Thula Thula Private Game Reserve

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Rooms: 16: 8 lodge rooms all king/twin, 2 standard with sh'r, 4 luxury & 2 royal all en-s bath & sh'r. 8 luxury tents, 6 deluxe king/twin with bath & sh'r & outside sh'r, 2 family with bath & sh'r.

Prices: Lodge: R2,600 - R3,500 pp sharing (single supplement +30%, except in 2 dedicated single rooms where there is no sing supp). Tents: R2,500 - R2,800. Full board and inclusive of all game drives and bush walks. See website for special packages on offer all year round.
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Meals: Includes all meals and gourmet Franco-Zulu 4-course dinner in the Lodge or traditional South African home cooking in the tented camp.

Directions: From N2 take R34 towards Empangeni. Thro Empangeni turn R towards Heatonville. Follow for 10km crossing 3 rail tracks. Turn L at next T-jct onto dirt rd for 8km. Turn R for 2km to Thula. 2 hrs from Durban. Map on website.

Françoise Malby-Anthony
D312 Buchanana Main Road, Buchanana Main Road, Heatonville, KwaZulu Natal

Tel: (0)35-792-8322/3/7065
Cell: (0)82-259-9732 / 082-787-9991
Fax: (0)86-647-8357

Sundowner in hand, I was whisked into a 4x4 for an afternoon game drive only to find myself staring down the trunk of Nana the elephant, matriarch and star of Lawrence’s best-seller The Elephant Whisperer. Anyone who has read the book will know that Thula Thula is a special place where Lawrence took in a threatened family of elephants, becoming part of their herd and ultimately saving their lives. Today, Francoise and her team carry on the legacy of Lawrence’s magnificent work and – together with the local community, Four Paws and Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation - October 2014 saw the launch of the only rhino orphanage in KwaZulu Natal, where rhinos orphaned by poaching have been taken in and are in the process of being rehabilitated by volunteer veterinary nurses. Here, human and animal lives are intimately intertwined as I discovered upon meeting Thabo and Ntombi (the not-so-small baby orphan rhinos). Thula Thula is also home to leopard, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, nyala, hyenas, crocodile, kudu, wildebeest and no fewer than 400 bird species. The tented camp with its outdoor showers, laid-back meals and luxury tents is perfect for families. A couple of kilometres through the bush, the lodge is equally comfortable with large, African-themed rooms lavishly decked out with four-posters, zebra rugs and huge doors leading to the stoep. Meeting other guests around a candlelit pool I was guided into the boma and presented with a four-course extravaganza of Franco-Zulu cuisine. And while I ate, I toyed with various plans to insure that I could stay longer... if only!

More information from the owners…

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Wildlife at Thula Thula with rhinos and elephants

Bathroom with a view: Family tent at our tented camp

Boma dinner under the stars at our tented camp

Luxury double tent at our Thula Thula tented camp

Cocktail at sunset from the Elephant Safari Lodge Bar

Extra Information from the Owners

This section represents an opportunity for the owners of Thula Thula Private Game Reserve to add extra information that they think will be of use to you. All content from this point onwards has been written by them and not by Greenwood Guides.

What to Do in the Area

Release of "the Elephant Whisperer" by Lawrence Anthony

The second book of South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, the Elephant Whisperer" has been released in English, German and Italian.
The book relates the story of the Thula Thula elephant since their arrival in 1999 in the game reserve.

GOURMET SAFARI COOKING CLASS AT THULA THULA SAFARI LODGE

Thula Thula Private Game Reserve launches their much anticipated Culinary Courses this winter. The reserve, which offers both luxury lodge and tented camp accommodation, is revered as one of the KwaZulu Natal 's foremost gourmet destinations.
Their Culinary Courses have been designed by charismatic owner and French trained chef, Francoise Anthony.

Francoise who hones her skills each year at the LeNôtre Culinary Institute in Paris, describes her cooking as "Franco-Zulu" inspired cuisine, and her menu includes creative interpretations of traditional dishes such as Seafood Bouillabaisse Creole and Oxtail Bourguignon as well as sublime desserts, including the lodge's legendary handmade Nougat Glacé. Under Francoise's skilful guidance, course participants will learn the techniques of a pro, whilst immersed in the pristine African bushveld.

For more information on the course, please contact Thula Thula Private Game Reserve on + 27 (35) 792 8322 or email : francoise@thulathula.com
Francoise Cell phone: 083 7879991