About This Property
Toro River Lodge is a five-suite Newmark camp on the Makhutswi River in Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve, Limpopo — Big Five bush west of Kruger, not inside the park. Official rooms: three River Suites and two Luxury Suites, 60 m² each, two guests, private decks, king beds, air-conditioning, indoor bath and outdoor shower. Maximum 10 as published (an extra bed for one child aged 6–11 is subject to availability). Children under six are not accepted.
Go2Africa’s from-price is USD 445–585 per person sharing, full board. We have used 445. The Newmark FAQ includes meals, two game drives a day, tea, coffee and refreshments; conservation or gate fees, transfers and selected beverages are extra. Guided walks are included. Go2Africa also ticks night drives — the FAQ only publishes morning and evening drive times, so confirm a night slot before you sell it.
The shared camp has a restaurant and bar, boma, wine cellar (photographed on Go2Africa), curio shop, Wi-Fi, and a pool plus hot jacuzzi under a sycamore fig. Solar power with a generator. Laundry extra. Newmark’s published open date is 9 December 2025. Check-in 14:00, check-out 11:00; the Makalali main gate closes at 17:00.
Why We Love It
We like Toro because it is the small Makalali one: five suites on the Makhutswi, Newmark’s reopen, Big Five west of Kruger without pretending to sit inside the park. Go2Africa’s USD 445 full-board from-price is the number we have used. The FAQ still leaves conservation fees and most drinks off the rate — budget them, and do not copy Safari.com’s house-bar inclusion unless the quote says so.
Two drives and a walk, a pool under a sycamore fig, and a gate that shuts at 17:00 is the published rhythm. We would not bring a child under six, and we would not treat the Go2Africa map pin as the last 35 minutes of reserve road.
Ten guests is the point. Come for the river and the off-road drives. Leave Garonga and Kruger for the nights they already occupy on GIA.
Rooms & Details
River Suite (3 suites)
Three 60 m² River Suites sit in the quieter corners of camp, each for two guests, with a private deck over the bush. A king bed, air-conditioning, mini-bar, tea and coffee, hairdryer and safe come as standard. The bathroom is semi-partitioned, with an indoor bath and an outdoor shower.
An extra bed for one child aged 6–11 can be added subject to availability. Daily housekeeping is included.
Luxury Suite (2 suites)
Two 60 m² Luxury Suites share the same footprint as the River Suites, with a more open-plan bathroom and a free-flow layout. Each has a king bed with mosquito net, air-conditioning, mini-bar, tea and coffee, indoor bath, outdoor shower, hairdryer, safe and a private deck.
Main lodge
The camp sits on the Makhutswi River in Makalali Private Game Reserve, west of Kruger National Park. Shared spaces include a restaurant and bar, a swimming pool and hot jacuzzi under a sycamore fig, a boma (plus a kids’ boma), a curio shop and Wi-Fi throughout.
Meals are also served on the pool deck and under the riverside trees. There is a wine cellar; there is no gym. Neighbouring Garonga Safari Camp shares the same Greater Makalali concession.
Amenities & Features
Photo Gallery
Rates
Prices start from $445 per night. Final pricing depends on season, room type, and availability. Check current rates on our booking partner's site for the most accurate pricing.
Price From uses Go2Africa’s lowest published USD nightly figure: USD 445 per person sharing, full board (headline USD 445–585; schema.org priceRange the same). Seasonal blocks on Go2Africa run 1 Mar 2026–31 Oct 2028. Safari.com publishes from R7,750 PPS (1 Jun–31 Oct 2026) including house drinks — a ZAR card, not used for Price From. Official Newmark FAQ full board includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, two game drives, tea, coffee and refreshments. Not included: conservation or gate fees, airport transfers, selected beverages, gratuities, personal items. Laundry extra. Child-minding extra. Newmark opening blog also said “local beverages” included — current FAQ is narrower; Safari.com includes soft drinks, house wines, local spirits, local beers, teas, coffees and mineral water. Follow the FAQ unless a quote says otherwise. Children 6+. Extra bed for one child 6–11, subject to availability. Age 12+ charged as adults. Five suites, two guests each (official). Travala lists a destination fee of ZAR 380 per person per stay — not on the Newmark FAQ; confirm. Wild Romance Escape package valid until 30 September 2026 (Newmark packages page).
What's Included
- Breakfast (official times: summer 09:00–11:00, winter 09:30–11:00; Go2Africa: bush breakfasts along the river)
- Lunch (official: summer 14:30–15:30, winter 14:00–15:30) and high tea (Go2Africa)
- Dinner (official: summer 20:30–22:00, winter 20:00–22:00; boma, restaurant, pool deck, riverside or in-room)
- Tea, coffee and refreshments (official FAQ). Selected beverages extra unless a quote/Safari.com-style inclusion is confirmed.
- Two game drives per day with a field guide and tracker (official Newmark FAQ; Go2Africa). Off-road in dense bush (Newmark portfolio blog / Go2Africa).
- Guided safari walks at no extra cost (official FAQ). Children 16+ on walks. Summer/winter drive times published on the FAQ.
- Conservation experiences, subject to availability (official experiences page / Newmark blog).
- Bush breakfasts, high tea and boma dinners as part of the full-board dining programme (Go2Africa / official).
- Sundowners on evening drives (Go2Africa itinerary copy).
- Go2Africa also lists night drives as an amenity — official FAQ only names morning and evening game drives. Confirm whether a separate night drive runs.
- Swimming pool and hot jacuzzi under a sycamore fig at the main lodge (official).
- Child-minding on request, extra, 24 hours’ notice (official FAQ). Babysitting is separately listed as not available — confirm which product you need.
Official FAQ full board: suite, breakfast, lunch, dinner, two daily game drives, tea, coffee and refreshments. Guided walks at no extra cost. Go2Africa stay is Full Board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) — drinks not specified on that card. Conservation/gate fees, transfers, selected beverages, laundry, gratuities and personal items extra. Confirm whether house drinks are in for your dates (Safari.com vs FAQ).
Location
How to Get There
By air
Official: fly O.R. Tambo (Johannesburg) to Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport, then a road transfer (extra, pre-arranged). Federal Air flies from O.R. Tambo into Makalali Game Reserve — book through Newmark. Private charter to an airstrip inside the reserve on request.
By road from Johannesburg
Official contact page (do not use AI pin-drops): N1/N4 east to eMakhazeni (Belfast), R540 then R36 via Mashishing (Lydenburg) and the J.G. Strijdom Tunnel, stay on the R36 toward Tzaneen, last fuel at the Total, across the Olifants, past The Oaks and the Phalaborwa turn-off, right onto the Harmony D202 toward Gravelotte (gravel). Through the boom, about 9 km to the Makalali main gate on the right. Collect a Toro River Lodges remote, use the servitude beside the main gate, then follow Toro signs — about 35 minutes from the main gate to the lodge. Low-clearance vehicles are not suitable; night driving on the gravel is not recommended; no fuel in the reserve. Main gate strictly closed after 17:00.
From Hoedspruit or Mbombela
Official: Hoedspruit via the R527 then the same R36/D202 sequence. Mbombela (Nelspruit) via the R40 to Hazyview and Bushbuckridge, R531 Kampersrus, R527, then the same R36/D202 finish. Pick-ups at the main gate can be pre-arranged if your vehicle cannot do the gravel.
Nearby Attractions
Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve (Big Five, wild dog, hippo, crocodile); Kruger National Park (west of the park, not inside it); Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre; Garonga Safari Camp, Jabulani and Kapama in the wider area (Bonne Vie); Tzaneen and Hazyview for farm stalls (Bonne Vie, extra/confirm)
Things to Do
At the property
Swim or use the jacuzzi under the sycamore fig. Eat in the lapa restaurant, at the boma, on the pool deck, riverside or in suite. Wine cellar on the Go2Africa gallery. Curio shop at reception. Housekeeping daily. Wi-Fi throughout. No gym.
In the reserve
Morning and evening game drives (summer 06:00–09:00 and 16:00–19:30; winter 06:30–09:30 and 15:30–19:00). Off-road in dense bush (Go2Africa / Newmark). Guided walks included (16+). Conservation activities when scheduled. FAQ: hippo and crocodile likely at the Makhutswi waterhole; Big Five, giraffe, zebra, wild dog and antelope possible, never guaranteed. Confirm whether Go2Africa’s “night drives” amenity is a separate product.
Day trips
Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and other Hoedspruit stops are in the wider area (Bonne Vie) — extra, arrange with Newmark. Kruger is the neighbouring national park, not a gate on the driveway. Garonga, Jabulani and Kapama are other camps in the same broader Lowveld, not included activities.
Good to Know
Newmark, not the old camp as-was: Toro River at Toro River Lodges is a Newmark Hotels & Reserves reopening. Portfolio blog: refurbishment ahead of a first-quarter 2026 reopen; later Newmark blog: officially opened 9 December 2025. Marketing also used 1 December 2025. Five keys: three River Suites and two Luxury Suites (official rooms page / Bonne Vie). Children: 6+ (official FAQ / Go2Africa). Extra bed for one child 6–11, subject to availability. 6–11 on game drives at the guide’s discretion. Walks from 16. Age 12+ adult rate. FAQ says child-minding extra with 24 hours’ notice and, in another answer, babysitting is not available — confirm in writing. Drinks: Current FAQ: tea, coffee and refreshments included; selected beverages extra. Safari.com and an earlier Newmark blog wrap in local drinks / house wines and spirits. Get the inclusion in the quote. Fees: Conservation or gate fees extra (FAQ, no rand amount). Travala: destination fee ZAR 380 per person per stay — third-party; confirm. GPS: Go2Africa schema −24.1593, 30.7368 (Travelmyth prints almost the same, labelled D202 Harmony Block). Official: about 35 minutes from the Makalali main gate to the lodge, and map apps do not show internal roads — treat the pin as approach-level until reservations issue a lodge point. What3Words: none published. Check-in: Official 14:00 / 11:00. Gate after 17:00 is closed. Travala: no after-hours check-in; contact 48 hours ahead; no front desk. Power: Solar with generator backup (official / Go2Africa). Wi-Fi throughout. Laundry extra. No gym (FAQ). Reserve size: Newmark blog 25,000 ha; Bonne Vie 26,000 ha; Garonga (same reserve) 27,000 ha. Do not pick one figure as official for Toro. Cancellation: not published on the Newmark lodge pages we have — left blank.
Who It's For
Couples and small families with children 6+ who want a 10-guest Big Five camp on a river, with two drives a day, rather than a Kruger rest-camp. The Wild Romance package is the published couples product. Not for under-sixes. Not for low-clearance self-drivers after dark or anyone who cannot make the 17:00 main gate. Honeymoon flag is the romance package, not a separate suite type.
Best Time to Visit
Open year-round on current Newmark pages. Official blog: December–April warm, wet and lush; May–September cooler with better game viewing. Drive times split summer (October–March) and winter (April–September) on the FAQ. Newmark: opened 9 December 2025 (marketing also used 1 December 2025).
