NThambo Tree Camp

WOW, what a totally awesome experience. From arrival we were greeted like friends and made to feel like a part of what is a superbly small operation. The personal interactions from minute one were relentlessly cheerful and totally welcoming. Anja ran through check in and safety procedures quickly enough that the imminent game drive was able to be jumped into. Even after travelling for about 30 hours this was engaging enough to lift even the sleepiest of spirits. First game drive, we saw a group of rhino, elephants, a leopard and a multitude of other animals. Ingrid, Luzanne and Conrad were exceptional on the tours, imparting a plethora of knowledge about the local flora and fauna and even which leaves were the best to use to wipe your butt. :) The tree house was fantastically well proportioned and really added to the reality of the "fence free" nature of the camp. With the monkeys fighting on the roof and passing elephants and hyena in the pitch black darkness this made for an amazing stay. The food was absolutely incredible and prepared with great care. Leaving was a tough day, even after only three nights, the way in which everyone made us feel welcome was like leaving family behind. This was truly an amazing experience. Thank you to Anja, Ingrid, Conrad and Luzanne. It was awesome

We stayed 4 days in nthambo tree camp for our honeymoon in November 23. It was truly the best experience and stay we ever had. From the chalet in the middle of the bush (no fences!!!) to the amazing guide and tracker - 2 beautiful strong women (big up to you ladies, Ingrid and Lusan), everything was perfect. Intimate, authentic with a pinch of luxury, this is the best camp for anyone who wants the real deal. Do not think twice, book your stay here. We were literally surrounded by animals. From packs of lions with their cubs to baby elephants taking a bath just in front of you, you get to see them all, EVERY DAY! And this is thanks to Ingrid and Lusan who know where to go every day and will teach you everything you need to know about South African wildlife. You will also have an amazing time at sunset where you get to stop during you game drive to enjoy a nice glass of wine in the middle of the bush! The food served at the camp was also very tasty (and we are French!) and the staff so attentive to your needs. All The different couples coming from all around the world agreed on the fact that it was the best experience ever. We already miss waking up at 5 to see the animals!! Thank you so much to the nthambo team for making our honeymoon so special. We hope to see you soon again. Sandrine and Morgan the frenchies from London.

I had the most amazing experience traveling solo to nThambo Tree Camp. I stayed for four nights, and in that time I saw: A pride of lions hunting A herd of buffalo so big that they kicked up a trail of dust that went on for miles Herds of antelope, zebras, and elephants Wild dogs Hyenas and their dens -- including the pup A leopard! And much, much more. I got to "bag" all of the Big 5. The staff was just lovely. Our tracker, Conrad, knew exactly where to go to see animals, and was super at helping our guide, Ingrid, find them and navigate faint tracks in the bush. Ingrid is also the manager and runs a tight ship, with an emphasis on guest safety and well being. The food was excellent and abundant. Each afternoon you get to choose your sundowner (sunset drink on the drive) and enjoy them while on a game drive. Morning drives featured coffee, tea, and addictive cookies and a South African version of biscotti. The facility does two game drives/day, but you don't have to feel obligated to join in. But...my advice is to get up and go (the first one is just after sunrise). The second one is in the late afternoon. Each game drive is a unique and special experience. We also did a short bush walk together one morning. Ingrid and Conrad communicate via radio with other nearby properties, so they communicate amongst each other to help spot animals. The preserve has a strict rule that only 2 vehicles are allowed near animals at a time, which is great. We were also instructed to take precautions with our phones (such as turning on airplane mode) to protect the animals from poachers. I personally really appreciated this commi**ent to the animals and it was great not to have loads of people around while viewing wildlife. Since you're out among the animals that roam freely through this private reserve and Kruger, one must take safety precautions. For example, you're walked to your room at night by your guide or tracker, and you can't leave your room until sunrise. Why? Because there are wild animals -- including lions and leopards -- that roam freely through the camp. I was lucky enough to have a room with a newly built balcony. One afternoon I saw at least 3 herds of elephants coming through, along with zebras, antelopes, and other animals. The facility itself is incredible and the rooms are great. But I must warn you that if animal sounds at night scare you, or you need heat and/or air conditioning, or a gym, please choose a place that's more like a hotel. You will hear hyenas, elephants, etc at night at nThambo. In fact, elephants drank out of the swimming pool the first night I was there. For me, nThambo was perfect because I love to camp and wanted to be close to nature. This was really more glamping than camping, but who doesn't mind a little pampering? And the stars at night were so beautiful (you can see the Milky Way). A lot of other guests were staying a few nights at nThambo and then moving onto other camps. I understand why they might go

We really enjoyed our stay here. We chose it due to the unfenced and very small nature of the property, and that didn't disappoint. The rest of my review will be very positive, but just to get out of the way the one fly in the oin**ent whilst we were there. The site manager, Ingrid, seemed quite stand offish and unfriendly. We felt constantly uneasy and awkward in her presence, and she often said things that made us feel very uncomfortable. We are both super polite well-mannered people, and so on the first day when the funny little 'pyramid' shaped milk containers splashed 2 droplets of milk on the table, we looked for something to wipe it up with. Couldn't find a napkin, or paper towel, even looked behind the bar, so had to leave it as was. 2 minutes later Ingrid came in and admonished us loudly, saying we 'must' tell her immediately if we spilled anything. We of course apologised, and then from every point that we dropped crumbs or spilled anything, we felt awfully guilty. On arrival were told that they don't like to waste food and so we must say if the meals are too big. All very good. Was asked if there was anything we didn't eat. My husband won't eat tomatoes so he mentioned that, but Ingrid just said 'oh well we have tomatoes in EVERYTHING' and walked off! So husband was then worried that each mealtime would be something he couldn't eat, and he didn't want to be rude. As it turned out, the 'tomatoes in everything' actually just meant having them on the side or in side salads, so easy to just avoid. But it really did spoil enjoyment of eating there, constantly worrying whether we'd be seen as rude or whether he would be able to eat. Can't understand why they are quite rightly so keen on minimising food waste, but then choose to put something in every meal that could easily be left out. There were quite a few other examples of being admonished by Ingrid and feeling pretty awkward, we tried our best to be nice with her but somehow always got the wrong end of her tongue. Perhaps it is just her way, as we also saw her being really not very nice when dealing with her staff either. But it wasn't pleasant. The other staff on the other hand were all wonderful! Warm and friendly, and just wanted to make sure we were safe and had a lovely visit. The tracker (whose name I sadly can't remember) was wonderful. We actually went on a couple of drives with just her, and those were our favourite. So enjoyable, and were lucky to see the big 5 and lots of other animals along the way. The rooms were lovely, I had been concerned at lack of air con but actually this was absolutely fine, not needed even though I normally run hot. Bed nice and comfy, bathroom clean and functional. We saw so many animals just from the room - zebra, elephants, hyena, warthog, giraffe, buffalo, of course impala. A very special moment when I opened my eyes when dozing by the pool, to find a herd of elephants had crept up on me to drink from the pool! Overall we had a great s

I was worried that we don't have a lot of options with food but we never had a bad meal. Every meal is restaurant quality. They were so nice to pack us breakfast on our way to the airport. The rooms are well decorated, very clean and bed was comfortable. I didn't see the Big 5, unfortunately, but the herd of elephants coming up to our pool made up for it!

My partner and I had a great Safari experience at nThambo. The lodge itself is tastefully decorated and the rooms were very cute. It was amazing to have such an intimate environment of 5 cabins and 10 people total, with each cabin having a fantastic balcony where you could sometimes see hyena or other animals in the watering hole. We met other couples and enjoyed the downtime in between game drives (I recommend bringing some books!) We felt lucky on our experience seeing an 18 lion pride multiple times and having so many close encounters with elephants. Of course, some of the game drives weren’t so lucky but that’s normal. Highlight was seeing the lions and rhino. We didn’t see any leopards or cheetahs, but you can’t control what’s out there on any given day. The staff at nThambo work really hard - they do everything for you including pickup from the airport, being the guide on the game drives, serving you food and drinks at sundowners, etc. Both of our guides were clearly very knowledgable and we felt safe in the vehicles (even with lions literally 3 feet from us). The food was also great - it was SO much food and they made sure to bring nutritious and vegeterian options. Another piece of advice for first time safari goers is to make sure to budget for tips for your guides and staff. In terms of constructive feedback, I think the daily communication to the guests could have been improved, such as knowing when exactly we will be doing a bush walk so we can wear appropriate shoes, and when exactly the afternoon game drive will be (sometimes it’s 3:30, sometimes it’s 4, but it wasn’t always clear when it was going to be). Also, this is part of the nThambo tree camp experience, but I do have to point out that the tree camps are not fully enclosed, which means at night we had hundreds of beetles and bugs if your light is on. They do provide nets which are very helpful, and while I did adore our balcony with unobstructed views, I did wish there was an ability to fully close the door at night. Other than that, it was a once in a lifetime experience! I also want to specifically call out Patrick who is not a guide but helps alot at the lodge. I hope he becomes a guide because he was so great at explaining things to us. Thanks Ingrid, Luzanne, Patrick and the rest of the staff at nThambo!

My husband Sam and I came to nThambo Tree Camp as a part of our honeymoon and it was without a doubt our favorite part of our two weeks in Africa. This is a stunning and cozy camp with fantastic views (we had elephants, zebras, hyenas and more all come right up to the watering hole that we could see from the back deck) and the most wonderful and caring staff. From the chef who cooked us authentic massive meals three times a day to Anya the admin who was hilarious and took extra special care of us to the guests that passed through during our stay, we genuinely miss the people we met while there. Ingrid was our guide mostly with Luzanne as the spotter during the UNFORGETTABLE twice daily game drives and both were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful in making the experience as great as it could be. One night Sam and I were sitting out looking at the stars and Ingrid took it upon herself to turn off all the lights in the camp and sit with us, pointing out constellations and telling us other fun tid bits while we soaked in our vast surroundings. She loves what she does and it really shows. We loved this place so much and would recommend it to anyone. We absolutely hope to visit again one day.

We visited Nthambo tree camp for our 21st wedding anniversary. What a unforgetable experience! The staff are friendly & profesional. The food is great and the sightings of different wildlife was amazing.

This is an exceptional place to be. Come into respectful contact with the Big 5 twice a day, guided by wonderful people (owner, guide, tracker, service). Relax during the day in breathtaking scenery with delicious food and fine drinks. Watch and listen to nature's voice from your treehouse. We really enjoyed it and are grateful to the nThambo team.