ROYAL THONGA

Overnight stay at Royal Thonga We had a pleasant overnight stay at Royal Thonga on our way to Southern Mozambique. The food was ok (dinner), reminded me of good old 'home cooked' meals like your... read moreWe had a pleasant overnight stay at Royal Thonga on our way to Southern Mozambique. The food was ok (dinner), reminded me of good old 'home cooked' meals like your mother used to make for you, provided she is a good cook :) They have a lovely pool area to have drinks at and take a dip (was a bit cold for us) and a boma area to sit and have a drink or two at before and/or after dinner. The lodge staff were friendly, didn't see any managers. As it was our anniversary, we stayed in the 'honeymoon' room which is just the furthermost room from the main lodge otherwise, I think all the rooms are the same. The room was great, quiet, clean, spacious and nestled in the bushes with a lovely outside shower (also was too cold to try out by the time we arrived) and bathroom. We had to shower before the morning game drive and it was freezing but we survived! Would have been nice to have the option to shower after the game drive rather, before we left, but the generator is only on at set times. Also, the showers use gas to heat the water, which turned off every few minutes, so showering was an interesting experience as you had to turn the tap on and off to get hot water. Only having power twice a day is a bit limiting but it does add to the truly African experience. All in all, a lovely stay and a nice long game drive, seeing all the beautiful elephants was a treat! Will visit again, in Summer, and hopefully the big cats come out to play :) Thank-you Royal Thonga and staff for the lovely stay! read less

When the stars come out tonight…… Lots of email correspondence before visit about game drives and any dietary problems with Carrie – arrived early – 11.15 – room ready - welcomed by Fezile who is a... read moreLots of email correspondence before visit about game drives and any dietary problems with Carrie – arrived early – 11.15 – room ready - welcomed by Fezile who is a star in my book – checked-in – walked down the boardwalk to our chalet… Stayed in Chalet 3 “Knobwood” for one night on a half board basis from 29 March 2017 It is a large thatched building – bedroom – large comfy bed with mosquito netting around it – 2 easy chairs – hanging and storage space – a fan that only works during the 4 hours when there is electricity from the generator – through a door to large open roofed bathroom – large walk-in shower - toiletries – out another door into the open air shower which was very good well controlled temperature and pressure – no in room Wi-Fi There is a deck with 2 chairs and a table – just right for your sundowner and viewing the stars after lights out at precisely 9.00 pm – a battery operated lantern is provided as light source after the electricity goes off Each chalet is separated from its neighbour by a thick thicket of vegetation giving an almost like being in the bush like experience There is also a reasonably large sized pool with chairs under shade and again surrounded by bush There is a large open sided restaurant area – with bar – comfy chairs – pit fire – and dining tables and chairs - we had lunch and despite the lack of electricity the cook managed to deliver a good cheeseburger and chips for R65 per head plus reasonably cold beers – dinner – 3 courses – soup meat and pudding – good food well cooked - breakfast – cooked breakfast – again well done – started the day early and very satisfied Game drive – pm – left at 2.00 pm back just after 6.00 - only us on the safari vehicle – Lodge has its own private entrance to the Park less than 5 minutes away – a real bonus – windy afternoon – prognosis for game sightings not good – changed guides at one of the hides at a waterhole – saw our first elephant having a drink – then with Vezi at the helm tootled around following another safari vehicle for a while until they pulled off for their sundowners - we continued as our guide had an elephant in his sights – made contact but it turned tail – and then turned a corner to find a herd of 30+ elephants including some impressive tuskers – we went round a bend in the road only to have a very close encounter with 10 or so elephants including a baby from the same herd – earlier our guide had picked up some lion tracks – he followed his instincts and in the dying light of day we found 2 immature male lions just hanging out close to a small waterhole – we might not have had our G and T sundowners but we had an excellent afternoon’s entertainment for R750 - thank you Access to the Lodge is from the main road and then onto a sandy road for about 3 kms. to the gatehouse and about 500 metres to reception – we drove it in 2WD vehicle and had no problems One of the main benefits of being without electricity is the lack of light pollution in the night sky – there are a myriad of stars filling the sky that we can’t see at home – my photo does not do it justice On the face of it this appears to be a basic hotel with the lack of electricity i.e. no ac no fridge – no kettle – no Wi-Fi - but this lack of modern “essentials” is made up by so much more – friendly staff and great service – good food well-cooked – great game drives – easy access to the Park – big night skies – bed at 9.30 awake with the dawn – a feeling of coming back to nature – a recommended experience – thank you read less

Royal Thoga Excellent Value What a wonderful experience we had while en route for a work trip which turned into a mini holiday as we finished off the work day with a short bush... read moreWhat a wonderful experience we had while en route for a work trip which turned into a mini holiday as we finished off the work day with a short bush walk and leisurely swim in the pool. This venue is a tranquil bush lodge beautifully appointed and very comfortable. The staff were super friendly and the service was excellent. Evening sunset drinks on the deck and supper in the large domed dining room was wonderful. The game drive at the adjoining Game Reserve was a great safari experience. I would highly recommend this lodge and will certainly be returning back there. read less

Tranquil venue with great service Incredible service from super humble team. Loved our room, the venue and the food. Very relaxed venue.

We were not fortunate with the game drives - did not have great sightings... read moreIncredible service from super humble team. Loved our room, the venue and the food. Very relaxed venue.

We were not fortunate with the game drives - did not have great sightings but our ranger tried really hard. read less

Rest and relaxation in the middle of the bush Here is everything to be recommended,the friendliness of the staff,the fabulous food (definitely book),the opportunity gamedrives in the Tembe Park to make.
If you are looking for peace and relaxation,here is... read moreHere is everything to be recommended,the friendliness of the staff,the fabulous food (definitely book),the opportunity gamedrives in the Tembe Park to make.
If you are looking for peace and relaxation,here is the right place! read less

A beautiful place! These lodge i a dream. We stayed there for 5 nights and it was amazing. The game-drives with Wesi were exiting. We loved the service, the huts, the breakfast, the... read moreThese lodge i a dream. We stayed there for 5 nights and it was amazing. The game-drives with Wesi were exiting. We loved the service, the huts, the breakfast, the beds, the bathroom. Everything! Thank you!! read less