About this hotel
General information
Thanda Safari Lodge is an intimate lodge of nine free-standing suites in the private Thanda Safari reserve, some 16,500 hectares of Big Five country in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Thanda means “love” in Zulu, and Zulu culture is part of daily life rather than a backdrop: most of the team comes from the neighbouring communities, and the reserve supports their education and cultural projects. The lodge is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
The suites are circular, a nod to the traditional Zulu homestead, and are spaced for privacy without feeling cut off. The main lodge gathers a lounge, a library and a wide deck above a waterhole, along with a cigar bar, a wine cellar and a private business area. No more than 18 guests stay at a time, and children of all ages are welcome.
Location
The reserve lies in Zululand, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, about 260 km north of Durban and just north of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. By road it is a drive up the N2 towards Hluhluwe, followed by some 5 km of gravel to the reserve gate. The lodge arranges transfers for guests flying into Richards Bay Airport or Durban’s international airport; international travellers usually arrive via Johannesburg’s international airport.
Spa
The spa sits in a secluded corner of the lodge, rising from a bed of stone and rock and opening onto a relaxation deck with a swimming pool. Treatments take place in quiet therapy rooms, outdoors in a sala looking over the reserve, or in the suite. The therapists blend Western techniques with traditional Zulu practices learnt from local women and use TheraNaka products: the menu includes the signature African Wood Massage with carved wooden tools, the marula-oil African Awakening massage, milk-bath ceremonies combining a scrub, a bath and a massage, a jet-lag ritual and the Phyto-Boost facial.
Sports & leisure
Two game drives head out every day, at dawn and in the late afternoon, when the animals are most active, and no more than two vehicles are allowed at any sighting. Alongside the Big Five, the reserve is home to cheetah, hyena, giraffe and warthog. The lodge also offers:
- guided bush walks of 2–3 hours with a ranger and tracker, for up to six people, reading tracks and learning about plants, insects and more than 265 bird species;
- outings with the rhino monitoring team, which locates and records the reserve’s black and white rhino every day;
- cheetah tracking at sunrise with the wildlife conservation team;
- a day with the reserve team, joining game counts and Big Five monitoring;
- photographic safaris for all levels with the resident wildlife photographer, including a 90-minute photography session for guests staying two nights or more;
- an excursion to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park with a boat trip on the St Lucia Estuary, home to hippos and Nile crocodiles;
- Zulu cultural experiences: traditional song and dance, visits to homesteads in the neighbouring villages and time with community projects.
A private safari vehicle can be arranged on request.
For children
Young guests have the Bucks & Bugs Club, and the Junior Rangers course pairs children with a guide to learn tracking, game spotting and the birds and plants of the bush, ending with a Junior Ranger certificate. The kitchen has its own children’s menu, the lodge’s nannies look after children of all ages while parents are out on a drive, and the kids’ spa offers short treatments for children aged 6–12.
Restaurants & bars
The kitchen serves breakfast from a menu, two-course lunches, three- or four-course dinners and afternoon high teas, adapts to any dietary requirement and can provide kosher meals.
- main lodge — the lounge and broad deck above the waterhole for breakfast, lunch and dinner;
- cigar bar and library — drinks in a quiet setting;
- wine cellar — carefully chosen wines to accompany meals;
- boma — fire-lit dinners in an open-air enclosure, as well as traditional braai barbecues;
- bush breakfasts and private dinners, including at the suite’s own boma.
Swimming
Every suite has its own heated plunge pool on a deck facing the reserve. A further swimming pool with a relaxation deck lies beside the spa.
Rooms
The nine self-contained circular suites, each of 220 m², are set well apart from one another. Each has a lounge with a fireplace, a spacious bedroom, a bathroom with a bath and indoor and outdoor showers, a deck with a heated plunge pool, a day bed and a sala, and a private boma for dinners à deux.
Each suite has air conditioning and fans, mosquito nets, a fireplace, a minibar and fridge, tea and coffee, a safe, a telephone, Wi-Fi, a hairdryer, bathrobes and slippers, a double vanity and laundry service.
Twin Suite
A circular suite with two twin beds, a lounge with a fireplace and a bathroom with a bath and indoor and outdoor showers. Its deck, with a heated plunge pool, day bed and private boma, faces the reserve; designed for two, it sleeps up to four with a sofa bed.
Double Suite
A circular suite with a king-size bed, a lounge with a fireplace and a bathroom with a bath and indoor and outdoor showers. Its deck, with a heated plunge pool, day bed and private boma, looks over the reserve; designed for two, it sleeps up to three with a sofa bed.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.