Tangala Safari Camp

What a fabulous experience. The food was very good and plentiful. The Tents are good, the bathroom needs a spruce up. The start of the show is the game drive. Noel and Costa Rica have a natural affinity with the bush and can sniff out a leopard when you cant see it!!! 7 different leopards, 3 separate lion prides, elelphants galore, white rhino and wild dogs. An amazing stay and wished it could have been longer

Tangala Safari Camp was everything I hoped it would be. Laid-back, authentic, and deeply connected to the landscape around it. Nestled right in the heart of the Thornybush reserve, this place offers that classic safari feel without any of the pretense. What really made the stay stand out was the camp staff. Every single person we met was kind, attentive, and clearly loved being part of this wild corner of the world. Their warmth and care made all the difference. One of the most memorable moments came when a huge thunderstorm rolled through. Being in the tents during that storm was unforgettable. The sound of the rain on canvas, the flashes of lightning cracking across the bushveld, the deep rumble of thunder. It was thrilling and honestly one of the best ways to feel just how alive the African bush really is. Tangala has a way of slowing you down in the best possible sense. I’m grateful for the time I spent there and would happily return.

We've been returning to Tangala over many years now. There's a reason for this, i.e. its a lovely safari camp that continues to offer some of the best wildlife sightings you'll see anywhere in the area. For a more detailed review of the camp please refer to my previous reviews. However, summarise it to say, this is still a very authentic camp run by people who care for their guests with the same passion that they hold for the wildlife that surrounds them.

After Cape Town, we flew up to the Kruger National Park area to stay at Tangala Camp. The employees and managers at Tangala, particularly, the safari guides Reason and Louis, were awesome! The managers, Johan and Madeleine, were also super nice and very accommodating. We saw a bunch of wild animals (painted wolves, hyena, leopard, lions, etc), and the driver/spotters knew everything about the animals and answered everyone’s questions. The camp is small with ＜20 people staying there, so we made friends with the other visitors in our car. The houses are really neat; they’re thatch roof style cabins that were fun to stay in. There are also various antelope that wander through the camp, which was fun to see. It was also my (now) fiancé and I’s engagement trip and first big trip out of the country, and Tangala was a great experience for new travelers!!

The staff and bush experience is awesome. You will see all of the big 5. Amenities and vehicles however are poorly maintained, as though management seeks to save money on maintenance. Wifi is expensive for what you get (poor coverage, narrow bandwidth and slow). Tangala is expensive given the average amenities.

The main win was that we saw all the animals, nearly all on the first day already. So if this is your objective for visiting a safari lodge, your chances are very high. The host couple were genuinely friendly, helpful and down to earth, a plus for the camp with their authenticity. I appreciated that they were putting in solar panels for the camp. The camp itself is near some water, so you can sit by the pool in the afternoon with a book or a beer and peacefully watch the animals come and go. I enjoyed our comfortably large tented room and listening to the animals in the cold of the night. The camp is not overly luxurious, but homely and comfortable. The meals were a big positive, well prepared and with a willingness to provide something special for any vegetarians. The guiding was a little so-so in comparison with some of the other camps we visited, although we did see Leopard, Lions (a lot), Rhinos. I would definitely recommend Tangala for a 3 night visit.