Thornybush Game Lodge

This trip was so incredible- We had our 12 and 16-year-old with us and my husband and I were hopeful this would be a great experience. Thorybush was awesome! We felt lucky with our amazing guide and tracker- Lindi and KG - so many fun game drives and moments. In addition to seeing the Big 5, we enjoyed being out in nature for hours at a time being together. We shared the drive with other visitors a couple of times and that was great too. The spa was really nice- I had a massage and pedicure from Granny. The food was great too- it was relaxing to not have to leave the lodge for any meals and relax in between the drives. We would LOVE to return and bring our oldest son with us. Thanks to Precious, Peter and Lucie for taking great care of us!

An all round 10/10 for the people, the lodge, the ranger and tracker, the drives, the big 5, the food, the rooms and the genuine feeling of how the staff engage was tops. Carlton, Elliott, Noshem and everyone else were superb. A must visit for lovers of the bush.

The staff, food and game viewing was absolutely amazing!! It literally couldn't have been better! We traveled with 24 people, but they made each person feel like they were the only ones there! Every person said they can't wait to go back and do it again!

My friend and I (both women in our mid 30s) stayed at Thornybush for 4 nights, and I can't say enough how wonderful an experience it was. The transfer was very easy from Hoedspruit Airport (under 40 mins) and we had such a warm welcome from the Thornybush team. My first impression of the accommodation and facilities was just WOW! And then it got better from there - delicious, generous food at every meal (thanks Ralson who was always so welcoming), great gym and pool (we did yoga whilst elephants were on the river bank!), and we always felt very safe with the support from the evening rangers. Now onto Safari! Thornybush is massive and we saw the big 5 and more multiple times - the animals are plentiful within Thornybush thanks to being open to Kruger and surrounding reserves (I personally wouldn't recommend a closed reserve after learning about this). Watching the animals interact is incredible and our ranger, Lindy, and tracker, KG, were so knowledgable and really cared for the natural environment and their profession. Spending four days getting to know them was a highlight of our trip! We did both the morning and afternoon game drives on most days. One morning we opted for a bush walk instead which is also a cool experience if you're looking to understand the nature and tracking techniques more. As it was the first time for both of us, we didn't quite know what to expect or how much to pay (you gauk when you first see the prices). We did a lot of research and I can't say enough how pleased I am that we chose Thornybush. Worth every penny!

Freedom, Delta, Glory, Lorraine, Gia and Catherine .... to you all, thank you for a memorable 4 nights at your Lodge. On the vehicle with Freedom and Delta exploring the bush and its surroundings, learning all that nature can provide was wonderful - not knowing what was around the corner! Knowledge from both was exceptional. Incredible viewing of creatures big and small. Food .... just perfectly presented and tasteful with a smile at all times. The accommodation - perfect and comfortable with a great view - a favourite for me is the outdoor shower. Special Place indeed!

The service and friendliness of the staff elevate this place!! Thoughtfully appointed bungalow was perfect! You are assigned a driver, tracker, and waiter on arrival and they are yours for your stay, Ralson took great care of us at meal time, Ngosi and Kilmon made for interesting game drives. We truly enjoyed our time here!

5 STARS ALL THE WAY! Everything about our time at Thornybush was PERFECTION!!! The service, the kindness, the food (omg to die for), the rooms, the views, the game drives- I could go on and on! Glory took care of our every need from start to finish! Everyday with Tracey and Orlando on the game drives was so fun and perfect!! We got to see things that were truly once in a lifetime and they were such a brilliant wealth of knowledge! I will dream about the day I get to bring my family back to Thornybush but until then I will have incredible memories and scream it from the rooftop!!

Amazing first time safari experience! The scenery and lodges were beautiful, and the staff was amazing and helpful every step of the way - especially our safari guides (Archie and Mandla), who were excellent and informative. Well recommended!

We have just returned from a magical 3 days at the beautifully refurbished Thornybush Game Lodge. From the moment we arrived we were spoilt rotten by the incredible staff. Lorraine, Gia, Peter made us feel so welcome. The chefs went all out to cater for my daughter's gluten free diet. The rooms are fabulous! The food amazing and varied. We were so lucky to have Sarah and Kenny as our ranger and tracker. The game-viewing was really incredible - wild dogs, baby hyena, huge herd of elephant, leopard, buffalo, hippo.... and the most amazing sighting of a lion climbing a tree. Sarah's knowledge of wildlife, trees and birds was next level. We were VERY sad to leave and can't wait to come back to this very special place. Thank you to the entire team!