Thanda means ‘love’ in Zulu, and the motto of the reserve – opened by the Zulu monarch Zwelithini Goodwill kaBhekuzulu – is ‘for the love of nature, wildlife and dear ones’.
Located in northern Zululand, Thanda is home to abundant wildlife, including a breeding pack of wild dogs, the first to be successfully introduced in a private reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. Visitors spend their days on open-air game drives and bush walks; youngsters will love the Bucks & Bugs Club, designed to teach children about the national world around them. Evenings are reserved for fine dining, enjoying wines from the well-stocked cellar, smoking in the cigar bar and star-gazing. The twenty luxurious accommodations range from the family-friendly Royal Villa to the ruggedly elegant and utterly romantic tented camps.
Guests staying at luxury South African reserve will encounter an abundance of African game including the Big Five (lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard) and the endangered wild dog and cheetah. Similarly, guests can let tensions be smoothed away at one of South Africa’s most exquisite African bush spas, or feel the rush of adrenalin diving with sharks at the nearby warm Indian Ocean waters. The witnessing of a hundred-year-old ritual performed by Zulu warriors will offer a glimpse of a powerful nation that still retains its deep traditions, and that is whole-heartedly embodied at luxury South African reserve.
The Leading Hotels of the World (00800 2888 8882 (toll free) offers stays at The Thanda Game Reserve, Kwazulu-Natal from £405 per room per night based on two people sharing accommodation in a luxury villa. Price includes 3 meals daily, 2 daily game drives and local drinks with meals. www.lhw.com/ thanda
