Description on accommodation:

Madi a Thavha Mountain Lodge is one of only a handful lodges in Southern Africa specialising in a truly unique and authentic African cultural experience in the (truly) African northern parts of Limpopo. The lodge is surrounded by Big Five country, so you can benefit from impressive game, bird, tree and even insects and bat viewing opportunities in its immediate surroundings too. Madi a Thavha, being 100% committed to sustainable tourism, work hard to keep up and stay on top all the cultural, heritage and contemporary developments, research and buzz (even pre-historic) in and around the mountain, which include Venda, Gazankulu, Blouberg/Makgabeng, Limpopo Valley and the close-bordering Botswana, Kruger Park and Zimbabwe. Madi a Thavha, meaning “water from the mountains”, is only 10 km drive from the centre of Louis Trichardt (Makhado). Enjoying the stylish and bright accommodations, excellent food, the warm hospitality and supportive attitude of the Madi a Thavha staff will make your stay a remindable experience. At Madi a Thavha you will find all the area has to offer, a permanent exhibition of the art and craft work of the Venda and Tsonga artists, numerous bird species, walking routes, and the textile workshop of Madi a Thavha Design. The lodge is an excellent base to spend a few days to explore the Venda and Tsonga culture by visiting the artists and crafters in the villages around Elim and Mutale and to discover unspoiled nature and culture of the people of the Soutpansberg and Limpopo valley.  Accommodation Madi a Thavha provides self catering, bed and breakfast and full boarding services for up to 18 people. The accommodation consists of guest rooms and guest houses, which are located in and around the original farm house, all with mountain view and terrace or veranda and own entrance. The following accommodations are available:  2 guest rooms with bathrooms en suite in the farm house (1 with double bed, 1 with 2 twin-beds) 2 self catering guest houses (2 and 3 beds) 1 large self catering family guest house with 2 bedrooms and bathrooms en suite (5 beds) 1 wooden cottage with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom (4 beds) The farm house includes a lounge with a fire place and DSTV, dining room, open plan kitchen, reception with telephone and Internet facilities, craft shop and verandas. In the garden you will find a refreshing swimming pool and lapa. We serve breakfast and dinner on the veranda of the farm house or in the dining room. We offer a three course dinner as a set menu in the evenings. Breakfast is an exclusive and varied buffet of juices, yoghurts, fruits, muesli’s, baked muesli or pancakes, bread, toast, muffins, cheese and various egg dishes.

We decided to implement the following changes which will be operational from the 1st of November 2018:

We will bring down the total number of guest accommodations to 7 suites.

• We will work on various improvements of our suites and general facilities. We will continue to offer delicious meals making use of fresh and healthy ingredients. By adding details to our services, our guests will even more experience a homely feeling.
• We will only make bookings based on a dinner, bed and breakfast, because we learned from experience that nearly all our guests join us for dinner. This is helping us to plan well for our meals and special needs related to diets.
• We will refocus our wide range of cultural activities to two basic programmes: the Elim Arts and Culture tour and the Venda Lifestyle tour. Within these programmes we will accommodate requests from guests, which makes each tour a tailor-made experience. Apart from our own tours, Samson Mulaudzi will be available for the birding tours.

Description on Surroundings:

There are walking routes on the lodge and excellent birding opportunities. Guests can visit the craft shop in the main house, displaying the products of 25 artists and craft groups and the sewing workshop of Madi a Thavha Design. In addition to the textile collections that are available at the craft shop, the Madi a Thavha Design team makes tailor made products such as tablecloths, cushions and bed spreads. You can join one of the organised tour programmes or explore the area on your own. We offer various self-drive or guided day trips by car or 4 x 4. There are tour programmes focusing on arts and culture, history and nature, such as the Elim art and culture tour, the Land of Legends tour and the Soutpansberg Skirmishes tour that lead you to historical places of the Anglo Boer War. In the Soutpansberg area you will also find various birding hot spots. Some examples of tour programmes include Walking routes and hiking trails, varying from 2 hours to 2 day hikes Village life and sun downer mountain bike tour Birding tours Baobab and Land of Legend tour to Northern Venda Soutpansberg Skirmishes route  Elim Art, Crafts and Culture tour and Village walks Blouberg and Makgabeng Cultural Heritage tour Workshops with artists and crafters Programme with dancing, singing traditional music and story telling.