Thornybush Game Reserve
If you love the brilliant blue of the African sky and the deep crimson of a bushveld sunset, and you prefer a small, friendly and intimate bush lodge, where the emphasis is on personal service, good traditional bush cuisine and a warm and relaxing atmosphere, then you will love Kwa-Mbili Game Lodge.
Kwa-Mbili is located within the Thornybush Private Game Reserve, which comprises of 14,500 hectares of prime game viewing bushveld, and is home to the Big 5 as well as a variety of other African wildlife.
Late afternoons, guests depart on a game drive, and enjoy sundowners in the bush before continuing on an exciting night game drive. Back at the lodge, dinner is served under African skies around the camp-fire.
On the early morning safaris, coffee/tea and traditional rusks are served in the bush and then the safari is continued on foot or by vehicle. The focus is on the small things in the bush - learning to track animals, and what the various trees and plants are used for.
Kwa-Mbili offers guests a choice of accommodation. The thatched chalets are decorated in colourful African style. Each chalet has its own en-suite bathroom with shower, and a patio where guests can sit and enjoy the natural surroundings.
The safari tents have their own en-suite bathroom with shower, and the tents also have thatched roofs over them to protect them from too much sun as well as to shelter the bathroom areas from rain. The tents also have sheltered patio areas.
Gallery
Guest Rating: 4.8 / 5.0 based on 4 ratings
This is a superb, intimate camp in the Thornybush Private Game Reserve.
Accommodation is in luxury thatch bungalows, or luxury tents for those looking for a little more "bush ambiance". The camp architecture is tasteful and appropriate to the context and climate.
There is impressive attention to detail (one example: beds strewn with fresh rose-petals). Food was creative and excellent, Hannah, Darius and the staff were attentive and informative, and overall the level of service was impeccable.
Being a private reserve, there are no constraints on where vehicles can drive, so it is possible to get "up close and personal" with the animals. Depending on your point of view this is either a plus (from the perspective of close-up game-viewing) or a minus (from the perspective of habitat, which gets a lot of abuse in the process). Setting aside our personal reservations about habitat damage, we appreciated the fact that Darius went to great lengths to give us stunningly close views of the game.
All private game reserves are very expensive, and while Kwa-Mbili is lower-priced than many, it is no exception to the rule. Those able to afford the eye-watering price tag will have an exceptional experience. Highly recommended.
S SMITH