Royal Thonga Safari Lodge

Property building, Facade/entrance, Day, Garden, Garden view

Bed, Photo of the whole room, Seating area, Bedroom

Royal Thonga Safari Lodge Nature lodge in KwaZulu-Natal

3.9

Good(101 Reviews)

Nature lodge in KwaZulu-Natal

Reasons to book

Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones

High-end valuePrice for this property is higher than average in the area

Includes essentialsGarden, Pool, Pets allowed and more

About this nature lodge rental

Offering a garden and terrace, Royal Thonga Safari Lodge is located in Tembe Elephant Park, home to the Big 5. Free private parking is available on site.

Amenities

Pool

Pets allowed

Kitchen or Kitchenette

Fireplace

Smoking allowed

Parking

Laundry

Balcony or Patio

Hot tub or spa

Wheelchair accessible

Garden

Family friendly

Map of KwaZulu-Natal

Nearby attractions

Isandlwana Visitors Centre and Museum

142.3 mi

Emakhosini

118.5 mi

Available Rooms

Safari Villa

1 King • 516 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Two-Bedroom Family Villa

2 Single • 1 King • 1453 ft²

Sleeps 5

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Deluxe Villa

1 King • 516 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Family Room

1 Bunk • 538 ft²

Sleeps 4

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

$$$$

Royal Thonga Safari Lodge

$$$$

3.9

Good(101 Reviews)

Nature lodge in KwaZulu-Natal

Reasons to book

Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones

High-end valuePrice for this property is higher than average in the area

Includes essentialsGarden, Pool, Pets allowed and more

About this nature lodge rental

Offering a garden and terrace, Royal Thonga Safari Lodge is located in Tembe Elephant Park, home to the Big 5. Free private parking is available on site.

Amenities

Pool

Pets allowed

Kitchen or Kitchenette

Fireplace

Smoking allowed

Parking

Laundry

Balcony or Patio

Hot tub or spa

Wheelchair accessible

Garden

Family friendly

Map of KwaZulu-Natal

Nearby attractions

Isandlwana Visitors Centre and Museum

142.3 mi

Emakhosini

118.5 mi

Available Rooms

Safari Villa

1 King • 516 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Two-Bedroom Family Villa

2 Single • 1 King • 1453 ft²

Sleeps 5

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Deluxe Villa

1 King • 516 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Family Room

1 Bunk • 538 ft²

Sleeps 4

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Reviews

3.9

Good(101 Reviews)

100% verified reviews

1.0

Jul 2023

Misery, cold , no hot water. I will not recommend to anyone

Property is beautiful really quiet and relaxing

The fact that they don’t have back generator in the event of load shedding. It was very disappointing that we had no electricity up to 6 hours and in the morning cold shower. The rooms are cold at night they provide no heaters. It’s a shame that people have been complaining about no backup to load shedding since 2021 it’s 2023 the issue still not addressed very disappointing

3.5

Jul 2023

Good

Convenient

Unprepared with regard to stock. Bar not stocked. Basics such as dry white wine unavailable which one would think is a basic.

2.0

May 2023

They need to improve their electricity situation as load sheading in SA is old news.

Accommodation was nice and good location. front of house staff were nice.

No electricity for 36hrs of the stay and no rechargeable lights just candles. Generator not working. Food was below average. warm drinks

0.5

Feb 2023

Bad

There is no plan for loadshedding No candles or any form of light or plan during loadshedding We left at 04:00 in the morning. If someone can call us, we will give our full story. 0823226942

5.0

Jan 2023

Big Tuskers - excellent Lodge

This is indeed a hidden gem. A five star safari lodge with friendly staff and everything working - even with load shedding challenges!

One of the best designed Lodges we have stayed at, and we travel a lot! Immersed in nature, the flaura and fauna around the villas is amazing! Self or guided nature and birding trails within the fenced property Direct access to the Tembe Elephant park and the sounds of lions roaring at night. Game viewing in the Park is extra but we found it worthwhile with a waterhole hide nearby and certainty of seeing some of Africa's largest Tuskers. We also saw a Leopard on the first drive but don't expect that, these are not contrived game drives so it really is a case.of finding the sights yourself with good intuition and tracking!

5.0

Jan 2023

A perfect place to relax and rewind and create great memories.

We loved everything about this property especially the amazing staff members. A massive thank you to Sboniso Mthembu, Bonga and Nombuso for making our stay that extra awesome. Your professionalism and kindness was enough to make us want to return back to Royal thonga. Thank you!

N/A

5.0

Jul 2022

beautiful accomodation, real close to Tembe

very nice lodge, close to Tembe elephant park ( they have an own entrance). Accomodation itself is spacious and feels luxery. The park is, although only accessible by 4wd, something else than other parks.

5.0

Jun 2022

Exceptional

Every house has its own privacy.

There was bartenders so no cocktails during my stay

5.0

Jun 2022

Exceptional

The location gives you a true african feel. A much needed break from city life

No TV and no aircon

2.5

Apr 2022

No hot water in the room. Total confusion with regards to the payments made for accommodation

I was charged 2x for the accommodation. Booking.com as well as the Lodge charged me. I requested a refund and nothing is forthcoming, one week later.

3.5

Mar 2022

the stay was fine becuase iam not a fussy person but i still belive they need to improve or they wil

The Property has huge potential It is situated in the correct location Its is nice

1. Same Breakfast everyday 2. Water problem (showering)

4.0

Feb 2022

Very good

The staff are so friendly, and ready to help when needed. It was a beautiful stress free place to relax.

The bedding was not so clean.

4.5

Feb 2022

Great comfort and access to beautiful Tembe Elephant Park

We greatly enjoyed our brief stay at this lovely lodge. The staff are very good--very friendly, helpful, and interested in the guests' enjoyment of the lodge. The host is a gem. The food was very good, and inventive for a rustic location. We also enjoyed the self-service coffee and tea bar.

Despite our great enjoyment, it might have been more comfortable if back-up generators were available for overnight load-shedding. Our stay was during high summer temperatures which combined with unavoidable load shedding power outage, was just too hot to sleep!

4.0

Jan 2022

Very good

Staff attended to everything we needed.

3.5

Jan 2022

has great potential but needs a lot of staff training and some maintenance

beautiful location in the forest and lovely layout and pool . staff are super friendly and helpful but not well trained

rooms are poorly maintained- when one of the rooms partially flooded due to a blocked drain and we asked for help someone came to look but didn’t do anything about it. we cleaned up the flooding and mess. what was strange was the complete lack of decor in the rooms, they were furnished and beds comfortable but looked like the furniture was put in and nothing further

4.5

Jan 2022

Excellent birding opportunity, will visit again.

Excellent meals and service

250 meter walk to the car parking area. Slippery and dangerous boardwalk after rains, between chalet and dining room area.

3.5

Dec 2021

could be an outstanding place with good management, some interior decor and food improvement. has loads of potential

beautiful setting, forest, and layout

the staff were super friendly and helpful but poorly trained. the rooms looked like they had been stripped - apart from the furniture there was no interior decor at all one of the rooms had a blocked shower drain and faulty basin plug which resulted in a flooded room but even after reporting it nothing was done. we cleaned up ourselves

1.5

Oct 2021

Sadly very disappointing.

The waiting staff, barman and game ranger Sinboniso and Gugu were amazing and the only light in a dreary waste of money weekend. How unfortunate that their amazing efforts couldn't make up for bad management and dishonesty. I wish I had taken more time to read more reviews and avoided this lodge.

The Lodge had a function booked that took over the lodge and restaurant and ended up making us feel unwelcome and confined to our room. We were unsure of where to eat dinner then shunted back to our rooms after arriving for breakfast as they were setting up for day 2 of the event. That's unacceptable. Despite it being a game reserve next door with wild animals there were parties until the early hours of the morning with loud music. The manager said she arranged an activity out of the lodge to compensate for the fact that we couldn't use the facilities.. and then canceled it at the last minute only after I asked for confirmation of the trip. The manager was dishonest about how the private function would affect us as other guests implying the function group would only be there for 12 hours ... they stayed for 2 days! The rooms look well decorated but are dirty dusty and full of spiders. The thatch roof needs cleaning as it was full of spider webs. What a horrid experience. We left a day early... just to end the agony. Extremely overpriced for the facilities. The manager never called to even discuss our early departure and forfeit of 1 day and dinner bed and breakfast.

5.0

Sep 2021

Exceptional

Very good

Nothing

2.5

Sep 2021

Beautiful Lodge - Terrible Service

The lodge is beautiful, the pool area and Resturant is nice. Wifi is only available in the Restuarant area. The staff on site is very friendly.

Where to begin…. I arrive at the lodge and get told that my game drives are not included in my full board package! Even though prior to arrival I enquired and was told that the full board option consists of all meals and a game drive. The drinks are over waaaay over priced. There should be wifi in the rooms also. The lighting in the rooms are horrible you cannot see much at night. We travel quite extensively and this game reserve was quite average compared to most. The food is tasty but really average on most days there’s a set menu so no variety and no authentic dishes. Like a beef burger for lunch but the Pattie is not a fresh beef Pattie it’s more refined like the ones from the box we can get from our local grocer. We spent most of our time relaxing by the pool because all the activities are approximately 1hour away at Kosi Bay after a 5 hour drive from Durban another hour didnt sound appealing to us. At the pool no one would come check on us for hours at a time eventually when some one did we would give our drinks order and it will literally arrive more than an hour and a half later keeping in mind it’s like 36 degrees there with no aircons anywhere! Overall the lodge is nice but service and meals really need to step up. It seemed like the lodge only wanted to make a quick buck. Due to the dishonestly and money making attitude I won’t be returning. FYI the confirmation of game drive is added to the pics.

4.0

Sep 2021

Very good

Amazing comfortable bed and lovely game drive with a very knowledgeable guide

Lights in room a bit on the dim side if you want to read

5.0

Sep 2021

Perfect place to bond, to create memories with your love one.

What a lovely place to be. Breakfast and Diner was divine, service was excellent. Restaurant in a perfect spot. Layout is excellent. we really enjoyed ourselves. Keep up the great work.

I loved our room. Enjoyed the Game drive. Liked the fire place both inside the restaurant and outside. Barman did a great job, always willing to learn new cocktails as what I required was not in the menu.

4.0

Aug 2021

Very good

Lovely place. Wonderful and gracious staff. . The food was awesome. Great pool well maintained. Plenty of activities to do during your stay.

The road leading up to the lodge has too much sand we got stuck but the staff were wonderful and helped us navigate to the lodge. The drinks are very overpriced. Highly inflated prices.

5.0

Jun 2021

Fantabulous

The breakfast was awesome!

Absolutely nothing

4.5

Jun 2021

Superb

Peace of mind and tranquil.

The water in the shower was not as hot as how I would've liked it to be.

4.5

May 2021

Superb

Excellent friendly and helpful staff. Very professional and knowledgeable. Game drive was very enjoyable. Location great for a combination holiday of game drives plus beach holiday (Kosi Bay 45 minutes away). Very rich in culture and the Tonga and Tembe people lovely and friendly. The food was excellent, tasty and interesting. They went out of their way to accomodate non-meat eaters. One of our favourite features of the lodge was the lap pool in its beautiful bush surrounding.

FAQs

How much does this nature lodge cost compared to others in KwaZulu-Natal?

The average price for a rental in KwaZulu-Natal is $79 per night. This rental is $9 above the average.

Is parking included with this nature lodge?

Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Royal Thonga Safari Lodge. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this nature lodge?

Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at Royal Thonga Safari Lodge. Enjoy the water!

Is Royal Thonga Safari Lodge pet friendly?

Yes! This nature lodge is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.

What amenities are available at Royal Thonga Safari Lodge?

We found 13 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, fireplace, and smoking allowed.

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Royal Thonga Safari Lodge

Nature lodge in KwaZulu-Natal

Reasons to book

About this nature lodge rental

Amenities

Map of KwaZulu-Natal

Nearby attractions

Available Rooms

Safari Villa

Two-Bedroom Family Villa

Deluxe Villa

Family Room

Royal Thonga Safari Lodge

Nature lodge in KwaZulu-Natal

Reasons to book

About this nature lodge rental

Amenities

Map of KwaZulu-Natal

Nearby attractions

Available Rooms

Safari Villa

Two-Bedroom Family Villa

Deluxe Villa

Family Room

Reviews

FAQs

How much does this nature lodge cost compared to others in KwaZulu-Natal?

Is parking included with this nature lodge?

Is there a pool at this nature lodge?

Is Royal Thonga Safari Lodge pet friendly?

What amenities are available at Royal Thonga Safari Lodge?

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