Welcome to Thornybush.
Your home in the African wilderness.

In order to have the most fulfilling safari experience, we would recommend a minimum of 3 nights stay, enabling you to enjoy your safari in a leisurely manner.

National parks are administered by South African National Parks Board which ensures a standardised level of accommodation – facilities and the rates are usually kept low. These parks are mainly self-drive destinations. Game viewing in the Nation Parks are restricted to tarred roads with no offer of off-road safaris. The game viewing in a private park is less restrictive to that of the national parks. Game drives are enjoyed in a private open safari vehicle with a trained guide and tracker team ensuring up-close and personalized game viewing experiences.

The water in all the lodges is perfectly safe to drink, however all lodges have bottled water available for guests.

Each season has its own beauty and in an ideal world, one should try and experience the bushveld in the winter and in the summer to enjoy the two contrasts. Our summers are hot but tolerable as the air is very dry. Spectacular thunderstorms occur during the months of November through to March. Winter is dry and generally easier to view game as the bush is not as dense. The winter days are fantastic as temperatures average a moderate 20 degrees Celsius. When traveling in the winter months it is recommended that you dress warmly for both morning and evening game drives.

Bushveld casual, neutral colours are recommended. Most guests wear long trousers for dinner and always ensure you have a light sweater or windbreaker handy. During summer a bathing costume is recommended to enjoy down time around the swimming pool.

Thornybush and the Sabi Sand are big 5 reserves, so yes, the chances of seeing them are very high. We can however not guarantee what will be seen on safari as wildlife roam freely. However, we will do our utmost to ensure you get to see everything you have come to see.

Thornybush Private Nature reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park. This is an area which covers a massive expanse of unfenced wilderness, allowing wildlife to roam freely between the Kruger National Park and a vast number of private concessions.   Thornybush has 11 lodges withing the Thornybush Private Nature Reserve and 1 property situated in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve.

You will be warmly welcomed by a friendly member of staff who will assist with the check in process and orientation of the lodge. You will then be shown to your room, after which a light late lunch will be served, followed by your first afternoon safari which lasts approximately 3 hours, during which time you will stop at a selected venue to watch the sun set and enjoy a beverage. You will return to the lodge early evening for dinner. The following morning at day-break you will meet in the main area of the lodge, where refreshments and snacks will be on offer before departing on your morning drive which lasts approximately 3 hours. You will be given the opportunity to stretch your legs during this time whilst enjoying a coffee break. On return to the lodge, you will enjoy a full breakfast after which you will have some down-time to make use of the spa or lounge by the pool before lunch is served, followed by your late afternoon safari.

Thornybush subscribes to a medical team and evacuation service. However, it is recommended that you include this on your travel insurance policy whilst travelling.

Yes, game drives are in 4-wheel drive game viewing vehicles, so if the opportunity arises, your guide will go off-road. None of the roads in Thornybush are tarred, they are all maintained dirt roads.

The rates at our lodges are all -inclusive which means accommodation, meals, snacks, early morning and evening game drives and optional guided bushwalks. For a full list of lodge inclusions, refer to the relevant lodge rates page.

Your specific dietary requirements should be communicated with the reservation’s consultant at the time of confirmation, this enables the lodge to ensure your preferred meals are available and supplies are ordered in time for your arrival.

The dress code is informal and neutral colours are recommended. A warm jacket for winter and evening safaris. Comfortable walking shoes, a bathing costume, binoculars, camera and video camera. Sunhats, sunscreen and sunglasses. A select range of safari clothing and amenities are available for purchase in our Curio Shops.

Daytime summer temperatures (September – April) are high and may soar above 36°C/97°F. Evenings and early mornings are warm. Winters (May – August) have chilly nights and crisp early mornings (minimum 3°C/38°F), but the days are fine and warm. Rainfall occurs predominantly in the summer months from October to April in the form of magnificent late afternoon/evening thundershowers.

SA Airlink offers 2 scheduled flights daily between Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) and Hoedspruit Airport (HDS) which takes approximately 55 minutes, and 1 daily flight between Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) and Hoedspruit Airport (HDS), which takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. Transfers can be arranged on your behalf from Hoedspruit Airport to the Reserve, at an additional cost. This transfer takes approximately 30 minutes by road.

Scheduled charter flights taking you directly into one of the Thornybush Nature Reserve Airstrips can be booked through our reservations department.

Private charters are available through several reputable private charter companies. Enquiries / quotes can be obtained through our reservations department.

Directions are available for guests opting to self-drive. Driving time from Johannesburg is approximately 6 hours.