Positioned on the banks of the picturesque Sand River, the andBeyond Tengile River Lodge makes the perfect base for exploration of South Africa’s wildlife and natural beauty. With twice-daily game drives, nature walks, and night excursions, guests will use Swarovski binoculars to spot the more than 140 different species of animals that call the area home. Back at the lodge, enjoy private plunge pools and sunken viewing decks from every Suite as well as massage treatments, pan-African cuisine, a library, a fitness center, and more.
Fri Sep 13 2024 10:13:30 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by CA_NYC_Traveler
Our time at Tengile was nothing short of perfection. Every detail. The entire team was absolutely incredible. Particularly our amazing guide Tristan and tracker Willy. We felt like family by the end. I may have cried when we all said goodbye. It was all just so special. Not only their incredible skill and care for the land and animals, but the sense of joy and adventure they put into every moment. It was just perfect and we felt so grateful to experience it all. The suites are huge and absolutely gorgeous. A better option in Sabi Sands would be pretty hard to come by. Also, can't say enough good things about &Beyond overall as well - they assisted with all aspects of our 12 -night trip and their team was outstanding on every measure. We are fans for life.
Mon Sep 09 2024 14:48:23 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by MariR0608
This may be the first place where I’ve ever truly cried when it was time to leave, and I travel a LOT. Tengile was an absolutely perfect experience, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. First, the entire space is beautiful - the main lodge, including the giant guest rooms (more like apartments), are all stunningly decorated. The entire property feels like walking through a real life Pinterest board titled “Chic Safari Elegance” or something like that. The outdoor showers, plunge pools and decks in each room are delightful. The food was great - they feed you nonstop and we enjoyed every single meal. They were accommodating of off menu requests, and there was always great variety, an amazing feat when out in the middle of the bush! The animals we saw throughout Sabi Sands were amazing - lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, wild dogs, hyenas, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, warthogs, bushbucks - you name it, we really saw everything. Such an incredible, diverse terrain teeming with fascinating wildlife. Last, but most important - the people. I don’t have enough words to say how great every single person was who we interacted with during our stay. Our first guide Donovan was perfect - he was so personable, fun, knowledgeable, and passionate about the care of the animals we saw. Plus for our group, which included birders, he was extra perfect because he loves birds and helped us spot a ton of them, while still helping us see all of the other animals too! We all loved Donovan and felt so lucky to have him as our guide. When he had to leave on our last day, we were so sad, but Joel stepped in and was great too! Knowledgeable and helpful with a contagious laugh that always makes you smile. We thought there was no way we could end up with 2 amazing guides and we were oh so wrong - thank you so much, Donovan and Joel! Our tracker Teral was our real hero and star of the show. There were several times where he spotted things and it took me a good minute after he’d point it out to realize anything was even there - he has amazing eyes! And he has the kindest disposition and the most infectious smile on the planet. Having him join us for dinner the last night was a pure delight (I wish they’d include the trackers automatically for team dinners - my impression was that they only did this because we asked, but our dinner could never be complete without Teral, he was such a big part of what we loved about Tengile). Last but not least, Nephtal was the picture of grace and attention during our whole stay. He took such good care of us, even memorizing which of our group of 5 preferred still or sparkling water right off the bat, so we never had to specify again; we felt so lucky to have him. Everyone else - Patricia, Raymond, Mandy, Talia, Pretty, too many more that I’m forgetting, was top notch too. Every single person we encountered was friendly and helpful as can be. And the staff performance at the boma dinner was WONDERFUL and soooo much fun! If you have the opportunity to come here, hurry up and book it. It is truly one of the most special experiences of my entire life.
Tue Aug 06 2024 06:38:50 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by justinlevine_
My wife and I stayed three nights at Tengile as the first stop on our honeymoon and it was an incredibly special experience. This will be a long review so if you want the short version here it is: Everything about Tengile is world class and you should book it. The safari itself was exactly what we hoped for. We did six game drives: one the day of arrival and departure and two each full day. Tip: make sure to arrive at the lodge before 1pm and depart the lodge after 10am to get the first and last day game drives. We saw the big 5 (and so much more) within our first few game drives. The amount of life was incredible. Warren (our ranger) is outstanding and knows the Sabi Sand inside and out. He knows exactly where to find each animal, he knows seemingly everything there is to know about the animals, flowers, birds, etc (tons of fun facts and knowledge), and was an absolute pleasure to hang out with (funny, interesting personal history, super nice). Rob (our tracker) was also outstanding. Once or twice per game drive Rob would spot animal tracks, hop off the jeep and walk through the bush to track the animals. He had a nearly 100% success rate following the tracks to a conclusion. Rob (and Warren too) also has the eyes of a hawk and spotted so many interesting animals hiding in trees or bushes. Warren and Rob also made the game drives so much more than just seeing animals - the drives were beautiful with sunsets, sunrises and gorgeous landscapes, during the morning drive we stopped for bush coffee (or mocha-choco-rulas as they’re called!) and during the afternoon drives we stopped for a sundowner (drinks + dried fruit + hot food cooked by Rob on a grill), we did a bush walk which was great. They also surprised us with a bush breakfast which was special. By the end Warren and Rob both felt like great friends and made our experience so enjoyable. Last things about the game drives: 1) for those who are nervous about safety, don’t be. Warren (and I’m sure all other guides) know exactly what to do and we felt 100% safe with him at all times. 2) my wife is not as much a nature enthusiast as I am, but she loved everything about the game drives and was fully immersed. The service at Tengile is top notch. The entire staff somehow knows your name within a few hours and each person you meet is nicer than the next. Our butler Nepthal made our experience truly special and personalized. The attention to detail was remarkable. A few examples: my wife mentioned to Nepthal on the first day that she likes her coffee with oat milk - thereafter our room was always stocked with oat milk and Nepthal even brought oat milk into the bush for our bush breakfast. We got massages one day and as we walked out of the spa Nepthal was waiting with a golf cart and our lunch to drive us back to our room - we didn’t even tell Nepthal about the massage, he just somehow knew and was ready. We mentioned to Nepthal that we like Chakalaka (a South African special that you should try) - that same night Nepthal had the chef make us bread baked with chakalaka. I have never before experienced this level of personalization and care. The rooms themselves are sublime. They’re huge, beautifully decorated, modern, packed with drinks and coffee/tea, fully enclosed with doors (it’s not a tent, it’s a mini house). It was hard to believe such luxurious rooms could exist in the bush. The food was also great. You are fed seven times per day and the food changes each day. A highlight was the boma night, which is when you eat outside in a fire light structure along with the rest of the lodge. The staff performs lives music and dancing, the food is incredible, and vibes immaculate. There are so many people I want to shout out. Nicky, Talya, and Roscoe were so welcoming and interesting to talk to. Selby (and the other bartender whose name sadly escapes me) made excellent drinks (get the black mamba if you like tequila) and brought great energy to the bar. Pretty (and the other masseuse whose name also sadly escapes me) gave amazing massages. Also want to shoutout the gentleman who escorted us home each night after dinner - missed your name but enjoyed our interactions! Lastly shoutout to Luke from Kirkman’s Camp who picked us up at Skukuza on day 1 - he was the man. No doubt the lodge is expensive, but for a once in a lifetime honeymoon experience we found it worth every penny. Book it.
Mon Aug 05 2024 15:52:10 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by TLHeer
We visited two parks on our trip and both were amazing, but unique. Tengile is a luxury resort within a gorgeous landscape surrounded by beautiful animals! The food, service, accommodations and safari guides were all wonderful! We saw lots of exciting wildlife and learned so much about the animals and their habitat. In addition to the animals, each drive included a fun stop for refreshments, and even a Bush Breakfast one morning. This was a trip of a lifetime!
Sat Jul 06 2024 19:02:57 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by 652jessm
If I could give this place 10 stars I would!!! Absolutely everything from start to finish was beyond perfect (haha no pun intended). The accommodations were thoughtful, stunning, and spotless; the food was frequent and spectacular with regular check-ins from Chef Silence; fully stocked bars in the lodges as well as the bar in the main lodge that house the two most fun bartenders ever; and the staff… The staff were the most amazing humans. Absolutely everyone we interacted with was so warm and welcoming, and constantly checking in on you to make sure that your needs and your wants are taken care of. Some of the most thoughtful things made our stay that much more memorable. Like the welcoming committee everything single time we came back from a game drive cheering us on and handing us hot towels. Or like the housekeepers putting extra love and care into the lodges, including lighting a fire for you each night to make sure you come back to a warm room. Or changing the dinner menu for specific people who mentioned not liking a certain type of food. Absolutely everyone was just so amazing. However, deserving of a special shout out are our ranger and our tracker, Chris and Lucky. They literally became like family by the end of our stay. We immediately jived and they absolutely MADE our stay. We learned a ton from them, and we laughed the whole time. They have left a lasting impression on our whole group. My favorite part of the stay, aside from the people, was the Boma night!!! You’ll understand why as soon as you experience it. Be ready for things like coffee and pastries served each on each morning drive or cocktails and appetizers each evening on the game drives, or a full bush bar set up for you one night, or a full bush breakfast setup one morning. I mean, they did it skip on any details. Prepare to eat, drink, and be merry!!! Tangile will NOT disappoint!!! To the staff: genuinely, I thank you for a LIFE CHANGING trip. Xoxoxox