Thamalakane River Lodge — Hotel in North-West District

What many people probably don’t know, and which I found out about only by corresponding with the lodge prior to our departure, is that they offer various overnight expeditions, so if you want to do a couple of nights “glamping” (tent with en-suite and personal cook, etc) amongst the wildlife in the Moremi Game Reserve with a personal professional guide to take you on game drives .... and back to the lodge for a night or more .... and then a mokoro overnight safari .... you should book before you arrive at the lodge as they truly go out of their way to make you feel as comfortable as possible in the African bush, and preparation for them is key for you to having a memorable experience. Hein and his team are quite exceptional... they provide incredible service in an environment that is literally in the middle of nowhere.... challenging for any outback African location, particularly if in the hospitality industry ..... good food, fantastic safari’s (I really cannot rate the Moremi mobile safari and mokoro overnight safari high enough... it was exceptional and beyond any of our expectations) ... and the best is, compared to most other offerings in the area, it is so reasonable and can be tailor made just for you. The lodge itself is in traditional African style, great location on the Thamalakane River (which could be dry if a drought year such as it is now) .... but still has a little water... the food on the a’ la carte menu is good, the service personal and attentive without being intrusive and the “rooms” are all lovely thatched cottages with much needed and well air conditioning .... our saving grace in the December/January heat! I’ve literally travelled most of the world and this has been my best ever holiday and experience. I’d highly recommend Thalamakane River Lodge for everything!! Show less Date of stay:...

We stayed at Talamakane Lodge and booked a Makoro boat trip combined with a bush walk for 2 adults and 2 children. The price was a shocking USD 800 (!!!) – BY FAR the most expensive excursion of our entire Zimbabwe and Botswana trip.||To be fair: everything was well organized, the Makoro polers were extremely kind and did their job with great dedication, and two English-speaking guides accompanied us and explained the surroundings. They really tried their best, but the bush walk took place during midday, when hardly any animals are active. For safety reasons, animals were seen only from a great distance, so we mainly observed tracks and footprints rather than wildlife itself.||The lunch provided was decent, but what shocked us most: the guides and Makoro polers received no food at all!!! Out of pity, the group shared part of our meal with them, and they were visibly grateful as they were clearly hungry. At the end, we gave a small tip – but since the trip was already outrageously overpriced, we kept it modest. The polers looked very disappointed, which left us with the uncomfortable impression that they rely on tips because they are poorly paid by the organizing agency.||This experience left us with a very bad feeling. It seems obvious that the Makoro drivers and guides are being exploited by the tour operator, while tourists are being massively overcharged. We strongly advise against booking this activity. During our trip we had far better and more authentic full-day excursions elsewhere – at just a fraction of this price.||In short: The Makoro polers are wonderful people, but the agency behind this tour is taking advantage of both them and the tourists. ||Avoid this trip – it’s a complete rip-off! The only really bad experience we had of our trips to South Africa, Zimbabwe...

We stayed here for two nights following our safari, before heading back to the UK. It is approximately 30 min drive from Maun airport. We were a little disappointed in our stay here, and felt it did not compare to the safari camp we stayed at. For being one of the more expensive places to stay we felt that it was mediocre. A couple of staff were very friendly and helpful, however we found on the whole, the staff appeared to be frosty at times - we weren't asking for anything more than drinks from the bar/taxi into Maun centre. The room was large and spacious, cleaned daily and we were provided with shampoo, soap, body lotion and towels. The shower was ok and easy to use and manage the temperature. There was a large fan above the bed which we found blew hot air around unless the windows were open. There was a mosquito net around the bed. We were given 2x 500ml bottle of water for the room, which were warm and no fridge is available. There was a handful of sun loungers out on the grass overlooking the river, all of which were dirty and stained. There are two small pools next to each other that appeared clean. Towels are provided in a basket next to them. Food was disappointing as it was a buffet for evening meal, which was largely carbs. On our first night no one attended to us, and after sitting for a long period wondering what was going on, we then noticed the buffet. There are no fans or air con in the seating area of the bar, making it very hot and humid to sit in. We wouldn't look to stay again...