The private day-bed

Making a meal of a tree

Not your average commuter

Popping in for a drink

I’m not usually an early riser. But when a morning drive through one of South Africa’s beautiful game reserves beckons, I’m the first one up. Forget the worm – this bird wants to catch an elephant, or a rhino, or even a hyena. 

Going on safari is like playing a huge game of hide and seek, but with much greater rewards (apologies to my nephew and niece). And at Thanda Private Game Reserve, so plentiful is the wildlife that it sometimes seems as though the animals aren’t even trying.

Thanda, which means ‘love’ in Zulu, is located in northern Zululand. Expanded in 2009 to 14,000 hectares, the game reserve features nine luxury bush villas, a tented camp, an exclusive royal private villa and an award-winning wellness centre. It is also the only game reserve in the world to achieve ‘Leading Small Hotels of the World’ status, and was the winner of the ‘World's Leading Luxury Lodge’ award at the World Travel Awards in 2009 and 2010.   

But despite the comforts and the accolades, it is of course the animals that are the star attractions here.   

The ‘Big Five’ (elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo) are all in attendance at Thanda, as are cheetahs, hyenas, around 4,000 bird species and even endangered wild dogs. Throw in giraffes, zebras, gnus and countless varieties of antelope and you’ll have a rough picture of this superb game reserve. If you’re lucky enough, like we are on this occasion, you’ll see most of them in just a few drives. And if you’re not, you’ll still see a lot.  

It is little wonder why so many people shed tears on their first meaningful animal sighting. Seeing a lion, hippo, or any of the African wildlife that have been immortalised in countless stories, songs and movies up close for the first time is a very moving experience. And if a warthog is enough to send this tail wagging, you can imagine how we feel when we come across a giant ‘bull’ (elephant) helping himself to a buffet of uprooted tree trunks and branches.        

Driving around in an open-top vehicle, at the crack of dawn or as the sun sets, is an African experience worthy of the clichés it invokes. And each drive offers something unique. This morning, it is the sight of a leopard driven up a tree by a pack of lions which is particularly remarkable. Fortunately for the fearful feline, she makes a quick exit when the lions are distracted by their nearby breakfast.   

Thanda’s beauty however, is not just skin deep. The game reserve takes its role as a leader in the conservation of wildlife seriously, summed up by its philosophy ‘For the love of nature, wildlife and dear ones’. Initiatives like its ‘Space for Elephants Foundation’, JAC (Jobs, AIDS & Conservation) and volunteer programs will ensure this reserve and the communities around it are there for future generations to enjoy.