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Dune 91 Off the Auob River Road, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 8814 South Africa
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!Xaus Lodge is a private Safari Lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Set in an isolated corner of the Kalahari Desert, this eco-lodge is owned by the local Khomani San and Mier communities, and commercially managed. Guests stay on a full-board basis, with all meals, activities and game drives included in the tariff. Activities include wilderness walks with local Khomani San trackers, a visit to the craft village to meet local crafters, game drives and an opportunity to listen to the sunset. Night-sky star-gazing is a highlight of the evening.!Xaus Lodge is an isolated, desert destination where the emphasis is on experiencing this unique part of the world. Guests stay in chalets on the edge of a large salt-pan and can view game at the waterhole from their private viewing deck. Wilderness walks provide an opportunity to see the smaller details, and give an opportunity to learn about desert life.The local community owners, the Khomani San and Mier, make up the majority of the staff, and their influences dominate the aesthetics and culinary experience. !Xaus Lodge is a place to experience, and not just observe.
We go to these private lodges for the bush experience - the accomodation and food are less important . We were quite disappointed at the length of time we spent in the bush . In addition I would far rather go on a game drive at 3:00pm (in line with other private lodges ) than 9:00pm at night and then only for an hour .
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Date of stay: November 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.
Amazing lodge in the Kalahari. Fantastic place to unplug from the world. No internet, TV or phone. Just pure silence of the desert. The views of the pan from the rooms is brilliant. Food was excellent considering the remote location. Room are not fancy but are comfortable and have everything you need. Game drives and nature walks were very interesting. While not the animal numbers of Kruger, high quality sightings. Cheetah, Caracal, Honey Badger and wildcat were big bonus items.
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Date of stay: September 2023
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Trip 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.
We spent two nights in this expensive private lodge and had high expectations given by the photos of the site, unfortunately it didn't go that way. The location is certainly very suggestive and the chalets very beautiful, the cuisine very well cared for but there is a but. I state that we were the only guests which amazed me as at the booking it seemed fully booked so that we had to move the dates. The first night around 11 pm there were loud squeasing and noises of scratching nails, coming from the nests of bats in the roof inside the chalet, bats that then began to fly and emit verses throughout the night. They scare me a lot so I spent the whole night awake huddled under the blankets while my husband tried to get them out. In the morning I reported everything to Antony, the manager, who spread his arms saying that they don't bother him. I expect such an answer from a staff member at Twee Rivieren where I pay 1000 rand a night, but not in a 22,000 rand private lodge. Although nothing would have changed, he should have proposed to change chalets since they were all empty and only 4 other people would arrive. The next night, same thing, however, I slept in the bathroom sitting on a chair with my feet on the toilet. In the morning when Antony the manager asked me how it went and I told him he smiled .... I'm a stupid tourist ok course ...... Let's move on to activities. A 55 minute night drive, a 50 minute morning walk and a 1 hour and 30 minute sunset drive We have been going to South Africa for 23 years and we know the natural environment well and it is not the first time we have gone to a private lodge, but we have never had such a treatment. I wrote an email on my return to the company that manages the lodge, no answer Money really wasted…
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
We spent 4 nights here and thoroughly enjoyed it. Considering its extremely remote location (350km from the nearest town), they provide excellent hospitality and catering. The chalets were clean comfortable, and the beds have electric blankets for the cold winter nights. Each has a view of the large watering hole in the salt pan that was visited regularly by antelope and jackal on our visit. We were incredibly lucky to see lions on our night drive and again when they came to drink from one of the smaller watering holes near the entrance to the lodge. We stood within a few meters of them on the lodge decking and I don't think I will ever forget it. We also regularly had jackals and mongoose walking around chalet. The Kalahari park might not have all the big 5 but we saw more than enough to keep things interesting and plenty of things that we had never seen before (meerkat, honey badger and many different birds of prey). It was probably the most peaceful and relaxing place I have stayed.…
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Date of stay: July 2023
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:The water for washing has a high mineral content and is a bit salty but purified water is...
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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.
!Xaus is a very special place where I was able to deeply appreciate the beauty of the Khalahari desert and the wisdom of the San people. The view over the saltpan from all rooms is incredible. This is not the usual touristic place. The silence of the desert is medicine. The guides teach all they can about the names and life of the animals and plants and how to read the signs they leave on the sand. Finally, the food is fantastic and the staff made my stay truly perfect for what I was looking for: to learn about the San culture and connect to nature.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
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.
!Xaus lodge is a gem in the kgalagadi. The hospitality was great. Our guide, Castro, was most informative and we had a super night game drive with him as well as an interesting morning walk where he pointed out the small things in nature. Highly recommend a stay here! The concept of the lodge is what makes South Africa unique!
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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.
It is situated in a beautiful ands remote corner of the Kalagadi , There wasn't a lot of game but the remoteness and hospitality of the Lodge was super - maybe they can improve on the game drive experience !!
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Date of stay: April 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.
I wanted to experience the beauty and magic of the Kgalagadi without having to self-drive or self-cater, so I felt lucky to find the clean, comfortable !Xaus Lodge perched over a pan. My guide, Castro, had eyes in the back of his head and was somehow able to position me correctly so that I could get the perfect shot of an owl behind branches, for example. He found me a clear sighting of a hoopoe, my favorite bird, and knew where the elephant shrew family was. The lodge has wonderful views in all directions and excellent stargazing. The staff is quite welcoming and the food is delicious. Don’t miss this. South Africa is a particularly good bargain as of this writing.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 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.
!XAus has been on our list for years. This year we did it, as all OutCamps have been fully booked (12 month in advance). The drive to the Lodge is very nice and smooth. A good road is liek a good invitation. The management and staff is very friendly. The chalets are with solar power. Food was perfect and even the walk to the "traditional village" was NOT too TOURISTIC. The folk teher was shy and not pushing to sell. One of the playsers was the morning walk guide. Very nice. If you get additionally Hyena, Cheetah, a pride of lions in the camp and a leopard - what more can be expected !!!! Addidionally we had a nice discussion with writer and conservaztionist Richard Peirce. What a privilege - the whole visit.
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Date of stay: February 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:just prepare to be in the wild
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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.
We went to !Xaus Lodge to celebrate my mom's 60th and what a celebration it was. We were pampered from the get-go and experienced the Kalahari hospitality throughout the entire weekend. The staff and management wentout of their way to make each and every moment special for all of us - they even baked birthday cakes for both my mom and dad (who also celebrated his birthday over this weekend) to celebrate. Every meal was simply delicious, and we could really experience the tranquility of our surroundings at every moment. Our guide, Castro, was awesome and really went above and beyond to ensure that we saw and experienced all that we could on our short stay. We will go back in a heartbeat. Thank you to Anthony, Suzie, little Colleen, Castro and all the staff, we had the best weekend!…
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 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.