&Beyonds Tengile River Lodge

Tengile River Lodge is one of &Beyonds newest and most luxurious lodges and it most definitely did not disappoint. The lodge is based in the Sabi Sands on the bend of the Sand River.

I was extremely lucky enough to spend two nights here and my first reaction was…’Oh wow!’. I was greeted by all the fantastic staff at the entrance with a cold towel and a refreshing drink. I was also fortunate enough to be one of the first people to stay at the lodge as it had recently just opened, meaning that I got to stay there whilst it was still relatively quiet. There are definitely some perks to working in the travel industry!

After an orientation and a tour of my wonderful room, it was lunch time at the main lodge whilst overlooking the river, keeping an eye out for elephants.

My Room

The rooms are like houses! I’ve stayed in some pretty luxurious places in Africa, but I think I have to say, this is the most luxurious. It was just breathtaking! The rooms are extremely large and spread apart from each other, giving you extreme privacy. All rooms over look the river, giving you panoramic views and optimal game viewing experience right from your bed, deck, shower or pool!

As you walk in the front door, you are greeted with the most tastefully decorated bar and lounge area that head straight out onto the outside seating area. As you walk to the right, the bedroom invites you in with gorgeous colours setting the feel to safari. Everything about the room entices you in and makes you never want to leave.

As everything is open plan, the bathroom is just a few steps away and is one of the most luxurious ones I have ever come across. The toilet is separate, however, the bathroom and shower is out in the open, so it is best to stay in the room with someone you are comfortable with. Luckily, I had the whole place to myself!!

The bathroom comes with some of my favourite toiletries from Healing Earth. The bath salts, the moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner is all to die for!!

The outside is on a whole new level of crazy luxury! The deck runs along the whole of room, giving lots of space to wander, relax and take in the views. Now, can you believe that this infinity pool is all for you?! It is completely private and is there for you to use to cool and wind down whilst you aren’t on safari. This is the largest private infinity pool I have ever come across in a room at a safari lodge!

You could spend a whole day in the room and still be finding new things and using all of the facilities. I made sure that I spent as much of my free time as possible in my room, I mean, when else will I have this room all to myself again!?! I even turned the loungers by the pool into my own office for a few hours. The surroundings definitely gave me some inspiration!

I also made sure I spent as much time in the pool as I possibly could. I just loved sitting there, watching the wildlife wander by and listening to the sounds of Africa - a real Armchair Safari.

The food

The food and drink was pretty spectacular! Everything was delicious and presented beautifully. We also ate in wonderful places, such as on the main deck overlooking the river and in the boma with entertainment. There was always so much food available and everything was home made.

The Spa

I love, love, love a spa! I just can’t get enough of massages and I think I might have a little addiction to them. Everywhere I go that offers spa treatments is such a weakness of mine, I am like a moth to a flame! The spa at Tengile is fantastic!

Away from the main lodge is a large swimming pool, a gym and that wonderful spa I was talking about. It is the perfect little wellness area in the bush and I love it - not that I had time to use the gym ;)

Of course I had a massage…and it was incredible! Not only was the actual massage amazing, the views were breathtaking. The treatment room over looks the river and whilst I was having a massage, a herd of elephants wandered by! Can it be anymore perfect?

Wildlife and activities

I have talked about the incredible lodge, which is obviously an important part of safari, especially when you are at Tengile, however, you go on safari for the wildlife! Tengile is based in the Sabi Sands in the surroundings of Kruger National Park in South Africa. The Kruger National Park is quite busy with vehicles and self drivers, however, the private reserve of Sabi Sands which although still busy, is a lot less crowded. You can also explore the Mala Mala Private Reserve as they have an agreements with their neighbours, giving you lots more landscape to explore. It is definitely one of the busiest places I have been on safari, but the wildlife made up for it.

The wildlife was incredible! Honestly, it was like Leopards were falling out of trees there were that many and I saw the ‘Big 5’ plus much more, just in the first game drive. You cannot fault the game viewing! I was also lucky enough to spot a couple of packs of Wild Dog, which are usually quite elusive.

Whilst at Tengile you can take part in game drives, go bush walks and visit the local communities.

The guides are fantastic and extremely knowledgeable! As well as a driver/guide, you also get your super cool tracker who sits at the front of the vehicle, and they track the wildlife using their knowledge of the area and by footprints. It is amazing how incredible their eyes are and what they can spot. They are also quite fearless…would you like to sit up front with a a leopard or a herd of buffalo?

How I got there

I arrived at Skukuza Airport by private plane…yes that is what I said. I was extremely lucky enough to travel in style and it was a pretty incredible experience. I flew in from the Phinda Private Game Reserve, however, you can fly from Johannesburg as it has great connections. It is also quite common to fly in from other lodges or travel by road. If you have any questions on how to get there, please let me know!

My thoughts

As you can probably guess already, I loved my stay here and cannot wait to return one day. It is perfect if you are looking for some luxury, relaxation and wildlife. It is a great place to stay for both first time safaris as you have all your luxuries around you, and for experienced safari goers as you can spend a little more time enjoying the luxury and taking safari nice and slowly, starting from the privacy of your room. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and the facilities at the main lodge and in the rooms are faultless - I wanted for nothing. Even the bed was one of the comfiest beds I have ever slept in, which made it tough getting up for safari at 5am!

The wildlife is phenomenal, however, as I mentioned it can be quite busy with other vehicles so please just bear this in mind. It won’t be the most secluded place for wildlife spotting but the concentration of game is incredible. But, Tengile is a perfect place to go back to and wind down with a dip in your private plunge pool.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and I hope it has provided you with some inspiration! Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have ant questions.

Happy Travels.

Danielle x