The unique atmosphere, stylish décor and an exclusive and personalized service makes the Elephant Safari Lodge a “five star” bush experience, offering luxury and privacy in individual chalets, decorated in ethnic and colonial style. Exceptional service, attention to detail and a gourmet menu are the reasons why so many wish to return to the Elephant Safari Lodge. From your private veranda, you can observe superb birdlife and wildlife roaming free in the 4500 hectare (soon to be 5500ha) conservancy. The property also has a luxury tented camp as well as volunteer lodgings.
The Elephant Safari Lodge includes accommodation, all gourmet meals, two game drives per day, tea and coffee throughout the day. The Elephant Safari Lodge famously combines a fusion of the most delicious fare combined with exotic flavours and enhanced with the finest South African wines, makes Thula Thula one of the most renowned gourmet destinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The superb menus offer a great selection of seafood, venison and the best vegetarian dishes.
After owner, Lawrence wrote the best seller “The Elephant Whisperer” in 2009, the emotional story of how he saved a herd of wild elephants from death by rescuing them and bringing trust into humans for the first time, he became recognized as an international best-selling author and conservationist. His work continues with his wife, Francoise, who carries on his conservation work at Thula Thula game reserve as well as the running of both lodges. She is also the author of best sellers, The Elephants of Thula Thula and recently, The Elephant in my Kitchen, as well as a fabulous chef.
Deluxe Rooms
The deluxe rooms are approximately 25 sqm, with a queen sized four-poster bed, en-suite bathroom with single basin and shower, as well as a veranda overlooking the bush. The deluxe rooms are ideal for single occupancy.
Suite Royale
The Suite Royale is perfect for honeymooning couples or for a special occasion. With a large king size four-poster bed, the Suite Royale is approximately 75 sqm, has a separate lounge area, en-suite bathroom with large walk-in shower, bath with bush view and twin basins. The Suite Royale has superb bush views from the large veranda with a 3×4 private swimming pool overlooking the watering hole.
Suite Imperiale
The Suite Imperiale, for a journey into the past, exclusively decorated to celebrate nature, offering the very best in elegance and luxury.A large viewing deck with private pool (3 x 4m) offers absolute privacy and superb game viewing from the comfort of your Suite.
Luxury Safari Suite
The luxury rooms are approximately 35 sqm. Three of the luxury chalets have 2 x ¾ four- poster beds and 1 of the chalets has a queen size four-poster bed. The ensuite bathrooms have twin basins, bath and shower. Each luxury chalet has a veranda overlooking the bush.
Game Drives
Morning and evening game drives in the park.
Game Walks
Join the ranger for a stroll through the bush.
Zulu Village trip - An authentic experience!
Visit of the local Zulu village where you will meet the “Sangoma”, the traditional Zulu diviner. The game ranger will take you around the village to show you the local school and shops.
Outside the gates of Thula Thula, experience the beauty and surrounding areas of the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, affectionately known by the locals as the ‘Dolphin Coast’.
St. Lucia Estuary - Boat Cruises
Experience the beauty of the iSimangaliso – Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park on a relaxing two-hour boat cruise (three different daily departure times) along the St. Lucia Estuary. Learn about the magnificent birdlife, hippos & crocs to be sighted with educational talks. The boats offer ample space to walk around in & comfortable seats from which to study the beautiful scenery, and are custom built to venture into shallow waters. Excellent photographic opportunities are a given.
Whale Watching - St. Lucia Waters
If you want to go whale watching in St. Lucia, this tour is for you. Cut across the tranquil turquoise blue as your whale & dolphin spotting tour leaves from the North Island. As you cruise the beautiful calm of St. Lucia’s waters, your captain will direct you to the best spots for viewing a host of whales & dolphins. See sperm whales, pilot whales, spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins & more! Snap photos of St. Lucia’s tropical coastline, fishing villages & deserted coves. This St. Lucia whale watching excursion makes for a highly memorable day – be sure to bring your sunscreen & your camera!
Hluhluwe/Umfolozi - Game Reserve
This beautiful game reserve was created in 1895 (the oldest park in Africa) and is home to the big five & rich in wildlife & conservation efforts. The park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where you can find the Big Five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). The park now has the largest population of white rhino in the world. Throughout the park, there are many signs of Stone Age settlements. The area was originally a royal hunting ground for the Zulu kingdom but was established as a park in 1895. The Umfolozi & Hluhluwe reserves were established primarily to protect the white rhinoceros, then on the endangered species list.
Thula Thula is proud to announce that the expansion project for elephant habitat has been completed and is now 5000 hectares! This would not have been possible without your incredible help. Maintaining the fences, roads and general infrastructure is an ongoing task. The conservation efforts in protecting our 9 rhinos, our special elephant family and all our wildlife can never be stopped. Neither the dehorning of our rhino and veterinarian assistance when our wildlife family is in need of care, as it is our responsibility and commitment to do everything to ensure their safety and wellbeing. We do thank you for your support for the conservation and community projects that are on-going and growing at Thula Thula.
Rhino Monitoring
Rhinos are monitored on a 24-hour basis, with the Volunteer Academy during the day, while the Anti-poaching and K9 unit continues monitoring 24/7. We monitor our rhinos not only for their own security but also to get insight into their behaviour, socially for females and territorial males.
Adopt a rhino or elephant HERE
The Thula Thula Volunteers program offers both local and international volunteers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get involved in wildlife conservation, reserve management and environmental studies. Thula Thula welcomes you to join a team of highly skilled and knowledgeable guides, reserve managers, and general nature lovers, in our efforts to continually develop a link between people and the wilderness. All proceeds from the Volunteers Academy go to the non-profit South African Conservation Fund to fund Thula Thula’s crucial conservation programm including habitat expansion, anti-poaching and much else.
The Thula Thula volunteers Academy is situated adjacent to our Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre, in a secure fenced area, with the most magnificent view over the whole game reserve and Mkhulu Dam, this is one the elephant’s favourite spots and home to our hippo pod. Currently a maximum of 8 volunteers can be accommodated per session, one of the volunteers being from the local community on a complimentary basis. Accommodation has been entirely rebuilt in 8 individual cabins (no tents anymore) very comfortably furnished with queen size beds and a shower en suite.
Our volunteers have been rating it “7 star” volunteer accommodation ! Accommodation and all meals will be provided for you during your stay with us. (You are welcome to bring your own snacks for in-between meals as well as coffee if you prefer filtered or a specific brand. Please also bring your own drinks for sundowners).
Volunteers will be immersed into a 1 to 3-week program of living in the African wilderness, sharing experiences with others, growing their skills, and making a difference to the reserve. The program will vary slightly throughout the year due to seasonal changes as well as the ever-shifting conservation challenges. Thula Thula offers a well-rounded program aimed at covering both the needs of the reserve, surrounding communities as well as providing a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience for the volunteers. During your stay with us, volunteers will see themselves as “Assistant Conservation Managers”, as all the work done, and data collected will be utilized by Thula Thula for the ongoing conservation of the reserve.
Check out the Volunteer Academy HERE