Thornybush Game Lodge

It was a once in a lifetime wildlife experience. The lodge and service were amazing! The food was incredible. The morning and afternoon evening safaris were once in a lifetime experiences where we saw the Big 5 in our 3 days there. I would love to one day return.

This was our first safari experience and our first impression set the tone, as our family was warmly greeted upon arrival by the staff and management. Throughout the entire stay at Thornybush the staff were very pleasant, attentive, and responsive without being intrusive. The accommodations were clean, comfortable, private, and well-appointed. The food at each meal was well-prepared, plentiful, and served in a lovely open-air dining area. The game drives were beautiful and thrilling, the vehicles were new and comfortable, and we had ample time to enjoy different areas of the reserve. Ryno and Elliott, our guide and tracker, were very knowledgeable and so much fun to be with. Before each drive, they would ask what we were most interested in seeing, then customize the drive accordingly. We had seen the "Big 5" by the end of our second day, so Ryno was great at suggesting other sightings and experiences we might enjoy, driving us as far as necessary and staying out sometimes longer than we expected. One of our favorite drives was our final evening drive, which included stopping for drinks and snacks to view a beautiful sunset, then spending unhurried time closely observing a male lion relaxing under a clear moonlit sky. Unforgettable! The bottom line is that our Thornybush experience easily exceeded our expectations, and we left with wonderful memories.

In March 2025, our family spent three nights at the wonderful Thorny Bush Lodge in Timbavati, South Africa. We had an excellent time — from the outstanding meals to the warm, attentive service and truly exceptional game viewing. The experience arrangers and safari guides were knowledgeable and engaging, and the management and staff overall were experienced, professional, and welcoming. Everything ran smoothly, and the hospitality was top-notch. The only downside we noted was that certain areas of the rooms require maintenance, especially for a lodge positioned in the ultra-luxury five-star category. Some doors didn’t close or seal properly, leaving small gaps — particularly around the bathroom and outdoor shower doors, as well as the main entrance. These gaps allowed insects like mosquitoes to enter, especially at night when the lights were on. Despite this, we had a fantastic stay and would highly recommend Thorny Bush Lodge to anyone seeking an authentic and luxurious safari experience. We would definitely return

Exceptional experience - honestly the best place we have ever been! Everything was perfect - there are just no words! Huge thank you to our ranger Freedom and tracker Delta who made this experience unforgettable. What a fantastic team and so knowledgeable and friendly. Special thanks also to all of the exceptional staff at the Lodge including our butler Noshem, Cathrine the duty manager for running such an amazing operation and Clarinda for her super friendly attitude. Also thank you to the invisible housekeeping team who kept our room immaculate. So many lovely touches including the personal water bottles, the baskets to use on safari (just a shame we didn’t get these to take home), the jars of sweets, nuts and biscuits in the room and the well stocked mini bar which even includes fresh milk. We loved just loved the ambiance of the lodge from being woken at 5am and going down to the main area for coffee and pre-breakfast, the game drives with Amarula coffee stops in the mornings and sundowner drinks on the afternoon drives, the absolutely amazing dinners, boma and bush dinner (an unforgettable birthday dinner). A bit of free time during the day to swim. Be prepared for an absolutely full on experience- we realised that showers needed to be taken before the afternoon game drive as there was only time for a quick freshen up/change of clothes upon return and before dinner. And then, of course, the main attraction - the animals! So close to them and to see them in their natural habitat was just overwhelming that at times it just made us so emotional. We are definitely planning on returning with our daughter and her partner, hopefully September 2027 so we can experience the Kruger at different time of year. See you all then!

We have just spent an exceptional 4 days here, with our two adult children. The location and venue are first class, the staff are superb. Specifically we loved our Guide Enock, has a wealth of knowledge and really does know how to make sure everyone’s interests and passions are catered for. Our Trakker Freddy was great too, he really does know his stuff, and is as calm as anything - even when one of the young males started heading directly towards us! And when you are not heading out on safari, the service is exceptional, we loved our host Clarinda, who ensured we were looked after, and also our personal butler Vusi - nothing was too hard. Our rooms, the exceptional accomodation, the pool, the library, the spa - you want for nothing. And the animals here, we saw the big five! Every safari was different - I cannot recall all the excitement - but we saw various herds of elephants - what characters, five white rhinos - incredible, two beautiful leopards, a pride of lions post a kill - and were fortunate enough to watch a pack of wild dogs as they attempted to kill baby wilder beasts…. They couldn’t get them, but within minutes they had a baby impala…. Gruesome - but fascinating….. if you want an amazing safari experience, I highly recommend this place, the team of staff and the animals are there to be seen an enjoyed!

We stayed at the Kamara house and have been on lots of wonderful trips but this place is very special. Lindi KG made our safaris very special , Caroline (chef) and Vero made our stay absolutely perfect. I’ll never book anywhere else if and when we return. 100 stars if I could.