Tembe Elephant Park

Stayed 2 nights in this park renowned for its Elephants including many large “Tuskers”. Tented accommodation is superb. Situated on raised wooden platforms with all facilities and lovely outdoor shower. The units are well away from (and out of sight of ) each other. Food was good. Staff were friendly and appeared to be very capable, -it amazed me that I would struggle to get my heavy suitcases out of the pick up, only for a couple of happy, young girls (half my size) to think nothing of lifting them onto their head and carrying them the 10 minute walk to our accommodation. The game drives were very good as the guides and vehicles are well known to the elephants (self drives are not permitted) enabling close encounters with them. Also a trip to the hide overlooking the main waterhole is very rewarding. The stay was definitely good value. We stayed out of season and benefitted from the camp not being full, however I would think that if the camp was full to capacity some aspects may start to get uncomfortable.

We spent two days in this nice park and in this lodge, completely managed by people from the local community. Our tent was cozy, nice and with enough space for bags and stuff and the tents are very far one from another, that is very appreciable. We loved the outside shower. Meals are good. Our guide Thulani was very nice and skilled and it was a pleasure to have game drives with him. Meals are good. Something I didn’t like was the lack of transparency about price of beverage during safari and meals: it was completely unclear, they informed us only during our second day – and only on my request - that a bottle of white wine for sundowner costed just 3 time a glass, otherwise I would have ordered the bottle since the first day. We were told that the red wine for dinner costed Rand 170 but on the final bill we found Rand 190. For breakfast, I ordered an espresso coffee that was charged Rand 20 and I was not informed about it. I think these matters are very important. The place (park, tents, safari, our guide) would be rated 5 but for this lack of clarity about price I rate it 4.

Having not been very happy with my last stay, I decided to give the lodge another try and take a friend who had never been and wanted to go. The booking was very straight forward and it was much better for us having a 4x4 so could drive ourselves to the lodge and hide when we wanted. Unfortunately they still don't tell new arrivals about the hide and that you can ask your guide to take you and this really needs to become part of their standard introduction. The food had improved from last time and whilst the portions are still not big, just go up for seconds. They don't tell you that you can but for us of a prop forward build, it's the only way you'll get enough food. The crème brûlée our first night was one of the best I have ever had! The chicken the second night was back to being over cooked but overall the food was better. The guiding was better this time with Kulu as our guide who was very knowledgeable and patient. The road network is not massive and will need some attention after the heavy rains this year but this is better than what I had seen elsewhere in KZN. The accommodation was very comfortable with some nice touches like handwashing powder next to the sink, a small fresh milk and tables for leaving suitcases on. It's still a long way to come if you are not doing Kosi bay or Mozambique but I'm pleased to say it's now back on my list of go-to places to stay in KZN.

Great staff! Delicious meals! Game drives were good and insightful- learnt a thing or two from our guide V Did not see lions but their fresh prints were all over road so just missed them in morning . Love our trip. Tents were also clean and neat. Buck came to graze every afternoon. Guinea fowl being fed in mornings… stunning place! Community uplifting at its best!

This is the second visit to Tembe and didn't learn the first time. The staff on the whole are brilliant but the guides are awful I'm sorry to say. They do not understand that foreign travellers are on the vehicles and do not want to bird spot as do the local visitors. This time to add insult to us 60% of conversation was in Zulu (not Africaan) because the others in the vehicle were local. We spent hours looking for birds and did not mix it up with animals. It is my own fault should not have gone because my first visit was identical apart from the language. If they have any thoughts of attracting the higher paying foreign visitors they should change drastically. I was not the only customer complaint of this. We confronted the guide (Philip) who surprisingly was confrontational saying that the other guests wanted to view birds and would continue. We did not go on the remainder of the three game drives because of this. We have been visiting South Africa since 1994 at least twice a year and have not come across this before. Remainder of the staff amazing but sorry the guides are a law unto their own. Other vehicles did have good game viewings but not us. If you are thinking of going as a foreign visitor I would honestly look at this review it is all truthful and don't want others to put up with what we had to

The staff are great however the game drives were not. If you like bird watching then great if not think about another park. The guide spent more time looking at birds and vegetation than any of the big 5. The vegetation is so thick near to the tracks it is impossible to spot anything ground level. The evening meals were poor but the breakfast was very good.

Special place with very comfortable accommodation, good food and amazing game drives. We had a wonderful stay - 100% recommend. The family tent was beautiful - we were very glad it had electric blankets for the night time chill. The outdoor shower was perfect for the warmer days with Guinea fowl poking their noses around. We had some incredible animal encounters and memories to last a lifetime.

Very few places are now available in the world where you can stay, at a good price, and get the experience of being treated well by friendly staff and be so close to the natural world which is on the "doorstep". Accomodation (in tents) is superb with all all reasonable facilities having been considered and provided for the guests. Highly recommended for those interested in the (sadly declining) natural world who want to experience part of Africa's fantastic heritage before it disappears.