know the animals, their behavioural patterns and how to approach them - I have always felt extremely safe in their capable hands and have had so many incredible closeup encounters. Tembe is where I witnessed my first kill - seeing 3 female lions take out an impala when I was much younger, watching them share it with the male lion. I have had so many incredible encounters with their elephants and the big tuskers over the years, but have also seen - lions, plenty of antelope, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, wild dogs (back when they were still in the park), tortoises, hippos, water monitors and such incredible bird life too. The hides are well maintained, have some great information and toilets. The roads are also well maintained, although every now and again an elephant may push a tree down onto the road - but these get sorted pretty quickly! If you are staying in the lodge, you will not be disappointed. I have watched the lodge evolve over the years - all the rooms now have aircons. The rooms are clean and well taken care of. There’s a mini fridge if you wish to store some snacks or buy drinks form their well-stocked bar to keep in your room. The showers are private but outdoors, which I have always found so cool. The food is delicious, a light breakfast before the morning drive before returning to a cooked breakfast, lunch and a 3-course dinner. I’m an absolute sucker for their bread and milkshakes (one of my favourite things as both a kid and an adult)- so good! But you may also get to try some game meat. Their is a souvenir store when’re you can get a Tembe top, fleece, mug etc. There are guinnea fowl in the lodge, you may see the bush babies get fed in the evening or the monkeys. There are communal areas, a fire at night and some board games. There is also a pool for swimming and swimming towels available at reception. The staff are lovely and welcoming, you may even see a traditional dance and they are happy to tell you about the Tembe tribe and the community involvement in the park. One of my favourite memories as a child was one of the old game drivers (Tom) telling my brother and I stories around the fireplace about an ember who fell into the water. Tembe is a magical place for both children and adults and I could not recommend a better place to visit.

A nice park with very different landscapes. We've enjoyed the gamedrives. Without 4x4 you cannot drive yourself but the gamedrives and meals are included.