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Latest South African Game Safari Update
Last update: Monday, September 06, 2010
Tau Game Lodge announces the latest South African Game Safari News & Info:
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August and September are always exciting times in the bush for guides as the game viewing is extremely rewarding. With temperatures increasing and no sign of rain, the animals tend to stay close to water points in high densities. Fortunately at Tau, we have one of the biggest dams in the Reserve and therefore attract large amounts of game. Often guests comment on not needing to go on drive because of the diversity and good game viewing from the lodge. However, some of the rarer animals prefer quieter areas and the drives are essential for finding more illusive animals like leopard.
The water hole is always buzzing with general game (Impala, many Waterbuck, Zebra, Wildebeest, and others like Warthog) and during this time of year it gets visited by the odd breeding herd of Elephant and usually visited daily by Elephant bulls. Early on in the month, the guests were treated at breakfast with a herd of over 100 Buffalo that came down to the water to drink, a sighting we only get at the water hole, maybe twice a year! Often it pays to swing past the waterhole at night when heading back to camp. On one such night I headed back to the lodge and drove past the waterhole, as I shone the spotlight to the south, a male Black Rhino crashed through the bush away from us as he left the water. As he headed back into the bush he changed direction and headed more west. After a few minutes we then caught sight of the reason why, the Mateya male was lying down only 80 metres south of the water. This male lion (serious injury on back leg) was vocalizing and looking for his brother, Tshola, who had been devouring a Zebra on his own for the previous four days.
That’s why it pays to stick close to the waterholes in the dry season, if you wait long enough then you’re bound to be rewarded.
Dave Potgieter
Picture by: One of our guests-
The African bush is a wonderful place full of surprises, and one should never expect to only see the animal(s) you are busy viewing in that spot. Many times there are other animals in the area also doing some viewing, but with completely different intentions.
This we experienced one afternoon just as the sun threw his beautiful golden light over Madikwe.
We had seen the buffalo earlier that afternoon, but they were still hiding in the thick bush. Only black figures with horns were spotted. Still a sighting of buffalo, but not the one you come to the bush for. We decided that we were going to return a bit later as they would most likely move out of the thickets to go for a drink. We stopped for our sundowner drinks not too far from the area and kept a close ear on the radio for updates on their movements. As we finished up our drinks I called over the radio for a standby for the sighting. As we got called to go in, we were greeted with a “black wall” coming from the thickets. What a pleasant sight that was and we parked the vehicle not too far from them. They then proceeded even closer to us and one of the big bulls found a nice grazing spot right next to our vehicle so close we could almost touch him
They were very relaxed, but that soon changed when they all lifted their heads smelling and staring in the same direction. We knew that there had to be something there making them nervous. We waited patiently for the cards to unfold. The next moment they all turned and ran back into the thicket with a young male lion on their tails.
The buffalo sighting then turned into a lion sighting. The male lion, unsuccessful in his hunt started calling. Soon a lioness appeared out of the bush as well. They went to lie down about twenty meters from us. The two of them were part of a bigger pride and were roaring loudly to find the rest of the members.
What a sighting of these two magnificent species and just another reminder that you never know what to expect in the bush.
Stefan Steenkamp
August has been a great month for the guides at Tau with plenty of great sightings. Recently I had some guests from the UK that had come out for a weekend. Being professional portrait photographers they were very keen to get out and get snapping away and try and get some great wildlife pictures.
We were very lucky to get some great photos for them. One sighting stands out in particular. We were at Thlou dam and had been informed on the radio that there was a large herd of buffalo moving towards the dam. Being late afternoon they were on their way for their afternoon drink. As we sat at the dam, the herd arrived and came down to drink. I must say that the timing was perfect, with the afternoon sun on the animals and loads of dust making for excellent photos. We sat there for a while longer when a breeding herd of elephants came over the dam wall and proceeded to scatter the buffalo. The buffalo eventually decided that they had enough and moved off into the sickle bush thickets.
We decided that a sundowner was in order and stopped to watch the sun setting over the Enselbergs. My guests took a few photos of us as the sun was setting. All in all another great day in Madikwe with a fantastic group of guests, with loads of fun being had by all!
Bradley Leighton
For more pictures taken by our rangers you can go to the following links:
http://photo-africa-stock.com/view_photog.php?photogid=11 for Bradley
Picture: By Wynand van Niekerk |
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GUEST FEEDBACK
"I stayed for a sales conference at the "Tau Game Lodge" and so experienced most of the facilities on offer.
The whole complex has been cleverly constructed to appear old and yet has all the modern comforts you could need.
I particularly liked the bungalows that over-looked the watering hole and that had a huge bath and outdoor shower, along with a comfortable bed.
As it is winter at this time of year, the staff put on an electric blanket before I went to bed which made for a great night`s sleep, and was a nice touch.
The food was of a good standard and with a few bars to choose from, there is a nice atmosphere in the evenings, with fires burning outside to keep things warm.
The game drives were truly excellent - I`ve been on safari at Sun City too, but this one was far better. We saw 4 of the "Big 5" both evenings - again the Leopard was the elusive one. The temperature can be really cold once the sun goes down so it is important to wrap up warm beforehand, as the game drives are in an open-top Landrover type vehicle.
Overall, this is a splendid place to visit, and I would most definitely come back to stay again. "
Devonian Businessman 25 August 2010
" Just wanted to say that we had a fantastic trip and stay at Tau.
All were very impressed with the high standard of service, balanced with a good warm and friendly attitude towards guests.
The lodge is looking great and we had so much game coming down to the waterhole it was ridiculous. Loads of Ele, even two lions drinking in front while the rest of us were out on a drive.
Bush dinner went ahead even though there was talk of lions in the area. Boma dinner was lovely, and all in all the visit was amazing.
One problem though …..our stay was two short. Next time I will push for 3 nights.
Conference venue and facilities are also amazing and I will def keep Tau in mind when we next have a group coming through to us.
Thanks for all your effort in making this last trip a success. And thanks to all at Tau for their hard work.
Special mention of all the guides who did a great job. Its not often you get a camp that size where all the guides are of a high standard and they all impressed us without exception."
Rich Prangley South Africa 17 August 2010
"My wife, son and I spent a memorable 2 nights at Tau over the past long weekend and wish to record our sincere appreciation for a fantastic stay.
The staff, especially Marcus who greeted us on arrival, Jeanette who babysat for us and our ranger Gerard all stand out in terms of excellent service and deserve to be commended. Gerard especially went out of his way to ensure that we were able to experience as much of the game as possible on the game drives and even arranged a guided walk in the reserve on our last day. A close encounter with a particularly irate elephant on a drive was professionally handled with our safety never in question.
The accommodation, setting, meals and general atmosphere at Tau are first class.
Thanks once again, we will definitely be back and I would not hesitate to recommend Tau to colleagues and friends. "
Mike Brandon- Morningside South Africa 11 August 2010
"My experience at Tau was amazing and I cannot ever forget the excellent time I’d at the Lodge and game drives.".
Vishal Anand -Ottawa Practice 05 January 2010
" I`m writing to say thank you very much indeed for a most wonderful stay at Tau. It`d be fair to say that I know a thing or two about the safari industry but even an old cynic like me was blown away by the Tau experience. The lodge itself is delightful and very well run by Malcolm and his team. There is a good, relaxed atmosphere and the facilities are excellent. We were lucky to get good weather and better game sightings but what made the trip was our guide Morah. I`m an ex-guide myself but even I sat open-mouthed at her depth of knowledge, professionalism and passion - it was an absolute delight to explore Madikwe with her. And all my 8-year old daughter has been saying since is how she wants to be a game ranger when she grows up. I was especially impressed with Morah`s attention to detail, her focus on safety and her ability to make any aspect of the bush - no matter how small or insignificant - interesting. Without wanting to lapse into hyperbole I am confidant that this young woman will grow into one of the country`s top female guides.
Well done Tau, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending the lodge to our product department and thank you again for refreshing my soul and providing my daughter with a holiday of a lifetime."
Dominic Chadbon
Content Developer 12 October 2009
"
We recently had the pleasure of staying at Tau Game Lodge for several nights during a 3 week trip to South Africa. It was our first time in an African Lodge and needless to say it was a truly amazing experience. Even though we knew it would be great, the accommodation was far better than we had imagined and our safari stay was most definitely the highlight of our trip. The staff were incredibly friendly and we were always well looked after. We just loved having dinner under the stars and breakfast in the bush. Our room was beautiful and the outdoor shower was such a unique experience for us.
We had an amazing time at Tau and enjoyed every minute of our stay. We were incredibly privileged to see such a variety of animals, plants and birds and came out with some stunning photos. Our ranger Brad was great company and extremely knowledgable. His wealth of experience meant that we were always informed and every day we left our drives having learnt more than the previous day. It was also great to chat with Brad at breakfast and dinner, hearing the many exciting stories he had to tell. His friendly attitude and courteous manner was part of what made every day one to look forward to.
Our safari stay was one of the best experiences of our lives so far – We certainly felt like kings.
Rest assured we will be spreading the word about Tau Lodge here in New Zealand for many many years to come.
Thank you for a truly amazing experience"
Rochelle Harris & Wade Johnson 10/08/09
"Tau Lodge was truly excellent – we all had an absolutely fantastic time. The accommodation was top, the staff were all wonderful and Gerard our guide really made the stay a memorable event. I can’t say enough to praise the whole operation – everything superb and I would definitely recommend Tau to anyone I know interested in a safari in RSA. We would certainly go back to Tau again.
Cheers"
Crowhurst / Grigffin 02/07/09
" First of all, I`d like to thank all the Tau staff for the most kindly attention dedicated to me and my wife during our stay. It was our first time in an African Lodge and all of our expectations were completely overcome.
The experience to see animals in their own habitat, assisted by a professional like Ernest was priceless and we don`t have any doubts that his attitude and friendly smile were absolutely decisive for our wonderful experience.
Besides the animals, the chance to watch Brazil and Bafanas with friends (lodge staff) was unique and very pleasant!
Be sure that we`re already talking about the Tau to all of our friends!
And please, send our best wishes to all the staff and specially to Ernest ("the" best tracker!)"
Silvio 30/06/09
" Dear Malcolm,
Many thanks to you and your team for looking after us so incredibly well this last weekend. Brad, Denzil and Dave were all excellent and ensured that everybody thoroughly enjoyed the game drives. The catering staff were also excellent and went out of their way to ensure that everybody was well looked after. Altogether, your team could not have done a better job!"
Peter Hibbit -Imperial Bank 04/06/09
" To the management and staff at Tau,
we would like to thank you for a fantastic time we had with you
in early March,especially David our ranger (the bird man of Tau!!)
Keep up the good work and we hope to see you next year."
Haydn & Eve Jones 07/04/09
"We had an amazing time at Tau and enjoyed every minute. We were privileged to see so many wonderful animals, birds and scenery and learnt so much from our fantastic ranger, Edmund, who really made the holiday for us. He was great company, really knowledgable and we never minded getting up at 5.30 in the morning!
We also found that everyone at Tau made a real effort to make our stay very special. All the staff were so thoughtful and friendly from the waiters and chefs to the receptionists, cleaners and gardeners, and I found the atmosphere very relaxed and welcoming. Everything was well thought out and organised, such as the welcome back from each game drive. The food was great and I particularly liked the way we got to eat in different parts of the lodge for each meal. One night we were even treated to dinner in our own room with the whole balcony lit up with candles and decorated with flowers - we felt like royalty! On another night, it was my birthday and I was treated to the traditional song and dance and made a big fuss of - the staff were great!
All in all, lovely memories and a one of the best experiences of our lives."
Anne Caine 14/03/09
"It is a week since I spent a night at Tau and I have been meaning to congratulate you and your staff on a great stay. Being a tourist guide I and looking from the outside I was really taken in by your staffs sincerity in helping the tourist/guest.
Malcom was a star accommodating everyone, nothing was too much trouble for him. Thank you Mark for organising the walk – Ondrej says that was his high light just the adventure and the smells of the bush at such close hand.
Poppy you are awesome, you have your fingers on all the right button with such professionalism. You are a jack of all trades and so helpful.
Jaco I think that’s his name the Chef – You food is out of this world. So tasty and well presented and the pride you take in your creations thank you
The dining room staff as well as the porter thank you you were all so pleasant and helpful
Lastly Thank you Tau for making the tourist fell so much at home"
Milca 09/03/09
" my wife and I, and her daughter and boyfriend, spent this past weekend at Tau Game Lodge. I was hugely impressed with the way we were received and treated.
Our ranger was Edmund Fourie and he was excellent – informative and entertaining, and yet constantly respectful of the bush and its true owners. I’ve met a number of rangers and he was as good as the very best. And then on Saturday, your hospitality staff responded to our mentioning that it was my wife’s birthday by baking an extraordinary cake – at record speed – and celebrating the event with song and dance. We were really moved. Plase accept my appreciation and congratulations."
John Perlman 04/03/09
"Have now spoken to everyone from this group and the feedback was just fantastic!
They where so happy with the stay at TAU – they saw all the big 5 , had fantastic professional rangers and all over good service. The food was excellent and so was the cottages!
I can say – THANKS to everyone involved for making their trip a success! "
Anita Gustafson - Upmarket travel Sweden 15/02/09
"RANGERS AT TAU
Just a note to say a BIG thank u.
The hospitality and service that we received from all of u is greatly appreciated.
The way in which the game drives were conducted and the information that was shared with the guests was great. I am not one who needs to “ blow bubbles up peoples asses” but one ranger in particular needs a special mention. THE VANDERBIJLPARK GIT Yes u know who u are.
Guys I will contact u in the near future to forward a google article address.
THE TAU PRIDE CAN BE PROUD"
Martin & Linda Dixon 08/12/08
"We are back at home and we thank you very much for the fantastic stay we had by you.
It was a very amazing travel and we thank all the staff for the welcome.
Valentin has a special mind for Gerard the ranger.
THANK YOU."
Thierry Bottarel France 08/12/08
"Dear Markus, I hope you have recovered from our stay and that the rest of the gang did not cause too much trouble.
From Johnny and my side, we would just like to thank you for a wonderful wonderful day!
Thank you soo much for making it such a special day for Stella and Derek and for all your hard work! I really appreciate it.
And thank you also to all your staff - everyone loved the food, the service was fantastic and I can only speak for Brad and John as they were the only 2 guys we went on game drives with, but they were fantastic too.
We all had an amazing stay and will definately recommend Tau Lodge to everyone. Once again, THANKS!"
Kirsten 08/12/08
Sassen Wedding
" would like to take this opportunity to really thank the lodge for the outstanding hospitality they gave us. I had been around in different game reserves and lodges Tau and Madikwe game reserve have by far exceeded our expectations we really go deep into the African bush our game drives have been fantastic food has been great the chalets you know it’s a great value for money. Last but not least would like to thank our game ranger Dave he was so nice to us we really enjoyed our drives with you
To the whole Tau team I say keep up the good work
See you soon"
Sabelo Nsibande 27/10/08
" We (myself, my wife and our three kids) spent three fantastic days at Tau Game lodge, from the 1st to the 3rd August past, and we would like to thank you not only for your kind attention but also for all the fantastic sights we saw on the game drives thanks to Brad – pls give him our best regards.
We took many fantastic photos and videos to remember later on.
Definitively if we decide to go back to Africa, we will be back to Tau Game Lodge again."
António Martins 12/10/08
"We are in Perth on our way home from a wonderful time. The wedding went off beautifully and we loved our African experience together with a plethora of animals . Glyn saw the big 5 and he and Christopher took some stunning photos of the Leopard.
We loved the lodge and everyone from Poppy and Marcus and the rangers were just terrific."
Elizabeth Jamieson 14/10/08
"Hi All.
I spent a glorious weekend at the Tau Lodge this weekend. I read that your motto is to make people feel like a King.
Well you indeed live up to that motto I have never experienced service like I did this weekend and want to compliment all staff from the warm reception to the ranger John to the chefs, the bar lady and gentlemen, the SPA, the waiters and the cleaners.
I have been to many 5 stars in Sandton and Cape Town but nothing that blew my mind the way your staff did.
It takes hard work to get a team of people work in such excellence and it also takes a type of caliber of people to deliver.
So to all at the TAU Lodge
Thanks a million and you definitely have the right to call yourselves 5 STAR"
Marco Hartogh 26/09/08
" Just got back to Australia and am writing to thank you and the staff at Tau (particularly Wynand) for making our visit such a success.
On our arrival we were greeted by over 100 elephants coming down to Tau`s waterhole for a drink and bathe. I`ve spent much time in parks in Botswana and Kenya and that was as good as it gets. I was also really pleased to see part of the big wild dog pack, plus a confrontation between a lion and an elephant (the elephant won!) plus a big herd of buffalo. The birdlife was also marvellous not least in the lodge`s gardens.
Once again, thanks for everything. We certainly hope to be back before too long.
All the best"
Mitch Reardon 19/09/08
" To the team at TAU,
We would like to say a BIG thank you for a great weekend we had at the lodge this past weekend. Pete and I thoroughly enjoyed it – thanks to Dave, Gerard and all the team. Dave has so much knowledge and was more than happy to share this with us – keep up the enthusiasm Dave – you made our weekend the BEST
Thanks once again and we will be back."
Di and Pete Francis 08/09/08
" Just wanted to drop you a quick email to say a very very very big thank you for all that you did this past weekend to make our day so so special.
Everything was perfect!
I just wanted to share with you some of the comments that we have received so far about you guys:
Tau is amazing – what a venue
Markus was great – very helpful
What a beautiful venue – when can we come back???
The best wedding we have ever been to – what a divine setting"
Debi Franconi 23/08/08
" Kid-friendly Game Lodge for sure!
We had a fantastic stay. The lodge staff were excellent with my kids and kept them well entertained and spoilt while my hubby and I could enjoy our wedding anniversary weekend with our kids, but without worrying about them. The Ranger was excellent with our son on the game drive and he got to see Elephant and lion amongst others. Our 2 1/2 year old didn`t miss out as he enjoyed viewing the elephant, wilderbeest and lion drinking and bathing in the watering hole right in front of our room. What a fabulous weekend"
Gillian Meier 21/07/08
" Recent guest can`t stay off your site...something looks exciting..what`s up at Waterhole right now???? Looks like several lions between bush ..did they make a kill?? Gotta know...I`m still living on Tau Time...hahaha ....Wynand ruined us for city life and we won`t be long returning to Tau...it`s in our blood....never loved any place so much in our lives...tell Moss to keep the food warm... and turn the heat up in the chalet....Oh lmy, I want to come back right now...hats off to all of you for the most thrilling time ever....we definitely saw the Big 5 and thanks to the enthusiasm and bravado of Wynand, we must have seen the Big All!! What a thrill....we`ll never forget our time at Tau and are already looking at ways to get back. Hello and thanks to the whole Staff for a most memorable time...!"
Kathi & Paul Neidlinger
Atlanta, Georgia,USA 16/06/08
" Hi Malcolm,
Just a word of thanks to you and your team for the outstanding job that was done with my Heineken group, the group were extremely happy with the levels of service and the general manner of all of your staff, from the house keeping ladies right up to the managers on duty and rangers.
From my point of view, it was an absolute pleasure to work with a bunch of professional people who understand what it takes to work with 5 star clients. !"
Gerard van Meygaarden 09/05/08
" Thank you we had a great time – pity about the weather and the animals hiding!
Our children had a ball – one of the most CHILD FRIENDLY game reserves we have ever been to! Please send our thanks to MARCUS for entertaining them so well!"
Audrey Gray 05/05/08
"Dear Brad,
We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed our trip to Tau and let you and the rest of the team know that we will be back. The game viewings and birds were fantastic. It was our first view to Madikwe and we enjoyed learning more about Madikwe with its interesting geology, reflecting on the history and also seeing the most amasing cloud formations. We have come back home with the most amasing photos and wonderful memories of our trip."
Annette Wilson 21/04/08
"We are barely back in Switzerland after our wonderful 8 days stay in Tau game lodge and our hearts are still full of the most wonderful experience. We enjoyed the warm atmosphere, smiling faces and great service throughout the lodge. Every day we were looking forward to the extensive breakfast buffet, the wonderfully prepared lunch packets on our game drives and the delicious dinners. Big thanks to the chef Johan and his staff in the kitchen! Our special thanks go to our ranger Hein who impressed us so much with his knowledge about wildlive and nature in Africa. Especially our daughter Aurelia (8) loved his vivid stories and insights. Not only we had awesome moments and encounters with the big fives but also he showed us the world of the smaller animals like ants, termites, crickets, thousand feet and (yes) snakes! We hugely enjoyed his company and had a lot of fun and laughter together even, or especially when we got stuck in the mud! Our stay at Tau was an unforgettable one and we cant’ wait to get back!"
Angelika Franklin and Aurelia 30/03/08
Join the Tau Pride
Tau Game lodge has now got its own Tau Infinity VIP card , making use of this card the moment you get into the country will earn you instant cash back rewards, not only on the accommodation at Tau, but also when booking rental cars , mobile phone rentals, accommodation at certain hotel chains and meals taken at the mugg and bean country wide, which can be used again to purchase anything from any Infinity merchant.
When joining the Tau Pride you will also receive monthly news letters, the Tau calendar, benefit of reduced prices on the daily scheduled flights into the reserve and Golf day trips into Botswana and many additional special touches while staying at the lodge. Please contact us for more details in connection with the Tau VIP the card
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Fly to the lodge from Johannesburg International Airport
In a joint venture between Federal Air and Madikwe charter Scheduled daily flights are now departing from O.R. Thambo (Jhb) International Airport and return.
Picture By Gerard Ramage
Flights will depart Jhb Int. at 10h00 (check-in 09h00) or at 13h00 (Check-in 12h00)and arrive at Madikwe airstrip only 1 hour later. The return flights depart Madikwe at either 11h30 or 14h30 to arrive in JHb at 12h30 or 15h30 respectively.)
Return fare is R 4007.- per person. (inclusive of R 47.- ACSA passenger service charge)
An Airstrip fee of R 50.- per person on landing currently applies.
The guest will be met off their flight by a guest relations team and taken to the Executive lounge where bar service, teas & coffees, shower and Internet facilities are offered f.o.c. Flights are either by twin engine aircraft or Cessna Grand Caravans (12 seats) 20kg soft luggage is permitted per person on the flights and free storage facilites are available.
Tau Game Lodge has a direct online booking system so flights can be booked and confirmed immediately through our reservation office.
Road transfers from door-to door can be arranged and the average rate at the moment is R 6000.- for a return trip.
Picture below by Morah-Leigh Cooper |
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Tau endeavours to keep you up to date on the latest and greatest South African game safari news and info.
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