Royal Thonga Safari Lodge

On route to Sodwana, we spent 2 blissfull days at the Royal Thonga Safari Lodge next to the Thembe Elephant Park between Jozini and Kosi Bay. Right on the border of Mozambique and SA. The encounter with the Elephants was an adrenelien rush! My heart was pounding profosely!! We love Zululand with its wildlife both on land, sea and lakes. 5 star hospitality. Most attentive staff.

Royal Things Safari lodge is such an amazing place. We had our honeymoon there and was blown away by the service and staff. The staff went out of their way to make sure we had the most amazing time. They are situated right next to Tembe Elephant sanctuary so game drives can be arranged from the hotel every morning and afternoon. They have an amazing pool on the hotel property and the rooms are fantastic. The only issue was there is only electrify from 6-8am and from 6-9pm in the evening. No aircon or TV. But the beauty and service out ways the electricity. They did mention that electricity was being installed this year.

Beautiful lodge to stay in, close to Tembe elephant reserve which is a fantastic reserves. Lodge itself has friendly staff, good dining and lounge areas and good food. Nice little forest walk on the grounds itself which is good for bird watchers and just a nice walk in general. Would recommend to anyone.

What an amazing gem of a discovery. We were looking for a break away, something not to far but far enough to be out of the bustle of the city life when we stumbled onto the website of the lodge and fell immediately in love with what it had on offer. A lodge run by the community as part of the up-liftment of the local Thonga community. Upon arrival we were welcomed by a super friendly staff, immediately looking to fulfill our every need and everything we had read on the lodge in that instance became reality. The room we were booked into, was excellent, free from the trappings of technology, an authentic bush lodge feel, spacious with a large ensuite bathroom. Each room is hidden from the next by bush and sitting out on the porch of the room, listening to the elephant feed right next door in Thembe Elephant Park and the lions roaring in the distance, one could just imagine being up in wild Africa, not to exclude the rich bird life around the chalets at the lodge. The food at breakfast, lunch and supper was superbly prepared. The portions were generous and you were never left feeling hungry, this with a well stocked bar, run by Siya, the friendly and helpful barkeep. Plan carefully for lunch and dinner as the closest town is 50 km away and a town with places to sit down and eat a 100 km. Dinner at the lodge is always three course. Enquire from Wendy if you would like to know what the menu will be for lunch and dinner as there is no set menu. The lodge works on a generator and electricity is provided from 17:00 to 21:00 and 05:00 and 09:00. So if you are desperate to charge your tech, these would be the times to do so. Showers in the rooms work on gas, so no worries about not having hot water. The lodge also has a lap pool where you can cool down or just lounge around if you need to. A must visit is to the Thembe Elephant Park, right nextdoor to the lodge. You can either self-drive if you have a 4 × 4 or you could ask the lodge for a game drive with the very experienced Gugu as your guide. Kosi Bay and its surrounding parks is just 37 km away and if you have your passports and you feel adventurous, Ponta do Ouro in Mozambique is only 50 km away. No reason to get bored as there is so much to do in the surrounds. Wendy and her staff, Siya, Maria, Noluthando and Gugu, were friendly and very willing to share the rich history of the area and the lodge. The peace and tranquility was enough to recharge very empty batteries in a short period of time. Highly recommend staying here if you want to just get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and experience nature the way it was intended to be experienced.

Amazing place to relax and do various activities. Perfect spot for our honeymoon. Wendy, Gugu and Sboniso were always happy, helpful and accommodating. Best place I've ever stayed at for sure. Definitely coming back for another visit.

I have given it 4 stars on the basis of promised improvements. It has recently undergone major refurbishment. The decor is very nice. Unfortunately power is not yet installed so there is only a generator running for 3 hours twice daily. The food was very average but hopefully this will improve once the place is running at full steam. Currently management is not the friendliest or most welcoming. Again one is hopeful that this will improve once a fulltime professional manager is appointed. Our guide was superb. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he really went out of his way to be helpful. If this place is developed to its potential it will be wonderful. However there is a risk it could flop if management does not up its game.

This Place is the perfect combination of nature, cozy atmosphare and kindness people that an accommodation can have. If you like to be in nature and to be part of it, then it is the best place to stay and do some game drives with the guides who knows their own resort and how to treat the nature. It is a must do if you are interested in nature and authentic people. We will defenetly come again to this magnificent place.

Very peaceful place where you're at one with nature. Beautifully designed accommodation. Glass walls and panels allow generous amounts of natural light, yet your privacy is guaranteed by the trees and vegetation that completely obscure each individual lodge from view. Price includes bed, breakfast and dinner. Staff very helpful, friendly and welcoming.

Cosy and pittoresque lodge, few km away from the Tembe National Park's entrance. Good service and very nice people who helped us to sort out a difficult situation during our trip in South Africa. Highly recommended place.

The service is fabulous, the owner is humble and welcoming, the food is mouth watering..... Nosipho, Nobuhle, Bonga and Sibonelo have spot on service.... this place is so serene..... cant wait for tomorrows morning game drive.... best anniversary yet.