Thanda Safari Lodge
Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve
KwaZulu Natal
Features
- Step out onto your private and spacious wooden deck. Take a dip in your private plunge pool. Enjoy dinner served in your own private boma. Or admire the African sunset from the circular daybed atop your thatched private outdoor sala.
- Shaped like a traditional Zulu homestead, the 220m² suites have panoramic views of the surrounding game reserve. Each suite is a tribute to abundance, Africa-style – with a spacious lounge and majestic master bedroom and double-sided fireplace. The bathroom has a vanity, his-and-hers basins, egg-shaped bath, enclosed toilet as well as indoor and outdoor showers
- The word zulu means ‘heaven’. The Zulu people, amaZulu, are ‘the people of heaven’ and their home, KwaZulu, is ‘the place of heaven’ on which this luxury lodge is located.
- Big FiveYes
- Off RoadYes (for Big 5 Sightings Only)
- Camp FencedNo
- Child PolicyAll ages welcome
- PoolYes - Private Plunge Pool In All Suites
- SPAFull Spa
- AirconYes
- Cellphone SignalYes
- Malaria AreaYes (Low Risk Area)
Location
Thanda Private Game Reserve, Northern Zululand
Getting There
3 hour drive from Durban.
6.5 hours from Johannesburg
Road transfers are available from Durban, Richards Bay and Mkuze
Accommodation
Safari Lodge – 9 Luxury Bush Suites
Villa Izulu – 5 Bedrooms ensuite (Private Exclusive Use)
Rates & Special Offers
Deals By Date
Please note:
- All rates are subject to availability.
- Proof of SADC residency may be required at the time of booking or upon check-in at the lodge.
- Surcharges and a minimum 3 night stay may apply on rates over peak holiday periods and long weekends.
- Special discounted rates for International guests are available on request.
- Unless otherwise stated, all rates listed are based on a minimum 2 night stay. Surcharges may apply for a 1 night booking.
- Rates quoted are only applicable to South African Residents. Discounted special rates for International Residents are available on request.
- Private vehicles are not allowed within the reserve so there are scheduled gate pick-up times: 14h00, 14h30, 15h00, late arrivals must be booked prior to arrival.
- A Conservation Levy of R 250 per person per stay applies and will be added to the guest’s account. Subject to change.
- Special rates for single accommodation in a Suite are available on request. Please contact your BushBreaks & More consultant for a quote.
- Children of all ages are welcome at Thanda Safari Lodge & Villa Izulu.
- Children under 3 years stay free of charge.
- Children aged 3 – 16 years pay 50% of the adult sharing rate when sharing a suite with 2 full paying adults.
- Two children aged 16 and younger can be accommodated with 2 full paying parents if availability allows.
- Cots are available for children up to the age of 2 years. Children aged 3 – 16 sleep on individual single beds.
- Children aged 17 and older will be charged standard rates.
- Children under the age of 3 may not dine in the boma, dining room or on decks. A private boma experience may be arranged for families travelling with children under 3 years. Alternatively, room service dinner and a childminder can be arranged.
- Thanda Safari Lodge is unfenced and wild animals can roam between the suites and main lodge area. Each suite has a private unfenced plunge pool.
- Villa iZulu is fenced to provide safety from wildlife.
- Children under 3 are not permitted on game drives. A “Bush Bumble” in a closed vehicle can be requested between the morning and afternoon game drives.
- Childminders are available at a nominal extra rate and must be booked on arrival.
- Children aged 3 – 6 years may participate in game drives if a private game drive vehicle is booked (additional charge) or if there are six guests in the group who will be seated on the same game drive vehicle.
- Children from the age of 6 years may participate in game drives.
- Children under 16 years of age are not permitted on Bush Walks.
About Thanda Safari Lodge
Thanda Safari Lodge has nine luxury bush suites which offer guests the epitome of self-contained privacy and sheer luxury. Circular in structure and reminiscent of a traditional homestead against a hill, each of the suites boasts a breathtaking view of the surrounding 14 000-hectare private game reserve.
Thanda Private Game Reserve is South Africa’s top award winning safari destination and is situated in northern Zululand, in close proximity to the Indian Ocean. The inimitable integration of South Africa’s best climate and rehabilitated and rich bush land has made Thanda home to amazing wildlife and over four hundred bird species. Ignite your imagination and open your mind to an extraordinary experience for your soul, mind and body. It’s the unique and sought after balance between energizing and exclusive relaxation that we want to share with you and your dear ones. It is here that one finds Thanda Private Game Reserve. The nine luxury bush suites at the safari lodge offer a level of opulence that is hard to surpass, 220m in size, each with private splash pools and private bomas, ideal for intimate open-air dinners. The outdoor salas are impossible to resist for an afternoon siesta on feather-filled cushions amid extraordinary views of the surrounding unfenced bush. Each suite has a fireplace interleading between the bedroom and the lounge. Luxurious bathrooms have enormous egg-shaped baths, and indoor as well as outdoor showers.
Should the urge arise to venture out of your private retreat, Thanda’s public areas include a library, business centre, a finely stocked wine cellar and several dining venues where deliciously mouth-watering meals are served. Culinary masterpieces skilfully prepared by the dedicated and professional chefs can be experienced in a variety of venues at Thanda. The public facilities of the main lodge include a fire-lit dining room, outdoor dining decks and an outdoor ‘boma’ (open reed enclosure). Private dining is available at the bush suites, where meals can be served in the private bomas or the private decks of each suite, under sparkling skies on clear nights. Bush breakfasts, lunches or dinners are also available for special occasions.
A superbly stocked wine cellar and cigar bar are available at the main lodge. Thanda is an exquisite venue for a honeymoon or a bush wedding. All co-ordination requirements will be taken care of by the lodge, from the legal documents to arranging an ordained minister, ensuring that the most special day of your life is totally unforgettable and stress-free. Thanda can accommodate a maximum of 40 guests, however the lodge is able to cater for more guests for the wedding ceremony and reception, and would assist in finding additional accommodation nearby if required.
Of course, for those guests who would prefer to savour the peace of the luxury bush retreats, enjoy the stillness of the stars above you with the privacy of your own outdoor fireplace, or a variety of relaxing therapies and beauty treatments offered by the wellness centre Thanda Private Game Reserve has created a world-class spa facility with exclusive treatments which consist of reflexology, aromatherapy, hot stone massage using African essential oils in a base of shea butter, pressure point scalp massage, manicures, pedicures, hot & cold outdoor kniepp therapy pools, a reflexology pool, outdoor sala treatment area, steam room & hydrotherapy bath all with a unique Zulu feel and designed exclusively for Thanda.
VILLA IZULU
Villa Izulu was conceptualised and crafted for Swedish investor Dan Olofsson and his family and has now been made available to the public. Fit for royalty and surrounded by expanses of African bush, the Royal Private Villa can accommodate ten guests in five luxuriously appointed suites (three queens and two doubles).
The exclusive-use Villa Izulu welcomes family and groups of friends to enjoy the luxury and privacy of this five star home away from home. It was designed for a family and has a range of facilities that will make a family stay enjoyable and fun but still luxurious and exclusive.
About Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve
Thanda Private Game Reserve aims to restore nature’s balance by reintroducing species endemic to the area (for example, Wild Dog), as well as the Big Five. The rehabilitated land has encouraged the bird and wildlife to flourish, and has assisted in the re-establishment of the natural ecosystem. Game drives in the open game viewing vehicles and bush walks guided by knowledgeable and experienced game rangers and trackers afford guests a better understanding and appreciation of our wild heritage.
Private game drives are also available on request. Other activities arranged by Thanda include fresh-water and deep-sea fishing, or at a nearby non-Big Five game reserve, swimming and walking along the pristine beaches at the Indian ocean and having your own beach barbeque, snorkeling, birding safaris, microlight flights, midnight turtle tours to Mbibi, kayak and canoe safaris and visits to a traditional village and school.
Lodge Features
Boma
Wellness
Additional Activities
- In the Footsteps of the Zulus (Fully tailor-made activity, minimum 2 pax) – Daily
- In the Path of Wildlife (Fully tailor-made activity, minimum 2 pax) – Daily
- Rhino Tracking (max 4 guests) – Daily
- Rhino Darting (half day, fully tailor-made activity, maximum 14 pax) – Daily
- Hippo & Croc Cruise (5 hour excursion – min 2 pax) – Daily
- Zulu Blessing (1 hour, fully tailor-made activity, 2 pax)The above activities are on request and will at an additional charge. It is recommended that you book them in advance with the lodge directly.
Getting There
FROM JOHANNESBURG
- Take the N17 via Springs to Ermelo. From Ermelo, take the N2, past Piet Retief. Continue on the N2 towards Hluhluwe – approximately 25km past Mkuze (before Hluhluwe), turn right into the D242, continue for approximately 5km on the gravel road to the Thanda gate on the right.
FROM DURBAN
- Take the N2 towards Hluhluwe. Approximately 20km past the turn-off for Hluhluwe, turn left into the D242 and continue for approximately 5km on the gravel road to the Thanda gate on the right.
Rooms Found, Nights, 2 Adults
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