Thanda Safari Lodge weaves an authentic Zulu cultural experience into every aspect of your stay. Its name “Thanda” means “Love” in Zulu, and they live up to this by giving you the warmest welcome from the moment you arrive at Thanda Safari.
I recently had the opportunity to experience this first-hand. Follow us this way to find out why you should add Thanda Safari Lodge to your African itinerary.
Why Choose Thanda Safari as Your Safari Destination?
Located a three-hour drive from Durban Airport, Thanda Safari offers 14,000 hectares of private land. If you’re tired of cityscapes and want to escape to the wild and wonderful bush, you can visit Thanda Safari for either a quick weekend away or a more extended getaway.
It’s also in a low-risk malaria region, making it the ideal safari destination for families, pregnant women, or anyone else concerned about malaria.
Home to the Big 5, Thanda Safari is also home to many conservation projects.
A Day at Thanda Safari Lodge
Every morning and again in the afternoon, your friendly expert ranger and tracker will meet you to whisk you away on safari. The majority of the staff at Thanda Safari Lodge are locals from Zulu villages surrounding the reserve. They, therefore, have extensive knowledge of the area, local culture, and animals, adding depth to your safari experiences.
The stories shared over a G&T will forever leave an imprint on your heart.
Your Own Piece of Bush Paradise
What I loved about Thanda Safari is the pure openness it offers. Travelling during the pandemic causes uncertainty for many travellers, questioning whether it’s safe to go on safari.
During our stay, they followed stringent safety measures, from our driver Khaya who sanitised our hands and luggage, to being greeted with the ‘elbow handshake’ and staff keeping a safe distance.
Welcome to Your Safari Safe Haven
Our room at Thanda Safari Lodge was 220m² in size. It’s like a mini villa in the bush! You have a private deck, plunge pool, outdoor sala, private boma area, indoor and outdoor shower, lounge with a fireplace, huge bedroom and all the luxury amenities you would want. Here you can watch the animals graze past whilst you enjoy a cup of tea, read a book or even reply to some emails. Yes, you can still work while on safari!
However, it’s the staff that makes all the difference. They offered a highly personalised experience, from remembering our drinks order, greeting us by name, and sharing their stories of how the bush changed their lives.
They were all just so thrilled to be able to welcome guests to the lodge again, and it truly warmed our hearts.
Why Choose Thanda Safari Lodge: In a Nutshell
Here are just some of my favourites things about Thanda Safari Lodge:
- It’s in a low-risk malaria area
- A three-hour hour drive from Durban
- Other than game drives, you can experience bushwalks with an experienced ranger
- Their conservation efforts are incredible. You can take part in rhino and cheetah tracking, as well as rhino darting
- At Thanda Safari, you have the most heavenly onsite spa to spoil yourself
- The lodge also offers some authentic Zulu cultural tours to complete your safari adventure
The word “Zulu” means “heaven” in the Zulu language. The Zulu people are referred to as amaZulu, meaning they are like people from heaven. Travelling to KwaZulu-Natal and Thanda Safari will offer you a glimpse of safari heaven. Sitting on your sundeck watching the elephant move closer to enjoy a sip of the freshwater out of your plunge pool – that feels like heaven on Earth.
Contact our Travel Experts if you are looking for an escape into the bush, and we can take care of every detail for you. All you have to do is start packing! See you in Africa.
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