Guest experience
Sitting at the centre of Welgevonden Game Reserve – a private conservation area less than three hours’ drive from Johannesburg – Tshwene Lodge and Ekuthuleni Lodge share a sense of laidback luxury and heartfelt hospitality but embody their own distinct energy. Tshwene Lodge sits in the treetops, surrounded by lush foliage and with an intimate, more romantic spirit that is ideal for couples, while Ekuthuleni Lodge benefits from larger proportions and a position overlooking a wide-open plain, making it extremely comfortable for family or groups of friends travelling together.
Another point of difference between them is the spa offering – while Ekuthuleni Lodge offers in-room treatments, Tshwene Lodge has a dedicated spa area. As part of our integration with Healing Earth this year, the teams at both lodges received external training, refining their technique and learning all the aspects of the new spa menu.
Both properties are also nearing the end of a refurbishment of all the soft furnishings in both the main guest areas and the suites.
Wildlife & conservation
Welgevonden Game Reserve is set in the shadow of the ancient Waterberg mountains and is home to more than 65 mammal species, including the Big Five. The 36,000-hectare protected area is actively maintained by reserve management, making not only for a pristine habitat in which these animals can thrive but also a beautiful backdrop to your twice-daily game drives.
Some of the recent conservation news from the reserve includes the successful completion of the annual elephant contraception project, the introduction of two male cheetahs from Pilanesberg National Park, the birth of two more cheetah cubs to a resident female and the rescue of a day-old white rhino calf who was rejected by her mother. Name Mpho – meaning “Gift” in Setswana – this feisty young female is now thriving at The Rhino Orphanage whose Instagram account offers regular updates on her and the other rescues in their care.
