Groot Krokodil Lodge

Clean bathrooms, shaded camp sights, friendly management. Where the fish bites all day! #backtonature

My wife and I enjoy birding. A few months back a gentlemen mentioned to us that a good place to spot the elusive African Finfoot is at Groot Krokodil. So we went through and we were pleasantly surprised to see it on two occasions!!! We spent around 6 hours along the river and spotted a number of birds which included Little Sparrowhawk and African Fish Eagle. The highlight though was most certainly the African Finfoot which was lifer #459!!! We have tried to spot this bird on a number of occasions in the past without success. The view along the river is very beautiful and perhaps the next time, we will make use of the braai facility on the river bank while birding. We contacted Brett before travelling through and he was welcoming and helpful. An epic day out that we will not easily forget!!!

Second time we went camping at Groot Krokodil Lodge and Pepe's Pub and again it was a great time and experience. The ablution facility was very clean and the camping sites are big and spacious. Will definitely go there again. Very affordable and an overall great experience!!!

Long weekend at groot Krokodil Lodge and i can only say thank you for the great stay the friendliness and compassion about the campers. We were offered clean filter water to drink just incase you are scared. We will definitely go visit them again. Thanks Brett and Wife.

Nice and quiet....for camping...hippos nice to see and fishing also good

Great fishing spot and fantastic people!

We will NEVER EVER visit this place again! We arrived on the 1st January 2021 at Groot Krokodil Lodge and Pepe's Pub in Waterberg Thabazimbi. 23:30 I woke because of sounds around our tent and saw movement at our car, woke my husband to check outside but sadly the prepetrator ran the other way. That's when we realised that all our phones, bluetooth speaker, powerbanks and other electronic stuff was stolen including my handbag and wallet and my husbands only pair of Puma shoes and Puma flip-flops. They came into out tent and took everything while we slept. Our tent was also cut open Everything in our families cars was pulled out of the cabinet apartment and left on the seats. Their phones and tablets was also stolen as wll as their purses. When we woke the owner, he said we must go to the police station and open a case and he went back to bed, he never came to check on the campers or even tried to have a look on the premises with us. Knowing that we have a curfew of 9pm, we couldnt go to the station anyways. We packed up 5:30 and by the time we left, the owner still did not visit us and never made an attempt to hear if all is well and if we are okay or what was stolen. Bad experience and a lot more emotional damage afterwards.

Difficult to rate so best to break it down. Location 4/5 - In the heart of the bushveld between the mountains next to the river that have some great fishing spots. Lodge might be a bit close to the main road for some. Activities 3/5 - Fishing, birdwatching. You can go for short hikes. There is also a swimming pool that was clean and we enjoyed it very much even though it needs some maintenance.Not much for kids to do. Amenities 2/5 - No shop on the property only a bar/pub so if you do need some supplies you will have to drive to Northam which is 30km's away. Accommodation 1/5 - Bedding was clean and there was hot water. Unfortunately the lodge itself is not maintained or cleaned very well. On the face of it the lodge looks clean but the floors are dirty and there is lots of cobwebs,spiders and dust especially behind the curtains on the window sills.The place needs serious fumigation. The showers are extremely filthy and some on the first floor leak through the floor which causes a big wet mouldy patch when you look up to the wooden floor/ceiling. One of the toilets was leaking so bad it dripped water into the room below. Showers heads are loose. In the kitchen the taps are loose. The fridge is leaking water and the inside is not very clean. The stove is not working properly and is a dirty. The kitchen sink cupboard is falling apart due to rot and water damage. Some of the lights are not working. All the rooms have fans but some are not working. Some of the double doors leading out of the lodge cannot be opened as they are locked with a chain. The balustrade on the patio is in poor condition as my brother found out as he leaned on it. Camping 1/5 - Best to avoid unless you have a caravan or camping trailer with shower, toilet and all the bells and whistles. Overall score 2/5 - The owner is very friendly and full off jokes and his staff is also very friendly. The cleaning lady did wash our dishes every morning but that is how far the cleaning went. Never once did the owner come to check on us if everything is ok. To be honest the whole place is starting to fall apart and it is such a pity as it has so much potential to be great destination.Overall we did enjoy our stay despite all the negatives and would like to return to Groot Krokodil Lodge one day but not in it's current state......

Very nice place if you need some peace and quiet! Or, for friends in the house sharing, the togetherness will be comforting. Nice pool area, it is also pet friendly. If you stay up late or wake up early, you will be able to hear and see the bushbabies jumping and eating from tree to tree around the huge stoep area where you can sit and relax in the morning and evening sun. It is quite hot in the summer, I suggest lots of sunscreen.

Great family run Lodge,camping and river fishing. Facilities are well maintained. Friendly service and well priced. Cash bar open daily ALL welcome. Clean bathrooms. This is a definite venue for family gatherings. Will visit again.