Thanda Private Game Reserve

Thanda Safari is a world of wilderness and wildlife game reserve, matched with a deep commitment to Zulu culture and environmental conservation.

Thanda means ‘Love’ in the language of the Zulu people, and Thanda Safari lives this ethos in the management of its 14 000-hectare reserve, its three unique properties, and its community partnerships.

Experience the ultimate safari and game lodge experience with Thanda Safari, which has repeatedly been named the World’s Leading Luxury Game Reserve Lodge.

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is one of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations, with magnificent scenery and a warm climate. The area is known worldwide as an incredibly diverse, exciting region to visit.

The province offers three geographical areas: the Lowland Region along the Indian Ocean, the Central Region (Natal Midlands) and two legendary mountainous areas: the Drakensberg Mountains to the west and the Lebombo Mountains to the north.

ACCOMMODATION
As a multiple World’s Leading Luxury Lodge winner, we know exactly how to look after our guests at our exclusive game reserve.

Thanda Safari’s luxury safari accommodation is managed by a warm, attentive team who attends to your comfort and needs at our three outstanding properties, which are frequently featured in the media.

Thanda Safari Lodge has nine bush suites that exemplify luxury exclusivity and African abundance. Villa iZulu provides complete privacy, elegance, and indulgence. Thanda Tented Camp, with its 15 luxury safari tents, provides an evocative African experience.

THANDA SAFARI LODGE
Relax on your expansive deck and experience an African sunset. Take a dip in your plunge pool. Dine in your private boma. Enjoy warm afternoons on the circular daybed in your thatched outdoor sala.

Thanda Safari Lodge’s nine beautiful bush suites are self-contained for absolute privacy. Shaped like a traditional Zulu homestead, the 220m² suites offer luxury living and panoramic views over the reserve.

Thanda Safari Lodge is our flagship property. Each of the 9 bush suites is a tribute to African abundance, with a spacious lounge, majestic master bedroom, double-sided fireplace and an indulgent bathroom, with a beautiful bath, and an indoor and outdoor shower.

Thanda Safari Lodge’s shared areas are sumptuously African, including an inviting lounge, expansive deck and library overlooking a waterhole, private business area, cigar bar, impressive wine cellar and the Thanda Safari Spa.

THANDA TENTED CAMP
Thanda Tented Camp offers an authentic safari adventure in the bush, with lanterns and firelight guiding your way. The camp has 14 luxury safari tents, each with a private sun deck and en-suite bathroom.

The 15th tent, the Jabula (Happiness) Tent, is popular with wedding couples and honeymooners. Solar-powered electricity is provided in the camp for a few hours each day.

Thanda Tented Camp provides a real safari experience with 15 deluxe safari tents in an evocative jungle environment, complemented with flickering firelight and lanterns illuminating your path at night.

This is bush life as nature meant it to be: open and inviting, with unmatched proximity to the bush, its views, scents, and sounds. Each tent includes its own sun terrace as well as en-suite canvas bathrooms.

A huge rim-flow pool, a spa tent, and an evocative Hemingway-style lounge and eating room with real African artworks are among the common amenities.

ROMANTIC JABULA TENT
Jabula means ‘Happiness’ in isiZulu, and the romantic, private, beautifully spacious Jabula Tent within Thanda Tented Camp is all about happiness.

Decorated in sophisticated safari chic, it is ideal for bridal couples, honeymooners, special occasion travellers as well as families wanting to be accommodated under one canvas roof.

The Jabula Tent has a king-sized bed and separate lounge, en-suite bathroom, outdoor shower, splash pool and spectacular views of the reserve.

VILLA IZULU
Villa iZulu was voted World’s Leading Luxury Private Villa at the World Travel Awards. This magnificent Afro-chic homestead includes a heated swimming pool, a traditional boma and bonfire area, wine cellar, library, private business area, games room and a vast viewing deck overlooking a waterhole.

It’s the ultimate safari hideaway for guests needing total privacy or for families, friends and meetings. Villa iZulu has its own helicopter pad and separate accommodation for child-minders and VIP security officers. The homestead was designed and created for Thanda Safari’s owners, Christin and Dan Olofsson.

DINING
Dining on safari at Thanda is an experience of our chefs’ pursuit of deliciousness at every meal. From our sumptuous bush breakfasts to our legendary high teas and fire-lit boma dinners, our menus offer unique Thanda dishes and tastes, combined with carefully chosen wines and impeccable service.

FINE SAFARI DINING
Experience fine safari dining with Thanda Safari. The South African cuisine is as diverse as its population, and Thanda Safari’s menus, creatively conceived by chefs, reflect this.

From slow-cooked potjiekos to tender game cuts flavoured with homegrown herbs, our chefs produce perfection for the palate and cater for all dietary requirements.

Every meal offers unique Thanda dishes and tastes, combined with carefully chosen wines and impeccable service. Our breakfasts, lunches, dinners and high teas personify the Thanda Safari style.

BUSH & BREAKFAST
The Thanda Safari Game Reserve has so much to offer, just imagine a tasty bush breakfast after an early morning game drive – sizzling bacon and eggs, pancakes, muesli, muffins, fruits, cheeses, meats, coffees, teas – set up in style.

Thanda Safari is renowned for our bush breakfasts, where every detail is carefully conceived and every mouthful is memorable.

FIRE & FLAMES
There is nothing like a campfire in the bush at Thanda Safari under South African stars in our traditional African bomas – either at our lodges or deep in the reserve.

Thanda’s chefs prepare your feast ahead of your arrival, knowing how hungry you’ll be after your evening game drive. Dine the African way, to the sounds of the wild.

ROMANTIC DINING
The light of the African stars glints on your wine glass over a romantic dinner on the deck of your suite or in our atmospheric dining areas. Speak to us and we can arrange whatever you desire. Thanda Safari caters for indoor and outdoor dining and our chefs produce menus that delight and romance our guests.

PRIVATE DINING IN THE BUSH
Fine dining in the wild is an experience you’ll never forget. At your request, our chefs and staff can create a special menu and private dining setting in the bush, where you’ll eat under the African night sky, surrounded by the sights, sounds and sensations of the wild.

DAWN & DUSK BUSH STOPS
During your game drives, our sunrise and sunset refreshment stops at breathtaking locations overlooking the reserve are one of the highlights on safari. Whether it’s sunrise coffee and rusks or sunset drinks and snacks, you’ll be reluctant to leave.

WELLNESS
Experience total pampering Thanda Safari style at our two unique spas; our two sanctuaries of luxurious restoration, where our expert therapists lead you on a journey of beauty, relaxation and healing, based on a combination of Western and Zulu holistic treatments.

THANDA’S AUTHENTICALLY AFRICAN SPA
In our two, beautifully appointed, restful Spas at Thanda Safari Lodge and Thanda Tented Camp our therapists offer a wide range of treatments, including a combination of western techniques and ancient Zulu holistic practices – learnt from traditional Zulu women.

Our therapists use beautiful, non-allergenic products and are expertly trained. In their care, you’ll relinquish all responsibility for a while, and emerge refreshed, radiant and revitalized.

SAFARI LODGE SPA
Situated in a secluded enclave within Thanda Safari Lodge, the spa emerges from a bed of stone and rock, leading out to a relaxation deck and swimming pool.

Treatments can be enjoyed in our tranquil therapy rooms or outside in the sala space with beautiful views of the reserve. In-suite treatments can also be booked on request.

TENTED CAMP SPA
For our guests at Thanda Tented Camp, the setting is a sumptuous safari tent with an open-air deck overlooking the Royal Zulu Mountains where Thanda’s wild animals roam. Our therapists use a range of non-allergenic aromatherapy and massage oils, herbs and essences for a sensory experience you will never forget.

WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
There is nothing more magical than a wedding, honeymoon or special occasion on Thanda Safari. Thanda means ‘Love’ and we specialise in making sure that every aspect of your celebration and ceremony is exquisite, with a special team (including planners, chefs and photographers) dedicated to your every need.

Meaning ‘Love’ in isiZulu, Thanda represents the heart and soul of passion; the spirit of togetherness.

Imagine Zulu dancers leading you down the aisle; picture yourself exchanging your vows in a sheltered bush location under the ancient marula trees, followed by a safari-style reception in a star-lit boma or breathtaking venue overlooking the African bush.

There is no better place than the Thanda Safari Game Reserve in which to celebrate romance, marriage and life. Our wedding packages are also offered for vow renewals or special celebrations.

THE KANYE WEDDING
Kanye means ‘Together’ in isiZulu. This magnificent wedding package includes three game drives and delicious cuisine for up to 80 guests. For those who prefer a smaller, more intimate wedding or vow renewal ceremony, talk to us and special arrangements will be made.

ZULU BLESSING
Traditional Zulu Blessing taken by a local Zulu. This is typically held under the Marula tree – regarded as a sacred tree amongst the Zulus, the Marula tree is protected in communal lands under the local chief.

It is often the spiritual centre for ritual activity in kraals and villages and known as the ‘fertility tree’ or ‘marriage tree’.

AUTHENTIC AFRICAN WILDLIFE & SAFARI EXPERIENCE
An African safari is a life dream for so many, and Thanda Safari makes sure you have an up-close, life-changing safari in our Big Five, South African private game reserve, including spending time with our conservation team.

For those who want to experience the bush on foot, we offer exclusive guided walks. And because we are part of our Zulu community, we offer a range of Zulu cultural and community experiences in our neighbouring villages.

SAFARI
A wildlife African safari is defined by the thrill of the Big Five. As a private game reserve Thanda Safari offers an exclusive, up-close experience of these magnificent animals and all the bush inhabitants. Our guides and trackers are experts of the African bush. They will share their tracking skills, knowledge and culture with you.

THE THRILL OF THE BIG FIVE
Nothing compares to the feeling of being in the African bush. On an early morning or late afternoon safari, all your senses awaken during up-close encounters with the Big Five in their home terrain.

The lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo: these icons of the African wilderness inspire a lifelong connection with Thanda Safari Game Reserve and Africa.

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.

ZULU CULTURE
Zulu means ‘Heaven’ and the Zulu people are ‘The People of Heaven’. At Thanda Safari most of our team members are Zulu, and we offer a special Zulu cultural and community experience where you can visit families in our neighbouring villages in their traditional homesteads and take part in community projects and celebrations.

THE ZULU PEOPLE – PEOPLE OF HEAVEN
The word Zulu means ‘Heaven’, the Zulu people, amaZulu, are ‘The People of Heaven’, and their home KwaZulu is ‘The Place of Heaven’.

At Thanda Safari, where most of our team members are Zulu, we offer you a special introduction to the Zulu people in our community who generously share their living culture, ancient traditions and stories of their founding monarch, the legendary King Shaka Zulu.

Experience a traditional Zulu homestead, visit a traditional Zulu healer or Sangoma, and experience spellbinding Zulu singing and war dancing.

ZULU HOMESTEAD
The Zulu village is a great circle, made up of a spherical homestead, umuzi, which is a cluster of beehive-shaped huts arranged around a cattle kraal, isibaya. Each homestead is a self-contained economic and legal unit with its own cattle and crops, ruled by the umnumzana or homestead head.

Cattle are an integral part of the spiritual, social and aesthetic lives of the Zulu people, and are named accordingly – after birds, animals, plants, fruit, stones, sand, food or natural phenomena. They are killed for food only with great reluctance.

THE FAMILY
In Zulu culture, no marriage is considered complete until a child is born. It is believed that a family does not raise a child; an entire village raises it. For this reason, every child grows up with a free life and few restrictions, but begins contributing to the community at an early age.

Today, if you ask a Zulu what it means to be Zulu, they will reply that they have a strong sense of coming from something; of belonging; of understanding their origins. They will express an abiding connection to and respect for their elders and ancestors – nourished by a clear identity, fervent pride and African passion.

ZULU MONARCHY
The late King Zwelithini Goodwill kaBhekuzulu was installed as the eight monarch of the Zulus in 1971 and reigned until his death in early 2021.

As the protector of the Zulu nation, he revived cultural events and travelled extensively to promote peace, goodwill, local agriculture and tourism, and was a global ambassador for the continent, the country, Thanda and the Zulu nation. His Majesty officially opened Thanda Safari in May 2004.

ACTIVITIES
On a Thanda Safari, you can experience and participate in every aspect of wildlife conservation, including spending time with our specialist rhino monitors and conservation team or exploring beyond the reserve on a guided boat tour to experience hippos and crocodiles in the nearby iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site.

THE BEST OF THE BUSH
Thanda Safari is a five-star Big Five safari experience. But it is also more than this because of Thanda’s commitment to partnering with our neighbouring Zulu communities to achieve a better life for all.

Job creation, career advancement, socio-economic upliftment, educational advancement, the preservation of Zulu culture and our wildlife, as well as working together in the fight against poaching, are all part of Thanda Safari.

BUSH WALK
Experience a guided walk through the bush, a heightened sensory experience where every sound and scent is magnified as you get closer to nature.

Your ranger will show you different plants, insects and birdlife as well as the flora and fauna of the Zululand area. Learn to identify the spoor and scat of different animals on this truly amazing experience.

RHINO TRACKING
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.

RHINO DARTING
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.

CHEETAH TRACKING
This activity is hosted by a member of the Wildlife Conservation Team and starts just before sunrise. Guests will spend 3 to 4-hours helping the team track and identify the cheetah whilst learning all about their ecology, the threats to the species, behavioural and feeding patterns and much more.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE ZULUS
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.

IN THE PATH OF WILDLIFE
Thanda is passionate about conservation. Our team of trackers, guides and researchers work tirelessly to ensure that our wildlife is healthy and protected.

Guests have the opportunity to work with the conservation team for a day – this can include tracking and monitoring the Big Five, participating in game counts or translocating animals (seasonal).

HIPPO & CROC CRUISE
The St. Lucia Estuary is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Africa’s largest estuarine system and a World Heritage Site.

The largest congregation of Nile crocodiles and African hippos can be found in this area, which is also the last significant breeding ground for the world-famous giant leatherback and loggerhead turtles. Experience a two-hour interactive boat trip up the St. Lucia Estuary, led by knowledgeable rangers.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Magnificent wildlife photography tells the story of your Thanda Safari in a way that words cannot. Thanda’s accomplished resident wildlife photographer and field guide, Christian Sperka is an expert at sharing the art of capturing wildlife on camera in a 90-minute session, at no charge to guests staying for two nights or more.

All photography services at Thanda Safari are provided by Christian Sperka Photography. Christian is the resident wildlife photographer at Thanda Safari. He works as a Specialist Photography and Field Guide and also teaches wildlife photography at the reserve.

Christian teaches according to his “Basic Rules of Wildlife/Motion Photography” under the motto ‘Keep it Simple’.

He has travelled the world photographing animals in game reserves of South Africa and Namibia, the jungles of Costa Rica, in Yellowstone National Park in the USA, as well as zoos in Europe and the United States. His work has been featured in wildlife magazines, books and many publications.

FREE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON
Your African safari will reveal the most incredible sightings that you will want to keep alive in your memory. What better way to do this than with your own magnificent photographs.

To help you capture your time at Thanda, we offer a complimentary photography lesson to teach you more about the art of catching the perfect wildlife moment.

During the lesson, Christian Sperka will teach you how to set up your digital camera or smartphone, introduce you to the basic rules of wildlife photography and the art of motion photography.

SAFARI ON THE GREEN MAMBA
Thanda Safari and Christian Sperka Photography now also offer a luxury photography game viewing vehicle, called the Green Mamba 1.

A Land Rover Defender was converted into the ultimate wildlife safari vehicle which can take two photographers, with an additional three guests, in ultimate comfort.

Some of the speciality features include a Marine sound system for playing bird sounds, a 12.9″ Apple iPad Pro with various nature apps, a Nespresso coffee machine and a Thanda-style bush bar.

PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE WILD
After a complimentary 90-minute wildlife photography lesson or professoinal discussion, you head out on a 3-hour evening game drive in a private safari vehicle to put into practice what you have learned during your lesson, or to hone your skills without being rushed.

Wildlife photography takes skill and patience and what better way to practice than to go in your own time on your own private vehicle.

BUSH PHOTO SHOOTS
Thanda offers you to have your own private bush photo shoot. Whether you are getting married, are on honeymoon or on safari with your friends, we offer you the opportunity to have your very own photo shoot at any of our properties or a variety of exciting locations in the wild.

Christian will take professional portraits of you, which will forever remind you of this special time and experience in the African bush. This can be arranged between game drives, but you can also opt to have your photos taken on a private three-hour game drive.

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY
This wonderful offering for birders and non-birders alike allows you to choose between a half-day and a full-day excursion to the nearby Mkhuze Game Reserve, which features some of the most active hides in South Africa, visited by hundreds of animals and a large number of bird species.

FAMILY
Witnessing your children experience the bush, discover new places and see wild animals for the first time – these memories of your stay at Thanda Safari will stay with you forever.

We go out of our way to make sure your kids have the best time, including participating in our special Bucks & Bugs Club and our Junior Rangers Course.

Enjoy a family safari holiday and witnessing your kids experiencing and discovering the Big Five and all the other creatures in the bush for the first time is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime feeling.

JUNIOR RANGERS COURSE
While you’re staying with us, your kids can join our Junior Rangers Course and spend time with one of our guides, learning the ways of the wild.

They’ll learn about game tracking, game spotting, spoor identification as well as bird and plant life. At the end of their stay, they will receive a Junior Ranger Certificate from Thanda Safari.

KID-FRIENDLY FOOD & SNACKS
We strive to be a dream destination for little nature-lovers as well as big ones. Thanda has a special menu just for kids, and we will go out of our way to produce favourite meals and to make the dining experience as exciting for your children as it is for you. Please advise us of any dietary requirements ahead of your visit.

THANDA’S NANNIES
Thanda’s nannies are all wonderful mothers themselves. While you are out on a game drive or taking time out, they will take care of your children (all ages) and treat them as part of the Thanda family.

To add to this, Thanda offers something special just for kids – the Bucks & Bugs Club – where your children have the time of their lives, while you enjoy time out in the bush or relaxing at your lodge, camp or spa.

Website: www.thandasafari.co.za

Rooms: 39

Price: from 877 EUR per night