The new owners has only been in charge for 2 months during our visit. Steegan was the perfect hostess, and Alex has extensive knowledge on birding and all things conservation wise was enjoyed. The hides were in good condition, and the stay was comfortable, the food tasty and the beer cold. One of the highlights was the Wild dog feeding.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â The access road in not tarred, and may be challenging when wet for a small sedan.
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.
The whole Lodge is in a excellent state and Viaan and Malene are perfect hosts. Even if it's not high birding season and pretty quiet, it is absolute worth staying there. Intersting to see the wild dogs and hearing about all the animals and what for they are kept. Wonderful star gazing and the absolute silence. We are looking forward to coming back, especially during the real bird season! Thank you!
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Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Â Relaxing, quiet, wonderful!
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 stayed at this lodge near the Zaagkuilsdrift road for the great birding in this area. The lodge is not very large which gives it a relaxed feel. The rooms are large and nicely setup. Because the lodge strives to be eco-friendly the lveel of luxury is also a bit lower but that doesn't hamper the overall lxurious feel. The food is served at night in the outside dining area. The diners are very nice and there is a nice interaction with the hosts and the other guest. We use Justin Rhys Nicolau for the company Unearth as out birding guide for a while day and had a great time. One down side for this hotel maybe is teh road leading to it. It had rained heavely the week before. Because we didn't have a 4x4 the trip to the lodge was a bit difficult. But in the end we made it.
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Date of stay: March 2018
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip 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 have previously stayed at Zaagies twice - this time we arranged for a group of our friends to stay at Zaagies on the 30th and 31st of December.
Thanks to Gerrie and Jaco for the excellent service. All of our friends thoroughly enjoyed their stay. The dinners and breakfast were fantastic, especially the dinner to see in the new year in the Boma. Food was excellent with Gerrie preparing a previous favourite desert of mine and at late request. The staff were also very accommodating.
The birding was good and the stay was really enjoyable, with most making ample use of the pool. The waiters are excellent - they have a way of not being seen but always there when and if you need something. All staff were excellent with the kids.
Our friends really enjoyed their stay and would have definitely spent an extra night there had there been availability. Thanks to Gerrie, Jaco and the team - highly recommend the stay and we are already looking forward to seeing you all again soon.
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Date of stay: December 2017
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â Can be hot in December. If you have kids book a unit in which you do not need to sleep in the...
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.
This was a spur of the moment decision for a weekend away, and what a worthwhile choice. The hospitality, accommodation, food, nature talks, etc. are excellent! We slept well, ate well and just had a fantastic time. We'll be back in the Summer to see everything in green. Loved it!
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Date of stay: August 2016
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip 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.
I was birding with a couple from Toronto - activity always drops off in the middle of the day as it heats up, so I contacted Gerrie to arrange to bring the guests for lunch. Gerrie and Jaco's hospitality was great as always - the food was out of this world - they even got me to eat salad (the biltong did help!) - frikkadels, sweet potato and other veg and chicken was the main course - a fantastic stop off before we set off for the Canadian's long trip home.
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Date of stay: December 2018
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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 have stayed at the lodge numerous times and every time it was a great stay. The lodge is nestled in the bush away from the city lights. The rooms are modern and very comfortable. The scenery very relaxing. The lodge has an eye level bird hide overlooking a water whole where various birds and antelope constantly visits. The food served are absolutely great. The hosts, Gerrie and Jaco are friendly and professional individuals, making everybody feeling like family. The food is absolutely delicious and one can see they prepare this with passion. This is a great place if you want to see the best sunrise and sunset in the bushveld. We love this place and as we did a couple of times already will return again and again.
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Date of stay: August 2018Trip 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.
A truly great destination in close proximity to Pretoria/Johannesburg, nestled in the bush and with superb accommodation and two fantastic hosts/owners! It’s always a pleasure visiting: great food, great service, great place all round!
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Date of stay: July 2018Trip 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.
The accommodation was clean and comfortable, and the meals were outstanding. A really good area for birding both within the sanctuary and in the surrounding area. There is limited accommodation which means it is not overcrowded. Lovely dining area which includes a meal under the stars. Very friendly hosts.
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Date of stay: March 2018
Value
Location
Service
Trip 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.
Zaagkuil Lodge is within 2 hours of Johannesburg (just before Bela Bela), with easy access to the lodge; the last part of the journey is on sand roads. The birding along the way is excellent. Gerrie and Jaco are wonderful hosts who do everything possible to accommodate guests. It's a small bush lodge which is totally off grid and powered by solar electricity. The food is excellent - a full breakfast and 3 course dinner is included in the overnight price. The rooms are great; the only occasional snag is that the gas showers don't always work well (as Jaco to check the settings before you jump into the shower!).
GO to Zaagkuil if you want peace and quiet, a relaxing bush break, if you want to walk, cycle, read and reconnect with yourself; we regularly do scrapbooking weekends at Zaagkuil, and it would also be a great venue for knitting / crochet groups and other crafts. The owners easily convert the reception area into a conference room DON'T GO if you expect entertainment and bright lights MUST SEE is the nearby bird sanctuary
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Date of stay: June 2017
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â All the rooms are good, my favourite is room number 4
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.
There are more places to choose from in the Pienaarsrivier area.
LOCATION
South AfricaLimpopo ProvincePienaarsrivier
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
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