Thanda Tented Camp | Thanda Safari
Thanda Tented Camp offers a romantic safari experience that blends classic Africa tented safari living with total comfort. Designed for guests seeking an old world safari, the camp delivers timeless wilderness charm. Each of the 15 luxury safari tents is thoughtfully positioned for seclusion and wilderness views. They have a private deck and an en-suite canvas bathroom; some also offering indoor and outdoor shower options. The sumptuous Jabula Tent has a private plunge pool, and is ideal for honeymooners or families.
The camp operates on solar and battery power with a back-up generator, with safari lamps lighting the way to the tents at night. WIFI is available in the camp’s shared areas, which include a Hemingway-style lounge area, a dining area featuring African artworks, a large infinity pool and deck, and a waterhole and boma.
Guests enjoy Thanda Safari hospitality, warm, professional hosts, delicious cuisine and all the activities, including safari game drives and guided bush walks.
Thanda Tented Camp does not admit children under 6 years old.
- Information
- Rooms
- Facilities
- Activities and Services
Your Stay
3 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
Fast Facts
Camp
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, Zulu
No. Rooms: 15
Special Interests: Big 5, Birding, Leisure, Wildlife
Each tent has an open plan bedroom with en-suite bathroom with an indoor and/or outdoor shower, as well as a wooden viewing deck.
9 twin bed tents are available
Room Facilities
Balcony , Balcony / Deck, En Suite Bathroom, Laundry Service (Available), Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets
Each tent has an open plan bedroom with en-suite bathroom with an indoor and/or outdoor shower, as well as a wooden viewing deck.
5 permanent double tents are available.
The Jabula tent offers a sophisticated mix of romance, privacy and refined comfort in the heart of the African bush. The Jabula tent features a king-sized bed in a spacious bedroom and a comfortable separate lounge area for relaxation.
Room Facilities
Balcony / Deck, Bath, En Suite Bathroom, External Shower, Fan, Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Outside Shower, Private Lounge / Sitting Area, Queen Bed
Property Facilities
Accept Credit Cards, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Malaria Free, Mobile Connectivity, Pool, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Vegetarian
Room Facilities
Balcony / Deck, Complimentary Wi-Fi, En Suite Bathroom, Fan, Laundry Service (Available), Mini Bar, Outside Shower, Pure Cotton Linen, Safe, Shower, Verandah
Available Services
Credit Card Facilities, Foreign Exchange, Room Service
Activities on Site
Big 5, Bird Watching, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, High Tea, Massages, Rhino Tracking, Safaris
Activities Nearby
Animal Encounters, Battlefield Tours, Beach, Bird Watching, Boat Cruises, Boating, Catch-and-release Fishing, Child Friendly Activities, Cultural Tours, Deep Sea Fishing, Fishing, Helicopter Rides, Hiking, Historical Tours, River Cruises, Scuba Diving
An early morning or late afternoon safari is the best time to look for the Big Five. With 14,000 hectares to explore and led by our experts of the African bush, you’ll see an incredible range of animals, including cheetahs, hyaenas, giraffes, warthogs and abundant bird and plant life.
A guided walk through the bush is a completely thrilling experience of the wilderness and all its inhabitants. Thanda’s guides and trackers will share their extensive knowledge and animal tracking ability with you, as well as ancient Zulu stories of the wild.
Help to conserve our rhinos! Extraordinary effort is required to protect these magnificent creatures threatened with extinction as a result of poaching by international criminal syndicates. Now you can actively contribute to conserving the rhinos on Thanda Safari by joining our specialist rhino monitors who daily locate and record data on our black and white rhinos.
3 to 4-hour activity, Additional cost, max 4 pax, daily on request.
Guests have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in close contact with a rhino. Witness the darting of this prehistoric animal and assist the wildlife team in notching the sedated rhino for identification and research purposes, before releasing it back into the wild. The price includes the helicopter that is used in locating the rhino, as well as all costs involved in the darting, genetic sampling and notching.
Half-day customised activity, Additional Charge, max 14 pax, on request.
Your Zulu cultural and community experience can include visiting a traditional homestead and village; spending time with a traditional healer (Sangoma); exploring King Shaka’s battlefields; meeting students at Thanda’s Star for Life schools or participating in community projects and Zulu celebrations.
Customised activity, Additional Charge, min 2 pax, daily on request.
Thonga Beach Lodge | Maputaland Marine Protected Area
Thonga Beach Lodge is set on the pristine shores of the Maputuland Coast, KwaZulu-Natal. This 24 bed luxury lodge is the ideal place to discover one of Africa’s last unspoilt wilderness beaches. It is a magical place of coastal forests, grasslands, bush, shimmering lakes and exquisite sandy beaches. Its crystal clear, warm waters offer South Africa’s best snorkelling and excellent off-shore SCUBA diving and excellent birding opportunities. Guided birding, scorpion & spider walks & Turtle Tracking are offered in season. The 12 thatched bush suites offer either Ocean or Forest Views with Deluxe Ocean Views room sporting private plunge pools. The suites are positioned to afford maximum privacy & minimal environmental impact. Excellent cuisine is enjoyed al fresco on the dining deck or beach deck overlooking the sea. This is an ideal choice for honeymooners, families, SCUBA divers or anyone who wants to simply relax. A civilized distance from civilization.
- Information
- Rooms
- Facilities
- Activities and Services
- Restaurants
Your Stay
3 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
Fast Facts
Lodge
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, Zulu
No. Rooms: 12
Special Interests: Adventure, Beach / Coastal, Birding, Fishing, Flora, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Watersports, Wildlife
Double or Twin Ocean View Room , double vanity, shower, mini bar and tea and coffee making facilities. Rooms are air-conditioned,overhead fans, mosquito nets, safes, nespresso coffee machine and hair dryers.
Double or Twin Forest View Room , double vanity, shower, mini bar and tea and coffee making facilities, including nespresso coffee machines.. Rooms are air-conditioned,overhead fans, mosquito nets, safes and hair dryers.
The rooms are nestled into the Dune Forest.
Double or Twin Ocean View Room , double vanity, bath, indoor and outdoor shower, mini bar and tea and coffee making facilities, including nespresso machine. Rooms are air-conditioned, overhead fans, mosquito nets, safes and hair dryers. This suite has a private plunge pool on a private deck.
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Bath Towels, Bath, Bed Linen
Family forest view comprises two bedrooms both en-suite (main bedroom has bath & shower, double vanity and toilet), second bedroom has shower only, single vanity and toilet. The two bedrooms are linked by a passage way, Both bedrooms have separate entrances.safe.
Both bedrooms are air conditioned, have overhead fans and mosquito nets. The main bedroom has a mini bar, tea & coffee making facilities, including a nespresso machine, hair dryer and safe.
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Bath Towels, Bath, Bed Linen
This luxury family room comprises two bedrooms both en-suite (main bedroom has bath & shower, double vanity and toilet and an outside shower). The second bedroom has a shower only, single vanity and toilet. The two bedrooms are separated by a large deck with private plunge pool. Both bedrooms have separate entrances.
Both bedrooms are air conditioned, have overhead fans and mosquito nets. The main bedroom has a mini bar, safe, hair dryer and tea and coffee making facilities.
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Bath Towels, Bath, Fan, Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Mosquito Netting, Outside Shower, Plunge Pool, Private Lounge / Sitting Area, Safe, Smoke Alarm, Wardrobe
Property Facilities
Bar, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Pool, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Spa, Vegetarian
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Bath, Electrical Outlets, Fan, Fridge, Laundry Facilities, Laundry Service (Available), Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Outside Shower, Plunge Pool, Private Pool / Jacuzzi, Safe, Shower, Tea / Coffee, Verandah
Available Services
24-hour Security, Airport Shuttle (Available), Credit Card Facilities, Laundry Service (Available)
Activities on Site
Bird Watching, Boating, Canoeing, Catch-and-release Fishing, Fine Dining, High Tea, Kayaking, Massages, Scuba Diving, Turtle Tracking, Walks (Guided), Walks (Self Guided), Whale Watching
Activities Nearby
Beach, Bird Watching, Boat Cruises, Canoeing, Child Friendly Activities, Cultural Tours, Deep Sea Fishing, Fishing, Game Drives, Kayaking / Paddling, Sea Kayaking, Surfing, Turtle Tracking, Walks (Guided), Walks (Self Guided)
SCUBA diving at Mabibi is phenomenal. Our professional lodge diving team can accommodate enthusiasts, from the beginner to the veteran. For those who don't dive, we have an Open Ocean Experience. An exciting launch through the surf in front of the lodge takes you beyond the breakers to a world of dolphins, whales and many other creatures. The warm Indian Ocean supports a myriad of fish and marine life.
Guests can sometimes swim with dolphins or whale sharks, or snorkel with Manta rays and giant turtles. Scuba Diving and ocean experience are at an extra cost.
Daily guided snorkeling is done a 5 minute walk away from the Lodge at low tide in our beautiful rock pools. Guided snorkelling is included in the rate.
In summer there are nocturnal walks and drives along the beach in search of pre-historic turtles laying their eggs. Witness the culmination of an incredible journey as giant Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in carefully prepared nests.
Turtle tracking is offered in the evening from November to end of February. The turtles lay their eggs from November to February. Hatchlings arrive from end December to end February.
Every precaution is taken to ensure these magnificent creatures are not disturbed during the laying process and data collected from the turtle drives is submitted to the Ezemvelo Turtle Monitoring program.
Turtle walks take place 3 times a week and are included in the rate.
Nightly turtle tracking in 4x4 vehicle is at an extra cost.
Open Ocean Experience. An exciting launch through the surf in front of the lodge takes you beyond the breakers to a world of dolphins, whales and many other creatures. The warm Indian Ocean supports a myriad of fish and marine life.
Guests can sometimes swim with dolphins or snorkel with Manta rays and giant turtles
Ocean Experience is an extra charge.
A leisurely drive along the lake shore looking for Hippo's , Birds and Crocodiles, then surrounded by the magical sounds of dusk settle with a drink to watch the sunset over the lake. Sundowners are Included in the rate, with either a glass of house wine, cider, local beer or soft drink per person.
Daily tours are on offer to visit the local rural Community of Mabibi. This includes a visit to the clinic and the school, as well as a homestead visit. Optional is to include a visit to the local Sangoma (witch doctor), which may incur a cost.
Standard tours are included in the rate.
Relax with a soothing treatment in the Sea Spa - extra charge.
Daily guided walks through the indigenous dune forest, where the local guides share their knowledge of the flora and fauna. This activity is included in the rate.
Take a fat bike out for a ride along the beach - great excercise and fun.
Thonga Beach Dining
Enjoy al fresco dining weather permitting on the deck under huge milkwood trees.