Dinokeng Resort
Dewagendrift Road Portion 24 and 32 of Farm Welgevonden 124JR, Dinokeng Game Reserve, Hammanskraal 0407 South Africa
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#15 of 15 lodges in Hammanskraal
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Languages Spoken
Afrikaans
Property amenities
Free parking
Pool
Indoor pool
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids' outdoor play equipment
BBQ facilities
Location
Dewagendrift Road Portion 24 and 32 of Farm Welgevonden 124JR, Dinokeng Game Reserve, Hammanskraal 0407 South Africa
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We arrived on 13/8/2023 and are leaving on 25/8. Such a fantastic place to camp and spend time. Colleen is very friendly as well as the other staff. Concerns are addressed immediately and the resort is very well managed.The take away food is very tasty, the pools are clean and the braai’s and litter holders are emptied every day We are regulars and will always support them .
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Unfortunately not a good experience at all. I booked a Chalet for my wife and our two children (2 years old and 9 months old). We were not informed that the Chalet's were situated away from the main resort, that there was no cell phone signal there (during or outside of loadshedding) or that the location is isolated away from all other people. We arrived in the afternoon, saw how secluded we were from the rest of the resort, were unable to make any calls due to no cell phone reception and so decided to drive back up to the main resort. In doing so, we contacted the owner/manager and raised our concerns. They assured us that there were other people booking into the other Chalet's around us that evening and that the resort is safe, so we decided to wait and see. The rest of the resort was lifeless, the restaurant was closed as well as the local shop and it just didn't feel very welcoming or "resort-like" at all. We decided to go to the King Fisher restaurant in the reserve (at another reputable lodge), where they served good food and also had backup power once the loadshedding kicked in at 7pm. We decided to go back to our Chalet, but upon arrival, there was no backup power, lighting or any contingencies made for loadshedding at all. We all felt really uneasy driving back to our Chalet only to find that there were no other occupants who booked in as we were told. We were completely alone, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, with two babies and no cell phone reception to top it all off. We did not feel safe, as you can easily become a target in an isolated, remote area away from the resort and then don't have any means to contact anyone. There were no backup lights when we arrived either and the whole experience felt like we were conned into believing this resort was as glamorous as the website makes it out to be. After some research on TripAdvisor and other sites, I found the ratings for this resort have recently plummeted and I realise i should have done my due diligence sooner. I will not recommend this "resort" as it is a far cry from what you'd expect when comparing to a ATKV or Forever Resort experience. I ended up leaving back to JHB after 20:30pm, because I could not stomach having my wife and children stay in an unsafe place for the sake of a peaceful holiday we were looking for. I am fortunate enough to be working in an industry with the understanding of business operations and rules required for these venues to operate under, and will also be lodging a relevant complaint with the Ombudsman and would encourage everyone else who recently had a confirmed unfair experience to do as well.…
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Date of stay: May 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
What a disappointment! We came all the way from Cape Town to camp with family at a "next door" camp site. We would have liked to view this camp site for future visits, since some of the grand kids are small. At he gate we were simply refused to enter. No reference to higher management, no please call the office, maybe they can assist. Just "no, you can turn your vehicle there".
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Date of stay: April 2023
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Room Tip: If the gate keeper rules the roost, you are in for trouble.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Great experience. Sites are well maintained and ablution facilities are neat and clean. Met the manager and his wife (Engee and Rezeldi) who were great hosts. They joined us for a drink one evening (kind of by accident) and shared some of their experiences in running the resort. It was interesting to hear some of the things that they experience but at the same time to just enjoy their company. Would absolutely go back again!!
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Thank you so much for a very pleasant experience, from the owner to the management and the staff. Clean, friendly, more than enough to keep us busy. Will be back. Keep up the good work and image. Thanks again.
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Date of stay: March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
1/5 The resort has made no arrangements for load shedding, not even one battery operated light in the chalets. The water stops running when load shedding happens so no showers or flushing toilets. If only the new management would spend their time looking to Improve the experience at the resort instead of nit picking the guests. I watched the manager and his wife be incredibly rude to a group of guests, going so far as to radio the male staff of the resort to surround the guests to intimidate them and try look powerful. The look in the staff faces was of annoyance and confusion for having been called at 9:30pm for no real reason. What a shame to see a nice resort go downhill due to bad management.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
I decided to write this review because as a business owner myself, I was appalled by the way the manager and manageress spoke to customers at this resort. If these managers were in my employment, they would be fired! Both the manager and manageress were extremely rude and belligerent to paying guests. They had no people skills whatsoever and upon chatting to other staff onsite we learned that they were demotivated and downtrodden having to work under them. Having spent just a weekend with these so-called managers was enough for me, imagine the poor staff working with them day in and day out! As a business owner, bad representation of your business can and will lead to its demise. I hope you act quickly to try and salvage your reputation. “The way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers.“ – Richard Branson…
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Date of stay: February 2023
Cleanliness
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
The new managers at Dinokeng have unfortunately ruined the entire vibe at the resort. The husband and wife team are very rude and spoke to us as if were were school children, instead of paying customers. None of our group of 33 people will return. There was a noise complaint about our birthday party which when a fellow camper asked for the music to go down we complied & apologized. Most of our group were in bed by 22:00. The manger & his wife barged into our camp in the morning to shout at 2 of our group who had nothing to do with the music. Then at 11am came back to scold us & ruin our afternoon because we played soft music over brunch. (As many other campers were doing) The audacity of blaming us for noise when we were woken by a leaf blower at 6:45am , the refuse collection happening first thing in the morning! That is completely unnecessary noise for a Saturday morning. We have to tolerate their noise and many screaming toddlers, so little bit of soft music in the afternoon is not much to ask. Three other camp sites were playing music and weren’t reprimanded. The managers aren’t focused on making the camp a pleasant experience blowing a whistle at the swimmers. They choose who to bully to try show their prowess as managers. We saw huge changes from our last visit and it could even be seen on the faces of the many staff at the camp. They even picked on our kids for splashing in the pool. We’ve been here many times before and never been treated like this. We then watched the manageress point our group out to other campers and smirk as she walked passed. This woman is a toxic addition to a normally welcoming atmosphere. Her whistle and walkie talkie should be confiscated immediately! My friend has been a frequent and loyal customer to the camp site over the past 6 years and was spoken to in an unacceptable manner in front of all his friends. The manager threatened to remove my friend and called him arrogant, when he was nothing but polite & apologetic. 14 of us witnessed this appalling behavior from a resort manager who clearly has no experience in the hospitality industry. These managers have cost the resort untold future earnings. None of us will return! There are many other lovely resorts that welcome you instead of this shocking treatment we all experienced. Talking to the campers near us they were shocked at what was going on.…
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
I have camped all over South Africa for many years and recently decided to try the Dinokeng Resort during the almost '4th wave' with the pandemic because it was close to Joburg, they do not allow Day Visitors and its quite secluded. So let's begin with the bitter... Most schools I'm aware of, have cancelled all tours, class parties and excursions so you can but imagine the surprise when 2X busloads of young teenagers arrived, 2 days in a row with most not wearing masks, no evident adult supervision or any Covid protocols being put into place. Under the Dinokeng Resort's website 'About Us' it says, "Dinokeng Resort does not allow day visitors so make sure to book book book in advance!" Yes, if you search under all the extra content, you eventually find that school excursions are allowed. Not sure the difference and their meaning of Day Visitors? Point is, I would have appreciated as a PAYING guest that we would have received courtesy communication asking if we were still comfortable at staying at the resort considering the recent Presidential address so we could make better decisions accordingly. What made matters worse is on my way to the camping guest ablution block, I couldn't use the bathroom as the entrance was blocked with dressing teenagers and inside was crowded with them unmasked getting ready for the pool. No staff or management were on duty to prevent the day visitors using our ablutions that are so close to the pools or redirecting them to bathrooms allocated. In that moment, I bumped into Joanna (General Manager) and spoke to her about my valid concerns and her attitude was quite unexpected... I conveyed to her: - About the lack of communication to her guests regarding the busloads of kids visiting the resort. (I can confirm that I met with more than 10 guests that were incredibly upset and complaining, even sending emails of which the same responses were given). - The camping ablution facilities being packed with day visitors and this posing a risk to the guests. After I mentioned that her guests comprise of so many elderly and its putting them at risk, she proceeded to say, "that's their problem"! Sure, the elderly can choose to not go to the pool but how do they not go to the loo? - One of my biggest concerns was the fact that not one mask was being worn by staff or anyone in her small shop. (Never mind her lack of mask when she was attending to guests who were complaining about the noise in camp after hours). There is a sign at the shop stating 'no mask, no entry' but if your own staff (6 were in the shop that I recall) can't even follow this rule, how do you expect anyone else to respect it? There were queues of people, all close to one another and no protocols were being followed. (I wonder if her staff get Covid, which is highly likely, do their salaries even still get covered when they are not able to work?) In regards to the above, her response to me was, "well then don't go to the pools or shops- that's your choice". (~stunned~). I would have at the very least expected, "I understand your frustration, why not try this particular secluded pool in the resort" or "we will make sure the day visitors use the swimming pool bathrooms rather". Not even the slightest sympathy for the troubling situation. Clearly gaging from her response- Covid doesn't access the premises. I was hoping that after the conversation she at least would have spoken to the staff at the shop to follow more hygienic protocols, instead she sat on a nearby table chatting to whoever, barely caring about all her guests' frustrations that were unfolding around. Other concerns were that the waterslides need some maintenance as another guest sliced his arm wide open which needed stitches and even, I got quite badly hurt on a slide from the sections not being connected properly. The indoor heated pool, which is enclosed and a tiny space was still open to everyone to use which in my opinion, should have been closed. I would suggest a lifeguard on duty at the large pool when the area is busy. There only seems to be 2X lifeguards for such a large area who were chatting and spending time together at the one set of slides instead of focusing on the area. Not wanting to compete with the small crowds of guests and now huge crowds of day visitors with the pandemic, my family and myself had to make the RESPONSIBLE decision to find another quiet pool by the chalets until 3pm when we could finally use the facilities we have paid for. It was here where we met with other frustrated guests, who too had a terrible experience with Joanna and had concerns regarding their Covid protocols. Now I'll finish with the sweet... If you are able to look past the terrible management and attitudes... the camping stands are clean, well maintained and the grass is so soft that you don't even need ground covers! I was impressed with the dustbins and braai's being cleaned daily and the ablution block was kept clean with shower areas larger than normal. The bird sightings around the campsite, including the frequent visit from the Woodlands Kingfisher, was spectacular. The little time the kids actually had around the swimming pool slides etc, they really enjoyed. For a parent with smaller children, most of the large pool and the outside heated pool is undercover so it protects the young ones from the harsh sun. The takeaway kiosk serves really reasonably priced and delicious food. I loved hearing the lions roaring early in the morning and the walks around the property are pleasant. My kids really enjoyed fishing at the dam which radiates picturesque displays during sunset. My suggestion for the resort- you have lovely facilities and such a gem of a location but spend more time in upskilling your staff in regard to hospitality and that detailed service and you could be more than average. Considering our tourism industry has been hit incredibly hard during all the lockdowns, perhaps start taking seriously the protocols needed to be put in place to ensure to the best of your ability, your guests' safety. People are tryin to make calculated decisions (knowing there will always be a risk), keeping safety in mind whilst supporting the industry so they also want to feel that the destination is doing the best they can to ensure that safety which starts with the small details. I see that negative reviews regarding similar problems and people have been carrying on for a while, at what point does that start being taken seriously before people start choosing alternative options in the Dinokeng that cater to those needs? I've been in this industry for decades and one thing I know is, you can have the most amazing facilities but what separates one from the other is level of hospitality and service!!!…
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Date of stay: December 2021
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Room Tip: The normal camping stands are much larger than the private!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
If I can offer one bit of wisdom - go somewhere else PLEASE ! What a nightmare ! The first two days = rained out - natures way of telling us we had made a mistake? NO COVID PROTOCOLS !! Both management and staff walk around with no masks or adherence to Covid Protocols . Day 3 , the first beautiful day of sun & 2 BUSES of school children arrive !! +/_ 60 kids no masks , no social distancing, not even the teachers. With the Omicron variant & instructions from the President why are school excursions being allowed ? Needless to say , those of us who had paid for the campsite were unable to use the facilities. You couldn't get near the pools or supertubes !! Day 4 , ANOTHER 2 BUSES of kids !! Yet again the campers are unable to make use of the facilities. Still no Covid Protocols implemented by either the school concerned or Management of the resort. When I confronted management the response I got was to "read the website" . No management skills whatsoever. On top of that we had loud music and drunken teenagers on one night , which management did attend to , however the following night those same drunken teens thought that swearing at me and opening and slamming there bakkie doors at all hours of the night was funny. (According to the website that I was told to read , loud music and other noise will nit be tolerated.....hahaha.) I didn't even bother with management at this point , was so relieved to get out of there !!! A shocking experience from start to finish , NEVER AGAIN !!!…
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Date of stay: December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
LOCATION
South AfricaGautengHammanskraal
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Frequently Asked Questions about Dinokeng Resort
Which popular attractions are close to Dinokeng Resort?
Nearby attractions include Dinokeng Activities (6.8 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Dinokeng Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an indoor pool, free parking, and kids activities.
What food & drink options are available at Dinokeng Resort?
Guests can enjoy barbeque facilities during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Dinokeng Resort?
Yes, guests have access to an indoor pool during their stay.