​User Reviews – Thornybush GR

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Eduardo   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September 2024 Reviewed: Oct 10, 2024

Email Eduardo  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Overall rating
5/5

Saw all the big 5 and the guides were super professional and knowledgeable and friendly.

Sonia   –  
Canada CA
Visited: October 2022 Reviewed: Dec 15, 2022

Email Sonia  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Overall rating
5/5

Incredible sightings everyday, beautiful landscapes, up and close with the animals on every drive.

Part of the greater kruger area and not fully enclosed reserve, with antipoaching efforts underway making it a great choice for folks interested in conservation and the protection of these beautiful animals!

Paula   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: August 2022 Reviewed: Sep 5, 2022

Email Paula  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Overall rating
5/5

Great sightings of the big 5

Ulrik   –  
Netherlands NL
Visited: April 2022 Reviewed: May 8, 2022

Email Ulrik  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Perfect days with wonderful staff, superb food and great viewings
Overall rating
5/5

What a wonderful stay at Thornybush Game Lodge. We had very good game sightings (and superb food, not least the lunches) but what made the stay truly special was how kind and attentive the staff was. Daniel, our field guide, and John, our tracker, were as friendly as they were knowledgeable, not least to our nine year old daughter. Sannie, one of the cooks, came out to talk to us every morning (and when we arrived) to ask our daughter for her meal preferences for that day. And our personal waiter, Clinton, had a smile all the time that would lit up the room.

Jennifer, the Deputy Manager, went the extra mile for us, including finding a private game viewing vehicle for us (with super knowledgeable Tracy and Orlando) to do a photo shoot safari one afternoon.

We will definitely be coming back - we have in fact promised our daughter.

Haven H.   –  
United States US
Visited: August 2019 Reviewed: Sep 22, 2019

Email Haven H.  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Overall rating
5/5

Thornybush has a rich array of wildlife and an apparently healthy ecosystem to support it.
Our camp was fully solar powered, small and intimate, which added to our enjoyment.

Takubo   –  
Japan JP
Visited: October 2017 Reviewed: Nov 9, 2017

Email Takubo  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Overall rating
5/5

We could see many kinds of animals off course big five, a pride of lion, cheetah,etc.
Accomodation was also great

Kanikoski   –  
United States US
Visited: April 2016 Reviewed: Aug 2, 2016

Email Kanikoski  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Overall rating
5/5

N'Kaya Lodge on the Thornybush Game Reserve gave us an informative, up-close game experience that we could not have matched on a self-drive safari. Our wildlife sightings were magnificent, encompassing every animal that we hoped to see. We couldn't have asked for more.

Debbie JT   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: July 2016 Reviewed: Jul 26, 2016

Email Debbie JT  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Overall rating
5/5

Thornybush is a relatively small private reserve in the Greater Kruger. Although currently fenced, plans are in place to remove the fencing adjacent to the Timbavati reserve, which in turn is open to the Kruger National Park.
The wildlife viewing was excellent. We stayed for a week, and saw six individual leopards (two of whom were busy producing the next generation!) and lions with young cubs. Being 15ft from a male lion when he started to roar was an experience not to be forgotten! All the usual suspects are present: giraffe, elephants, buffalo, rhino (we saw both black and white on our trip), kudu, impala. They limit the number of vehicles at a sighting to two, giving a very private experience. Safari vehicles use both a ranger and an experienced tracker, whose skills must be seen to be believed.
We stayed at N'Kaya, a small lodge with only four rooms, each of which is an individual cottage with bedroom, living room and two bathrooms. The food was superb, and the hospitality second to none. The lodge overlooks its own waterhole, so time between game drives can be spent watching what visits the lodge.

Elizabeth   –  
Canada CA
Visited: April 2016 Reviewed: Apr 29, 2016

Email Elizabeth  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

This experience was beyond all expectations. We would recommend Waterside without hesitation.
Overall rating
5/5

Wildlife- we saw every animal imaginable in a few short days.
Accommodation- luxury class and wonderful service from all

Brydee   –  
Hong Kong HK
Visited: September 2015 Reviewed: Nov 3, 2015

Email Brydee  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Amazing! cannot recommend enough
Overall rating
5/5

These guys were amazing! Absolutely loved the tent we stayed in, had plenty or wild animals roam around our tent but felt safe. Amazing service, delicious food and they also surprised us by setting up a private table for my husband and I with full view of the wild animals coming in at night, was so cool! The safaris themselves was the best I've done, we saw a leopard within the first 5mins and nearly had a black rhino charge the car... great experience & the safari cars were comfy and had great animal viewing!

Thanks guys, would definitely love to visit again
:)

Average User Rating

  • 4.7/5
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star 16
  • 4 star 2
  • 3 star 1
  • 2 star 1
  • 1 star 0
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