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4.5
#1 of 1 lodge in Ntambana
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Thula Thula private game reserve is a unique safari destination and home to elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and superb bird life, in Kwazulu Natal, in a malaria free area. With its unique atmosphere, stylish decor and superb cuisine, Thula Thula offers you the choice of exclusive accommodation between the luxurious Safari lodge, renowned gourmet destination, and the 4 star Luxury tented camp, offering an authentic bush experience in great style. Special packages, spa massages, Zulu culture tours.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Languages Spoken
English, French
Location
D312 Buchanana Main Rd, Ntambana 3880 South Africa
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I visited Thula Thula with my sister, who had already been with her family 9 months ago. She couldn't wait to show me how special this place is and I wasn't disappointed. It was even more amazing than I ever dreamed and I enjoyed every minute we were there. We stayed in one of the lodges which are gorgeous. The rooms are big and you get a large, comfortable bed with mosquito net. Tea and coffee making facilities are in the room. The bathroom has a bath and separate shower with toiletries provided, including bug repellent. They are air conditioned, which was our main reason for choosing the lodge over the tented camp. The lodges each have a veranda and are set in beautiful gardens where the Impala and Inyala roam freely. The whole place is very charming. The food is superb and you get plenty of it. You eat breakfast after the morning game drive (which is at 6.30am) and there is a great choice - cereal, bread, fruit, pastries and a choice of hot dish cooked to order. Lunch and the evening meal are also excellent with real gourmet food being served. We had some wonderful dishes and I loved that we all sat together in the evening, talking with our fellow guests. You pay for your drinks but the wine is excellent and reasonably priced. There is a real warmth about Thula Thula and everyone is so happy and relaxed. The staff are very friendly and always go out of their way to make your stay special.
The game drives are just incredible and it blew my mind getting so close to the elephants and rhinos. We were there for 2 nights and went on 4 safari drives. I never thought we would see them within touching distance of the truck and they all seem so happy in their wonderful environment. The rangers are brilliant and stopping for a drink in the late afternoon sun, with the animals close by, is just a magical experience. Seeing Thabo and Ntombi, the rhinos I had read about in the book, was a highlight for me and of course the elephants are the real stars. The rangers can name them all and seeing the whole herd walking past us was incredible and very humbling. We also saw zebras, giraffes, water buffalo, wildebeest, hippos and lots of birds. We were lucky to meet Francoise Malby Anthony who dedicates her life to the rescue & rehabilitation of the wildlife. With the support of her brilliant staff, Thula Thula is the most amazing place, with the star attraction being the herd of elephants. I would love to return again some day but will treasure my memories forever.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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What an experience!!! You couldn't go to any other safari and have the interaction with wild elephants that we had at Thula Thula. Every time out was incredible. The staff couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. Kaya and Andrew were our tracker and guide and boy did they know their stuff!! Kaya found the elephants EVERY time! Mbwana, Cindi and her sister were gracious, sweet, helpful, and would go out of their way to make sure you had an out of this world visit.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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After reading Lawrence and Francois' books I knew I had to visit South Africa. After having to reschedule from 2020 to 2021 we finally were able to take this magical trip. We were in South Africa for 25 days but the 6 days we spent at Thula Thula were definitely the highlight. My partner had not read the books but I did get him to read The Elephant Whisperer before we arrived. I think that reading at least that first book changes the experience from being just another game reserve to something truly magical.
We were able to imagine the scenes from the book as we travelled around the reserve and spent time with the amazing elephants, rhinos and hippos whose names and stories we knew. We had plenty of time just hanging with the elephants and having some pretty close encounters which were wonderful!
Our first 3 nights were spent at the tented camp and our guide was Siya. We loved the experience of staying in the very comfortable tents. The girls who served our meals and beverages were fantastic and attentive. Siya was an amazing guide, we loved chatting with him about the reserve, the animals, the zulu culture and his experiences. The next three nights we spend at the Elephant Lodge. The weather had turned rainy and chilly but this did not dampen our spirits or our enjoyment of the experience. Sindi and the rest of the staff at the lodge were extremely attentive and the food was utterly fantastic. We joked that we were going to the "trough" as we were fed so much. You definitely won't go hungry. Andrew was our guide for this portion of our stay and once again we learned so much about the animals and history. I would also like to mention that I was impressed with the accommodations made for my dairy allergy while still serving me extremely tasty meals.
Here is hoping that we can return to South Africa one day. If we are able to make that happen Thula Thula will be at the top of our list of places to return to.
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Date of stay: October 2021
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I booked a family holiday with my kids, when I called through I was told my kids would not be aloud at the Lodge so we booked at the Tented cabins. No one mentioned that the food would not be what is on the website, if this had been told to me I would not have booked. The food is shocking, 1st meal was curry and rice, I have 2 kids with me, how do you that went down? When you go away to game lodge you expect the level of food to match the game experience and it simply does not. Why not offer an ala carte menu with more variety of better food? Pizza for lunch is not a suitable lunch, beside Debonairs pizza would have been more appetizing.
EVERYTHING else on this trip was exceptional, the guides, the staff, the animals, the games drives where all 10/10. It is so sad that something as simple as the poor food could let this experience down. I really hope they sort this out as it could be a wonderful place to go.
Musi and Siya are brilliant.
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Date of stay: August 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Thula Thula Exclusive Private Game Lodge
Responded 18 Jan 2023
Thank you for your poor review but maybe you stayed during a time when it was still difficult to get proper supplies of food, as you know it was still Covid times. But i am glad you enjoyed the game drives and our game rangers ! Thank you Francoise
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5 stars to all the staff who really made a difference to our visit and helped to almost overcome the initial horror of the reception area when we checked in. Unfortunately this is the WORST reception we have EVER seen and we have been to many private lodges. A thought shared by most folk that weekend. For a 4 star lodge it was quite a nasty shock. This bad impression was followed by the dead/non-existent gardens outside the lodge/dining area. While it was amazing to see the rhino and elephant up-close, due to the previously stated I do not know if I would recommend the camp for an overnight stay. A day-trip certainly. Thanks, V
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Date of stay: September 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Thula Thula Exclusive Private Game Lodge
Responded 29 Sept 2020
Good day, thank you for tour feedback. But I am a bit confused as I saw you on arrival and on departure and you all seemed very happy. I signed several books and no one made any complaints, on the contrary. Maybe you could email me directly and inform me of what reception you are talking about. What it at the lodge ? I am Not sure about the garden you mention too ? Thank you for clarifying Best tegards Francoise
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It’s a privilege to visit Thula Thula and meet and observe the family of wild elephants from the book The Elephant Whisperer and An Elephant in my Kitchen. We spent an hour watching them feeding and interacting literally beside us with our ranger Khaya who is great fun and very informative. We also saw many other animals so close to us as well as the elephants again on each drive. Franciose adds her French sophistication to the lodges which are stunning and to the cuisine. This was my second visit and I will definitely be back again!
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Date of stay: November 2020
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Room Tip:The Imperal Suite is stunning
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We had a long awaited ‘sisters reunion’ sharing a family tent . The best game drives we’ve been on with the most incredibly knowledgeable game rangers .Kaya and Siya shared so much information about the elephants , birds and plant life . We saw the wonderful elephants we had read so much about in Francoise’s and Lawrence’s books on every game drive (2 drives per day as part of our very well priced package) All in all a magical stay .
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Date of stay: September 2021
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Having visited Thula Thula last year with my family I was very excited to return with my sister and again I can not recommend this very special place highly enough. The Game drives with the close encounters with the animals, the lovely and very attentive staff, the wonderful food, all outstanding and the absolute relaxing atmosphere that surrounds Thula Thula make me want to return again and again. Thank you for making our 2 day trip so lovely.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have dreamed about going to Thula Thula after I've read Lawrence Anthony's books (especially "Elephant Whisperer" and "The Last Rhino" and Françoise Malby-Anthony's "Elephant in My Kitchen". Finally, after 5 days spent in Thula Thula, the reality was bigger than my dreams. We stayed in the Tented Camp whose personnel and "boss" Christiaan very very kind, helpful and understanding. We did all the safaris that were offered to us and the ranger Muzi was very professional and managed to make us meet Nana and Frankie and their herd as well as Thabo and Nthombi, the two incredible rhinos. Other rangers were also very kind and professional. One cannot find words to describe the overwhelming feeling of tranquillity and peace in this game reserve. One has to go to Thula Thula to see, to experience the encounter of these magnificent animals: at some point any human being feels that we all belong to the same nature, we, animals, trees, birds, insects. Thula Thula is a magnificent place to experience moments you have never experienced in your life.*Thank you Françoise, thank you Christiaan, thank you "the girls" at the Tented Camps, thank you to the cooks (the food was really very good). I keep offering the Anthonys' books to all my friends and do hope they will visit Thula Thula one day.
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Date of stay: December 2019
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Room Tip:You have to decide if you want to go to the Tented Camp or the the Lodge. It seems to me that...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FrancoiseDurbs, Owner at Thula Thula Exclusive Private Game Lodge
Responded 18 Jan 2020
Dear Barbara, Thank you so much for your beautiful review. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and Joel and we hope to see you back sometimes ! A bientot j’espere et un grand merci pour les lunettes de Muzi 💕 Francoise
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Knowledgeable, skilled and friendly rangers, well-planned game drives, and excellent food. We were thrilled and fortunate that the elephants, giraffes, rhino, hippos, impalas, Cape buffaloes, wildebeest, and zebra accepted our presence in their home.. All the staff at the tented camp were friendly, professional and engaging. Sorry to leave.
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Date of stay: March 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Newport Beach, California586 contributions229 helpful votes
There are lots of hotels with shuttles at JNB Airport and 2 hotels are walkable. The intercontinental $$$$ and the City hotel $$.
We stayed at the Protea(Marriott brand) and took their shuttle. Very safe.
I think that Thula will arrange transport for you from Durban. Just ask. Also look at flying into Richards Bay (RCB). Not as many flights per day but closer unless you want time in Durban. We did a 1/2 day city tour and full day Sani Pass tour but without those fly to Richards Bay.
Hendersonville, North Carolina4 contributions1 helpful vote
We flew on Delta from ATL to JNB, 15 hours 50 min. Spent the night in Johannesburg (hotel with airport shuttle recommended by Thula Thula) with a 9:00 am continuing flight to Durban where Thula Thula had a driver waiting. If you don't want to do almost 16 hours, going to London for a couple of days might be a good option, Siya, the head game ranger told us he thought end of April beginning of May was his favorite time. We preferred the very end of winter to avoid mosquitoes, flys and snakes.
There are more places to choose from in the Ntambana area.
PRICE RANGE
$917 - $932 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
thula thula exclusive private game reserve and safari hotel kwazulu-natal
LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalNtambana
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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