Tau Game Lodge

An incredibly beautiful safari experience with the friendliest staff imaginable. Highly recommended, especially with children! We stayed at the lodge for 5 nights with our two children, aged 10 months and 3 years. From the room to the food, safaris, and babysitting, everything was perfect!

Our stay could not have been better! The lodges are absolutely perfect - incredibly comfortable and private with a phenomenal view from the terrace (we had elephants 3 metres away!). The staff were incredible. They were so kind and thoughtful and made the stay so memorable, including by preparing a cake and singing for my partner's 30th birthday, which was just so special. The food throughout was also amazing, with lots of choice and fantastic local food too. The watering hole is also amazing and has so much wildlife throughout the day, including elephants, crocodiles, rhinos and all kinds of antelopes. Our game drives were brilliant. Tanya was our guide and she was so knowledgeable and fun. I would highly recommend Tau. Everything was just perfect and everyone who works there makes it such a special place to stay. We would absolutely go again! A huge thank you to everyone at Tau who made our trip so memorable!

This was my second visit to Madikwe Reserve, the Reserve is full of beautiful animals you would expect to see on safari. The first lodge we stayed at was great (Madikwe River Lodge) but it was closed due to flooding. We discovered Tau because our driver accidentally took us to Tau on our first safari (when we booked at Madikwe River Lodge) and I was immediately impressed at the reception we received at Tau, even though it was short lived and we proceeded to Madikwe River. Remembering the reception we received at Tau, I knew I had to book there on my second visit to Madikwe. The reception was as I remembered it, a walk through tour of the lobby and restaurant and an explanation of game drive times and orientation of the grounds. What is different about Tau vs Madikwe River (a beautiful property in itself) is the balcony used to dining. Tau sits against a watering hole where all the animals come throughout the day and night. We ate an incredible lunch while looking at zebra, impala, wildebeest, elephant, kudu, baboons and more as they came to drink. It reminded me of the scene from Jurassic park, it was absolutely incredible. The rooms are also situated against the water and you can spend the day looking at all of these animals while sitting on your balcony. It was incredible. The chalets are incredible, the only complaint I have is the smell of fresh paint/laquer in the room, but I guess that means they take pride in keeping the property up. The game drives are amazing and upon arrival to the lodge, you are greeted with warm hand towels for a quick refresher. That was such an unexpected but wonderful detail Tau does that keeps them above the rest. Book Tau. You won’t regret it. Yes it’s expensive but you leave truly appreciating every penny you spent.

Our stay at Tau was absolutely wonderful! We got even more than we expected. The team went above and beyond to make everything perfect – they truly turned our stay into a fairytale. Highly recommended

We recently visited as an extended family of 13, booking 6 rooms at the owner's lodge, Malta, which is the sister lodge to Tau and must be booked as a full lodge versus by individual rooms (or chalets.) The staff wow'ed me. They were the most kind and helpful people. We had our own private safari drivers, personal chef, bartender, along with housekeeping and support staff. The accomodations were beyond 5 star, total luxury! And the reason you likely are considering booking here... the safari drives... Silas and Rose took us on the most breath-taking rides and we'll be forever grateful for how wonderful they made this experience for our family. I have a nearly 4 year old and they customized rides for him, Tori also asked what he'd like to eat each day, and they all had playful banter with him throughout our stay, too. Oli made sure my wine glass was always full and they all truly made sure my heart was always happy! We visited Tau's main lodge for dinner 1 evening and for the bliss spa package 1 afternoon. The main lodge is also amazing and our spa treatment was extremely relaxing. Absolute must visit! I am already dreaming of a return!

Our stay at Tao was perfect!! Might be cliche to say but it is not hyperbole! Silas, the ranger for ALL of my safari drives provided “wows” on each ride, be they roaring lions, elusive cheetahs, 30 elephants at a watering hole, or jackets moving in on a lion’s kill! The spa treatment was amazing. Ollie our bartender knew each of our drinks from the first day! Our chef, Tori, is a master of both game meats and American favorites! He was also SO accommodating of the dietary needs of both a 78 year old vegetarian and picking kids as young as 3. Aggy fattened us up with amazing deserts and Oli, George, and Tumi took amazing care of us!!