"The sun rises with the fragrance of freshly ground Malawian coffee and the chorus of bird song. The days, filled with mini-adventures on the river or on foot, immersed in Mother Nature. Lazy afternoons basking in the sunshine by the poolside, the summer sound of dragonflies and chilled cocktails served with a smile. Sunsets blaze across the skyline and we gather for (more!) delicious food, sharing our experiences around a cracking campfire, under the infinite African star canopy.Tongole's whole team was super-attentive, delivering warm and friendly service. The lodge is well managed and maintained, the enormous suites are very comfortable with an elevated position, just meters from the river, where there is a constant procession of bird and animal sightings.Highlights include elephants wrestling playfully in the river right infront of the lodge and cute baby crocs hatching. The bird sightings were off-the-charts prolific and exciting: a lizard buzzard snatching up a coiling snake and a flotilla of 'visiting' fulvous ducks attacked by a harrier hawk predator. One minute the gentle breeze would be rippling on the surface of the river and the next minute, its a scene from Nat Geo Wild. Amazing."
"The room (and there are only 4!) looked out over the beautiful river Bua, what a fantastic view to wake up to! Everything you need is in the room, great shower facilities, sunken spa bath, electrics and an awesome king size bed with the biggest mosquito net you could ever imagine!"
"The main lodge, particularly the series of decks, just invites you to sit around and read, chat, and watch the wildlife. But it's tearing yourself off what may well be the comfiest chairs in the world and doing some walking that's the fun part. Having been now on several safaris in SA, Zambia and Namibia, we can say that Tongole genuinely offers a level of remoteness and variety you won't see anywhere else."
"To sum things up, my wife and I have stayed at most of the top Mayfair hotels and many 5* venues in international cities, as well as ski-ing holidays, villa stays etc. However, we have never cried on our departure before - ever! My advice is "Go" - think of it as the holiday of a lifetime - but, like us, I bet that you'll want to go back!"
"Amazing is an understatement... The Tongole Wilderness Retreat experience was out of this world. I would go back in a heartbeat. The staff welcoming and they took great care of us during our stay. Good food too."
"The food was excellent, the service attentive, they could not do too much for us. We enjoyed an early morning guided hike in the forest to the top of the mountain with amazing wildflowers and spectacular views; a canoe trip where we saw lots of birds, incl. fish eagles, as well as spotting buck and baby crocs; we had plenty of time to relax in the lodge, read, take in the sun and chat with the friendly and knowledgeable staff and guides."