From earlier posts, you know that I didn't select my stay at Thornybush myself but that it's where South African Airways booked me (as well as another American couple that arrived yesterday). A few days after booking, they upgraded my lodge accomodations. Until I got there, I didn't realize how lucky I was. Monwana Lodge is designated as four star. The Thornybush Main Lodge is a five star lodge and they deserve every single star they have. The staff could not have been any better from check in to check out. They were never intrusive but always seemed to know when we were done eating or needed more to drink.
I really cannot thank the staff (Donna, Precious, Advice, Elvis, Masha, Emily, Christoff, Rexon, and all the others whose names I can't remember) enough. They made my stay very comfortable and welcoming. They even took my pajamas out of their bag and laid them out for me the first night.
The guides and trackers are great as well. They're not only there for the drives, but they're also helping to serve drinks, dinner, or even fetch your luggage. When they're out on the drives, they're communicating by radio to make sure that all the guests get to see the wildlife that's been found. What's also nice is that Thornybush only allows two vehicles at a sighting at a time so the animals never feel crowded. I understand that's not necessarily the case in other locations so I think it's another reason that Thornybush rated so highly in my mind.
The lodge is set in a beautiful setting and the wildlife roam free. There were a lot of bushbuck on the grounds, but also a few vervet monkeys (who could get quite cheeky) as well as warthogs and a kudu.
My deck looked out on a watering hole in the dry riverbed. Only yesterday did we see any animals come down when a herd of buffalo made their way in. There were also five giraffe that we could see from the deck.
The food was delicious and plentiful. The drinks were cold and free flowing (though not free but definitely reasonable). There's also a library where they did have satellite TV as well as a computer for access to the internet (R20 for 15 minutes). There was also a small swimming pool. The family suites also have their own plunge pool.
You were free to walk between buildings during the day but needed to be escorted by a night porter after dark. This was due to the fact that the wildlife roam freely. They had seen the remains of a monkey that had been killed an eaten by a leopard so they definitely didn't want to take chances.
Here's some photos from the lodge....
If you are thinking about going to South Africa for a safari, do it! And stay at Thornybush Main Lodge, it's well worth the price of admission (about $1100 for three nights including airfare).
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