Happy Travel Tuesday! Today I’m sharing my most recent trip to Kruger, but more specifically to Marloth Park. Never heard of it? Me neither! Until I came to stay at the homey Turaco Lodge last month for a wonderful weekend away in the bush.
9 Quick Reasons to Stay at Turaco Lodge
- Right in the heart of the bush, authentic experience
- Great hosts
- 2 4 1 Game Parks
- Delicious food
- Easy Access to Kruger
- Very clean
- Great for couples or families
- Awesome shower (wasn’t expecting that)
- Peaceful and relaxing
Where is Marloth Park?
Marloth Park lies on the South of Kruger Park on the road from Nelspruit to Mozambique. It’s really easy to get to from Nelspruit and is a wonderful, wonderful location to stay at if you’d like to visit Kruger.
The reason why it’s so awesome is because it’s also a little game park all on its own! So if you stay at Marloth Park, then you get 2 game parks for the price of 1!
Getting to Marloth Park
Mr John and I won tickets from TravelStart on SAA Airlink and picked Kruger International Airport so that we could explore more of our beautiful country. We got our hired car from AVIS at the Nelspruit airport, where we received EXCELLENT service from the assistance. We drove from Nelspruit to Turaco Lodge, which took us about 90 minutes as we had never driven there before, so we took it easy.
(Side note on Avis, I’ve used a few car rentals and they’re definitely the cleanest and most efficient service to date. I’d happily recommend them to you if you need a vehicle.)
Turaco Lodge at Marloth Park
While Turaco has the word ‘lodge’ in it, it’s more like a bush guesthouse or bnb. Set in the heart of Marloth Park, this four star lodge gives you an AUTHENTIC bush experience (without having to camp!). Run by owners, Tony and Danielle, like old friends they welcome you to their home and make you feel most welcome. Surrounded by camel thorn trees, animals and the stars, Turaco is a bush home away from home.
Room for 11 at Turaco Lodge
Turaco Lodge hosts a maximum of 11 people. There are a number of double rooms available for couples or families. We stayed in the “green” double room (as I call it!), which included a shower, double sink and loo. It had its own porch where we could watch the bush babies check us out!
Most importantly, the rooms are clean, clean, clean! This is so important to me when I’m away. I don’t want to see a fingerprint or a smudge from another human being in a hotel room! The Turaco rooms were not only clean, they had personality and simple amenities to ensure your stay.
A small snack basket was provided, vanity toiletries and tea and coffee. There are no TVs in the room, but that doesn’t bother me when I’m trying to get away from city living. It’s great to listen to the sounds of the bush velt and 100% adds to the relation factor.
The 2 4 1 Game Park
As you know, I grew up in a one horse desert town, Marloth Park this is like the cooler bush version. Why? Because none of the homes are fenced in, so the animals are able to wander wherever they want! Including all around the houses and in and out the park.
It’s also 20 minutes away from the Crocodile Bridge Kruger Park entrance, and about an hour away from the Malelane Kruger Park entrance. But before you even get to Kruger, you’re able to drive along the Sabie River withIN Marloth Park and find animals on your doorstep, like this bull we found on night 1!
What a great way to start a bush trip!
Nights at Turaco Lodge
Tony and Danielle are excellent hosts; with Danielle cooking up a storm in the kitchen and Tony pouring the drinks come the evening. It’s fantastic to sit on the porch, watch the buck creep by and the bush babies steal the show! Tony puts a little treat out for them each night, which attracts the adorable creatures as well as BIG fruit bats! It’s an absolute joy to sit in the sounds of the night bush velt, sip an ice cold drink or warm glass of red (I had both!) before sitting down to dinner with the hosts.
Last Thoughts on Turaco Lodge
We actually spent so much time inside Kruger that we didn’t get to take full advantage of Turaco. I think having a braai out the front on the weekend and a dip in the pool (which can’t be in the ground or the wild animals will fall in! Learn something new every day!) would be splendid, especially when it’s hot in summer.
Anyone looking to chat to hosts/locals while staying in South Africa, should add Turaco Lodge to their list. Tony and Danielle are kind hosts who warmly greet you whenever you arrive and share their dining table with you for meals.
Turaco really feels like you’ve gone to a friend’s house, who happens to live in the bush, and you’re just hanging out talking about good times. It’s relaxed, welcoming, comfortable and homey. It made me miss a childhood I never had! I grew up in the desert, not the bush!
I was sorry to say goodbye, but most thankful for the experience. Thank you SO much to Tony and Danielle for such a wonderful stay. I really enjoyed talking to you and wish and your extended family all the best. I’d love to return with my own family one day, I know they’d just love it.
Book your stay at Turaco Lodge on Booking.com and ENJOY a beautiful bush holiday!
