You’d do well to find a more famous or indeed older lodge in the safari business than Thornybush. The relaxed, family-friendly Game Lodge was one of the first camps of its kind in South Africa, located in Greater Kruger Park.
Of course, the look and interior décor of the lodge have moved with the times, changing to reflect contemporary tastes. But thankfully, there’s never been a concerted effort to move too far away from a classic safari look and feel. That said, we’re sure the lodge wasn’t solar powered when it first opened. It is now. It’s also a plastic free zone, another recent and welcome innovation.
There are 16 air conditioned suites here, each with twin beds or a kingsize craftily placed so you can see through the large sliding doors across your deck and out into the bush where the animal action takes place. There’s a large window above your bath, presumably so you can lie back and look up at the stars while the bubbles soothe your body. Sarongs and slippers are supplied just in case you want to continue to feel the luxury on your body after your bath or shower.
As well as the suites, there’s the Kamara House villa, a more recent addition which is marketed as being designed for small groups and families who want their own area to enjoy.
The main area of camp is thatched with views of the sandy riverbed. Buffalo and elephant are often to be seen wandering by, usually in herds which is an impressive sight to behold from the bar or from your table, where you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. A boma gives you an alternative place to eat under a starry night sky.
Away from eating and drinking, you can enjoy a swimming pool session followed by pampering treatments in the spa and a workout in the gym. Or you can do all the above in a different order. Whatever you choose, a library provides a relaxing retreat to which you can escape with a book.
There’s a children’s club and babysitting service to keep younger guests occupied and to give their grown ups a chance to relax. All kids get a fun activity pack on arrival, which contains an interactive safari-style toy plus a colouring book and crayons.
In case you didn’t know, Kruger is Big 5 country. We imagine that one of the reasons Thornybush has thrived in the safari business for so long is because of its excellent location and the prevalence in the local area of the kind of wildlife people willingly travel across the world to see. Game drives leave the lodge at dawn and dusk, led by trackers and rangers who know what they’re about. You’ve also the option of exploring the bush on foot during walks that are designed to continue this great location’s legacy of offering some of the world’s best safari experiences.
"A dream come true"
We had the most amazing family holiday, everything worked so perfectly, the arrangements and accommodation was spectacular!
"Unforgettable trip to Namibia – Thank you Namibia Tours & Safaris!"
We are a group of four from Romania and spent 3 unforgettable weeks in Namibia. We can't recommend them enough, and for any future travels in Namibia or other parts of Africa, we will definitely use their services again.
"We had a great experience"
From the time we put the key in the ignition till we boarded the plane in Windhoek nothing went wrong.
"Unforgettable bird photography trip in Namibia"
It was a fantastic experience, everything was very well organised, went smooth and according to expectations. It was our first self drive in Africa and it was a great, unforgettable time.
