Testimonials:

“Cheetah walk combo”

Yesterday I did the cheetah walk combo and it was a great trip. The guides Jacob, Mthobisi and Senzo did a very good job. They explained us everything about the animals and their behaviour and they told the people to follow the rules with the aim of protecting the animals. To me it is important to have centres like this to explain people how to treat nature and wild animals. I learned a lot and changed my mind about some points. Thank you for this unforgettable 3 hours of the day.

“Who is taking who for a walk?”

Had a great 3 hrs here today, seeing the cats and walking the cheetahs. Having walked with elephants and lions at other locations I have struggled with the staging and felt the animals were performing a little too much to fit in with timescales and spectical. So prior to visiting Tanikwa I was a little wary of pictures of cheetahs being walked on leads like dogs.
The good news is that here there is no set timings or routes or tricks to perform. The cheetahs walk where they want, have a sit or a lay down where they want and when they want. We went out with two cheetahs today, the male did a big circle and then doubled back on himself and the female didn’t want to double back so lay down for twenty minutes. They are totally in charge and its a great thing to be part of it. The fact that you hold a lead is to comply with the law as you go off site. You do not pull on the lead or use it as you would on a dog. We had three staff with us at all times who were very informative and ensured the wellbeing of all.
This is all about the cats as it should be. Great day

“You can’t stop smiling!”

The walking with cheetahs is just fabulous, to be so close and watch them observing and listening the whole time is excellent. The other cats and animals are fascinating as well. Whether you agree or not with a sanctuary this is the future to save these animals and they all seemed well looked after. It gives us a chance to be up close and support their good work.

“Unmissable and unforgettable”

This is one of the most enjoyable things we have ever done. Forget what rumours people tell you. The cheetahs take you for a walk. They are the most beautiful and calm cats. The other cats are also very interesting. We loved it.

“Absolutely Amazing Morning Walk with the Cheetah Duma “Thunder”

Had the low season luxury of what turned out to be a private bush adventure. It was fantastic. Just remarkable. Spent about 90 minutes with Mthobisi, Sizwe and Patrick; 3 superbly gracious, careful, knowledgeable guides and Duma. Soon after starting the “hike”, I realized the Cheetah was walking us not the other way around. I would have never imagined in all my years I would do something that would connect me with our natural environment in such a personal way. The 3 guides deserve a lot of praise ad a raise from the owners of the Centre. They truly exhibited a lot of love and care for these wondrous animals and made my experience absolutely unforgettable. Well done guys and thanks Tenikwa!

“Fantastic experience”

The experience of a lifetime. We did the evening cheetah walk combo, so an informative tour of the sanctuary, meeting all the big cats they have there, actually entering the enclosures with some of them followed by a sunset cheetah walk. Our guides were Msizi and Jacob, who were both incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the the big cats in their care and the need for their conservation. We were lucky enough to be the only ones on the cheetah walk, with Duma, the big male cheetah. It was incredible to be so close to a wild animal, a real privilege. Thank you very much to the centre and to Msizi and Jacob for a wonderful afternoon/evening. Highly recommended and well worth every penny.

“Fantastic experience’

The experience of a lifetime. We did the evening cheetah walk combo, so an informative tour of the sanctuary, meeting all the big cats they have there, actually entering the enclosures with some of them followed by a sunset cheetah walk. Our guides were Msizi and Jacob, who were both incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the the big cats in their care and the need for their conservation. We were lucky enough to be the only ones on the cheetah walk, with Duma, the big male cheetah. It was incredible to be so close to a wild animal, a real privilege. Thank you very much to the centre and to Msizi and Jacob for a wonderful afternoon/evening. Highly recommended and well worth every penny.

“Outstanding visit”

We loved this place so much we visited twice. First time we did the general tour which included some real up close experiences with the big cats including one of the cheetahs. It is a real pleasure to visit and see these beautiful creatures up close and personal! The staff were great, all seemed genuinely interested in animal welfare. It didn’t feel like a rip off like some places you visit. It is an extremely informative visit and still worth going to even if you are going to a game park as you are extremely unlikely to get as close as this to big cats.
We came back early next day for the “dawn” cheetah walk, a truly special experience you are unlikely to experience in many other places, you walk with one of the guide and a cheetah on a long harness/lead, it’s an extensive walk around the site not afive minute wander. At the end we went back to fed the cheetahs their breakfast. An awesome place to visit well worth a visit, in fact don’t miss it!

“A wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary”

We were offered the opportunity to visit Tenikwa at the last minute by our tour guide and when he told us we could walk with the cheetahs there was no question that we were going to do it(especially as it was our wedding anniversary).
We did the general tour first,being allowed to go into the pens and photograph the wild cats and the servals and two of the cheetahs and then we returned to reception for our safety talk before starting our walk with 2 of the cheetahs(Chaka and Thandi)who were waiting patiently with their harnesses and leads on.
As there we only 6 of us(a family of 4 and my husband and I)we had Chaka all to ourselves and he soon set off at a trot into the forest.Our guide was very good and when we told him we had walked with cheetahs before in Zambia he realised that we understood all about safety and that we would not do anything stupid and allowed us to walk on our own with this beautiful animal.
We spent over an hour in the forest and then took them back to their enclosure to feed them and take some more photographs.We then went back to reception to enjoy the drinks we had ordered before leaving and had a chat with the owner.
The experience was worth every penny especially as the money is used to fund the centre and is an anniversary we will never forget.

“Worth getting up at 5.45am to do the Cheetah Walk”

Visited Tenikwa today – did the Cheetah walk and Big Cat Experience combo. The walk in the early morning was super – watching these cats stroll through the bush was simply gorgeous. Makes you realise how beautiful they are! And scary that there are so few left.

We then toured the facility and saw all the other cats they have; our guide, Peter, was most informative and made the experience so much better with all his knowledge.

Would recommend to both local and foreign tourists visiting the Plettenberg Bay/ Knysna area.