Luxury safaris. Big Five. Brilliant birding. With the added attraction of supporting a lodge with exceptional conservation practices.
Out in the middle of nowhere, where there’s nothing as far as the eye can see bar bushes, trees, gently rolling hills and watering holes … this is where you’ll find Thanda Safari. A private game reserve in the northern reaches of Zululand, where the Great Rift Valley meets the Lebombo Mountains, it’s home to an abundance of wildlife including Africa’s Big 5 and more than 400 different bird species.
It’s a destination which offers an authentic South African wildlife experience. There’s exceptional game-viewing all year, it’s a brilliant option for families, honeymooners, groups of friends, and perfect for those who’re wanting something extra over and above the game drives … think specialised bush walks, photographic safaris, and Zulu cultural tours in the rural community.
The term room with a view is particularly apt here … it’s been said that there are no bad rooms at Thanda – and we couldn’t agree more. Guests are offered a few options … each as magnificent as the other.
The Thanda Safari Lodge is a circular structure reminiscent of a traditional Zulu rondavel, with nine suites, each with a spacious lounge area, a plunge pool, a private boma and a game-viewing deck offering panoramic views of the surrounding game reserve. There’s also a spa, open for all Thanda guests, housed in the heart of the Lodge.
Or, for those who want to go for the ultimate in bush opulence, there’s the splendid Villa iZulu – a stunning safari hide-away for families, groups, even wedding parties, wanting privacy with their luxury. With five gloriously appointed suites and its own heli-pad, this extravagantly-sized villa, which has fenced garden and lush green lawns, is available on an exclusive-use basis.
A third, super luxurious hospitality option, is The Royal Thanda Club by Thanda Safari … where you’ll find the exclusive-use Royal Residences. Enclosed within a high security, access-controlled, estate in the central part of the reserve, these massively spacious Royal Residences sleep between eight and ten guests.
Since opening Thanda Safari some 20 years ago, it has embraced various aspects of responsible and sustainable tourism practices. Everything the team does is centred around responsible environmental development and management.
The many conservation programmes have included protection programmes for the endangered Cheetah and, most importantly, the endangered Black Rhino protection programme and Elephant Breeding programmes. Other conservation initiatives include …
The identification and tracking of elephants at Thanda Safari, and the tracking and monitoring of cheetah using telemetry equipment.
The identification of hyena and leopard via the use of camera traps, as well as rhino monitoring – due to rampant poaching in South Africa it is imperative that a close watch be kept on Thanda’s rhinos.
Bird Atlasing – a hotspot of birdlife diversity Thanda Safari, as a member of Birdlife South Africa and an acknowledged landowner within the Zululand Important Bird and Biodiversity area, keeps detailed records of all bird species using Bird Atlasing.
Rehabilitation – Thanda Safari has been at the forefront of land rehabilitation in KwaZulu Natal, transforming overgrazed cattle farms into pristine game viewing land and re-introducing species that used to freely roam the area, including the Big Five.
Vegetation monitoring – a thorough assessment is conducted annually as to the carrying capacity of the reserve, taking into account the rainfall, veld condition, grass cover and herbaceous biomass. Also habitat management – which includes a controlled burning programme, road maintenance, erosion control and alien plant control.
Under the auspices of Thanda Foundation Trust, established to focus attention on the socio-economic needs of the three tribal communities surrounding affected by Thanda, there’s also a flagship Star for Life Educational programme that functions under its own NGO, the Inkanyiso and Masisambisane crèche projects, and Football for Life through the amateur football club, Thanda Lions, that uplifts local unemployed youth in sport and empowers young girls to play football.
Thanda Safari has its own dedicated anti-poaching unit, wildlife team and rhino monitors and it is a founding member of Project Rhino KZN – an anti-poaching collaboration with local conservation agencies and game reserves.
Details: www.thanda.com
